b'Journey to a new landGeorge Allen was born in London in 1800, the youngestSir Robert Wigram, a friend of Richards, supported the child of Richard and Mary Allen. They were part of Londonsfamily during these difficult and uncertain times. He was upper-middle class. Richard was a highly regarded physiciana British merchant, shipbuilder and politician who hadwhose patients included the Prince of Wales, later crownedtrained as a physician under Georges great-uncle. George King George IV. He also conducted a business sellingnever forgot Sir Roberts kindness and would later name medicines. He had twelve children four from his firstboth his first child and his house in his honour.marriage and eight with Mary, his second wife, only five of whom survived infancy. Unfortunately, Richard wasSir Robert provided the money for Mary and some ofsusceptible to living beyond his means. Following his deaththe children to follow Thomas to a new life in Sydney. On in 1806 Mary and her young family were left with little to19 January 1816, Mary arrived in Port Jackson aboard the support them. George was just five years old. Mary Ann, along with fifteen-year-old George, two of hissiblings and the three children from Thomass previous Three years later Mary married Thomas Collicott, the managermarriage. Among the familys few possessions was a letter of Richards medicine business. Between them they broughtof introduction to Governor Lachlan Macquarie. This letter eight children to the marriage, five from Mary and threeprofoundly influenced the course of young Georges life from Thomas. If Mary had seen Thomas as providingand led to the creation of Australias most enduring law security and stability for their family in London, she wasfirm Allens.soon disappointed. Maybe the cost of raising a large family in London, or other reasons, drew Thomas to place forged duty stamps on his medicine bottles. While his motivation is opaque, the consequences were not. Thomas was tried at the Old Bailey on 15 January 1812, found guilty and sentenced to be hanged. With characteristic resourcefulness, Mary promptly sought an audience at the palace, where she used her first husbands connections to seek leniency from the Duke of Kent. The sentence was remitted from death to transportation, and in 1813 Thomas sailed to the colonyof New South Wales as a convict aboard the Earl Spencer.George Allens parents,Mary and Richard.2'