ALLEN, WILLIAM SHEPHERD (1831-1915) was born at Manchester, England, and educated at Wadham College, Oxford, where he graduated M.A. He married a daughter of John Candlish, M.P. for the borough of Sunderland.

In 1865 he was elected Liberal M.P. for Newcastle-under-Lyme, which he represented till 1886. Finding himself unable to agree with his leaders on the question of Irish home rule, he became a Unionist. In 1885 Allen visited New Zealand, and a year or so later he acquired a property in Piako, where Morrinsville now is. A staunch Methodist, he and his sons were local preachers and he assisted in establishing Prince Albert College in Auckland. In 1890 Allen was elected to Parliament for Te Aroha, but unseated on petition. He again tried to gain a seat (for Parnell), but without success. For some years he was a member of the Piako county council, from which he resigned on returning to live in England, where he died on 15 Jan 1915. He was deputy-lieutenant for Staffordshire.

His eldest son, WILLIAM ALLEN (1870- ) represented Newcastle-under-Lyme in the House of Commons in 1892-1900 and Stoke-on-Trent 1931-35. He is a K.C. and was recorder of Ludlow (1928-32). Another son, STEPHEN ALLEN (1882- ) commanded the Auckland regiment in the war of 1914-18 and was administrator of Western Samoa (1928-30). (D.S.O. 1918; C.M.G. 1919; K.B.E. 1933).

Studholme; Morley; W. J. Williams; Who's Who N.Z., 1932; The Times (London), 16 Jan 1915; N.Z. Herald, 19 Jan 1915.

Reference: Volume 1, page 21

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