Harry Allen (1882 - 1922)

Born 11 Sep 1882 in Jackson, Indiana, United States

Ancestors

Died 27 Dec 1922 at age 40 in Seattle, King, Washington, United States

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Biography

Harry Allen is Notable.

Harry was born in Jackson County, Indiana as "Nell Pearl Pickerell" in 1882. Around 1894, the Pickerell family, including Harry's parents, older sister, and older brother, moved to Seattle, Washington.

In 1899, he began dressing as and asking to be referred to as a man.^[1] Around 1900, he began using the name Harry Livingston. The 1900 US Census lists Harry as "Nell," working as a stenographer and living with the McWatt family in Seattle as well as "Harry Livingstone," a teamster also rooming with the McWatt family.^[2] He also worked as a bartender and hotel clerk, and he aspired to be a boxer.^[3] In the mid-1910s, he started using the name Harry Allen, which he is remembered for today.^[4]

In the 1900s and 1910s, he was known nationally for the suicides of his girlfriends^[5][6] and his brushes with police.^[7][8]

In 1916, he was stabbed in the lung by his father.^[9] He passed away of syphilitic meningitis in 1922.^[10]

Sources

1. ↑ "This Woman's Ambition Is To Be A Man." Seattle Post-Intelligencer, April 22, 1900. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045604/1900-04-22/ed-1/seq-18/
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1900", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MMPN-RPJ : 11 March 2022), Nellie Pickerel in entry for Mamie Mc Watt, 1900.
3. ↑ "In Boy's Apparel." Washington Standard, July 6, 1900. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84022770/1900-07-06/ed-1/seq-1/
4. ↑ "United States, GenealogyBank Historical Newspaper Obituaries, 1815-2011", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q5M7-32D9 : 18 July 2020), Harry Allen in entry for Jennie Pickerel and Pickerell, 1919.
5. ↑ "There is supposed to be a law..." Seattle Republican, November 6, 1903. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84025811/1903-11-06/ed-1/seq-2/
6. ↑ "Girl Poses as Man; Girls Kill Selves in Hopeless Love for Her." Seattle Star, June 9, 1915. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87093407/1915-06-09/ed-1/seq-1/
7. ↑ "Notorious Nell Pickerell Ends Up In Yakima Jail." Yakima Herald, March 18, 1908. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88085523/1908-03-18/ed-1/seq-7/
8. ↑ "In Man's Clothes." Seattle Star, September 12, 1901. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87093407/1901-09-12/ed-1/seq-4/
9. ↑ "Nell Pickerell May Die of Wounds." Seattle Star, September 27, 1916. Chronicling America, https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87093407/1916-09-27/ed-1/seq-1/
10. ↑ "Washington Death Certificates, 1907-1960," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N3GN-5HG : 10 March 2018), Nell Pickerell, 27 Dec 1922; citing Seattle, King, Washington, reference 3002, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Olympia; FHL microfilm 1,992,968.

See also

• "Harry Allen (trans man)" on Wikipedia