Nationality American | Name James Allen Role Highwayman | |
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Born 1809 ? Other names George Walton, Jonas Pierce, James H. York, Burley Grove Known for He gave a 1837 deathbed confession, to the warden, while a convict, at the Massachusetts State Prison, which was later, published as, the Narrative of the Life of James Allen Died July 17, 1837, Massachusetts, United States Books Narrative of the Life of James Allen | ||
James allen highwayman top 7 facts
James Allen (1809-1837), also known as George Walton, Jonas Pierce, James H. York, Burley Grove, was a Massachusetts highwayman in the early 19th century.
One man fought back when Allen attempted to rob him, and that was John Fenno. After a prolonged life of banditry, Allen was eventually imprisoned in the Massachusetts State Prison, which opened in 1805, in Charlestown, Boston, Massachusetts. He died in prison, and is remembered for delivering a deathbed confession to the warden in 1837, one copy of which was bound in the author's skin. This 40 page copy of the Narrative of the Life of James Allen, alias Jonas Pierce, alias James H. York, alias Burley Grove, the Highwayman, Being His Death-bed Confession to the Warden of the Massachusetts State Prison now belongs to the Boston Athenaeum.
Other copies are extant and can be found in other libraries. A scan of the text is freely available from the Internet Archive. A transcript of the text has been made available by the Boston Athenaeum.