Tilly Allen

The first Albany resident Tilly Allen (aka Tilley) perhaps was born in 1788 or '89. If so, he may have been the son of Abner and Lucy Brooks Allen of Sturbridge, Massachusetts. Probably of New England background, we seek more definitive information on his origins and path to Albany. However, the existence of same-named contemporaries dictates caution in the assignment of qualitative information.

Allen joined the First Presbyterian church in Albany in March 1812. The church record noted that he was a transfer from a "sister church." Perhaps, this individual was married twice. In August 1813, Tilly wed Mary Cutler in Brookfield, Massachusetts. At that time, he was identified as a resident of Albany. The marriage was short-lived as she was buried from the Second Presbyterian church of Albany in September 1816. She had lived but twenty-six years. In June 1819, Tilly Allen married Mary Hazard at the Albany Presbyterian church. She died and was buried from the church in January 1833.

In 1813, the first city directory listed him as a merchant living at 10 State Street. Subsequent directories noted 10 North Pearl and then 36 Columbia Streets as second addresses.

In 1820, the census counted five members and a slave in his Albany household. At that time, another Tilly Allen was head of a household in Salem, Washington County. In 1830, his household in the second ward in Albany consisted of seven members.

In 1819, he was elected a director of the "Albany Sunday School Society." In October 1829, he was named in the minutes with other "honorary members" at the twelfth annual meeting of the "American Board of Foreign Missions" held at the First Presbyterian Church in Albany.

In 1830, the city directory, identified him as a merchant with a residence on the corner of Columbia and North Pearl Streets. His store and the partnership of "Allen & Hazard" was located at 52 and 53 State Street (corner of Green).

Businessman, director, and investor, his enterprises were numerous and varied while in Albany and afterwards. During the 1830s, he seems to have moved on to Rochester, New York, and then Brooklyn. We have not pursued the out-of-Albany elements of his life.

According to the New York Times, seventy-five-year-old Tilly Allen died, of heart disease at his residence in Brooklyn in August 1862. His remains were removed for burial to the cemetery in Waterford, New York.

Sources: The life of Tilly Allen is CAP biography number 7124. This sketch is derived chiefly from family and community-based resources.

We have generally assigned Albany, community-based information to this individual but we understand that the life of a younger Tilly Allen might be at play here. At this point, we have not definitively connected him to the other early Albany Allens. We will keep surfing and probing.

Portrait: The chroniclers of the work of Albany artist Ezra Ames have only noted the charges for portraits of "Mr. Tilly Allen" and "his lady" in July 1824.