Arthur Allen
and
Alice Tucker
Born: Oct 1608, Droitwich, Worchester, UK
Died: Jun 1669, Surrey County VA
Buried:
Born: England c. 1620
Died: c. 1681, Surrey County VA
Buried:
Married: Virginia, c 1740
Children: Humphrey, Elizabeth (Caufield), Joan (Williamson), Mary (Long), Arthur
Arthur Allen was a wealthy merchant/planter, involved in the tobacco trade between Virginia and Bristol, England. He moved to Virginia and began accumulating significant amounts of land in Surry County sometime in the 1640’s. In 1665 he constructed what was originally known as Allen’s Brick House, which is the oldest surviving brick house in the United States, and probably the oldest surviving house in Virginia. Alice was (almost certainly) the daughter of Daniel Tucker, Quartermaster of Jamestown in 1609-10, and later Governor of Bermuda. Alice grew up in England, and probably only travelled to Virginia, with her brother Daniel Jr, after her father’s death, presumably to claim property which had been left to them by their father.
Allen’s house is an almost unique example of high Jacobean architecture in America. The original design of the house, shown in the above drawings, was changed, first in the early 18th century when the windows were modernized, then in the mid-19th century when the addition to the right was added and it acquired the form it has today. At the time it was built it was one of the grandest homes in Virginia, possibly second only to that at Green Spring, the home of Governor William Berkeley- another, even larger, brick Jacobean mansion near Jamestown (which does not survive).
Allen’s Brick House later became known as Bacon’s Castle after it was occupied by rebel troops during the uprising against Governor William Berkeley led by Nathaniel Bacon in 1676. Alllen’s son, Arthur Allen Jr. was a major supporter of the Governor, and fled with him to the Eastern Shore when the rebellion started, taking with him the family silver, but leaving behind his aged mother(!), Alice. The occupiers remained there for five months, evicting Arthur Jr.s mother,, ransacking the house, and slaughtering all of the cattle. They drank all of the wine and whiskey, leaving behind the broken bottles, including at least one with Arthur’s initials.
When the rebels finally fled, they took with them everything that they could steal, including “three fine saddles, some bridles, 22 pairs of fine dowlas sheets, six pairs of new Holland sheets, 56 pillow cases (most of them new), 24 fine napkins, two table cloths, 24 fine Holland dowlas aprons, 36 fine dowlas towels, 26 women's shifts - most of them fine, dowlas and new, several pairs of sleeves, handkerchiefs, women's head linen of all sorts, a new bed and bolster, three pewter basins, 14 new pewter plates, two pewter porringers and three mustard pots.”
Arthur Senior’s daughter, Joan, married the wealthy Isle of Wight County land owner, Robert Williamson, “doctor of physik”. Robert was the son of Richard Williamson, who arrived in Virginia no later than the 1640’s. Although he came as an indentured servant, he later acquired substantial lands in Isle of Wight, and was, presumably, sufficiently wealthy to send his son, Robert, back to England for his medical education. In his will, Robert requested to be buried next to his father-in-law, Arthur Allen.