Adm. John ALLEN

  General Notes:

Obituary[1]
June 4 [1853]. At Torpoint, near Plymouth, after an illness of nearly four years, John Allen, esq. Admiral on the reserved half-pay list.
He was the youngest son of the late Admiral John Carter Allen, and entered the service Feb. 12, 1787, on board the Sybil, Capt. Richard Bickerton, on the West India station. From 1790 to Oct. 1793 he served in the Boyne 98, Captain George Bowyer, and the Impregnable and Assistance, flag-ships of Sir Richard Bickerton and Sir Richard King. Having removed to the Penelope 32, he assisted in the action fought off St. Domingo by that vessel and her consort the Iphigenia, of the same force, with the French 36-gun frigate L'Inconstante, which was captured after a contest of half an hour, in which the Penelope had one man killed and seven wounded, of whom one was Mr. Allen. On the 10th Dec. in the same year he was appointed to the Lieutenancy in the Convert 36, which was wrecked in the West Indies, March 8, 1794. After that event he was successively attached to the Isis 32, on the North American and African stations; and the London 98, the flag-ship of Sir John Colpoys in the Channel.
On the 6th Dec. 1796 he was promoted to the rank of Commander; and between Feb. 1798 and Nov. 1799 he served in the Childers, Alecto, and Echo sloops; in the last of which he captured, on the Jamaica station, July 3, 1799 L'Amazon, a French letter of marque, of 10 guns and 60 men. He was posted April 29, 1802; and did not again go afloat until Jan. 1810, when he joined the Franchise 36. After visiting Newfoundland, he proceeded to the Mediterranean, and was there transferred, Aug.1, 1811, to the Rodney 74. He returned to England in April 1812 as Captain of the Perlen 38, bearing the flag of Rear-Adm. C. Boyles. During the last two years of the war Capt. Allen officiated as Agent for Prisoners of War at Newfoundland.
He was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral in 1840[1]; to that of Vice-Admiral in 1846 [1], and to Admiral in 1852 [1]. He was in receipt of a pension for wounds of £250[1].
He was married[1], and has left children.

N.B. All accounts of the naval career of John Allen neglect to mention that on 21 February 1811, his ship, HMS Franchise, whilst escorting a convoy from Falmouth to Cadiz, collided with the transport John and Jane. The transport sank almost immediately and almost 230 people, mostly members of the 2nd Battalion, 11th Regiment of Foot, were drowned on the transport.

Memorial Inscription
He and his wife are buried in the churchyard at St John, Cornwall. The inscription on the gravestone reads:
Admiral John Allen, youngest son of the late Admiral John Carter Allen died 4th June, 1853; in his 80th year.
Also Jane Hester, the beloved wife of the above John Allen, died 26th Decr, 1859; aged 76 years. Thy will be done.[1]

John married Jane Hester SKINNER, daughter of Col. Thomas SKINNER R.E. and Jane Frances POWER, in Gibraltar. (Jane Hester SKINNER was born circa 1783 in Gibraltar, died on 26 Feb 1859 in Tornpoint, Cornwall, England and was buried in St. John, Cornwall, England.)