Arthur Acland Allen was born on 11 August 1868 the youngest of the five children of Peter Allen (1815-1892) and Sophia Russell Allen née Taylor (1826-1868), in Prestwich, Lancashire. His mother died as a result of his childbirth. His father was a newspaper proprietor.
The 1871 census shows him living at Bury New Road, Sedgley Park, Prestwich, with his widowed father, an elder brother - John Edward Taylor Allen (1864-1919), a governess, a nurse and three domestic servants.
On 11 April 1886, aged 19 years, he was baptised at St Andrew's Church, Rugby Warwickshire and the baptismal register shows him residing at Kersal, Manchester, but it is known that he attended Rugby School until enrolling at University College, Oxford, on 15 October 1887. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts in 1891.
The 1891 census shows him as an undergraduate at Oxford, boarding at the home of John and Elizabeth Richards at 3 Abbey, Brendon, Barnstable, Devon.
On 31 July 1900 he married Gladys Hope Walker (1875-1957) at St Stephen's Church, Kensington. The marriage register shows him as a Barrister-at-Law, living at Queen Anne's Mansions, whilst her address was shown as 20 Queens Gate Gardens and they had three daughters, Elizabeth Acland Allen (1901-1969), Margaret Hope Acland Allen (1902-1967) and Barbara Susan Acland Allen (1905-1981).
The 1901 census shows him as a 'London County Councillor, barrister and living on own means' at 47 Onslow Square, South Kensington, with his wife, a cook and two domestic servants. By 1908 he had become the Deputy Chairman of the London County Council.
On 8 February 1906 he was first elected to the House of Commons as Liberal Party MP for Christchurch in Hampshire and on 19 December 1910 for the Dunbartonshire constituency until that eight year parliament was dissolved following the armistice of World War One in November 1918.
In the 1911 census he lists himself as a 'Member of Parliament, Barrister-at-Law and Director of Public Companies', residing at 13 Queens Gate Gardens, South Kensington, with his wife, his three daughters, a lady nurse, a cook, two parlour-maids, two housemaids and a kitchen maid.
He died, aged 70 years, on 20 May 1939 and his death was registered in Westminster. Probate records state that his home address had been 119 Whitehall Court, London, SW1, and that when probate was granted on 22 July 1939 to the Public Trustee and his widow, his effects totalled £77,315-3s-0d.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan
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