A Promise Kept

It was windy on March 23, 1899, as the Allen family awaited the arrival of the new baby. They were happy when a baby boy was born. The baby was named Samuel James, but he would be called Sam.

This family began in Ireland where George Allen and Margaret (Maggie) Leslie were born. George Allen was born, January 1859. The only clue to where is a ‘ditty’ “Oh, I come from Donegal, where we ate potatoes skins and all.” Maggie, Margaret Leslie, was born in May, 1862 in Ireland. They each immigrated to America alone: Maggie arriving in 1879 when she was only seventeen years old. She worked as a housekeeper in a hotel. George came over in 1881 when he was twenty-two and was a common working man.

Both of them arrived in New York City where they became American citizens. They were proud to be in a land free of the horror of poverty and the hunger of famine. Ireland was just coming out of the potato famine, so it was good to be in a land where even the poor had enough food to eat.

They left behind families which had saved for years to get just one family member to America, where they would have a chance to live and be free. The Irish people were suffering not only from the famine, but also from severe mistreatment by the British. The English aristocracy hated the Irish people. They demanded that what they did grow was for export only. They had to hide some of the little they had to make it last. It was from this horror of hunger and poverty that George Allen and Maggie Leslie came to America.

They both settled in New York City among other immigrants, and became part of the working poor there. The Irish immigrants settled in one area of the city. George Allen came over two years after Maggie Leslie and moved into the same neighborhood. It was here that George and Maggie met and soon married in 1883. They moved to New Jersey soon after they married. It was here that their first son, Charles, was born in December of 1884.

George moved his young family to the Irish neighborhood of South Philadelphia, to get a better job in the factories there. Here they made many life-long friends in the close knit community; two of the closest were sisters, Becky and Lizzie. In the next six years three baby girls were born into the family. Annie was born in May 1887, Jennie was born in September 1889, and the youngest girl Margaret (Maggie) was born in March 1893. Here in this rough neighborhood they were living the life their families sent them to America for; not to get rich, but for decent jobs with decent wage.

During the next year one of Maggie’s young cousins came to America with his father who died on his job. He would live with Maggie and George for the next seven years. He worked part time and went to school. He was like a brother to Charles.

It was into this family of mostly girls, when the youngest girl Maggie had just turned six, that life was about to change. Maggie, who would be thirty seven in May, presented the family on a windy day in March with a second boy. They named him Samuel James; he would be called Sam. Sam was born at home with the help of two sisters, Becky and Lizzie, who were two of their best friend in Philadelphia. The older children already loved them; they called them Aunt Becky and Aunt Lizzie.

Maggie’s cousin found a full time job. He moved out of the Allen home, but stayed in touch with Charles; they had jobs at the same place.

When Sam was just two years old, Maggie had another baby boy. He was named George Lincoln. When George was born, Maggie had serious problems. It was at this time that two- year- old Sam lost the attention of his mother. Even with the care of Becky and Lizzie she remained sick for a long time. . She was advised not to have any more children. It was just over two years after George Lincoln’s birthday that John Alexander was born. Maggie again had complications. Even with the best nursing care from Becky and Lizzie she was too weak to recover. She lingered for a short time, but died early in 1904.

Maggie’s death left George with a broken heart. His wife of twenty years and the m other of his seven children, ranging from nineteen down to a baby just over two months, was gone. George now faced some big problems. One urgent problem was to find a wet nurse for his baby John. But the tight-knit community being as it was, on the next block a friend was weaning her son Bobby. She was able to take John home to feed and care for him.

Even as the plan for baby John was taking place the two oldest were making their plans for the future to be approved by their dad. Charles, who was of legal age, had been engaged for a year. With George’s blessing he got married. Annie was already sixteen and working in a clothing factory as a weaver. She was in love with an older man. They both worked and could build a good life together. George gladly signed for them to marry, with his blessing. His family of seven children at home was down to four.