Tuesday, January 5, 2021

Allen Love - my 4th great grandfather and Revolutionary War patriot

Allen Love was born about 1747 and married a woman named Frances or "Fanny." During the Revolutionary War, court records of Brunswick County, Virginia, reflect under "an act for adjusting claims for property impressed or taken for the public service" that Allen Love gave 1 mare, 10 years old, valued at £30.  Also, 1 mare was impressed from Allen Love by Abner Vaughan "an express from Baron Steuben to the County Lieut. of Brunswick and Greenville" 6 years old and valued at £60; and a claim impressed under orders from Major General Steuben for Muhlenberg's Brigade of "#1365 beef" valued at £14-6-5 1/2. Muhlenberg's Brigade was commanded by Brigadier General Peter Muhlenberg and was composed of several Virginia regiments; they fought at Valley Forge. Baron/Major General Steuben was a Prussian soldier who was charged with training the troops in 1778.

Allen Love also paid the 1783 personal property tax, which was partly used to fund the war effort. The entry in the tax books lists Allen Love, John Love, and Henry Walker as persons responsible for paying the tax, followed by a list of names of 36 enslaved people. The number of titheables was 19, which usually included the number of white males over the age of 16; the number of persons was listed as 40, which was probably the number of enslaved people; and the number of horses was 12 and number of cattle was 45. 

 


Allen & Fanny's children were John, Hugh, Allan, Helen, Elizabeth, Jannet, Fanny, Katherine, Peggy, Betsy, and James Warden Love. He lived on an estate known as Poplar Mount.  I only know this because this loving cup, which was given to me by another descendant, mentions it. I have uploaded two photos, one with a ruler to illustrate the size of the cup. It was made by a silversmith in Scotland.


The photo below shows the engraving. The inscription reads:

To Allan Love Esquire

of Poplar Mount

In testimony of Respect

for his Excellent CHARACTER

In remembrance of the ESTEEM

of a Judicious Parent

and in grateful Acknowledgement

of a highly valued FRIENDSHIP

Continued to His Sons

THIS CUP

is presented by

James Wardrop,

Springbank.

11th Octr.

1785


Allan Love's will was written on October 3, 1779, and proven in Brunswick County on August 25, 1788. I am descended through his youngest son, James Warden Love, his son James Love, his daughter Mamie Elizabeth Love, her son John Graham Barnett, Jr, and his daughter, Jean Graham Barnett, who was my Mom.