ALEXANDER, William, common-duty with ability and firmness.-Ch. Cour.

ly called lord Stirling, a major general in the American army, was a native of the city of New York, the son of the secretary, James Alexander, but spent a considerable part of his life in New Jersey. He was considered by many as the rightful heir to the title & estate of an earldom in Scotland, of which country his father was a native; and although, when he went to North Britain in pursuit of this inheritance, he failed of obtaining an acknowledgment of his claim by government, yet among his friends and acquaintances he received by courtesy the title of lord Stirling.-He discovered an early fondness for the study of mathematics and astronomy, and attained great eminence in these sciences.

March 23.

ALEXANDER, Caleb, D.D., a native of Northfield, Mass., and a graduate of Yale College in 1777, was ordained at New Marlborough, Mass. in 1781, and dismissed in 1782. He was again settled at Mendon, and dismissed in 1803. After an ineffectual attempt to establish a college at Fairfield, state of New York, erecting buildings, which now belong to the medical school, he took the charge of the academy at Onandago Hollow, where he died in April 1828. He published an essay on the deity of Jesus Christ, with strictures on Emlyn, 1791 ; a latin ́grammar, 1794; an english grammar, and gram. elements.- -History of Berkshire, 293. ·

In the battle on Long Island, Aug. ALFORD, John, founder of the pro27, 1776, he was taken prisoner, after fessorship of natural religion, moral phi having secured to a large part of the de-losophy, and civil polity in Harvard coltachment an opportunity to escape by a lege, died at Charlestown Sept. 29, 1761, bold attack with four hundred men upon aged 75. He had been a member of the a corps under lord Cornwallis. His at- council. His executors determined the tachment to Washington was proved in particular objects, to which his bequest the latter part of 1777 by transmitting to for charitable uses should be applied, and him an account of the disaffection of gen. divided it equally between Harvard colConway to the commander in chief. In lege, Princeton college, and the society for the letter he said," Such wicked duplicity the propagation of the gospel among the of conduct I shall always think it my duty Indians. To the latter 10, 675 doll. were to detect." He died at Albany, Jan. 15, paid in 1787. Levi Frisbie was the first 1783, aged 57 years. He was a brave, Alford professor. discerning, and intrepid officer.-He married Sarah, daughter of Philip Livingston. His eldest daughter, Mary, married John Watts, of a wealthy family in New York. He published a pamphlet," The conduct of maj. gen. Shirley briefly stated."— Miller, 11. 390; Holmes, 11. 247. Marshall, m. Note No. v.

ALLEN, John, first minister of Dedham, Massachusetts, was born in England in 1596, and was driven from his native land during the persecution of the puritans. He had been for a number of years a faithful preacher of the gospel. Soon after he arrived in New England, he was settled pastor of the church in ALEXANDER, Nathaniel, governor Dedham April 24, 1639. Here he conof North Carolina, was graduated at tinued till his death Aug, 26, 1671, in Princeton in 1776, and after studying the 75th year of his age. He was a man medicine entered the army. At the close of great meekness and humility, and of of the war he resided at the High Hills considerable distinction in his day. Mr of Santee, pursuing his profession, and Cotton speaks of him with respect in his afterwards at Mecklenburg. While he preface to Norton's answer to Apollonius. held a seat in congress, the legislature He published a defence of the nine posielected him governor in 1806. He died tions, in which, with Mr Shepard of at Salisbury March 8, 1808, aged 52. In Cambridge, he discusses the points of all his public stations he discharged his church discipline; and a defence of the

Synod of 1662 against Mr Chauncy un-er to Hartford in 1636 and was a magisder the title of Animadversions upon the trate. In the charter of 1662 he is namAntisynodalia, 4tó, 1664. This work is ed as one the company. His public serpreserved in the New England library. vices were various. In 1664 he is called The two last sermons, which he preach- Mr. Allen, senior. He might have been ed, were printed after his death.-Mag- the father of John. There was however nal.11.132;Prentiss' fun.serm. onHaven. a Mr. Mathew Allen, a magistrate in ALLEN, Thomas, minister of Charles- 1710; another of the same name in town, Massachusetts, was born at Nor- Windsor in 1732.-Trumbell gives the wich in England in 1608,and was educa- name Allen; but Mather wrote Allyn. ted at Cambridge. He was afterwards ALLEN, John, secretary of the colominister of St. Edmond's in Norwich, ny of Connecticut, was chosen a magisbut was silenced by bishop Wren about trate under the charter in 1662 and treasthe year 1636 for refusing to read the urer in 1663. He was on the committee, book of sports and conform to other impo- with Mathew Allen and John Talcott, sitions. In 1638 he fled to New England, respecting the union with New Haven and was the same year installed in Charles-in 1663. He appears to have been sectown, where he was a faithful preacher of retary as early as Dec. 1664: Joseph Althe gospel till about 1651, when he retur-len had been secretary before him. He ned to Norwich, and continued the exer- was also secretary in 1683 and on the cise of his ministry till 1662. He after- committee respecting the boundary of wards preached to his church on all occa-New York. The time of his death is not sions, that offered, till his death Sep. 21, known. One of his name was magistrate 1673, aged 65. He was a very pious man, greatly beloved, and an able, practical preacher.

as late as 1709. The history of the Pequot war, given by Increase Mather in his Relation in 1677, was not written by He published an invitation to thirsty Mr. Allen, as Judge Davis erroneously sinners to come to their Savior; the way supposes, but merely communicated by of the Spirit in bringing souls to Christ; him to Mr. Mather.-Davis' Morton, the glory of Christ set forth with the ne-196; Prince's introd. to Mason's hist. cessity of faith in several sermons; a ALLEN, James, minister in Boston, chain of scripture chronology from the came to this country in 1662, recommencreation to the death of Christ in 7 pe- ded by Mr. Goodwin. He had been a riods. This was printed in 1658, and fellow of New college, Oxford. He was was regarded as a very learned and useful at this time a young man,and possessed work. It is preserved in the New En-considerable talents. He was very pleagland library, established by Mr. Prince, sing to many of the church in Boston, by whom the authors quoted in the book and an attempt was made to settle him as are written in the beginning of it in his assistant to Mr. Wilson and Mr. Norton. own hand. Mr. Allen wrote also with He was ordained teacher of the first Mr. Shepard in 1645 a preface to a trea- church Dec. 9, 1668, as colleague with fise on liturgies,&c. composed by the lat- Mr. Davenport, who was at the same ter. He contends, that only visible saints time ordained pastor. After the death and believers should be received to com- of Mr. Davenport he had for his colmunion.-Magnal. 111. 215; Noncon. league Mr. Oxenbridge, and after his dememor. 1. 254; . 11, 12. cease Mr. Wadsworth.

ALLEN,Matthew, one of the first set- In 1669 seventeen ministers published tlers of Connecticut, came to this coun- their testimony against the conduct of try with Mr. Hooker, in 1632, and became Mr. Allen and Mr. Davenport in relation a land holder in Cambridge, in the records to the settlement of the latter. They of which town his lands and houses are were charged with communicating parts described. He accompanied Mr. Hook-only ofletters from the church of New

haven to the church of Boston, by which attached to the church of England, he atmeans it was said the church was decei-tended the congregational meeting. His ved; but they in defence asserted, that son, Thomas Allen of London, continued the letters retained did not represent the suits. The final verdict was against things differently from what had been him in 1707 in the case, Allen v. Wald stated. The whole colony was interested ron ;-he appealed, yet his death in 1715, in the controversy between the first and before the appeal was heard, put an end the new or third church. At length the to the suit. The principal reliance of the general court in 1670 declared the conduct defendant was on the Indian deed to of those churches and elders, who assisted Wheelwright of 1629. This Mr. Savage in establishing the third church, to be has satisfactorily shown to be a forgery illegal and disorderly. At the next session of a later date. If so, it would seem, however, as there was a change of the that the Allens were wrongfully disposmembers of the general court, the censure sessed of a valuable province.-Belknap's was taken off. It seems, the act of censure N. H. 1.; Savage's Winthrop, 1. 405; was expressed in language very intemper-N. H. coll. 11. 137. ate, and invasion of the rights of churches ALLEN, James, first minister of and assumption of prelatical power were Brookline, Massachusetts, was a native declared in it to be among the prevailing of Roxbury, and was graduated at Harevils of the day. The charge was so gen-vard college in 1710. He was ordained eral, and it threatened to operate so un-Nov. 5, 1718, and after a ministry of 28 favorably on religion, that a number of years died of a lingering consumption the very ministers, who had published Feb. 18, 1747, in the 56th year of his their testimony against the elders of the age, with the reputation of a pious and jufirst church, wrote an address to the dicious divine. In July 1743 he gave his court, representing the intemperate na-attestation to the revival of religion, which ture of the vote; and it was in consequence took place throughout the country, and revoked,and the new church was exculpa- made known the success, which had atted. Mr. Allen died Sep. 22, 1710, aged tended his own exertions in Brookline. 78 years. His sons were James, John, Almost every person in his congregaand Jeremiah, born in 1670, 1672,&1673. tion was impressed in some degree with The last was chosen treasurer of the the important concerns of another world, province in 1715. and he could no more doubt, he said, He published healthful diet, a sermon; that there was a remarkable work of God, New England's choicest blessings, an than he could, that there was a sun in the election sermon, 1679; serious advice to heavens. Afterwards, from peculiar cirdelivered ones; man's self-reflection a cumstances, perhaps from the apostasy of means to further his recovery from his some, who had appeared strong in the apostasy from God; and two practical faith, he was led to speak of this revival discourses. Hutchinson's hist. of Mas-"unadvisedly with his lips." This prosa. 1. 173, 222, 225, 270; Collections of duced an alienation among some of his the hist. society, 1x. 173; Calamy. former friends. In his last hours he had a hope, which he would not part with, as he said, for a thousand worlds.

ALLEN, Samuel, a merchant of London, proprietor of a part of New Hampshire, made the purchase of the heirs of He published a thanksgiving sermon, Mason in 1691. The territory included 1722; a discourse on providence, 1727; Portsmouth and Dover, and extended 60 the doctrine of merit exploded, and humiles from the sea. The settlers resist-mility recommended, 1727; a fast sermon, ing his claims, a perplexing litigation fol- occasioned by the earthquake, 1727; a lowed. In the midst of it Mr. Allen died sermon to a society of young men, 1781; at Newcastle May 5, 1705, aged 69. He a sermon on the death of Samuel Aspinsustained an excellent character. Though wall, 1733; an election sermon, 1744.

Pierce's cent. discourse; Christian hist. 1. 394.

ALLEN, Henry, a preacher in Nova Scotia, was born at Newport, R. I. June ALLEN, James, member of the house 14, 1748, and began to propagate some of representatives of Massachusetts a very singular sentiments about the year number of years, and a counsellor, was 1778. He was a man of good capacigraduated at Harvard college in 1717, and ty, though his mind had not been much died Jan. 8, 1755, aged 57. cultivated, and though he possessed a In the beginning of 1749 he made a warm imagination. He believed, that speech in the house, censuring the con- the souls of all men are emanations or duct of the governor, for which he was parts of the one great Spirit, and that they required to make an acknowledgment. were present with our first parents in As he declined doing this, the house is- Eden and participated in the first transsued a precept for the choice of a new gression; that our first parents in innorepresentative. When re-elected, he was cency were pure spirits without material not permitted to take his seat; but next bodies; that the body will not be raised year he took it, and retained it till his from the grave; and that the ordinances death.—Minot's hist. Mass. 1. 104-107. of the gospel are matters of indifference. ALLEN, William, chief justice of The scriptures, he contended, have a spirPennsylvania, was the son of William itual meaning, and are not to be underAllen, an eminent merchant of Philadel- stood in a literal sense. He died at the phia, who died in 1725. On the ap-house of Rev. D. M'Clure, Northampton, proach of the revolution he retired to N. H. Feb. 2, 1784 and since his death England, where he died Sept. 1780. His his party has much declined. He pubwife was a daughter of Andrew Hamilton, lished a volume of hymns; and several whom he succeeded as recorder of Phil-treatises and sermons.-Adams' view of adelphia in 1741. He was much religions; Benedict 1, 282. distinguished as a friend to literature. ALLEN,Ethan, a brigadier general in He patronised sir Benjamin West, the the war with Great Britain, was born in painter. By his counsels and exertions Roxbury, Litchfield county, Con. His Dr. Franklin was much assisted in estab-parents afterwards lived in Salisbury; at lishing the college in Philadelphia. He an early age he himself emigrated to Verpublished the American crisis, London, mont. At the commencement of the dis1774, in which he suggests a plan " for turbances in this territory about the year restoring the dependence of America to 1770 he took a most active part in favor a state of perfection." His principles of the green mountain boys, as the setseem to have been not a little arbitrary.-tlers were then called, in opposition to On his resignation of the office of chief the government of New York. justice, to which he had been appointed in 1750, he was succeeded till the revolution by Mr.Chew, attorney gen., & Mr. Chew by his son, Andrew Allen. This son died too numerous and faithful to permit him in London March 7, 1825, aged 85. At the close of 1776 he put himself under the protection of gen. Howe at Trenton, with his brothers John and William. He had been a member of congress and of the committee of safety; and William a lieut. col. in the continental service, but in 1778 he attempted to raise a regiment of tories.-Miller's retr. 11. 352; Proud's hist. of Penn. 11. 188; Am. Remem. 1777. p. 56.

An act

of outlawry against him was passed by this state, and 50 pounds were offered for his apprehension; but his party was

to be disturbed by any apprehensions for his safety; in all the struggles of the day he was successful; and he not only proved a valuable friend to those, whose cause he had espoused, but he was humane and generous toward those, with whom he had to contend. When called to take the field, he showed himself an able leader and an intrepid soldier.

The news of the battle of Lexington determined colonel Allen to engage on

"I

the side of his country, and inspired him with a drawn sword over the head of with the desire of demonstrating his at-captain De la Place, who was undressed, tachment to liberty by some bold exploit. demanded the surrender of the fort. "By While his mind was in this state, a plan what authority do you demand it?" infor taking Ticonderoga and Crown Point quired the astonished commander. by surprise was formed by capts. Edward demand it," said Allen, "in the name of Mott and Noah Phelps of Hartford, Con. the great Jehovah and of the continental They marched privately April 29th, with congress." The summons could not be 16 unarmed men. Arriving at Pittsfield, disobeyed, and the fort with its very valthe residence of col. James Easton and uable stores and 49 prisoners was immeJohn Brown Esq,-they communicated diately surrendered on May 10th. There the project to them and to col. Ethan were from 112 to 120 iron cannon from Allen, then at Pittsfield. These gentle- 6 to 24 pounders,2 brass cannon,50 swivmen immediately engaged to co-operate els, 2 mortars, 10 tons of musket balls, and to raise men for the purpose. Of 3 cart loads of flints, 10 casks of powder, the Berkshire men and the green moun- 30 new carriages, 100 stand of small arms, tain boys 230 were collected under the 30 barrels of flour, and 18 barrels of pork. command of Allen and proceeded to Cas- Crown Point was taken the same day, and tleton. Here he was unexpectedly joined the capture of a sloop of war soon afterby col. Arnold, who had been commis-wards made Allen and his brave party sioned by the Massachusetts committee complete masters of lake Champlain. May to raise 400 men, and effect the same ob- 18th Arnold with 35 men surprised the ject, which was now about to be accom-fort of St. John's in Can., taking 14 prisoplished. As he had not raised the men, ners, a sloop & 2 brass cannon. Allen,arrihe was admitted to act as an assistant to ving the same day with 90 men,resolved, colonel Allen. They reached the lake against the advice of Arnold, to attempt opposite Ticonderoga Tuesday evening, to hold the place. But he was attacked May, 9, 1775. With the utmost diffi- the next day by a larger force from Montculty boats were procured, and 83 men real and compelled to retreat. were landed near the garrison. The ap- In the fall 1775 he was sent twice into proach of day rendering it dangerous to Canada to observe the dispositions of the wait for the rear, it was determined im- people, and attach them, if possible, to mediately to proceed. The commander the American cause. During this last in chief now addressed his men, repre- tour colonel Brown met him, and propossenting, that they had been for a number ed an attack on Montreal in concert. The of years a scourge to arbitrary power,and proposal was eagerly embraced, and colfamed for their valor, and concluded with onel Allen with 110 men, nearly 80 of saying, "I now propose to advance before whom were Canadians, crossed the river you, and in person conduct you through in the night of Sept. 24. In the morning the wicket gate, and you, that will go he waited with impatience for the signal with me voluntarily in this desperate at- from colonel Brown, who agreed to cotempt, poise your firelocks." At the operate with him; but he waited in vain. head of the centre file he marched in- He made a resolute defence against an stantly to the gate, where a sentry snap- attack of 500 men, and it was not till his ped his gun at him and retreated through own party was reduced by desertions to the covered way; he pressed forward the number of 31, and he had retreated into the fort, and formed his men on near a mile, that he surrendered. A mothe parade in such a manner as to face ment afterwards a furious savage rushed two opposite barracks. Three huzzas towards him, and presented his firelock awaked the garrison. A sentry, who with the intent of killing him. It was onasked quarter, pointed out the apartments | ly by making use of the body of the offiof the commanding officer; and Allen cer, to whom he had given his sword, as