John Allen (Irish nationalist)

John Allen (died 1855) was an Irish nationalist, and later a colonel in the French army.

John Allen
Born	Dublin, Ireland
Died	10 February 1855 (aged 52) Caen, France
Allegiance	United Irishmen First French Republic First French Empire
Years of service	1800–1855
Rank	Colonel
Unit	Irish Legion
Battles/wars	1798 Rebellion

John Allen was a native of Dublin, where he was also for some time a partner in a drapery business. Along with Arthur O'Connor he was tried for high treason at Maidstone in February 1798, but acquitted. He was an associate of Robert Emmet and involved in the rebellion of 1803.[1]

After the abortive result of the project of Emmet, whose special confidence he enjoyed, Allen escaped from Dublin in the uniform of the Trinity College Yeomanry corps, and obtained a passage in a vessel to France. Entering the Irish Legion, he was promoted colonel for leading the storming party at the capture of Astorga, in Spain, in 1810. During the second occupation of Paris his surrender was, it is said, demanded by the British government; but while being conducted to the frontier, he made his escape, with the connivance of the gendarmes who had him in charge, at the last station on French territory. Subsequently he took up his residence at Caen, in Normandy. Allen was a Protestant. He is stated in Myles Byrne's Memoirs (iii. 190) to have died at Caen 10 Feb. 1855.[1]