Robert Allen

14

Diana Allen on 13th September 2020

Definitely the ship Robert Allen(who had alias Peter Crawley, not mentioned) arrived on is incorrectly shown here. He was of Marquis of Cornwallis 1796 and *could* his name on Marriage. The 'other' Robert could not.1828 he was not at home being at Port Macquarie Penal establishment. Also he petitioned in 1824 from gaol to visit his wife who he felt was living 'in prostitution' with Maher the convict assigned to her.

105

Denis Pember on 14th October 2017

Robert and his wife Mary moved to land at West Pennant Hills shortly after their first child James was born in 1814. This 60 acres of land facing Castle Hill Road and between the present (1979) Highs Road and Coonara Avenue, and originally granted to James Reynolds in 1819, was officially gazetted to Robert in 1818. It was here that he built a weatherboard cottage and two more sons were born, Bartholomew in 1817 and Robert Jr in 1819. In Feb 1821 Robert was charged with harbouring, aiding and abetting a gang of bushrangers led by William Geary. Geary had been the convict worker of a close neighbour of Allen and evidence was given that Allen had provided shelter to the gang in return for a share of stolen property. A free man, John Hathaway who worked for Allen and lived in his household testified that the bushrangers were welcomed into the house, and the stolen goods (calicoes, prints, nankeen, dungarees, a large bag of tea, crockery and some tobacco) were divided up amongst the outlaws and Robert Allen. Constables later searched the house and found the articles hidden in a box covered with sheaves of oats. Allen and a neighbour, Charles Franklin were found guilty but released on payment of £100 each, and remanded to appear at the next sitting of the Court of Criminal Jurisdiction. A few days later the bushrangers were captured, however they managed to escape whilst being transported to Sydney to face trial. They continued widespread looting and plundering in the Lane Cove and Pennant Hills area, and in March they raided the nearby property of William Bellamy and Ann Fay and stole a musket, bayonet, cutlass and a powder horn. In July the Bellamy's 19-year-old son James, while out shooting kangaroos, came across Geary and his accomplice Butler in the act of robbing Geary house of Hall at Pennant Hills. Young Bellamy "... commanded (Butler) to desist from running on pain of having his brains blown out". Butler stopped to aim at Bellamy, who shot first and killed the bushranger instantly. William Geary escaped but was later captured, apparently on information unintentionally given by Robert Allen. Geary and his accomplices were found guilty and executed, Robert Allen was sentenced to transportation for life to Newcastle. On 30 Aug 1821 Robert was on list of prisoners transported to Newcastle per "Elizabeth Henrietta". He had been found guilty of harbouring, aiding and abetting a gang of bushrangers and sentenced to transportation for life to Newcastle. On 23 Feb 1822 his wife petitioned the colonial secretary for mitigation of his sentence. Robert was transferred to Port Macquarie from Newcastle on 15 Sep 1823 aboard the 'Mermaid'. In 1824 Robert's wife Mary petitioned that a convict servant be assigned to her. On 6 Apr 1824 Roberted petitioned the Colonial Secretary Frederick Goulburn for a pass to enquire about his wife in Castle Hill who was co-habiting with her Government servant: This was probably the case and Mary subsequently had to raise three small children and took a position with James Maher at Castle Hill as a domestic servant, to whom she had 4 children. Robert's pardon in Feb 1833 gave the following particulars - height 5.5in, ruddy, freckled pock-pitted complexion, grey hair and eyes, several front teeth missing, left elbow dislocated and scar above same, middle finger right hand short and a labourer. Mary refused to go back to him and it is likely that he returned to his farm at Castle Hill.

105

Denis Pember on 14th October 2017

In May 1799 Robert Allen and two other men were charged with highway robbery near Parramatta, but acquitted. The prosecutor, James Flavell claimed that he was on the road from Parramatta and was stopped and robbed by the three men. When he married Mary Wright, she was only 14 years old and Robert was 38. However, in many ways she was the strength behind the relationship.

19

Leigh Ryan on 3rd June 2014

A Convict Transported for life from England on the Glatton arriving 1803. He was goaled in 1822. He died intestate and the 50 acres of land he owned was divided between his three sons each receiving 17 acres by transfer in 1849. Robert Allen Place of Burial: North Parramatta RC Cemetry Birth: 1777 Dublin, Dublin City, Dublin, Ireland Death: August 31, 1847 (70) Pennant Hills, New South Wales, Australia Immediate Family: Husband of Mary Allen nee Wright daughter of convicts Joseph Wright and Ellen Gott Father of James Allen; Bartholomew Allen and Robert Allen