Rt Rev Arthur Fawssett ALSTON M A [79]

   Cause of his death was coronary thrombosis.

  General Notes:

Arthur was educated Clare College Cambridge. Then Archdeacon of St Leonards on Sea (Hastings), 1938 consecrated Suffragan Bishop of Middleton Manchester, by Archbishop Temple in York Minster.

In 1936 he visited Sydney as a representative of the Home Church on the occasion of the celebration of the centenary of the foundation of the first Bishopric in Australia. Up until this time Australia had been in the Diocese of Calcutta, 6000 miles away. While in Australia he and his wife spent some time with his cousin, Fitzgerald Evans at his station at Dabee, Rylstone in the Blue Mountains some 80 miles west of Sydney.

The Times 27 April 1927 pg 10 col C
New Prayer Book
To the Editor of The Times
Sir, We, members of the committee of the Anglican Evangelical Group Movement, desire to commend the Deposited Book, which has now been approved by the decisive vote of the Convocations, to the careful and sympathetic consideration of all who desire to see order restored in the Church of England. It has not been altogether easy for us to accept all its provisions, especially in the matter of Reservation; we have good reasons however, for believing that the Bishops intend to administer the Book, and we shall loyally support them.
Yours faithfully
A F Alston. Rector of St Leonards on Sea, Rural Dean of Hastings.
And some 23 other clergy.

The Times 21st July 1928 pg 10 col D
The Prayer Book
Use of the Alternative Canon
Sir, The recent pronouncement by the Bishops stating that course of action which they are prepared to pursue in connection with the Prayer Book crisis is causing grave concern to many who gave a general support to the Deposited Book. The pronouncement does not, it is true, authorise the immediate use of the Book which parliament rejected; but it seems to show that the Bishops, if they received adequate backing from other Synods, are prepared to sanction the use of the Book, where at the consent of the Parochial Church Council has been obtained. The use of those parts of the Book which our concerned with the Holy Communion is hedged round with certain qualifications, but it would be open to any Bishop, if in his judgement the occasion should call for it, to sanction the use of the whole. The plea put forward by the Bishops is that they must restore order, and that the only possible basis for the restoration of order is the rejected Book. Too many it will seem a strange procedure to base a restoration of order on an act that savours of disorder. The Bishops freely admitted the right of Parliament to reject the Book. Their present policy seems to the average Englishman to be an example of lawbreaking. Behind the plea that order can be restored only in this way is the assertion of the principal of the spiritual independence of the Church. The soundness of this principle few will be ready to deny, but we believe that it ought to be vindicated in such a way that it does not involve the moral issue of this owning the Enabling Act under the terms of which the Prayer Book Measure was presented to Parliament.
We appreciate the difficulty of the position in which the bishops find themselves by the rejection of the Deposited Book, and earnestly desire to co-operate with them in finding a satisfactory solution. But over against the pressing problem of the Restoration of order must be set the larger issue of what is best for the Church and nation in the long run. Is it better to take a step which will not promote peace, and will offend the conscience of large masses of the English people, ought to proceed more slowly and endeavour by constitutional means to secure the end in view? Is it true that the bishops are as powerless as they think themselves to be in the matter of restoring discipline? The Bishops argument is that as an instrument for restoring order the 1662 Book has hopelessly broke and down, because its regulations are out of date, and no one attempts to obey them. There is an easy method of obtaining legal sanction for a large number of the desired improvements and that he is by promoting a Measure dealing with the parts of the Book which do not touch the Eucharistic controversy. Parliament would pass this in a moment; and that the promotion of such a measure would be proof that the Church is really desirous of setting its house in order. The habit of discipline would begin to grow, and bad temper would be created of great value for the more difficult portion of the task which still has to be accomplished.
Meantime there seems to us to be a real moral distinction between sanctioning those parts of the Book to which parliament has taken no exception, and those parts of the Book which we regard as causing its rejection. A large number of Churchmen who are not Erastian do not interpret the action of Parliament as a determination to refuse the reasonable demands of the Church, but as a warning to the church That to be sure that its proposals are of a kind to bring real and lasting peace.
As an interim policy in connection with the Holy Communion we venture to suggest:
(1). That no injury would be done to faith and morals is no use were made of the alternative Canon.
(2). That no new permissions for reservation should be given.
(3). That has a first step in restoring discipline efforts should be made to secure that the practice of Reservation, where it has been already permitted, should not go beyond the limits laid down in the Book of 1928.
In conclusion we wish to say that we cannot regard the recent attempt at revision as more than a step towards the provision of a Prayer Book which shall more fully meet human needs and aspirations in the world of today.
Yours faithfully
Arthur F. Alston, Rector of St Leonards on Sea, Rural Dean of Hastings.
And some 19 other clergy.

The Times 19 March 1930 pg 15 col F.
Arthur is a signatory, with others, to a long letter on church unity throughout the world in respect of other British Protestant congregations and the Church of England.

The Times 22nd of February 1954 pg 8 col D
BISHOP ALSTON
The Right Rev Arthur Fawssett Alston, formerly Bishop Suffragan of Middleton, Lancashire, died on Saturday at Hastings at the age of 81.
He was born on December 30, 1872, at Sandgate Kent, the son of the late Surgeon Major W. E. Alston, and was educated at Clare College Cambridge, and Ridley Hall, Cambridge. He was ordained in 1896, and in the following 11 years held curacies at St Katharine Northampton, at Farringdon, and at St Simon Southsea. From 1907 until 1915 he was vicar of St Matthew, Hull, when he was appointed to the living of St George's, Leeds. After three years there he became vicar of All Saints, Bradford.
After this long period in Yorkshire, he became in 1920, Rector of St Leonards on Sea. He remained there until 1929, being Rural Dean of Hastings from 1926 until 1929, when he became Archdeacon of Hastings. Alston left Hastings in 1938 on his consecration as Bishop Suffragan of Middleton. He retired in 1943 and returned to live at St Leonards on Sea. He leaves a widow, three sons and two daughters.

ALSTON, Rt Rev. Arthur Fawssett (1872-1954) [Who Was Who May 2003]
Categories: Biography
Summary: Details: ALSTON, Rt Rev. Arthur Fawssett, MA; born Sandgate, Kent, 30 December 1872; son of late Surgeon-Major W. E. Alston, MD, JP, and late Mrs E. R. Alston, Sydney, NSW; married 1900; three sons two daughters. Education: Clare College, Cambridge; Ridley Hall, Cambridge. Work: Ordained, 1896; Curate of St Katherine, Northampton, 1896-1898; Faringdon, 1898-1905; St Simon, Southsea, 1905-1907; Vicar of St Matthew, Hull, 1907-1915; St George's, Leeds, 1915-1918; All Saints, Bradford, 1918-1920; Rector of St Leonards-on-Sea, 1920-1929; Rural Dean of Hastings, 1926-1929; Archdeacon of Hastings, 1928-1938; Suffragan Bishop of Middleton and Residentiary Canon of Manchester, 1938-1943. Recreations: golf. Address: 18 West Hill, St Leonards-on-Sea. Telephone: Hastings 2083. Died: 20 February 1954
Ref: Know UK CD - Colin Fenn

Alston the Right Rev Arthur Fawssett of 18 Westhill St Leonards on sea retired Bishop of Middleton died 20 February 1954 at St Helens Hospital Hastings. Probate Bristol 16 June 1954 to Mary Isabel Alston widow Arthur Reginald Alston BBC official and John Frederick Alston schoolmaster. Effects L6081 2s 2d
National Probate Calendar.

  Research Notes:

Image Courtesy K Burgess, the Post Card original is for sale.

Lambeth Palace Library: Manuscripts [MSS 3386 - 4433]
Catalogue Ref. MSS
Creator(s):
Lambeth Palace Library
Photographs
FILE - Photographs - ref. MS 3438 - date: 20th century
item: Alston (Arthur Fawssett), Suffragan Bishop of Middleton. - ref. MS 3438, no.6 - date: 1938
Ref A2A

Half plate negative 1932 at NPG London.
http://www.npg.org.uk/collections

  Other Records

1. Census: England, 3 Apr 1881, Oadby Leicester. Arthur is recorded as residing at Broxhills House Oadby, a son aged 8, scholar, born Sandgate Kent

2. Census: England, 5 Apr 1891, East End House, Sandgate, Kent. Arthur is recorded as a son single aged 18 a student of Theology born Sandgate

3. Images & Death Certificate.
Bishop Alston, NPG London (by Lafayette half-plate nitrate negative, 8 January 1932), Death Certificate 20 Feb 1954 St Helena Hospital UD - Arthur is recorded as of 18 West Hill Hastings UD, retired Suffragen Bishop of Middleton aged 81.

Arthur married Mary Isabel TEBBUTT [4643] [MRIN: 1575] on 8 Feb 1900. (Mary Isabel TEBBUTT [4643] was born on 7 Dec 1877.)