Allen Dickerson Carden (1792 - 1859)

Born 13 Oct 1792 in Fincastle, Botetourt, Virginia, United States

Died 1 Mar 1859 at age 66 in Franklin, Williamson, Tennessee, United States

Biography

excellent biography found at Jstor Journal Article https://www.jstor.org/stable/42626041?seq=1 Allen D. Carden: Early Tennessee Musician by David L. Crouse

courtesy of Gary D Huffman , CalvaryBaptBelleville@gmail.com

He was a notable Author/publisher of collection of early songs; most notably The Missouri Harmony

He bridged an important gap between New England singing and later southern tunebooks. Much of what we have today would have been endangered or lost had he not preserved the old songs from the late 1700s and early 1800s.

See Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Missouri_Harmony

The Missouri Harmony, first published in 1820, was the most popular of all American frontier shape-note tune books during its reign. The 185 songs compiled in the collection were favorites used in Protestant churches and singing schools, and many were deeply rooted in American culture by the time of its first publication.

Its origins lay in a St. Louis school, where it was introduced by singing master Allen Carden, and its spread along the Mississippi River and its tributaries. It is said that Abraham Lincoln and his sweetheart, Ann Rutledge, sang from The Missouri Harmony at her father's tavern in Illinois.

Allen Dickenson Carden Written by Timothy J. Reynolds courtesy of CalvaryBaptBelleville@gmail.com

Allen D. Carden was a singing-school teacher and compiler of tunebooks using four-shape notation. He compiled and published The Missouri Harmony (St. Louis, 1820, though printed in Cincinnati), probably the most widely used tunebook in the southern and western United States until William Walker published The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion in 1835. Although Carden had no further connection with The Missouri Harmony, nine later editions with numerous reprints were published by others through 1857.

Shortly after the publication of The Missouri Harmony Carden returned to Nashville, where he taught singing schools and published and printed two other tunebooks, The Western Harmony (1824 with S. J. Rogers, F. Moore, and J. Green) and United States Harmony (1829). Neither of these books achieved the success of his earlier effort. There is no record of a second edition for either book. However, all of Carden's tunebooks are significant because of his stated purpose to provide music for church services.

Tunebooks of this period were typically not used in regular church services but were intended for use in singing societies or schools. The Western Harmony also is uniquely significant in that it was the first music published with a Nashville imprint.

During the last twenty-five years of his life Carden acquired substantial landholdings in several counties in Middle and West Tennessee, but whether he maintained his involvement in musical matters after the publication of his final tunebook is unknown.

Tennessee, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1784-1825

Name: Allen D. Carding

Spouse: Maria W Hyde

Marriage Date: 4 Dec 1823

Marriage County: Davidson

1830 United States Federal Census^[1]

Name: Allen Cardin

Home in 1830 (City, County, State): Davidson, Tennessee

Free White Persons - Males - 30 thru 39: 1

Free White Persons - Females - Under 5: 2

Free White Persons - Females - 5 thru 9: 1

Free White Persons - Females - 20 thru 29: 1

Slaves - Males - Under 10: 1

Slaves - Males - 24 thru 35: 2

Slaves - Females - 10 thru 23: 1

Free White Persons - Under 20: 3

Free White Persons - 20 thru 49: 2

Total Free White Persons: 5

Total Slaves: 4

Total - All Persons (Free White, Slaves, Free Colored): 9

Tennessee, U.S., Early Tax List Records, 1783-1895

Name: Allen D Carden

Year: 1839

Residence: Davidson, Tennessee

1850 United States Federal Census ^[2] Name: A D Carden Gender: Male Race: White Age: 54 Birth Year: abt 1796 Birthplace: Tennessee Home in 1850: District 9, Williamson, Tennessee, USA Occupation: None Industry: Non-Industrial Response Real Estate: 1000 Line Number: 6 Dwelling Number: 176 Family Number: 176 Household Members Age

• A D Carden 54
• Maria W Carden 43
• Ann Eliza Carden 20
• Henry H Carden 18
• Sarah Hardeman 12

1850 U.S. Federal Census - Slave Schedules^[3]

Name: A D Carden

Residence Date: 1850

Residence Place: District 9, Williamson, Tennessee, USA

Number of Enslaved People: 6

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/42798091/allen-d-carden

Name: Allen D Carden

Birth Date: 13 Oct 1792

Death Date: 1 Mar 1859

Cemetery: Rest Haven Cemetery

Burial or Cremation Place: Franklin, Williamson County, Tennessee, United States of America

Has Bio?: Y

Spouse: Maria W Carden

Children: Mary Ann Park

Rest Haven in Franklin TN

Son of Thomas Carden. Married Marie W. Hyde in 1823 their children were Mary Ann Park, Martha, Eliza and Henry Hyde. He wrote The Western Harmony (shape-note hymnal) 1820.

Taken from the book Portraits of Williamson County by Rick Warwick 2010 submitted by Linda Moore Mora

His father was Joseph Carden, who has an 1810 census record in Botetourt County VA.

(He is mentioned in the will of his father Joseph Carden)

Biography & Genealogy Master Index (BGMI)

Name: Allen D Carden

Birth Year: 1792

Death Year: 1859

Has Photo: No

Source: The New Grove Dictionary of American Music. Four volumes. Edited by H. Wiley Hitchcock and Stanley Sadie. London: Macmillan Press, 1986. (NewGrDA)

$$ Links to 2005 and 1846 Carden songbooks - They are both affordable. The first link is the 2005 revision of the Carden book. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1883982545?ie=UTF8&tag=shapenotes-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1883982545

The second is the 1846 facsimile. https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0803261144/risingdovefinear

Over the course of thirty years, Carden's book went through ten editions which is a tribute to its long lasting value and usefulness.

From Gary D Huffman , CalvaryBaptBelleville@gmail.com

Sources

1. ↑ 1830 United States Federal Census: Year: 1830; Census Place: Davidson, Tennessee; Series: M19; Roll: 174; Page: 233; Family History Library Film: 0024532
2. ↑ 1850 United States Federal Census : Year: 1850; Census Place: District 9, Williamson, Tennessee; Roll: 900; Page: 251b
3. ↑ 1850 U.S. Federal Census - Slave Schedule: The National Archive in Washington DC; Washington, DC; NARA Microform Publication: M432; Title: Seventh Census Of The United States, 1850; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census; Record Group Number: 29

• Tennessee, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1784-1825
• Tennessee, U.S., Early Tax List Records, 1783-1895
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/42798091/allen-d-carden
• Biography & Genealogy Master Index (BGMI)