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Heman Allen (of Colchester)

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This article is about the politician from Colchester, Vermont. For other people, see Heman Allen (disambiguation).

Heman Allen
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Vermont's at-large district
In office
March 4, 1817 – April 20, 1818
Preceded byAsa Lyon
Succeeded byWilliam Strong
1st United States Ambassador to Chile
In office
January 27, 1823 – July 31, 1827
Preceded byNone
Succeeded bySamuel Larned
United States Marshal for the District of Vermont
In office
December 14, 1818 – March 2, 1823
Preceded byDavid Robinson
Succeeded byJoseph Edson
Member of the Vermont House of Representatives
In office
1812-1817
Personal details
Born(1779-02-23)February 23, 1779
Poultney, Vermont Republic
DiedApril 7, 1852(1852-04-07) (aged 73)
Highgate, Vermont, U.S.
Resting placeGreenmount Cemetery, Burlington, Vermont
Political partyDemocratic-Republican
National Republican
Whig
Spouse(s)Elizabeth Laura Hart (m. 1823–1834, her death)
Eliza Davis Fay (m. 1844–1852, his death)
Children4
Alma materDartmouth College
ProfessionLawyer

Heman Allen (February 23, 1779 – April 7, 1852) was an American lawyer, politician and ambassador from Colchester, Vermont. He served as a U.S. Representative and as America's first United States Minister Plenipotentiary to Chile.

Biography

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Allen was born in Poultney, Vermont Republic on February 23, 1779, the son of Heber Allen (1743–1782) and Sarah (Owen) Allen (1748–1787). He attended the common schools, and graduated from Dartmouth College in 1795. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1801.[1] He began the practice of law in Colchester, Vermont.

He was town clerk of Colchester from 1807 until 1817. He served as Sheriff of Chittenden County from 1808 until 1810,[2] when he was succeeded by Heman Lowry.[3] Allen was Chief Justice of the Chittenden County court from 1811 until 1814. He was treasurer of the University of Vermont in 1815.

Allen served as a member of the Vermont House of Representatives from 1812 until 1817.[4] While in the State House he received the appointment of quartermaster of militia, with the rank of Brigadier general.[5] He was elected as a Democratic-Republican candidate to the Fifteenth Congress, serving from March 4, 1817, until his resignation on April 20, 1818.[6] Allen resigned from Congress to become United States Marshal for the district of Vermont on December 14, 1818; he was reappointed on December 24, 1822.[7] Allen was the agent for paying pensioners in 1819.

He was appointed by President James Monroe as America's first United States Minister Plenipotentiary to the new republic of Chile beginning on January 27, 1823.[8] Allen continued in Chile as minister until July 31, 1827.[9]

In 1829, Allen was the unsuccessful gubernatorial candidate of the new Anti-Masonic Party, which supported him though he had not indicated whether he supported the party or its platform.[10] Allen was the unsuccessful National Republican Party candidate in 1831.[11] He served as president of the Burlington branch of the United States Bank from 1830 until the expiration of its charter in 1836.[12] Following the expiration of the bank's charter, he resumed the practice of law in Highgate.

Personal life

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When Allen was making arrangements for passage to Chile, he met Elizabeth Hart, the sister-in-law of Isaac Hull. They married before Allen left for his diplomatic mission. She died in 1834, as did their daughter Jeanette.

In 1844, Allen married Eliza Davis Fay. They were the parents of three daughters and a son.[13]

Allen was the nephew of Ira Allen and Ethan Allen. He was the distant cousin of Heman Allen (of Milton).[14][15]

Death

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Allen died on April 7, 1852, in Highgate. He in interred at Greenmount Cemetery in Burlington.[16]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Allen, Herman". Our Campaigns. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  2. ^ "Chittenden County Sherriff's Department". Chittenden County Sherriff’s Department. Archived from the original on October 10, 2017. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  3. ^ Carleton, Hiram (1903). Genealogical and Family History of the State of Vermont. Vol. II. New York, NY: The Lewis Publishing Company. pp. 15–16 – via Internet Archive.
  4. ^ "Allen, Heman, of Colchester (1779-1852)". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  5. ^ "History of Poultney, (Rutland County) Vermont". Our Family THistory50States.com. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  6. ^ "Rep. Heman "of Colchester" Allen". Govtrack.us. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  7. ^ "Allen, Herman". Our Campaigns. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  8. ^ "Herman Allen". The Early American Foreign Service Database. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  9. ^ "HEMAN ALLEN (1779-1852)". US Department of the State. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  10. ^ Walton, E. P., ed. (1879). Records of the Governor and Council of the State of Vermont. Vol. VII. Montpelier, VT: J. & J. M. Poland. pp. 346–347 – via Google Books.
  11. ^ "ALLEN-L Archives". Ancestry.com. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  12. ^ "ALLEN, Heman (of Colchester), (1779 - 1852)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  13. ^ "ALLEN-L Archives". Ancestry.com. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  14. ^ "ALLEN, Heman (of Milton), (1777 - 1844)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
  15. ^ Duffy, John J. (2003). The Vermont Encyclopedia. UPNE. p. 38. ISBN 9781584650867.
  16. ^ Spencer, Thomas E. (2009). Where They're Buried: A Directory Containing More Than 20,000 Names of Notable Persons Buried in American Cemeteries, with Listings of Many Prominent People Who Were Cremated. Genealogical Publishing Com. p. 308. ISBN 9780806348230.
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Party political offices
Preceded by National Republican nominee for Governor of Vermont
1829 		Succeeded by
Samuel C. Crafts
First Anti-Masonic nominee for Governor of Vermont
1831 		Succeeded by
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Vermont's at-large congressional district
4 March 1817–20 April 1818 		Succeeded by
Diplomatic posts
United States recognized
Chilean Independence 		United States Minister Plenipotentiary, Chile
23 April 1824–31 July 1827 		Succeeded by
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