Surname Saturday - Letter A

Below are my direct line surnames, beginning with the first definitely known person of each line.  I do not include pre-Revolutionary War surnames unless I have researched the families.

(Thanks to 'Begin with Craft' for the idea)

Allen (also Allan)

• My 3rd great-grandfather, Joseph Allen, was born around 1817 in either Ireland or Scotland.  The earliest record I have for him is the 1850 US Census, where he was enumerated in Shenango Twp., Lawrence, Pennsylvania.  He moved to Trumbull Co., Ohio before 1860 and primarily lived in Weathersfield.  He disappears from records after the 1880 US Census.  He married Elizabeth Clemens and they had at least seven children.  Their youngest (John Grant Allen) was my ancestor.  John Grant Allen moved to Michigan where he settled and had a family.  They lived in Blanchard, Isabella, Michigan, then Manistee, Manistee, Michigan and finally Jackson, Jackson, Michigan.  

Allmen (also Allman, Almen/Alman, Ollmen/Ollman, vonAllmen)

• Christian vonAllmen was my 3rd great-grandfather.  He was born in 1814 in Unterseen, Canton Bern, Switzerland.  He married Barbara Steiner.  They came to Olney, Richland, Illinois around 1844 and dropped the 'von' from their surname.  They moved to Evansville, Vanderburgh, Indiana between 1857 and 1860.  They had at least six children.  Their daughter, Susanna, was my ancestor.  Christian died in Evansville in 1887.

Asay (also Easy)

• My 4th great-grandmother, Elizabeth Asay, was born around 1785 in Springfield Twp., Burlington, New Jersey.  She married John Shinn in 1809 and they had nine children.  Their son John R. Shinn was my ancestor.  She died in 1863 in Mansfield Twp., Burlington, New Jersey.  Elizabeth's parents could have been John Asay and Jane Shreve.