J. Romilly (John Romilly) Allen

Born in London on June 9, 1847, he was educated at King's College School, Rugby, and King's College London. Although he trained and worked first as a civil engineer, he later devoted himself to archaeology and antiquarian research, becoming especially known for work on prehistoric remains, early Christian monuments, and Celtic art across Britain.

He wrote widely and gave influential lectures, including the Rhind Lectures in Scotland. Among his best-known publications are Early Christian Symbolism in Great Britain and Ireland and, with Joseph Anderson, The Early Christian Monuments of Scotland, a major reference work on carved stones and related monuments. He also served as editor of The Reliquary and Illustrated Archaeologist, helping shape how archaeological discoveries were shared with a broader reading public.

Allen died in London on July 5, 1907. Accounts of his career consistently present him as a careful, energetic scholar whose work connected architecture, sculpture, symbolism, and field archaeology in ways that mattered long after his lifetime.