William Henry Allen

William Henry Allen (c. 1844 to 3 September 1926) was the founder of the company W. H. Allen, Sons & Company Ltd.

He was educated at Weston-Super-Mare and at Christ College, Brecon.

He served an apprenticeship with Richard Neville and Company at their Wern Foundry in Carmarthenshire, who specialized in large colliery machinery and winding gear at its Llanelli works.

His originality meant he wanted complete independence, and after eleven years he established the great firm associated with his name, in York Street, Lambeth, adjoining the London and South-Western Railway. Originally called W. H. Allen & Company, here he was successful in developing a distinctive high-speed steam engine and centrifugal pump, and in 1883, in conjunction with Dr. Gisbert Kapp, designed the first direct-coupled high-speed engine and dynamo set. The latter, after being fitted experimentally in the old twin-screw battleship HMS Devastation, initiated a long series of auxiliary power sets that gained the high esteem of the naval and mercantile marine authorities. In making this fresh start he took into consideration the educational needs of his employees and their children. On their behalf, also, he set up organizations which anticipated the Workmen's Compensation Act and the old-age pensions legislation. and was also a Deputy-Lieutenant and a member of the Territorial Association.

William Henry and Anne had twelve children of which seven were sons. Three being directly involved in the W. H. Allen business, Richard William, Harold Gwynne and Rupert Stanley. A fourth son, George Pemberton (an architect) was commissioned to complete work on behalf of his father and the family firm.

Anne died in 1886 at the age of just thirty-nine at 1, Dean's Yard, Westminster and was buried at Brompton Cemetery, London.

Fifteen months after Anne's death William Henry married Madeline Agnew, daughter of William Joseph Fedden of Clifton, Bristol, and his wife Ellen, daughter of William Agnew of Bristol. The ceremony took place at Keynsham, near Bristol, on the 14th of April 1887. They had first met at the wedding of William Henry's eldest daughter, Cissie, to Frank Fedden, which took place from the Allen home, The Drewitts, Cuckfold, Sussex. Madeline was the maternal great-granddaughter of Andrew Agnew of Lucknaw Castle, Wigtownshire. William Henry and Madeline had one child, born on the 11th of June 1888, Gladys Madeline Agnew Allen.