James C. Allen

{{Short description|American politician (1822–1912)}}

{{For|the line engraver|James C. Allen (engraver)}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name=James Cameron Allen

| image name=James C. Allen.jpg

| office1= Clerk of the United States House of Representatives

| term_start1= 1857

| term_end1= 1860

| predecessor1= William Cullom

| successor1= John W. Forney

| state2=Illinois

| district2=at-large

| party=Democratic Party

| term_start2=March 4, 1863

| term_end2=March 3, 1865

| preceded2=District created

| succeeded2=Samuel W. Moulton

| state3=Illinois

| district3=7th

| term_start3=March 4, 1853

| term_end3=July 18, 1856

| preceded3=Richard Yates

| succeeded3=Vacant

| term_start4=November 4, 1856

| term_end4=March 3, 1857

| preceded4=Vacant

| succeeded4=Aaron Shaw

| state_house5=Illinois

| state5=Illinois

| district5=10th

| term_start5= {{Start date|1851|01|6}}

| term_end5= {{end date|1853|01|3}}

| preceded5= Richard G. Morris

| succeeded5=William H. Sterrett

| birth_date={{birth date|1822|01|29}}

| birth_place=Shelby County, Kentucky

| death_date={{death date and age|1912|01|30|1822|01|29}}

| death_place=Olney, Illinois

| spouse= Ellen Kitchell
Julia Kitchell

| children= 3 children by his first marriage, 7 by his second

| occupation= Attorney, Judge

| residence=

| alma_mater=

}}

James Cameron Allen (January 29, 1822 – January 30, 1912) was a U.S. Representative from Illinois.

Born in Shelby County, Kentucky to Benjamin and Margaret (née Youel) Allen, the seventh of ten children.{{cite web | title = Biography of Hon. James Cameron Allen | url = http://www.memoriallibrary.com/IL/South/Bios/A/Allen~James.htm | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150402102555/http://www.memoriallibrary.com/IL/South/Bios/A/Allen~James.htm | url-status = dead | archive-date = 2015-04-02 | accessdate = 2015-03-18}} His family moved to Parke County, Indiana in 1830.

Allen read law in the office of Howard & Wright in Rockville, Indiana, and in August, 1843, he was admitted to the bar and began to practice in Sullivan, Indiana. He served as prosecuting attorney for the seventh judicial district of Indiana 1846–1848 before moving to Palestine, Illinois, where he continued to practice law. He served as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives from the 10th district from 1851 to 1853.

Allen was elected as a Democrat to the Thirty-third Congress (March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855). When he presented his credentials as a Member-elect to the Thirty-fourth Congress and served from March 4, 1855, to July 18, 1856, the House decided he was not entitled to the seat due to a challenge by Colonel William B. Archer, who claimed there were irregularities in the election.

Allen was subsequently elected to fill the vacancy thus caused and was allowed to serve from November 4, 1856, to March 3, 1857.

He was not a candidate for renomination in 1856. Following his term in office, he served as the Clerk of the House of Representatives in the Thirty-fifth Congress from 1857 to 1859.{{cite web | title = 35th Congress (1857–1859) | work = Congress Profiles | publisher = US Congress | url = http://history.house.gov/Congressional-Overview/Profiles/35th/ | accessdate = 2015-03-18}} He was an unsuccessful candidate for Illinois Governor in 1860, losing to Richard Yates.{{cite web | title = The History of Southern Illinois | url = http://www.memoriallibrary.com/IL/South/History/twenty-six/ | accessdate = 2015-03-18 | archive-date = 2016-03-04 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053329/http://www.memoriallibrary.com/IL/South/History/twenty-six/ | url-status = dead }}

In 1861 Governor Yates offered Allen the command of the 21st Illinois Infantry Regiment. Allen declined, claiming no military experiences and recommended that the command be offered to Ulysses S. Grant.

Allen was elected circuit court judge in April 1861 and served until he resigned in 1863 to serve a second term in Congress during the Thirty-eighth Congress (March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1865). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1864, losing to Shelbyville, Illinois state legislator Samuel W. Moulton. He returned to Illinois to practice law.

He was reelected circuit court judge in 1873 and upon the establishment of the appellate court was appointed its judge, occupying both positions and serving from 1873 to 1879.