Like Ashton, Cann, Oke, Walter and Westaway, the surname Allin is commonly found in the north Devon parishes where Yeos have lived over the centuries.
Richard Allin married Ann Yeo at Sutcombe on 25 March 1761. They were both from the parish – Richard signed his name ‘Richard Allin’ and Ann made her mark. The minister used the spelling Allen for the groom’s surname and had also used this variant spelling earlier in the month when recording readings of banns for the couple.
Richard was a tenant farmer at Pigsdon, Poughill (some ten miles from Sutcombe); he and Ann later moved to farm at Borough, Bridgerule. Allins lived at Borough for many years: a William Allin, who had been born there, emigrated to Ontario in 1835 with his wife Mary and infant son John, on the same ship as John Yeo of Bradworthy (see Emigration Diaries).
Richard and Ann had at least eight children. Their son Richard Allin was baptised at Poughill on 27 March 1763 and later married Mary Cole (who had Yeo connections).
According to research by George Allin, published in 1988, Ann Yeo was a daughter of William Yeo and Joan Bowhay, who had married at Holsworthy three years earlier. Other sources dispute this – if you can shed any light on this point or add anything to the information shown here, please use the Contact Us page to send us a message.