John Romilly Allen (1847–1907)

Archaeologist, antiquary, and engineer. Educated at King’s College, London, 1864–6. Engineer, Mersey Docks and Harbour Board, 1867–70. Supervised construction of docks at Leith, near Edinburgh, and at Boston, Lincolnshire. Joined the Cambrian Archaeological Association in 1875; joint editor of their journal, 1889; editor, 1892–1907. Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 1883; Rhind Lecturer in archaeology, 1885. Yates Lecturer in archaeology, University College, London, 1898. Worked mainly on early medieval sculpture, metalwork, and manuscript illumination. His grandfather, Lancelot Baugh Allen (1774–1845), was a brother of Elizabeth (Bessy) Wedgwood, Emma Darwin’s mother.