History of Henderson County, Kentucky by Edmund L. Starling, 1887  
Reprinted Unigraphic, Inc., Evansville, IN, 1965, pp 613-617.  Henderson Co.

WILLIAM DICKSON ALLISON, son of Samuel Allison and Margaret Dickson, his
wife, pioneers from North Carolina, was born in Logan County, on the
fifteenth day of February, 1798.
     When quite young his father removed to Muhlenburg [sic] County and settled
upon a piece of land near Greenville.  He lived with his father, working
upon the farm during the summer months and studying at odd times during the
winter months, until he had grown to be a good sized lad, when he entered as
clerk in a dry goods store owned by Judge Alney McLean, in the town of
Greenville.  He remained in this store but a short time, when he was placed
in the County and Circuit Court Clerk's office, of  
Muhlenburg County, under Charles F. Wing, then not only an officer of superior  
business qualifications, but a gentleman of high, social culture.  The
boyhood of Mr. Allison was furnished with few of those facilities for
obtaining a literary education, which are now accessable [sic] to almost all.
     His great, natural mind was left to develop its powers as best it could
without the aid of books or competent instructions, and his boyish
attainments consisted of the common elements taught in a country school of
the most humble pretentions [sic].  Even these slender advantages were but
sparingly enjoyed, for, as before said, he was compelled to devote a great
portion of his time to manuel [sic] labor in the field.  It is  
more than probably that this early familiarity with the sternest realities
of life, contributed to give to his mind that strong, practical bias which
subsequently distinguished his career as an official of matchless
qualification and citizen of unsurpassed social grandeur.  While in the
office of Mr. Wing, he attracted the attention of Judge McLean, who, being
most favorably impressed by his amiable deportment, uniform habits of
industry and striking displays of intelligence, honored him with his
friendship and unrestrained interest.  It was through the advice of  
Judge McLean that he came to Henderson County in the year 1822 and accepted a  
deputyship [sic] under Horace Grigsby, then Clerk of the Circuit and County
Courts of this County.  He remained faithful to his post, until the death of
Mr. Grigsby, in the year 1824.  At his death, Mr. Allison was appointed
Clerk of the two Courts, which two offices he held from that time to the
time of his death, Mar 5th, 1860, thirty-six years.  In December, 1823, he
married Miss Elizabeth Hamilton, daughter of Dr. James M. Hamilton, one of
the earliest settlers and one of the first physicians of the new county.
The mother of Mrs. Allison was Mary Hopkins Davis, a niece of General  
Samuel Hopkins, who established and settled the town of Henderson.  A short
time after his marriage, Mr. Allison purchased the old Ambrose Barbour
homestead, on the corner of Third and Water streets, where he lived to the
day of his death.  The fruits of this marriage was eight children, only two
of whom are now living - Mrs. Mary H. Starling, widow of Lyne Starling,
deceased, and Miss Lucy H. Allison.  In November, 1843, Mr. Allison was
sorely bereaved in the death of his wife, to whom he was devotedly attached,
and hardly had he recovered from the irreparable loss, when he was called
upon to mourn the loss of his only son, Alney, a young man of brilliant
intellect and promise, and in whom his whole life had centered.  This son
was lost in the unfortunate collision of the steamers Major Barbour and Paul
Jones, in the Ohio, near Cannelton, on the morning of the third of February,
1848.  Only a short time after this, he was again called upon to give up a
daughter, whose personal and social qualities had won for her the esteem of
the entire community.  All of these sad and heartrending  
bereavements, coming one after the other, and in such close proximity of
time, unnerved his naturally joyous spirit, yet he bore them all with
heroic, yet terribly wounded courage.  In 1845, the old log house in which
he had lived for twenty years, was caused to be torn away and the large
two-story frame yet standing, was erected in its stead.  Mr. Allison, ever
after his marriage, was a great student, his broad and comprehensive mind,
quick as thought and accurate in its convictions, readily grasped every
subject he undertook and easily and quickly mastered it.  He was a great
believer in the thorough study of English grammar, and studied it for years
after his marriage, attending at one time for several months, a night
school, taught by a professor, in whose ability for explaining and imparting
information, he had confidence.  He was the eldest of five sons, all of whom
were noted for the originality of their jokes and great  
fondness for perpetrating them.  The subject of this sketch, while a great
believer in this pleasantry, was never a perpetrator of practical jokes, yet
it is more than probable that his master mind furnished the detail by which
his brothers and others were guided.  In early times, the Allisons were
noted throughout Kentucky for their spirit and humor, for at times they were
unmerciful in the application of their jokes: in this, though,  Mr. William
Allison was not known as a leading spirit.  He was a man, while full of wit
and humor and as fond of a joke as any living man, was yet dignified and
never permitted that graceful characteristic to forsake him.  This
ungovernable disposition attaching to each one of the five boys, was
inherited from the father, for it is told of the old man, that the last act
of his life was to frighten a timid old neighbor, who was sitting up  
with him at the time, and then surrender up his spirit to Him who gave it.
Mr. Allison held many offices of trust, by appointment.  He was Clerk of the
Board of Trustees of the town for years, Master Commissioner in Chancery,
Trustee of the Jury Fund, Agent by the State in the settlement of old land
Taxes, and for the sale of land under the internal improvement act, and
other offices of honor, the duties of all which he performed to the entire
satisfaction of all parties concerned.
     It is a remarkable fact that, after having held the two offices of
Circuit and County Clerk for twenty-seven years consecutively, by
appointment, he was elected at the first election in 1851, after the
adoption of the new constitution, and continued to hold both offices up to
his death, in 1860, without ever having been opposed by any man of either  
political party.  He never studied law with a view to its practice, but it
is a positive fact that he gave more legal advice than all of the lawyers
practicing at the bar, and settled hundreds of what were evidently sure to
be vexatious lawsuits by his good Counsel.
     No man has ever enjoyed to a greater extent the unlimited confidence of
the whole people who knew him; on the contrary, men seemed to regard it a
privilege to serve him, and in political matters it was impossible to draw
the party lines so as to proscribe him.  He was scrupulously particular in
all of his dealings, and in his official capacity was as systematic and
conservative as it was possible for human to be.  He was  
the very life of the social circle and was a most welcomed guest in any
household.  He was a person of commanding figure and peculiarly graceful in
all the phases of life.  He was remarkably fond of children and took delight
in teaching his own in their youthful days.  He was passionately fond of
music, and in his younger days occasionally played the violin for the
amusement of his own houshold [sic].  This he continued to do, until  
(as he said himself) he read in a Boston paper where a man had been hung for
being a common fiddler, when he laid his cremona [sic] down and never
afterwards picked it up.  Mr. Allison was rather diffident than otherwise,
and for years was known to travel a comparatively unused street in going
from his residence to his office.  Punctuality was a characteristic of his,
and it is a fact that for many years prior to his death he did not vary five
minutes any day in going to and returning from his office.  He disliked
street conversations and was seldom seen on Main or any other much traveled
thoroughfare.  His disease, though a heart trouble, took a very remarkable
course in manifesting itself.  Five or six months anterior to his death, he
was annoyed with a dull neuralgic pain in his right wrist.  Applications
were used, but to no good purpose.  The pain increased, gradually extending
its way to his shoulder, until he was forced to take [to]
his room and bed, where he remained, under the best medical treatment, until
his earthly life succombed [sic] to the inevitable.  
     During his illness, and while crazed from fever, he arose from his bed
and approached a table which had sat for years in the center of his room,
and busied himself re-arranging his books and papers.  He appeared to be
worried, until, recognizing Judge Wm. Rankin, who was attending him at the
time, said to him, he wanted a marriage blank filled out.  The Judge,
knowing his condition, and in order to gratify him, procured a slip of paper
and seated himself to write.
     Mr. Allison then gave him two ficticious [sic] names and general
directions as to how the blank should be filled out.  Having completed it as
directed, Judge Rankin arose, and said,  "Now, all that is needed to make
this legal, is your signature".  No! No! replied the crazed man,  I can't do
that; I can't sign my official signature to that paper, showing conclusively
that, while he was disposed to indulge a humor, he was too particular to
affix his signature to any paper not legally authorized.   One of the
prettiest incidents in his whole life, and one in which there is a grand
lesson taught all mankind, is told by Col. John T. Bunch, who had called to
see him for the last time.  He was now beyond recovery; he knew it, and had
consented to see a clergyman.  As Col. Bunch entered the front door of the
residence, he was met by Miss Lucie and was told of this fact.
     A few moments after being ushered into the room, the Rev. D. H. Deacon,
of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, came in.  Mr. Allison looked at him, and
then spoke to him:   Well, Mr. Deacon, I am like a badly managed
lawsuit-have had ample time for preparation, and now the case is called and
I am not ready for trial. 94  What a grand lesson indeed, there is in this
wonderful thought.  A few days thereafter, on the fifth day of March, 1860,
this great and good man died.  He had never, during his life, attached
himself to any religious denomination, nevertheless, he was a great  
student of the Bible and a firm believer in the faith once delivered to the  
saints.
     His remains were buried on the 6th, from St. Paul's Episcopal Church,  
Rev. D. H. Deacon officiating.  The occasion was a sad and solemn one,  
and was attended by a great number of county, as well as city people.

Allison Dickson  McLean Wing Grigsby Hamilton Davis Hopkins Barbour  
Starling Rankin Bunch Deacon
=
NC Logan-KY Muhlenberg-KY

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/henderson/allison.wd.txt