Grace Charlotte FRANCIS [3774]

  General Notes:

Marriages
Alston - Francis. 20th inst., at Richmond Surrey, Captain E. D. Alston, second son of E. J. Alston, Esq., of Great Bromley Hall Essex (by the Rev. G. I. Ingram) to Grace Charlotte, youngest daughter of W. Francis Esq. of Fernbank Norbiton, in the same county.
Ipswich Journal 31 March 1877.

Administration of the Estate of Grace Charlotte Alston wife of Edward Daniel Alston master mariner of Gt Bromley Hall ESS who died at sea on or since 6 Sept 1890 was granted Fanny Elizabeth Francis spinster and Proved 27 July 1892 for L4854

  Research Notes:

After Grace married she joined her husband Edward on his next voyage to South Australia on the Clipper Ship City of Adelaide. Leaving London mid-April 1877, they spent their honeymoon on the ship. On 18 December 1877, while the ship was at sea on the return trip from South Australia, Grace gave birth to a son Roland Athel Edward Alston, who was their only child.
Grace appears to have enjoyed life at sea as she continued to accompany her husband on his voyages to Adelaide, and missed only two of the nine trips that followed. The first of these two was in 1878-79 following the birth of her son.
As the turn-around time between voyages was normally only two to three months at each end, it is most unlikely that Edward and Grace Alston ever set up a land-based home of their own together, but stayed with relatives or friends.
Grace Alston missed the trip that followed the death of their son in 1885, but she did sail on the last City of Adelaide voyage to South Australia in 1886-87.
Grace was lost when Edward's next command, the Roman Empire, disappeared without trace after 27 August 1890, supposed lost in the region of Cape Horn while carrying coal from Liverpool to Peru. She and her family are commemorated by a large and ornate memorial in the churchyard of Great Bromley, Essex, UK.
The City of Adelaide was a very fast Clipper ship, sometimes completing a voyage to Australia in little more than two months.
Ref: '<http://cityofadelaide.org.au/mw/index.php?title=Alston,_Grace_Charlotte&oldid=5615>'

  Other Records

1. Census: England, 2 Apr 1871, 3 Marlbro Villas Richmond SRY. Grace is recorded as a daughter unmarried aged 18 born Islington LND

2. Census: England, 8 Apr 1861, 6 Grosvenor Villas Islington West MDX. Grace is recorded as a daughter aged 8 a scholar born Islington MDX

3. Census: England, 4 Apr 1881, The Hall Gt Bromley ESS. Grace is described as a daughter-in-law married aged 28 born Hatheway

Grace married Capt Edward Daniel ALSTON [3773] [MRIN: 1305], son of Edward John ALSTON [3763] and Mary L KENNINGALE [3764], on 20 Mar 1877 in Richmond Surrey. (Capt Edward Daniel ALSTON [3773] was born on 8 Apr 1842 in Gt Bromley ESS, baptised on 2 Dec 1842 in St George Gt Bromley ESS and died in 1890 in Lost at Sea "Roman Empire".)