Henry Allon

{{Short description|English Nonconformist divine}} {{about||the English composer|Henry Erskine Allon}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{No footnotes|date=November 2021}} thumb|Henry Allon, 1879. '''Henry Allon''' (1818–1892) was an English Nonconformist divine.

==Life==

He was born on 13 October 1818 at Welton, Elloughton-cum-Brough, near Hull, in Yorkshire.

Under Methodist influence Henry Allon decided to enter the ministry, but, developing Congregational ideas, was trained at Cheshunt College, Hertfordshire and became closely associated with the Union Chapel in Islington. For a short while, he was co-pastor at the Union Chapel with the Rev. Thomas Lewis (1844–1852), but thereafter sole pastor for forty years (1852–92).<ref name=odnb>{{cite ODNB |last=Kaye |first=Elaine |id=411 |date=2004 |title=Allon, Henry (1818–1892) }}</ref> During this time he gained considerable influence amongst metropolitan Congregationalists and secured the funds required for an ambitious rebuilding programme at the Union Chapel, between 1874 and 1890, from designs by James Cubitt.

In 1865, Allon became co-editor with Henry Robert Reynolds of the ''British Quarterly Review'', and in 1877, the sole editor of that journal for another ten years. He published ''Memoir of the Rev. J. Sherman'' in 1863, ''Life of William Ellis'' in 1873, and sermons on ''The Vision of God'' in 1876.

Two hymns are attributed to him, ''Low in Thine Agony'' (1868), and ''Hark, hark, my soul! the Savior's voice is calling''.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://hymnary.org/person/Allon_Henry |title= Henry Allon |author= |date= |website= Hymnary |publisher= |access-date= 22 January 2026 |quote=}}</ref> He published numerous musical compilations, and his son, Henry Erskine Allon, was a composer (1864–97).

Allon was a vice-president of the American Missionary Association.

He died in Islington on 16 April 1892.

Allon is buried in the London Congregationalists' non-denominational garden cemetery, Abney Park Cemetery, in north London.

==Publications== Allon wrote several books on worship music, including ''Supplemental hymns for public worship'' (1869), ''Children's worship: a book of sacred song for home and school'' (1881), and ''The congregational psalmist'' (several volumes).<ref name=ONHA>{{cite web |url= https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/lookupname?key=allon,%20henry,%201818-1892 |title= allon, henry, 1818-1892 |author= |date= |website= University of Pennsylvania Online Books |publisher= |access-date= 22 January 2026 |quote=}}</ref>

==Family== On 12 October 1848 he married Eliza Goodman; they had four daughters and three sons.<ref name=odnb />

==Honours== He was awarded an honorary degree from Yale in 1871.<ref name=odnb />

==References== {{reflist}} *{{cite book | last =Julian | first =John | author-link =John Julian, D.D. | title =A Dictionary of Hymnology | publisher =John Murray | date =June 1907 | location =London | url = | doi = | id = | page =51 }}

==Further reading== * {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Allon, Henry|volume=1|pages=698–699|first=Dugald|last=Macfadyen|author-link=Dugald Macfadyen}}

==External links== {{DNB01 poster|Allon, Henry}} {{Commonscatinline}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Allon, Henry}} Category:1818 births Category:1892 deaths Category:People from Elloughton-cum-Brough Category:Burials at Abney Park Cemetery Category:English Congregationalist ministers Category:Clergy from Yorkshire