Mrs. Jane Allen
Born
June 22, 1828
Died
Aug 18, 1890
Age 62 Yrs 1 mo 26 days
to die is gain
ALLEN
Photo Credit: Rosa G. Gonzales
Biography
The testimony in stone to Jane Allen in Old Bayview Cemetery records that she was born 22 June 1828 and died 18 August 1890. While there is no extant Caller (local paper) of that date presently, it seems likely that the death date is indeed accurate. Deed records in the Nueces County Court House report the purchase by Calvin Joseph Allen of his sister’s share in the old homestead after the death of their “mother Jane†(the deed is signed 20 December 1890 and recorded in volume 1 p. 314). Jane’s birthdate, however, is not consistently reported in the census records. They indicate that she was more likely born about 1832. It seems that Mrs. Allen is Jane Selman who is found living with Stafford Selman in Cherokee County in the 1850 census (p. 858). She is listed as 18 years old in that census (thus born about 1832). She lives near relatives W. W. Sims (Rebecca, his wife, is Stafford’s daughter) and the Sims children (three of which will settle in Nueces County). Rebecca’s daughter Martha is reportedly buried also in Old Bayview Cemetery next to her husband, Isom H. Thomas. Martha’s sister Virginia married William Corkill, and they are buried in New Bayview Cemetery. Their brother Ferd Simms is buried in Beeville. Stafford himself died in Nueces County while presumably visiting his relatives, and records for him are found in the Nueces County Probate Volumes. While the W. W. Sims family is listed as Family #582 in the Cherokee County census, Family # 580 is N. P. Allen with his wife and children. Among those children is Henry D. Allen (16 years old and born in Texas). Henry is thus 2 years younger than Jane. Cherokee County Marriage Volumes and Selman family histories record that Henry Allen married Jane Selman in Cherokee County on 2 January 1854. Subsequently they moved to the Nueces County area, probably shortly after their marriage. By 1860 they are listed as living in Nueces County. Henry (26 years old, of Texas) and Jane (28 years old, of Alabama) along with children John (5), Mortimer “Mart†(3), Henry (2) and Joseph “Cal†(6/12) live at “San Margarita†with mailing address at Nuecestown (1860 census page 308a). They live near other pioneers of the county: Gibbs, McIntyres, Littigs, Wades, and McGregors. In the 1870 census (p. 195b) Henry is still listing himself as older than Jane. He is listed as 26 years old, and she is 28 years old (still supporting birth years more around 1832 for Jane and 1834 for Henry). By 1880 Henry is deceased, and it is unclear if he was also buried in Old Bayview, but no stone was raised. On the other hand, he may have been buried at Nuecestown or near the family home place as was often customary. At any rate the youngest son is Nathan. His obit says he was 65 years old in 1930 when he died. He would thus be born about 1865. In the 1880 census he is listed as 12 (thus born about 1868). However, he is not listed at all in the 1870 census when he should have been a toddler. It is thus difficult to determine for certain when Jane’s husband, Henry D. Allen, died except to say that it ws between the years of 1870 and 1880. Their children include: John Bunyon Allen (died 18 Oct. 1935), Mortimer J. Allen (died c. 5 July 1918), Henry D. Allen (died 15 Oct. 1928), Calvin Joseph Allen (died c. 12 Feb. 1921), Margaret “Maggie†Allen (Mrs. Stewart B. Terrell), Nathan G. Allen (died c. 12 Oct. 1930), and Alice B. (Mrs. David M. Oliver). The sons of Henry and Jane tended to be cowboys and farmers. Their oldest son, John Bunyon Allen, was born in Nuecestown and worked over 40 years on the Kenedy Ranch, living in Sarita during that time. In his later years, because he had no wife and children, he lived with his brother Henry’s widow, Mrs. Bridget McCabe-Allen. While Jane has many descendents who have been prominent in this area of south Texas, probably the most well known son is Calvin Joseph “Cal†Allen. Cal purchased the family homestead from his brothers and sisters after their mother’s death (see for instance Deed Records, volume 1, page 314 where he purchased his sister Alice’s share on 20 December 1890, noting that it was the homestead that belonged to their now deceased mother Jane). He went on to purchase and develop large acreage in the area that was ultimately named for him, Calallen (“Cal†Allen). Descendents of the Allen family are still found in the Corpus Christi and Calallen area.
Research by: Msgr. Michael A. Howell