William Allen
(1793-1864), Rear-AdmiralEarly Victorian Portraits Catalogue Entry
Sitter in 1 portrait
William Allen entered the Navy in 1802, and rose swiftly through the ranks. He was best known for commanding the steamer Wilberforce in the disastrous Niger expedition of 1841-42, after which was placed on half pay. In 1848 Allen published A Narrative of the Expedition Sent by H.M.'s Government to the River Niger in 1841. The following year he travelled through Syria and Palestine, and published the results in The Dead Sea, a New Route to India. He attracted considerable attention for his advocacy of the construction of a canal between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. Allen was promoted to retired rear-admiral in 1862.
by William Brockedon
black and red chalk, 1834
NPG 2515(68)
Tell us more back to top
Can you tell us more about this person? Spotted an error, information that is missing (a sitter’s life dates, occupation or family relationships, or a date of portrait for example) or do you know anything that we don't know? If you have information to share please complete the form below.
If you require information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service. You can buy a print of most illustrated portraits. Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. Prices start at £6 for unframed prints, £25 for framed prints. If you wish to license an image, please use our Rights and Images service.
Please note that we cannot provide valuations.
We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.