Margaret ALSTON [67]

  General Notes:

Great Aunt Margaret as she was known to the Fenns died in her 89th year.

Her father in a letter to Edward Blair 8 Aug 1813 "my wife expects to be confined in a little time"
A further letter of the 3 Jan 1819 to Blair says " We have been a sick house for the last month with the measles, Margaret has been dangerously ill, but thank God for the last 2 or 3 days is better and Mr Howard? gives us hopes that she will recover"
Col RO ESS ref D/DOt E3

Margaret was unmarried, she was a legatee under the will of her aunt Philadelphia Liveing.
Living at 9 Court Street (Alston Court), Nayland, Suffolk in the 1881 census.

OBITUARY
DEATH of MISS ALSTON:
The news of this venerable lady's death, at a very advanced age on Saturday, March 1, has called forth an expression of deep regret from all the residents, and more especially the poor, in the village where she passed her entire life. Of a loving and charitable disposition , her thoughts seem to have been chiefly directed to projects connected with the church and the cause of religious education, and indeed to all the varied means and institutions whose aims are to relieve the poor, the sick, and the distressed. It was, we believe, largely due to Miss Alston's generosity that the parishioners obtained in recent years a new burial ground and parish room at little or no cost to themselves.
The deceased lady was of an unusually bright and cheerful disposition, and was ever to receive with a kindly welcome (though to say the least the intrusions must often have been very inconvenient), the many strangers who knocked at her door, and who wished to view the quaint old house in which she lived.
Hers was in short a bright, beautiful, sunny life, passed in the quiet retirement of a country village, where her one aim was to do good, and to increase as far us lay in her power the happiness of all around her.
The funeral took place yesterday (Friday), and we shall hope to give a brief account of the ceremony in our neat issue.
It is interesting to note that the late Miss Alston's grandfather, Mr. Samuel Alston, commenced practising as an attorney-at-law in Nayland in 1748, when he succeeded his father-in-law, Mr. Jacobus Vanderzee who appears to have settled in Nayland in 1728. Mr. Alston was in due course Succeeded in the business by his son George and his grandson Samuel. The last named gentleman died in 1887, and with him came to an end the family line of lawyers, who had practised in the village and neighbourhood for the long span of 159 years.
Obituary Book 1 E L Fenn 1998.

  Other Records

1. Margaret Alston: Nayland SFK.
Margaret as a girl of 16, at the end of her life 1901, Alston Court where she lived her whole life, watercolour by Charlotte (Lottie) Alston c1900
The house still had its windows plastered up to avoid the window tax levied in 1696, it was repealed in 1851 but the Alston's continued with blocked windows. They were uncovered showing beautiful stained glass from its medieval owners by Dr Edward Fenn who inherited the house in 1902, at Margarets death.

2. Essays on Various Subjects for Young Ladies: By Hannah More, 1828 (first published 1777).
A spectacular little Georgian book, owned by Great Aunt Margaret Alston, was for the guidence of young ladies for more than 200 years ago.
The complete book can be found on this website under the "Books" button.

Hannah More (1745-1833) was an English religious writer and philanthropist. She can be said to have made three reputations in the course of her long life: as a clever verse-writer and witty talker in the circle of Johnson, Reynolds and Garrick, as a writer on moral and religious subjects on the Puritanic side, and as a practical philanthropist.

3. Census: England, 7 Jun 1841, Court St Nayland. Margaret is recorded as a spinster aged 25 born SFK

4. Census: England, 30 Mar 1851, Town St Nayland Suffolk. Margaret is described as a daughter unmarried, an annuitant aged 37, born Nayland.

5. Census: England, 8 Apr 1861, 33 Court St Nayland SFK. Margaret is recorded as a sister unmarried aged 47 born Nayland

6. Census: England, 2 Apr 1871, Nayland SFK. Margaret is recorded as a sister aged 57 born Nayland

7. Census: England, 3 Apr 1881, 9 Court St Nayland SFK. Margaret is described as a sister, aged 67, born in Nayland.

8. Census: England, 5 Apr 1891, 39 Court St Nayland SFK. Margaret is recorded as head of house single aged 77 living on own means born Nayland SFK There were also two servants recorded

9. Margaret Alston Will: Spinster, 11 Sep 1896, Nayland SFK.
Extract of the Will of Margaret Alston
11 Sep. 1896.
Edward L Fenn & Capt George Hand RN to be Executors & Trustees
Edith Isabel Nugee, Maud Morris, Ethel Alston £200 a piece.
Ann Vanderzee Hand £1300 in trust.
Isabella Frances Louisa Cotes £1300 in trust.
Edward Liveing Fenn £100
Widow of Theodore George Fenn £500
Lucy daughter of Theodore G Fenn £500 at age 21.
Ernest Harold Fenn £1000
Capt George Hand £100
Jessie widow of Capt Alfred Alston £200
Anna Maria Alston widow of Edward Graham Alston £500
Charlotte daughter of Anna Maria Alston £1000
Rev Alfred E Alston £500
Then Vicar of Nayland £300 in trust for maintenance of the burial ground.
Then Vicar of Nayland £300 in trust for maintenance of the Church Mission Room.
Soc for propagation of the Bible in Foreign Parts £100
Essex Hall Idiot Asylum £100
Essex & Colchester Hospital £100
University Mission to Southern Africa £100
The residue of estate less expenses equally to Annie Vanderzee Hand, Isabella Frances Cotes, Lucy Vanderzee Hopkins.
Signed: Margaret Alston.
Witnesses: W S Calvert Sol. Nayland.
Rose Emma Simpson Nayland
Probate to 28 April 1902 to Edward L Fenn & George Weightman Hand the Executors.

10. Census: England, 31 Mar 1901, High St Nayland. Margaret is recorded as head of house single aged 87 living on own means born Nayland SFK. A cook and a housemaid are also recorded.