Myra Wood Allen (1800-1831)

MYRA WOOD ALLEN (1800-1831)

Myra Wood Allen was born in Westminster, Massachusetts, the daughter of Col. Abel and Mrs. Phoebe Wood. After attending school at New Ipswich, she worked as a teacher. In 1827, she married long-time acquaintance David O. Allen, a recent graduate of the Andover Theological Seminary whom the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions had appointed as a missionary to the Marathi in Bombay, India. At the time, the American Board had a policy of only sending married couples to missionary stations. Ten days after their marriage, the Allens set sail. In 1831, Myra Allen gave birth to a son and died shortly thereafter. The following year, the Massachusetts Sabbath School Society published a memorial volume which contains excerpts from her journals.

Myra Allen wrote the following on her experience joining her church:

“After serious deliberation, therefore, I gave my name to be proposed to the church for admission, and on the 8th December, 1822, entered into solemn covenant engagements to be the Lord’s. It was a day of solemnity and joy to my soul, and one which, I felt, called for the most lively gratitude, not only for the mercy I experienced myself, but that others received the same with me . . . For a considerable time I was scarcely troubled with a serious doubt. I had no ecstacies [sic] of joy, but a peace and tranquility such as I had never before experienced.” (p. 19)

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Cyrus Mann. Memoir of Mrs. Myra W. Allen (Boston, 1832), frontispiece.	MYRA WOOD ALLEN (1800-1831) Myra Wood Allen was born in Westminster, Massachusetts, the daughter of Col. Abel and Mrs. Phoebe Wood. After attending school at New Ipswich, she worked as a teacher. In 1827, she married long-time acquaintance David O. Allen, a recent graduate of the Andover Theological Seminary whom the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions had appointed as a missionary to the Marathi in Bombay, India. At the time, the American Board had a policy of only sending married couples to missionary stations. Ten days after their marriage, the Allens set sail. In 1831, Myra Allen gave birth to a son and died shortly thereafter. The following year, the Massachusetts Sabbath School Society published a memorial volume which contains excerpts from her journals. Myra Allen wrote the following on her experience joining her church: “After serious deliberation, therefore, I gave my name to be proposed to the church for admission, and on the 8th December, 1822, entered into solemn covenant engagements to be the Lord’s. It was a day of solemnity and joy to my soul, and one which, I felt, called for the most lively gratitude, not only for the mercy I experienced myself, but that others received the same with me . . . For a considerable time I was scarcely troubled with a serious doubt. I had no ecstacies [sic] of joy, but a peace and tranquility such as I had never before experienced.” (p. 19) Next>