Captain's Chair

This Captain's chair has weathered the storms through the years.  I inherited it from my grandmother Clarissa (originally, it belonged to her grandmother Nancy Allen Nicholas).  Nancy Allen was born in Willsboro, New York in 1827. She was the youngest of 10 children.  Her family moved to Parma, Ohio after joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  

When Nancy was 16, she was very ill and had the misfortune of being given wet Calomel.  The Prophet Joseph Smith warned people about the "calomel doctors" but it was too late for Nancy; she spent many years in a wheel chair and was left with a stiff leg.  Unfortunately, she had problems with her leg throughout her entire life and she used this Captain's chair as a crutch kneeling on the center of it with her bad leg.

Nancy Allen Nicholas

This pencil drawing picture was also found in my garage 16 years ago while I was in the process of moving.  I never knew that they existed and if I hadn't done a picture pedigree chart of my family, I wouldn't have known who she was.

I researched the Allen family using land and census records in New York, and in the history of Parma, Ohio from a history book on Ohio, will records, and vital records.  All of these records helped me with pieces of the puzzle of their lives. The history of Parma was extremely helpful because the Nicholas family were pioneers of the town.  Later, the Allen family moved there.

How did I find out about of the rest of the Allen history? I had driven into Salt Lake City to research records at the Family History Library. When I arrived,  the library was closed because of power failure so they suggested that I visit another building which housed family history books written by self-published individual's.  I browsed the computer popping in several of my ancestor's names when I came across a book by Jimmie Stoker, "But Language Cannot Tell: A History and Biography of Jude Allen, A Mormon Frontiersman and Patriarch". Someone ought to tell Jimmie that it is an excruciatingly long title.

This was pay dirt - Jude Allen was Nancy Allen's brother - I copied nearly three quarters of his book.  Not only did this book have Jude's history, but also his brothers and sister's histories and pictures.  

I was able to get a photo of Jude Allen's pencil drawing picture from another cousin via email. Jude had kept journals and letters from the family - the find was better than gold.

Jude Allen

Have you heard of families with double cousins - this was true with Jude and Nancy.  Jude Allen married Mary Ann Nicholas and Nancy Allen married Joseph Nicholas - walla - their children were double cousins!


They crossed the plains and Nancy settled in Willard, Utah while her brother Jude settled at first in Bountiful and then Calls Fort, Utah.