William ALSTON of Charter House LND [4709]

  General Notes:

Circa 1818 William was an overseer of the Workhouse at St Pancras.

London Gazette
24 Jan 1837
Bankrupts.
William Alston Leicester spinner to surrender Feb 8 at ten, and Mar 7 at three at the Castle of Leicester. Solicitors Taylor & Son London, Mr Richard Luck, Leicester.

Deaths
Times 11 Aug 1877.- Wm. Alston of Limbourn Park Mansion co. Essex and late of Leicester in his 82nd year

  Research Notes:

Thomas Harris, deception: forgery, 15th January, 1823.
The Proceedings of the Old Bailey Ref: t18230115-38
Trial Summary:
Crime(s): deception : forgery
Verdict: Not Guilty
Name search for: Thomas Harris
Original Text:
Before Mr. Justice Holroyd.
209. Thomas Harris was indicted for feloniously forging, on the 20th of December, a certain order for payment of money, setting it forth, (being an order upon the overseers of St. Pancras, to pay to Thomas Harris , for apprehending two persons convicted as rogues and vagobands, "nine shillings each," dated the 16th of December, 1822, signed
"F. A. Roe," with intent to defraud William Alston , one of the overseers of the said parish.
Mr. Adolphus conducted the prosecution.
William Alston. I am overseer of the parish of St. Pancras. On the 20th of December, the prisoner came to me at the work-house, a paper was delivered to me by the beadle, while I was engaged with a Committee of Directors in an adjoining room, I went out into the passage and saw the prisoner, and asked him if this was his order, he said it was, I pointed out two words in it, viz. "nine," and "each," which appeared to me incorrect, I pointed to them with my fingers; I do not recollect that I read them to him, he looked at them, I asked if they were correct, he said the magistrate wrote them, and that he received the order from the magistrate; he said his demand was 10s.; I then returned into the adjoining room, and sent 10s. out by William Audley the beadle, his receipt was on the back of it, and was on it at the time it was brought.
William Audley. I am beadle of St. Pancras. I received an order from the prisoner at the work-house, and delivered it to Mr. Alston, in the same condition as I received it, he afterwards gave me 10s., which I gave to the prisoner; I said
"Harris, Mr. Alston has sent you out the 10s. you demanded on the order," his receipt was on the back of it when he brought it, and there is some writing on the back of my own, respecting some questions I asked him. Mr. Alston desired me to go and ascertain from him where he apprehended the boys; he said from inside Percy-chapel, on the 15th of December.
Frederick Adam Rowe Esq. On the 11th of December, I remember the prisoner bringing two boys before me, charged with having been found in Oxford-street first, and afterwards in Percy-chapel, with intent to commit felony, and from what he stated, I committed them to the House of Correction for a month; Harris brought me the paper to fill up for his reward for taking them; I inserted on the order the word nine, (looking at it;) this is it, the rest of the filling up is written by my clerk, the body is printed, the word "each" was not on it when I delivered it to him; I am confident that it is not the writing of any of the office clerks.
Cross-examined by Mr Bolland Q. Has not the word nine been altered. - A. Not in the slightest degree; 1s. is paid as the office fee, and I thought 4s. for each sufficient, the letter N. has been written over something which has been written before, I was going to make it ten, but recollecting he would have to pay but one fee, I made it 9s., and delivered it into his hands; he was a parish constable. (Order read.)
Prisoner's Defence. My Lord, if I had known there had been the least thing incorrect in the order, I would not have taken it to the work-house. I thought it was 10s. I was to have, and got a person to write a receipt for 10s. on the back, as I took it for ten, I knew nothing of the word "each" being on it; I can write nothing but my name myself.
William Brooks . I wrote the receipt at the back of this order, by the prisoner's desire, as I could write a little better than him, I wrote it for 10s., I know nothing about the word "each."
Cross-examined by Mr Adolphus Q. Then he can write. - A. I have seen him write his name, that is all.
Not Guilty .
Ref www.oldbaileyonline.org

The Times 11 February 1824 pg 4 col C
William and others Overseers of the Poor of St Pancras write in respect of their duties.

JAMES STANWAY, theft : simple grand larceny, 18th October, 1832.
The Proceedings of the Old Bailey Ref: t18321018-175
Trial Summary:
Crime(s): theft : simple grand larceny
Punishment Type: transportation
(Punishment details may be provided at the end of the trial.)
Verdict: Guilty
Name search for: JAMES STANWAY
Crime Location: Judd-street
Original Text:
2382. JAMES STANWAY was indicted for stealing, on the 8th of September, 26 yards of printed cotton, value 10s. , the goods of Thomas Wanstead Green .
AUGUSTUS FOX (Police-constable N 32). On the 8th of September I was in Argyle-street, between five and half-past five o'clock, and saw the prisoner carrying a bundle - I run after him; when he saw me he run away; he threw the bundle away about twenty yards before I came up to him - I took it up; it was this printed cotton.
WILLIAM ALSTON . I am in the employ of Thomas Wanstead Green - he lives in Judd-street, and is a linendraper. This is his property, and was taken from our shop door on Saturday the 8th of September, between five and half-past five o'clock - there are twenty-six yards of it.
Prisoner's Defence. A boy was climbing over a fence; he asked me to hold them while he got over - I was to throw them over to him.
GUILTY . Aged 15. - Transported for Seven Years .

  Other Records

1. William Alston: Letter to the Times, 9 Nov 1818, London.
To the Editor of The Times stop
Sir,
On looking into two papers, called The Morning Post and Statesman, on Thursday last, I observed in them, to my utter astonishment, a statement published to the world, without being heard in the least in our own defence, which reflects greatly and most cruelly to the injury of my character, and that of my colleague, Mr Cater, as overseers of the poor of the parish of St Pancras, Middlesex. Those papers accuse us unjustly of refusing relief to a poor man named James Kemp, a carpenter; and after various applications by him, in vain, for relief, he left his employ, and in order that he might not die through starvation, put a rope round his neck and suspended himself from the iron rails of an area, in a public thoroughfare where passengers are momentarily passing, at an empty house at Speldhurst Street, in the said parish, and was cut down by a man who was on the opposite side of the street, stationed there, I suppose, for the purpose, and whom I understand has applied to Mr Cater since, for some gratuity for cutting him down. The man, then, without having received the least injury whatever from hanging, was immediately taken before Mr Leach, one of the magistrates at the police office, Hatton Garden, who, as stated in the Morning Post and Statesman, expressed his indignation at the conduct of the overseers towards the man, without having heard us in defence. Now, Sir, for the sake of our character, I have to beg the favour of you to insert this letter in your excellent paper, and the following affidavit, as made by the man who hung himself; and trust, that as neither I nor my colleague have been heard in our defence, but condemned by these newspapers, without a hearing, that the public will best judge from the following affidavit, whether we have acted wrong, as accused or not, and you will greatly oblige, Sir, your most obedient humble servant,
W Alston
5, Charles Street, November 9.

Copy of Affidavit.
Middlesex to wit. I, James Kemp, of the parish of St Pancras, in the said county, carpenter, do declare upon this my oath, that I never did make any application whatever for relief to Mr Alston, one of the overseers of the poor of the aforesaid parish, nor was I ever refused the relief by Mr Cater, the other overseer. As witness my hand this 9th day of November, 1818.
The mark X of James Kemp.
Witness W M Thistelton, officer, at the Public office, Hatton Garden.
Sworn before me at the police station, Hatton Garden, this 9th day of November, 1818.
Robert Raynsford.

2. Leicester Poor Law Union.: Meeting to appoint a Relieving Officer (abridged), 10 Aug 1837, Leicester.
This was a special meeting held to appoint a Relieving Officer in place of Mr Frank Nedham¹. . . . .

The Clerk read the applications of candidates for the office of Relieving Officer . . . . .
1. Mr William Robinson . . . . .
2. Mr William Alston, who has recently acted as assistant to one of the Relieving Officers, and who formerly held a parochial office and St Pancras Middlesex. This candidate had a testimonial signed by a large number of respectable ratepayers of the borough; and also a testimonial, with a long list of signatures, which he had obtained in the parish of St Pancras, in 1834, when he was a candidate for some parochial office in that district.
3. Mr Robert Barwise.
Mr Matthew Eyre proposed Mr Alston, and spoke in a high terms of his ability and punctuality.
Mr Henry Brown seconded the nomination.
Mr Alfred Burgess proposed Mr Robinson (in glowing terms) noting The Guardians of the district wish to have him as their officer . . . . .
Mr H Stevenson seconded the motion.
A Guardian asked Mr Burgess if he had any objection to Mr Alston.
Mr Burgess replied that he had no feeling against Mr Alston personally but he did think there was one objection to him, although he had no intention of stating it. (Cries of "name name"). Mr Burgess added that he was ready to name the objection, if the Guardians wished it. He referred to Mr Alston having been a bankrupt: he was not aware whether he had got his certificate.
Mr Wood (of the firm of Wood and Gray) said that the certificate was ready for the signature by the Lord Chancellor: it had been signed by the requisite proportion of creditors.
After further conversation, the question was put to the vote, when the numbers were:
For Mr Alston 16
For Mr Robinson 14
Mr Alston was called into the room, and apprised that he had been elected to the situation of Relieving Officer, and would be required to give security to the amount of £200. Mr Alston named Mr William Gray and Mr George Bass Billson as his sureties and they were accepted by the board.
Ref: the Leicester Chronicle August 1837.
Footnote
1. Mr Nedham had failed to present the accounts to the Board

3. William Alston: Unaccounted relief funds, Dec 1843, Leicester.
Board Of Guardians: meeting Tuesday, December 26, 1843.
Mr Alston's Conduct.
The clerk read the following letter.

To the Chairman of the Board of Guardians.
Sir, you will receive this as my resignation of the office I hold under the guardians of this union. The board under all circumstances will excuse my presence. I have sent the new application and report book in which the cases of the poor who have applied for relief during the past week are entered for the disposal of the board. It will be necessary for the board to depute some person immediately to attend to the business af the office, and to make out the outdoor relief book for the ensuing quarter preparatory to the payment of the poor on Friday next.
I am, Sir, your very obedient servant
William Alston

The clerk said he had a very unpleasant duty to perform. The other day the relieving officer from Bradford had called upon him, and stated that Alston had used him very ill. He afterwards told the chairman that he had a large balance against him, and that he could get no money. Alston had given the bill to him (the clerk) and Mr Milliken had assisted him in examining it, and comparing it with the books. It was a running account for relief given to a pauper belonging to All Saints Leicester, commencing in 1839; since which. Alston had paid several sums on account, but there still remained a balance of £17 due to the Bradford union. They could make nothing of the bill as compared with the books; and Alston had promised to come and explain to them, but this he afterwards refused to do; he said he had business of his own to attend to, of much greater importance. He had now sent his resignation, after paying himself his salary out of the balance he had in hand.
The chairman said Mr Alston last week presented a number of bills amounting to £37 odd, which required payment, and asked for a cheque for £110, which was granted. Instead, however of paying these bills he has appropriated the extra sum to paying himself.
Mr Whitmore said it was very clear no officer had a right to pay himself. He would propose that Mr Alston's resignation should not be accepted till his accounts had been thoroughly investigated by the finance committee.
Mr Knott said this was the result of the kindness of the board and allowing his sureties to stand over for several months.
Mr Wilson named several gentlemen as a committee, but Mr Moore thought a guardian from each parish would be best to examine his accounts. This was finally agreed upon.
The relief for the past week was as follows:
Number 1 district. In money and bread including a payment to the Lunatic Asylum £209 13s 9¼d. Cheque granted £120.
Number 2 district. Relief and money £18 12s 10d board £23 11s 8d.
Total £105 4s 6d.
State of the House. Admitted 77. Discharged 71. Dead 1. Remaining 392, of whom 122 belong to No 1 and 181 to No 2 District
Ref Leicestershire Mercury 30 Dec 1843 - Findmypast.

4. Census: England, 30 Mar 1851, 2 Richmond Grove Islington Finsbury LND. William is recorded as head of house married aged 55 "out of business (spinner)" born Mundon ESS

5. William Alston: Will (precis), 28 May 1877, London.
The last will and testament of William Alston of the Charterhouse City of London. . . . .
1. After the payment of debts the remainder of his estate is bequeathed to his two beloved and affectionate daughters Elizabeth Ellen Alston and Julia Alston for their own use and benefit absolutely in equal shares share and share alike. . . . .
2. Executors Elizabeth Ellen Alston and Julia Alston

The Will of William Alston formally of Charterhouse City of London and 3 Cambria Tce Cambria Rd Cold Harbour Brixton SRY who died 11 Aug 1877 was Proved at the Principal Registry 5 Oct 1877 by Elizabeth Ellen Alston spinster of 14 Bloomfield Tce Pimlico MDX and Julia Alston spinster of 3 Frederick Tce Brixton dauhters of the deceased Effects under £100 National Probate Calendar

William married Elizabeth Wagstaff CLARKE [4710] [MRIN: 467], daughter of George CLARKE [17560] and Elizabeth [17561], on 7 Jan 1819 in St Pancras London. (Elizabeth Wagstaff CLARKE [4710] was born on 5 Mar 1793, baptised on 24 Mar 1793 in Westminster MDX and was buried on 11 Feb 1858 in Highgate Cemetery London.)