William ALSTON of Halsted [4114]

  General Notes:

William Alstone son of William Alstone of Sible Hedingham by indenture 28 Feb 1660 apprentice to Thomas Kinge (Linge) woolen draper, as a woolen draper from 29 Sep for 7 years.
Sudbury Cocket Book: Apprentice Indentures, 1656 - 1723.

ALSTON v. CHAPMAN.
Bill, 28 July 1692 ? by William Alston of Greensted (late of Halsted), draper, V. Anne Chapman.
This is a further bill in the same matter. The defendant Anne is mother of Complainant's late wife, of Katherine Ward and of Susan, wife of George Hart the elder.
He says his wife Anne, about March 1694 (sic) was taken sick and fell into a frenzy and distracted condition, and continued languishing therewith till about the middle of June following.
Defendant and the Wards have conspired to defraud him of his property, he being at the time indisposed and unsettled in his mind. He therefore employed his near kinsman, Mr. Edward Ennever, to make some terms with them.
Hamilton 2/30

CHAPMAN v. ALSTON.
Bill [1693] by Elizabeth Chapman, of Halstead, co. Essex, widow, v. William Alston.
Complainant deals in drapery, and the suit arises in consequence of certain business transactions between her and the said William Alston, her son in law. William confederates with Edward Ennyver of Grinstead, Essex, gent,, and Solomon Alston of Havering Bower, farmer, brother to the said William
Hamilton, 61/6, 1693,

ALSTON v. WARD.
Bill 5 February 1698, by William Alston of Havering, co. Essex, Draper, v. William Hull and Katherine his wife, George Hart and Susanna his wife, Edward Hull and Elizabeth his wife.
Defendants are sisters and brothers-in-law of Complainant's late wife Anne, viz. William Ward of Halstead, gent., George Hart the elder of the same place, innholder, and Edward Hull of Heddingham Sibble.
Respecting sums of money, &c. alleged to have been taken by defendants during the said Anne's illness,
Mitford, 348/10. 1692/3

WARD v. ALSTON.
Bill, 26 February 1693/4, by William Ward of Halsted, co. Essex, gent. v. William Alston of Havering Bower, co. Essex, draper, Edward Ennyver and Solomon Alston.
This suit is one of the numerous ones brought concerning alleged assignments of his property by William Alston.
There are no fresh particulars of any interest for the family history.
Reynardson 451/156 1693/4
Alstoniana Pg 213

WARD v. ALSTON.
Collins. 52.06/2
Answer, 3 February 1674, by William Alston and Edward Ennyver, two of the defendants to the bill of William Ward.
This is in rather bad condition. It is another document in the disputes arising out of the alleged settlement and agreement made by William Alston, husband of Anne, daughter of Elizabeth Chapman of Halsted, for the management qt his property by his relatives. See Alston v. Ward page 185, 186, etc.
Alstoniana Page 206

WARD v. ALSTON.
Depositions in suit Ward v. Alston (Reynardson 451/156).
Depositions taken at Hedingham Sible, co. Essex, 20 September Katherine, wife of Leonard Poe Jenner, of Halstead, esq., testifies that the defendant Alston begged the complainant (her father) to take all his estate, and grant him and his wife L40 a year during their joint lives, and L25 or L30 a year to the survivor for life ; saying that if the complainant refused, he should be a ruined man, and must compound his debts at 10/- in the pound.
One deponent says he believes the complainant's wife had a desire to gain to herself William Alston's estate, for that she is a covetous woman., and could rule and sway the said Alston, being a man of an easy temper. He believes that at the time of his wife's sickness Alston was not capable to manage his business or to make a bargain, for that if he had been he would have made a wiser.
Another says Alston was a man very easy to be imposed upon for that his business was chiefly managed by the complainant's wife.
Reynardson 1028 1694
Alstoniana Pg 214

ALSTON v. HART & another.
Bill, 7 February 1698, by William Alston of Havering in the co. of Essex, draper, v. George Hart and Susan his wife, Edward Hull and Elizabeth his wife.
The bill accuses defendants of taking property of Orator's wife during her sickness, as in previous suits.
The female defendauts and Catherine, wife of William Ward, were sisters of the deceased.
Reynardson 399/32 1692/3

ALSTON v. WARD.
Answer 5 May, 1693, of William Ward and Katherine his wife to the complaint of William Alston, draper.
Anne, late wife of the complainant, was sister of defendant Katherine, whom she did very well love and respect, and did all offices of kindness upon all occasions, and did often go to visit her said sister, even to the prejudice of her own affairs, all or the greater part of the time of her sickness, whilst she remained in her own house, which continued from March 1694 to May next following, when she was removed to a house in the town of Halsted,
belonging to Mrs. Chapman, her mother, which she prepared for her by putting out a tenant then in possession, and there the said Anne continued till she died., under the care of George Hart the younger, her cousin, and nurses.
During his wife's illness, complainant did much press the said Katherine to take all the estate he had in the world both real and personal, and to settle upon him and his wife an annuity for their lives, for that he and his wife were much incapacitated to manage their trade, or to meddle with and transact any more business. At last defendant agreed to pay L40 a year during her sister's life, and L25 a year during the complainant's life, in case he outlived
his wife, and complainant was to give up all his estate, and all wares in his shop, &c., and William Ward was to give a bond to settle freehold land to the value of L60 a year for the performance of the said agreement ; in pursuance of which Complainant brought a sum of money in a trunk, and would have delivered the same untold to this defendant, but she refused to accept it unless he would take it out and tell it, when it was found to be L250, After various steps had been taken to carry out the agreement, Complainant was prevailed upon to enter into a similar agreement with one Robert Abbott of Halsted, draper., but defendants refused to surrender the property in their hands to the said Abbott, by which means, and by the insinuations of one Soloman Alston and Edward Inover, who or one of them have made a similar agreement with the complainant for his estate, the said Abbott was bought off for the sum of about L100. Finally an agreement was made at the George Inn at Halsted, 14 December 1692, between the said
William Ward (of Halsted gent.) and the said Edward Inover (of Greensted, gent.) on behalf of the said William Alston (of Havering) by which the Wards promised to surrender such property as they had received in consideration of 15 guineas in gold, and the best bed that was Mr. Alston's. Defendants have delivered up all goods etc., except a few old things left by Solomon Alstone and Inover when they fetched away the remainder, and these they subse-
quently refused to give up only because Alston and Inover would not give them a general release.
Hamilton. l/41. 1693. & Collins 506/22 673/4

Alstoniana Pg 185, 186 & 206

William married Anne CHAPMAN [7260] [MRIN: 2411], daughter of CHAPMAN [17558] and Elizabeth [7281].