A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Allen, Samuel
ALLEN. (Lieut. 1807. f-p., 20; h-p., 31.)
Samuel Allen was born, 5 Nov. 1781, at New Ross, co. Wexford.
This officer entered the Navy, 1 June, 1796, as A. B., on board the Savage 16, commanded on the Home station by his uncle, Capt. Grosvenor Winkworth. In Dec. following, he became Midshipman of the Overyssel 64, bearing the flag in the Downs of Admiral Joseph Peyton; on afterwards removing from which ship to the Romney 50, Capt. Joseph Peyton, he accompanied the expedition to Holland in 1799. In Oct. 1802, Mr. Allen obtained an Acting-Lieutenancy in the Sheerness, Capts. John Surman Carden, Sir Jas. Lind, and Lord Geo. Stuart, on the East India station, where he was wrecked in a gale of wind, off Trincomalee, 7 Jan. 1805. After officiating for a short period as Lieutenant of the Naval Hospital at Madras, he next, in July following, joined, again as Acting-Lieutenant, the Fox 32, Capt. Hon. Archibald Cochrane; while under whom he assisted at the destruction of a Dutch brig-of-war under the batteries of Batavia – commanded one of two boats at the cutting out of a brig of 4 guns, and six sail of coasters, from beneath another battery on the Java shore – and witnessed the annihilation at Griessee, 11 Dec. 1807, of the dockyard and stores, and of all the men-of-war remaining to Holland in the East Indies. Mr. Allen, whose promotion was at length confirmed by commission dated on 19 of the latter month, removed, in July, 1808, to the Caroline 36, Capts. Chas. Gordon and Christ. Cole, in which frigate he continued until Jan. 1812. In Nov. 1809, we find him attending an expedition; against the pirates of the Persian Gulf, where he commanded a boat at the destruction of the town of Ras-al-Khyma, their principal stronghold.[1] At the celebrated capture, in August, 1810, of the island of Banda Neira, Lieut. Allen was among the foremost to escalade the walls of the Castle of Belgica, and for his conduct on that occasion was mentioned by Capt. Cole in his despatches.[2] While yet in the Caroline, he contributed, as her Senior Lieutenant, to the reduction of Java, in Aug. 1811. In Dec. 1813, having been transferred to the Horatio 38, Capt. Lord Geo. Stuart, he assisted at the capture of the Dutch islands of Schouwen and Tholen. He afterwards served, from Feb. 1814, to Jan. 1816, in the Newcastle 50; commanded by the last-mentioned officer on the North America and West India station; but he has not been since employed.
Lieut. Allen married, 4 Dec. 1839, and has issue three sons and one daughter.