Thomas Lonsdale Allen was born on 2 June 1849 in Antrim, Antrim County, North Ireland, the oldest child of Jane Ferguson Allen and Robert Blain Allen.

When Thomas was three years old, his family moved f ifteen miles to Belfast, the main industrial center of Northern Ireland. The family lived on Henry Street which led to the officer's quarters of the military barracks. One day James Ferguson, a former American Army officer, walked past the Allen home on his way to visit the officers' quarters. Two small boys were playing in the street; one of them was Thomas. Jane Ferguson Allen was standing in the doorway watching the children. When James Ferguson asked if the two boys were her's, she replied that one was. He said he had two boys at home, and then introduced himself as James Ferguson of the Falls of Schuylkill in Pennsylvania, America, son of Frank Ferguson. Jane was quite surprised because Frank Ferguson was her brother.

James Ferguson, serving in Ireland as a missionary, taught the members of his aunt's family the doctrines of the Church and baptized some of them. Thomas was nearly fourteen years old when he was baptized on 4 April 1863. Thomas was called to be a home missionary when he was sixteen years old. On one occasion, Thomas and a companion, William Scott, traveled about twenty-eight miles to Drumbridge, walking part of the way to visit the only known member in that area, Sister Graham. The Saints in Ireland had endured much persecution; some had apostatized, some had been injured, and a Brother Wiley had been killed. Sister Graham's husband and son were among those who had apostatized. While they were calling on Sister Graham, a mob of fifteen men came and ordered her to "send the Mormons out." Young Thomas went to the door to face the mob. "Are you a Mormon preacher?" asked the burly mob leader.

"I am not much of one," replied Thomas, meaning he was not very big. He invited the mob to come in and talk, if they found the teachings of the Mormon Church to be contrary to the teachings of the Savior, the missionaries would leave peaceably and never return. Although Thomas could not read or write, he could quote many scriptures from memory. The missionaries asked the leader of the mob to read the Bible. As the mob leader was reading, he discovered that the Bible had been misquoted to him. After further discussion the mob dispersed. The missionaries were told that if anyone bothered them in their missionary labors, the leader of the mob would take care of them.

Thomas had never learned to read or write so, at age seventeen, he enrolled in an evening class at the National School in Belfast where he learned to read and write. He became an ardent student of church books and American history.

Thomas learned to be a carpenter by working with his father who was a building contractor. One day while doing carpentry work on a store, he became acquainted with one of the clerks, Sarah McCarthy. She told him she knew he was a Mormon and that he was going to Salt Lake City in America. When she told him she could never be anything but a Catholic, he replied that no one had asked her.

Thomas, with his grandfather and aunt, sailed from Belfast via Liverpool, England to New York on 24 September 1869. Miss Sarah McCarthy was at the dock to see him off. From New York, he crossed the plains to Utah, settling in CoaIville on 10 October 1869. Using a team and wagon loaned to him by David W. Bell, Thomas hauled coal to Salt Lake on shares. He traded his shares for store pay and carpentry tools. He worked on the railroad going through Echo Canyon and purchased scrap material which he sold in order to buy lumber and other cabinet materials. He worked on buildings during the day and made tables and chairs at night. Eventually, he had accumulated enough money to pay for his father, mother, and other family members to come to Utah from Ireland.

From The Pioneer, Vol. 18, Number 3, May & June 1971 Page 2.

Sarah McCarthy also emigrated to Utah. She had joined the Church about a year after Thomas had gone to America as a result of a dream in which she had seen Thomas dressed in white. The dream had come to her on the day when Thomas received his endowments in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City. Sarah and Thomas were married in the Endowment House on 2 December 1871, after which they settled in Coalville.

Thomas and Sarah were the parents of eight children:
1- Thomas Lonsdale Allen, Jr.,
2- Charles McCarthy Allen,
3- Mabel Rosemond Allen,
4- Robert Eugene Allen,
5- Clara Jane Allen,
6- James Edward Allen,
7- William Wallace Allen,
8- Sarah Lillian Allen.

Sarah Rankin McCarthy Allen died at home when she was forty-six years old. [c. 1891 or 1892]

Three years after his wife's death, Thomas was introduced to Alice Jane Tranter. Shortly thereafter, they were married on 26 June 1895 in the Salt Lake Temple.

Thomas and Alice became the parents of six children:
1- Nida Alice Allen,
2- Harold Tranter Allen, 1899-1991. Married Mary Edna Brown 25 June 1925.
3- Jesse Tranter Allen,
4- Arthur Tranter Allen,
5- Marie Tranter Allen,
6- Genevieve Tranter Allen

Brother and Sister Allen also raised the children of his sister after her death and provided a home for Jane Ferguson Allen, Thomas's mother, who lived to the age of ninety-six (1821-1914)

Thomas Allen was called to the stake high council on 12 November 1893. Visiting relatives in Park City a few months later (Thomas Allen's cousin, Mary May Ferguson, was David Keith's wife.), he was approached by several people who desired a regular church organization in Park City. Brother Allen reported what had transpired to President William Wallace Cluff and was then given the assignment to investigate the possibility of opening a branch in Park City. The Park City Branch was organized on 2 September 1894 and Thomas L. Allen was called as the presiding bishop.

Bishop Allen worked with the mine owners, David Keith and Thomas Kearns, to eliminate the discrimination against the men who were Mormons. Strikes were threatened, and Bishop Allen worked with the mine owners and the miners to avert the shut down of the mines. Bishop Allen tried to convince the miners that the conditions in the mines would be improved and that a strike would only cause them and their families more hardships. The strike was cancelled and conditions improved. Keith and Kearns offered Bishop Allen stock in the mines for his help; he refused, saying that it was part of his work as presiding bishop and he had done it to help all of Park City.

In 1898, fire ravaged the town of Park City destroying many of the buildings as they were generally made of wood. Thomas L. Allen's son writes:

"Father got a wagon and recruits to help get the people out of their homes, especially the ones up in the top of town (in the mountains). He said to go in, tell them the town was burning, tell them to get their valuables and get out. One woman came running out with her feather duster.

Father was a good friend with one of the Chinamen who ran a restaurant. I remember him sending us Chinese candy at Christmas time which was very unusual. He was not a member of the Church, but he always called Father "Brother Allen." Father would tell him that he should put his money in the bank. But the Chinese man would say, "Me no trustee bank, me no trustee bank, Brother Allen." Father would say, "it is important that you do, someone might steal it." The man finally said he would put his money in the bank."

The day of the fire his restaurant was burned to the ground. Although some things were still smoking, most of the things were cooling off and Father went by the restaurant. He heard a noise and thought someone was hurt. The Chinese man was sitting there making a moaning and groaning noise. Father patted him to console him. He said, "No, no, Brother Allen, no, no. Me not listen to you, me dummy foolie, me dammy foolie, put all money in mattress and it burn up."

Thomas Allen was the architect and builder of the Summit Stake Tabernacle in Coalville and built many large, beautiful homes in Coalville. He also used his carpentry skills to build beautiful coffins. He went to Los Angeles for training, became an undertaker, and was sexton of the Coalville cemetery.

Thomas and his sons explored the mountains for mineral deposits and water sources. He served on the Utah Water Commission and for two terms in the Utah State Legislature because of his concern for laws to regulate the use of water. He and his sons were involved in the planning and building of the Weber and the Smith and Morehouse power plants. They learned the principles of electricity and brought it into the homes in Coalville. He also worked on the Echo Reservoir, declining to have it named after him. He is known as the "father" of the Provo-Weber Reclamation and the Great Basin Projects.

Ordained a high priest on 21 April 1901, Thomas L. Allen was set apart as counselor to stake president Moses W. Taylor. Twenty years later on 6 August 1921, he was called as stake president and served as such until 19 April 1925. His testimony was recorded and shared by a grandson:

"I have no desire to return to Ireland again. I was glad to leave there. I have been mutilated and had clothes torn because of religious prejudice. Your grandmother suffered even more than I did. She was beaten and dragged by the hair of the head the full length and hallow of the house and thrown into the street by her own mother because of her religion. Oh, how glad I am that your parents did not have to go through these trials of their faith.

But these things have made the Gospel of Jesus Christ dearer to us and trials of another kind have come to me. I have been thankful that the past experiences have made me able to withstand the trials and temptations that have come to me in my present position. The greatest thing I have to contend with is the indifference of the people in my efforts to turn them from their follies to the higher things of life and to the things worth living for. There were 4600 people in the stake and it was hard to get people to be home missionaries. We have found them in the past and with the Lord's help we will be successful."

Following his release from the stake presidency in 1925, Thomas L. Allen was ordained a patriarch by Joseph Fielding Smith on 26 July 1925. He served in that calling until his death on October 11, 1928.

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