Clifton ALLEN was born ca. 1730/40, possibly in either PA or VA. His wife was Susannah JONES. He bought land in Louisa County, VA in 1772 and sold it before 1777. He was living in Goochland Co., VA in 1774, where the birth of a son, James, is recorded in the "Douglas Register." The 1786 NC State Census shows he was in Gloucester District, Caswell Co., NC with 1 male 21/60, 2 males under 20 or over 60, 4 females, and 2 blacks. He and his son-in-law, Edmund BROWNING, were in Hillsborough District, Caswell Co., NC in 1790. The Annual Register of the Baptist Denominations in North America, by John ASPLUND, shows that Clifton ALLEN was a minister in Water Of Haw River Church in the Roanoke District of Orange and Caswell Counties, NC in Nov. 1791. In Caswell Co., NC, 29 Aug. 1798, he sold 200 acres, on Country Line Creek, to Daniel BURFORD.

He moved to Sumner County, TN just prior to 14 Sept. 1799 when he purchased 640 acres from Daniel BURFORD, said deed stating "land where on ALLEN now lives." On the same day he purchased another tract of 17-3/4 acres on the middle fork of Station Camp Creek. He evidently sold this land but the deeds are unrecorded.

During the time that he owned this land on middle fork of Station Camp Creek, he was the pastor of El Bethel Baptist Church, near present city of Gallatin. He was a presbyter present when the Dixon Creek Baptist Church was constituted on 8 March 1800 at the home of Grant ALLIN in Smith County. That year he went to the great revival at Blythe's Big Spring on Desha Creek and took communion with the Presbyterians and Methodists. This was against the rules of the Baptist Church and he was brought to trial for so doing, but before being turned out, he resigned from the Baptist Church. Early Times in Middle Tennessee, by John CARR, tells this story. Soon after this he organized a Methodist Church near Bethpage called "Mabry's Meeting House." Mr. Charley KEY had a paper, which listed the eleven members of "Mabry's Meeting House," including several members of the KEY family and Clifton ALLEN. Evidently he was the pastor. The paper was not dated, but Mr. KEY told me that he thought it would have been about 1805. In 1818 Seth MABRY sold land for a new church to be called "Bethpage Methodist Church." CLIFTON ALLEN and family were members of this new church, and his son-in-law, Thomas BROWNING, was one of the Trustees.

In 1811 Clifton received from the State of Tennessee a grant of 50 acres on Brushy Fork Creek, "beginning on south boundary of tract where on Clifton ALLEN now lives on the road leading from Richard ALLENS to John COOPERS." Later that year he received another grant for 228 acres on same creek. In 1817 he purchased from the heirs of Alexander MEBANE a tract of 388 acres, also on Brushy Fork Creek. In 1814 he sold 111 acres of this land to Charles TURNER. The 1816 Tax List shows him with 770 acres on Brushy Fork Creek. In 1817 he sold 100 acres to Andew WEST. This deed stated "part of tract where on said ALLEN now lives" and this deed was witnessed by two of his grandsons, David ALLEN and Jacob BROWNING. He continued to sell land. In Aug. 1818 he sold to son Richard, 311 acres for $300, this on Brushy Fork Creek, "beginning at Thos. BROWNING's south west corner." On the same day he sold to son, William, 50 acres "beginning at south boundary of where I now live on road leading from Richard ALLENS to John BARRS," this deed witnessed by William Allen Jr. and Moses JONES. His last sale was to Henry PHELPS for 21 acres on 27 Aug. 1818. He appears on the 1819 tax list with only 60 acres and in 1820 this 60 acres was taxed to Moses JONES. Clifton was dead before the 1820 census when the widow, Susan ALLEN appears with 1 male under 10, 1 male 26-45, 1 female under 10, 1 female 26-45, 1 female 45 up, 6 slaves. Living with her were Nancy, Moses JONES, and their two children. CARR's History says that CLIFTON ALLEN was buried on his own land. Mr. Charley KEY and my uncle, Luther POND, knew the location of the ALLEN family cemetery. It was on the south side of the present road, called Mt. Vernon Road, or Brushy Fork Creek Road. The cemetery was destroyed about 1895-1900 and was plowed over.

Jonathan BROWNING, grandson of CLIFTON ALLEN and SUSANNAH JONES, kept a diary of his travels from Ogden, Utah to TN in winter of 1871-72. He stated that on 16 Jan 1872 he went to Brushy Fork, stayed at James WEST's, and visited "grandfather ALLEN, grandmother ALLEN, Uncle William ALLEN, and Aunt Elizabeth ALLEN's graves."

Children of Clifton ALLEN and Susannah JONES were:

1. Sarah ALLEN born 25 Aug 1763 in VA, married 13 Feb 1790 in Caswell Co., NC to Edmond BROWNING. They moved to Sumner Co., TN, lived here until 1831, then to IL, where they joined the Morman Church. She died 8 Sept 1846 in Pottawattamie Co., Iowa enroute to Utah.

2. Richard ALLEN born between 1760 and 1770, married to Susannah DAVIS, moved to Sumner Co., TN about 1800, lived on Brushy Fork Creek, where he died 1835, left will.

3. William ALLEN (my g.g.g. grandfather) born 1760/70, married Elizabeth ?, moved to Sumner Co., TN about 1799. He died in Sumner Co., TN 1832. Daughter Polly ALLEN married John WEST, Jr. 23 Jan 1821 (my g.g. grandparents). Polly had five children and died between 1830 and 1834.

4. James ALLEN born 20 Jan 1774, christened 10 Apr 1774 (Douglass Register) evidently died unmarried.

5. Elizabeth ALLEN born 1775/80, married Thomas B. BROWNING 19 Sept 1795 in Caswell Co., NC, moved to Sumner Co., TN where she was living in 1840, which is now Trousdale Co., TN.

6. Nancy ALLEN born 1780/90, married 1st Moses JONES 27 Aug 1816, had two children, married 2nd William HANNA on 2 Oct 1826, died in Sumner Co., TN, left will, probated Feb 1835.