ALLEN, JOHN, archbishop of Dublin in the reign of King Henry VIII., was born in 1476, and educated in the university of Oxford. From thence he removed to Cambridge, where he took the degree of bachelor of laws. He was sent by Dr Warham, archbishop of Canterbury, to the pope, on certain business relating to the church. He continued at Rome nine years, and was created doctor of laws, either there or in some other university of Italy. After his return he was appointed chaplain to Cardinal Wolsey, and was commissary or judge of his court as legate a latere; in the execution of which office he was suspected of great dishonesty, and even perjury. He assisted the cardinal in visiting, and afterwards suppressing, forty of the smaller monasteries, for the erection of his college at Oxford and that at Ipswich. In 1528 he was consecrated archbishop of Dublin; and about the same time was made chancellor of Ireland. He was cruelly murdered in July 1534, by Thomas Fitzgerald, eldest son of the earl of Kildare.