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ID:29 Mark Henry Allen 1884-1957
Gaz's Great Grandfather

Birth   

 1884

Dudley, Worcestershire

Death

June 1957 

Birmingham, Warwickshire

Mother   

Mary Ann Benbow (b.1854) /ID:100

 

Father    

Charles Henry Allen (b.1852) /ID:9 

Siblings  

Charles Allen (b.1873) /ID:5

 

Edward A Allen (b.1875) /ID:14

 

William Allen (b.1877) /ID:39

 

James Allen (b.1880) /ID:20

 

Mark Henry Allen (b.1884) /ID:29

 

Spouse  

(Rose) Elizabeth Jane Gatward (b.1881)/ID:252

Children 

Mark Henry Allen (b.1905)/ID:30

 

Thomas Charles Allen (b.1905)/ID:37

 

Henry George Allen (b.1905)/ID:19

 

Ernest Thomas Allen (b.1908-1976) /ID:17

 

Sidney Allen (b.1911) /ID:35

 

Elizabeth Mary Eliza Amelia Allen (b.1914) /ID:16

 

Charlie Allen (b.1918)/ID:12 

 

 

 

1884 

Apr-Jun 1884

Birth registration of Mark Henry Allen in Dudley, Staffs
He was the son of Charles and Mary Ann Allen (nee Benbow).

 

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1891

5th April 1891 - 1891 Census for 'Lawley Street, Dudley'

Name                 

Relationship   

Age    

Est YOB

Gender  

Birth County            

Occupation

Charles Allen     

Head               

41       

1850      

Male      

Worcester, Worcs

Bricklayers Labourer

Mary A Allen

Wife

39

1852

Female

Dudley, Worcs

 

Edward A Allen

Son

16

1875

Male

Dudley, Worcs

Coal Miner

William Allen

Son

14

1877

Male

Dudley, Worcs

Iron Moulder

James Allen

Son

10

1881

Male

Dudley, Worcs

 

Mark Allen

Son

8

1883

Male

Dudley, Worcs

 

John Allen

Son

4

1887

Male

Dudley, Worcs

 

 

 

1901

31st March 1901 - 1901 Census for '47, Flood Street, Dudley'

Name                 

Relationship   

Age    

Est YOB

Gender  

Birth County            

Occupation                                  

Charles H Allen 

Head               

54       

1847      

Male      

Stourport, Worcs    

Bricklayers Labourer

Mary Ann Allen

Wife

55

1846

Female

Dudley, Worcs

Pedlar /Hawker (own business)

Mark H Allen

Son

19

1882

Male

Dudley, Worcs

Bricklayers Labourer

John T Allen

Son

14

1887

Male

Dudley, Worcs

Brass Dresser

 

 

1901-1904

Mark Joins Royal Artillery, British Army

We know that between 1901 -1904 Mark, now 20, had joined the army and was serving in the Royal Artillery. 

 

 

1904

1904 – Marriage of ‘Rose’ Elizabeth Jane Gatward and Mark Henry Allen at Hampstead, London. Witnesses at the wedding were Hubert Viner Lack & Florence Margaret Lund

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1905

4th - 6th January 1905 - Birth and death of twin sons

On 4th January 1905 Rose gave birth to twin boys Mark Henry and Thomas Charles in Hertfordshire but unfortunately two days later on 6th January both little boys passed away.

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1905

22nd December 1905 - Son Henry George is born

On 22nd December their son Henry George was born in Woolwich, Kent.  

7th January 1906 - Son Henry George is baptised at St Thomas in Woolwich

The baptism record shows Mark and Rose living at 57, Kidd Street, Woolwich which was very close to the Royal Horse Artillery Barracks where we know Mark served in the Army.

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1908

Oct-Dec 1908 - Son Ernest Thomas is born

In October 1908 their son Ernest Thomas was born in Farnham, Aldershot.

 

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1909

1909-1910 - Death of son Henry George

Rose & Mark's son Henry George sadly passed away in Jan-Mar 1909 age 3 . We do not know the cause of death at this time. The first record states his name as George Henry but is situated in his place of birth... the second is in Yorkshire where Rose & Mark were living by 1911.

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1911

2 April 1911 - 1911 Census for '14, Lorraine Street, Leeds, West Yorkshire'

Name                                   

Relationship   

Age    

Est YOB

Gender  

Birth County            

Occupation                                  

Mark Henry Allen

Head               

29        

1882      

Male      

Dudley, Worcester

Soldier "Anvil Maker"                 

Rose Elizabeth Jane Allen

Wife

29

1882

Female

Fairfield, Cambs

Soldiers Wife

Ernest Thomas Allen

Son

2

1909

Male

Aldershot

 

The 1911 census confirms that the couple had 3 sons who were deceased and 1 child that was living.

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Photo : 14 , Lorraine Street, Leeds 26th October 1960 Looking from Stanhope Place to Lorraine Street. On the left are numbers 6 then 4 Stanhope Place. Three boys are at the corner of the streets. Moving right are 14, 12, 10 then 8 Lorraine Street.

 

 

 

Later in 1911, the couple had another son, Sidney but we are struggling to find his birth details. 

 

 

 

1914

On Aug 3rd, 1914, Mark and Rose had their first daughter Elizabeth Mary Eliza Amelia Allen born in Mark Henrys home town of Dudley, Staffordshire. The following day WW1 was officially declared which must have been a worrying time as Mark Henry was still a serving soldier in the army.

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We are not sure where Mark Henry was fighting at this time but we know he was active overseas around the time his son Charlie was born in Dudley in 1918.

Information about the couple from this time onwards is a little sketchy but we know the three younger children spent some time in a Barnados Childrens home in Birmingham. We are not sure yet why the children were there or where Rose and Mark were during that time although Mark was serving in the Royal Artillery until the war ended.

We know by 1921 the couple had parted and Rose was living in Hertfordfshire with son, Charlie, age 3.

 

We know that Mark served in the Royal Horse Artillery Regiment as both a Driver and Bombardier between 1914-1920, although he was a serving soldier from 1904. He attained a number of medals. His medal card is shown below.

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1920

On 16th February 1920 Mark appears on the WW1 Roll of Honour and is awarded medals for service as 
Bombardier in the Royal Horse Artillery. His number in the RHA is 21946.

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On 14th August Mark appears on the WW1 Roll of Honour and is awarded medals for service as Gnr in the Royal Field Artillery. His number in the RFA is 272681.

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We are not exactly sure of Marks circumstances after 1920. We think he and Rose may have separated & divorced and he may have remarried.

 

1957

We know he stayed in the Dudley/Birmingham area and died in 1957 in Birmingham.

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