William Allen (philanthropist)
Encyclopedia
William Allen was joint founder of St Peter's College, Adelaide
, South Australia
.
William Allen was born in England
. Entering the navy of the British East India Company
at age 15 and serving on the Sullimany, he afterwards transferred to the merchant service, and for about 25 years traded from India
. About 1833 or 1834, when Allen was captain of the Ann, the crew rose in mutiny and killed one of the mates. Allen knocked the leader down with an oar and practically quelled the mutiny single-handed and took the ship to Singapore
where the mutineers were tried and the leaders executed.
Allen returned to England in 1837, having inherited his parents' property on their death. He found it hard to settle down however, and sailed to Adelaide
aboard the Buckinghamshire in March 1839. He bought 809 ha (2000 acres) of land in the neighbourhood of Port Gawler with his friend Captain John Ellis. In 1845 he was a part proprietor of the Burra
copper mine and, joining in the foundation of the South Australian Mining Association, subsequently became its chairman.
He took an interest in the Church of England
and in the words of Bishop Augustus Short
became "the greatest temporal benefactor - next after the Baroness Burdett-Coutts
- whom the diocese has yet been permitted to know". On 24 May 1849, when the foundation-stone of St Peter's College was laid, William Allen and the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge were referred to as "being the Principal Founders". Allen's gifts to this school, one of the earliest public schools established in Australia, eventually reached £7000. Allen visited England again in 1853, upon his return to South Australia he retired from his pastoral activities.
Although the majority of Allen's benefactions went to the Church of England, they were not confined to it, he was well known for his private charity. He died suddenly at Adelaide on 17 October 1856. Under his will £5000 was left to the diocese of Adelaide to be used in increasing the incomes of the clergy.
St Peter's College, Adelaide
St Peter's College, , is an independent boy's school in the South Australian capital of Adelaide...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
.
William Allen was born in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Entering the navy of the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
at age 15 and serving on the Sullimany, he afterwards transferred to the merchant service, and for about 25 years traded from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. About 1833 or 1834, when Allen was captain of the Ann, the crew rose in mutiny and killed one of the mates. Allen knocked the leader down with an oar and practically quelled the mutiny single-handed and took the ship to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
where the mutineers were tried and the leaders executed.
Allen returned to England in 1837, having inherited his parents' property on their death. He found it hard to settle down however, and sailed to Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
aboard the Buckinghamshire in March 1839. He bought 809 ha (2000 acres) of land in the neighbourhood of Port Gawler with his friend Captain John Ellis. In 1845 he was a part proprietor of the Burra
Burra, South Australia
Burra is a pastoral centre and historic tourist town in the mid-north of South Australia. It lies east of the Clare Valley in the Bald Hills range, part of the northern Mount Lofty Ranges, and on Burra Creek. The town began as a single company mining township that, by 1851, was a set of townships ...
copper mine and, joining in the foundation of the South Australian Mining Association, subsequently became its chairman.
He took an interest in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
and in the words of Bishop Augustus Short
Augustus Short
Augustus Short , was the first Anglican bishop of Adelaide, South Australia.- Early life and career :Born at Bickham House, near Exeter, Devon, England, the third son of Charles Short, a London barrister, offspring of an old English county family, and his wife Grace, daughter of Humphrey Millett...
became "the greatest temporal benefactor - next after the Baroness Burdett-Coutts
Angela Burdett-Coutts, 1st Baroness Burdett-Coutts
Angela Georgina Burdett-Coutts, 1st Baroness Burdett-Coutts , born Angela Georgina Burdett, was a nineteenth-century philanthropist, the daughter of Sir Francis Burdett, 5th Baronet and the former Sophia Coutts, daughter of banker Thomas Coutts...
- whom the diocese has yet been permitted to know". On 24 May 1849, when the foundation-stone of St Peter's College was laid, William Allen and the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge were referred to as "being the Principal Founders". Allen's gifts to this school, one of the earliest public schools established in Australia, eventually reached £7000. Allen visited England again in 1853, upon his return to South Australia he retired from his pastoral activities.
Although the majority of Allen's benefactions went to the Church of England, they were not confined to it, he was well known for his private charity. He died suddenly at Adelaide on 17 October 1856. Under his will £5000 was left to the diocese of Adelaide to be used in increasing the incomes of the clergy.