Barton Wilcockson Allen Part 1.

I embarked on researching this name because 1) the middle name Wilcockson and 2) his father was born in Preston. I wanted to see if anyone else in the Allen family had the Wilcockson middle name or if there was a marriage into the Wilcockson family. At the moment there is no indication of a connection to our Wilcockson family but I believe there must have been contact between the two families in Preston. Whether this was a strong friendship or business connections I do not think that someone would have lightly named their firstborn son, the middle name Wilcockson when for the previous two generations Barton Fletcher Allen had been used. My guess at the moment is that Barton Fletcher Allen senior knew Isaac Wilcockson the newspaper man who had no children, and that Issac knew Bartons son Barton Fletcher junior and in some way helped him or had a close relation with him. Any suggestions more than welcome. In the course of this I contacted Chuck a member of the Allen family in America to see if there was any information which could shed light on this question. He kindly answered and I am putting this research up for him to read (it is also interesting to us to know about). Also I know I will forget in a couple of weeks what my thoughts were on this.

I HAVE NOT VERIFIED this research, it is based on the internet using IGI, National Archives, Google search and FreeBMD sites. The census information and the newspaper articles however have been sourced from primary documents.

There is a second connection that I found in the family to the Quakers. (National Archives site) Information relating to document ref no. DDX813/6 Lease for 20 years at rent of £2 Joseph Roscoe Allen of Morecambe esq. to Joseph Kelsall of Over Wyersdale and others - building now used as a meeting house and school by the Quakers with burial ground and adjacent land. (Lancashire record office 1854).
And in the 1871 census Joseph and his family are living in Over Wyresdale at Lentworth Hall next entry to Joshua Kelsall. Now the Wilcocksons link to the area through the Dilworth family and perhaps business links from David Wilcocksons Hat business.

The basic Allen tree I have come up with so far is as follows :
Barton Fletcher Allen 1783 - 1864
Grace Roscoe
married at Prestwich Parish Church
children :
John Allen c. 26 Jan 1816 Ringley
Joseph Roscoe Allen c. 9 May 1817 Ringley
Alice Allen c. 12 Aug 1819 Ringley
Richard Allen c. 14 Oct 1821 Ringley
Ann Allen c. 4 Jun 1823 St. John Preston
maybe also c. 26 Jul 1824 Ringley
Barton Fletcher Allen : no christening found, seems to have been born around 1825, 1826
William Adam Allen c. 3 Aug 1827 St. John Preston
Charles Thomas Allen c. 22 May 1829 St. John Preston
................................................................................
Barton was born the same year 1783 as our Isaac Wilcockson. Why and when did Barton move to Preston? Well Preston and the area seem to be growing quickly due to the textile industry. Barton himself says he lived in Preston from about 1800.
Preston Guardian etc. Sat. July 3 1847
Court of Enquiry
Claim for Compensation
The Fleetwood, Preston and West Riding Railway Company and the Trustees of the Peel Hall Estate
"Mr Barton Fletcher Allen, who being sworn, stated that he had been a land agent and surveyor for more than 28 years in Preston, where he had resided for nearly 47 years."

There is an 1801 census for Preston which names head of the household and number of persons living there but no addresses. There are no entries for Allen, but this only means he was not a head of a household in Preston he might well have been lodging with someone. Then why were his first five children christened in Ringley and Ann appears to have been christened twice - in Preston and Ringley?

I have Baines Lancashire Directory for 1825 the entry for Barton is as follows
Allan B.F. corn merchant h1, Jordan Street
Corn and flour Dlrs.
Allan Barton Fletcher & co. 12 Lord Street.
So in 1825 he was definitely living at number 1 Jordan Street in Preston and carrying on a business in Lord Street.

In the 1841 census living in Jordan Street Preston were -
Joseph R. Allen 24 Civil Engineer
Alice Allen 20 Ind
Ann Allen 18 Ind
William Adam Allen 14
Charles T. Allen 12
Margaret 45 Ind
Margaret 55 F.S
Martha 20 F.S

The two Barton Fletcher Allens are missing.
I have also been unable to locate our Isaac Wilcockson.

What about the corn business?
Preston Chronicle Saturday March 16 1833
"The Partnership heretofore carried on at Preston by BARTON FLETCHER ALLEN and JOHN DAVIDSON, as Corn Dealers, under the firm of B.F. ALLEN & Co. and at Walton-le-Dale under the firm of 'John Davidson and Co' as Millers, was disolved on the 1st day of May, 1831 by mutual consent. It is requested that all persons in debebted to the partnership concern carried on at Preston will immediately pay their accounts to the said Barton Fletcher Allen who wil discharge any debts that may be owing from that concern, and all persons indebted to the concern at Walton-le-dale, are requested immediately to pay the same to the said John Davidosn, who will discharge any accounts that may be owing from the same concern -
Witness our hands this 8th January 1833
JOHN DAVIDSON
B.F.ALLEN
witness W. Ormerod Pilkington

In the Preston Chronicle Sat. July 2 1836 is mentioned
'Mr. Barton Fletcher Allen Land Surveyor'

According to the 1847 paper, Barton was a land agent from about 1819.
Preston Guardian etc. Sat. Aug 25 1849
Preston County Court
Right of Fishing in the River Ribble, At Ashton
'Mr. Barton Fletcher Allen, who said : I was formerly assistant agent for the property of the Hoghton family. I commenced my agency on the first of August 1800, and during that time I have seen the fisheries of Lea, Ashton, Ingol, and Cottam let. Mr Fletcher was the principle agent or steward of the property, and he let them.

From the National Archives
DDHO/41 Letter Elizabeth Harvey to Mr. B.F. Allen acknowledging receipt of £20 and referring to the death of Major General Hoghton. 23 Jun 1811
DDHO/411 Letter Eliz. Harvey, Nethersfield to Mr. B.F. Allen at Walton Hall acknowledging receipt of £10. 17 Nov 1810

also
QSP/2952/125 Amounderness Hundred
Bill of B.F.Allen and E.Elletson High Constables for census enumeration c.1831
QSP/2960/115
Account of payment of one year's salary to B.F.Allen High Constable of Amounderness Hundred c. 1832

Preston Chronicle Sat. Oct 10 1840
"Mr Barton F. Allen ably sustained the office of vice-chairman."
Annual Meeting of the Preston Agricultural society.

The Preston Guardian etc. Sat Oct 6 1849
Police cases during the week
NUISANCE- On Monday last, Mr. Barton Fletcher Allen was summoned as the agent of property for a nuisance at the Snuff Mill Dam, caused by a deposit of filth in the lodge there. The case was adjourned till Monday, to give time to abate the nuisance.

Sat. Dec 10 1853
Institution for the Diffusion of knowledge, Preston.
Exhibition of paintings and other works of Art 1854
The list of Patrons includes both Barton Fletcher Allen Esq. and Isaac Wilcockson Esq.

The last census we have for Barton is in 1861 when he is living at 24 West Cliff, Preston :
Barton F. Allen 77 landed proprietor born Prestwich
Alice Allen 42 born Preston
Margaret Roscoe 66 sister in law born Liverpool
Isabella Mcmillan cook
Susannah Dacre housemaid

Liverpool Mercury etc. Monday Nov 21 1864
Deaths
Allen- Nov 17 at West Cliffe, Preston in his 82nd year Barton Fletcher Allen, Esq. of The Shoretop in the Parish of Prestwich.
(Through google search have come up with two places which may or may not be of interest, Shore Top Farm, Kearsley Rd, Radcliffe and Outwood's Shoretop Reservoir.)

Barton was also mentioned in an article about the opening of the Preston and Wyre railway in 1840 which I have copied out in full later.