Notes on some of those mentioned in the Colchester pedigree
In an account of his ancestors, a transcript of which is preserved in Davy's Suffolk Collections, Robert Alefounder says of his "great-grandsire", presumably Edmund, that he was "a Captain in the Navy, who with his ship and ship's crew was lost at sea and no tidings were ever heard of them". This account is not altogether consistent with Edmund having been buried at All Saints', Colchester in 1713. I am inclined to think the account is untrue or is meant to apply to some earlier ancestor. There was an Edmund Alefounder from Colchester who died at sea in 1725: he does not appear to have been a Captain and I do not know how he is related to any other Alefounder - the only legatee named in his will was a friend, William Blunt, also a mariner.
Alefounder Close, Colchester was named after John Alefounder (1701-63), his son John (1731-87) and grandson John (1757-94). (Bensusan-Butt, J., 1996, personal communication).
Carpenter, builder and timber merchant, son of Edmund, above. He was apprenticed to Henry Bevan, carpenter of Colchester in 1715 and took his freedom in 1725. As a consequence of this, no fewer than 11 of his descendants were admitted freeburgesses by right of birth. He was one of the first Assistants appointed under the new charter granted to Colchester in 1763.
According to Robert Alefounder's account in Davy's Suffolk Collections, he lived in a house on the south side of East Hill in Colchester and became quite wealthy, leaving the bulk of his fortune, £30000, to his eldest son (Upcher), who wasted it. I am not entirely convinced that this great fortune ever existed, the details Robert gives about the distribution of the estate are not in accordance with John's will. He died in 1763 and was buried at St James', Colchester.
Architect and surveyor (Meissner, 1983), son of John, above. Appointed District Surveyor of St. Luke, Old Street and the Liberty of Glasshouse Yard (Colvin, 1954). I know of no definite surviving example of his work, although it is suggested (Bensusan-Butt, 1972) that he was the architect for the house called the Minories in Colchester, now used as a gallery for modern art.
In London he lived for a number of years at 17, Ave Maria (or Mary) Lane, just to the west of St. Paul's Cathedral. St James Chronicle or the British Evening Post Thursday 19 January 1775, issue 2174:
To be LETT or the lease to be SOLD. A convenient House with four Rooms on a Floor in thorough Repair, and in a good situation, within five Minutes Walk of the Royal Exchange.Architects, it appears, did the work now done by estate agents, and might also be involved in the recycling of fittings. Daily Advertiser Friday 21 February 1777 issue 14409:
For further Particulars enquire at Mr Alefounder's, No. 17, Avemary-lane, Ludgate-Street ; or a line directed to A.B. to be left at the Rainbow Coffee-House, Cornhill.
It seems likely that he was the Mr Alefounder living at Dove Court in 1779. Gazetteer and New Daily Advertiser Monday 26 April 1779 issue 15663:To be SOLD, Tomorrow, at Twelve ALL the old wooden Materials, Sashes and Glass, Iron Hinges, belonging to a large old House and Office, situate near Coleman-street. For the Particulars, please to enquire of Mr. Alefounder, Architect, No. 17, Avemaria lane.
Wanted a large two-stall Stable and Hayloft over ditto, near Coleman Street.
By 1784, it is likely that he had moved to 3, City Gardens. Public Advertiser Saturday 22 May 1784 issue 15597:By HENRY TERRY On the premises, on Wednesday next, at eleven o'clock, by order of the Proprietor THE valuable lease of a Capital brick-built dwelling-house, which contains four rooms on a floor, three stories high, the whole neatly fitted up, and in perfect condition, with spacious cellars, large wide vaults, and domestic conveniencies, pleasantly situated the corner of Dove court, on the Paved stones, Moorfields, in the occupation of Mr. Alefounder, (who is going to leave off housekeeping.) At the same time will be sold part of the household furniture, an exceeding large copper, and other valuable effects. The estate and effects may be viewed tomorrow the 27th Instant.
Catalogues and particulars may be then had on the premises; and at Henry Terry's cabinet and upholstery warehouse, Avemaria-lane.
Wednesday night Mr Alefounder was stopped at the End of the City Gardens by three Footpads, who robbed him of Twelve Guineas.Following his death in 1787, this house was offered for sale, together with the contents. Gazetteer and New Daily Advertiser Thursday 13th September 1787, issue 18332 (and repeated the next day):
The Administrator was his son, George. Gazetteer and New Daily Advertiser Monday 17 September 1787 issue 18335:By JAMES LUCAS By direction of the Administrator of Mr. John Alefounder, deceased, (late one of the District Surveyors) on the premises, No. 3, in the City-Gardens, near the City Road, in the parish of St. Mary, Islington, on Wednesday the 19th instant, at eleven o'clock.
THE valuable LEASE of his Dwelling-house, comprising one of the neatest residences about the parish it stands in, with garden, l.o.-house, green-house, melon and cucumber frames, stable, wash-house, and every wished-for convenience ; a back-door which opens into the field : 2 : years unexpired at Midsummer last, subject to a small-rent of 15l. per annum.
Also on that and the following day will be sold all his near genteel household furniture, together with his valuable collection of curious exotic, green-house, and hot-house plants, scarce to be equalled.
May be viewed Monday, Tuesday, and the mornings of sale, when catalogues may be had on the premises, and of James Lucas, auctioneer, No. 66, Chiswell-street, Moorfields.
ALL Persons having any claim or demand on the Estate of Mr. JOHN ALEFOUNDER, late of the parish of St. Mary, Islington, in the county of Middlesex, Surveyor, deceased, are desired to deliver an account thereof to Mr T. Bryan, No. 6, St. James's Buildings, Roserton's-street, Clerkenwell ; and all persons indebted to the Estate of the said deceased, are desired forthwith to pay the same to the said Mr. Bryan, who is duly authorised by George Alefounder, the son and Administrator of the goods of the said deceased, to receive, and give a proper discharge for the same.
Artist, son of John, above. Born in the London area, married Maria Jane Curd or Evans (name as given in John's will, I have not yet found the marriage), moved to India where he eventually committed suicide. During his time in India he retained contact with his relatives by letter; one he wrote to his cousin Philip Havens has been preserved. A detailed account of his life and work is on a separate page.
Accused by Robert Alefounder of wasting an inheritance that may never have existed (see note for John Alefounder, above), Upcher certainly went bankrupt. He appears in a list of bankrupts in the Gentleman's Magazine in 1756 (vol. 26 p. 92), where he is described as a "staymaker". However, in the following item from the Ipswich Journal he is said to be a "baymaker", which is to say a maker of bays (now usually spelt baize), a type of woolen cloth. The general magazine of Arts and Sciences, philosophical, philological, mathematical, and mechanical, vol 9, p258 also lists him as a baymaker.
Ipswich Journal, Saturday 1st May 1756 (page 3, column 2, item 6):
THE CREDITORS who have proved their Debts under a Commission of Bankrupt awarded and issued forth against UPCHER ALEFOUNDER, of COLCHESTER in the County of Essex, Bay-Maker, are desired to meet on MONDAY next, the Third Day of May, at Three o'Clock in the Afternoon, at the House of Elizabeth Pack, Widow, called or known by the Name or Sign of the RED LION, in Colchester, in order to empower the Assignees of the Estate and Effects of the said Bankrupt to commence one or more Suit or Suits at Law or in Equity, or to compound, agree, or submit to Arbitration. any Matter in Dispute relating to the said Bankrupt's Estate, and on other Affairs touching the same ; and all Persons indebted to the said Bankrupt, are desired immediately to pay the same to the Assignees, or they will be sued for the same.
A settlement certificate, dated 8 April 1749, allowed him to move from the parish of St Peter to St James, Colchester. Perhaps this was connected to his forthcoming marriage to Alice Hemsted (20 November 1750, in Little Cornard, Suffolk). After his lack of success in the bay making business, he appears to have joined the Customs service, and must have recovered his fortunes. He was admitted as a Freeburgess of Colchester on 26th January 1764 (Essex Record Office ref. D/B5 Cb2/37), being listed as an Officer in the Customs. He appears in a poll book of 1768, living in Brightlingsea as a tide surveyor, although is not recorded as having voted for any of the candidates. In 1774, Mr Samuel Johnson was elected as Headman by the freeburgesses of Colchester, South Ward, and he nominated Upcher Alefounder as a Fellow. Upcher Alefounder was one of the signatories of the Address in 1775 to King George III from various prominent inhabitants of Colchester, concerning the "unhappy Disturbances in your Majesty's Colonies, which have at length broke out into actual and open Rebellion" (London Gazette, 7 Nov 1775). In 1780 he was a "Waiter and deputed searcher" for Colchester (Parliamentary Register, 1775-1780) at a salary of £40 per annum, and appears again in a poll book, living in Colchester as an Officer in the Customs. In 1781, he was resident in the parish of St Leonard, Colchester, occupying premises assessed at an annual rental of £12, and in a poll book for that year appears as Comptroller of Customs.
He died in 1774 and was buried on 7 February at St Leonard, Colchester. After his death, the following advertisement appeared in the Ipswich Journal, Saturday 15 May 1784 (page 3, column 3, item 5), with some confusion between name and occupation:
To be SOLD by AUCTION
By TIMOTHY WALFORD,
On TUESDAY the 25th day of May 1784, between the hours of Four and Five o'clock in the afternoon, at the Swan Inn at the Hythe in Colchester.
A very substantial well-built Freehold Dwelling-house in exceeding good repair, situate at the Hythe aforesaid, late in the occupation of Mr. Upcher, alefounder, deceased ; comprising 2 lower rooms, 2 chambers, 2 closets, 2 garrets, with a cellar, a brew-house, and other conveniences, and a small garden.
For further particulars apply to Mr. R. Tabor, or one of the auctioneer.
His will was proved in 1785.
Wife of Upcher Alefounder. Proprietress of a boarding school for young ladies, as is apparent from the following advertisements which appeared in the Ipswich Journal:
Saturday 5th July 1760 (page 4, column 3, 2nd Essex item):
MRS. ALICE ALEFOUNDER has opened a BOARDING-SCHOOL this midsummer for young ladies in TRINITY STREET, COLCHESTER (on Mrs. Lisle's having declined hers) ; where all Persons who will be pleased to favour her with their Children, may depend on her utmost Endeavours to render an agreeable Satisfaction in forwarding the Improvement of the young Ladies committed to her Charge ; and the Favours gratefully acknowledged.
Saturday 26th June 1762 (page 4, column 3, 5th item):
MRS. A. ALEFOUNDER, in Trinity-Street, COLCHESTER, begs Leave to acquaint the Publick, that her BOARDING-SCHOOL for Young Ladies open again on MONDAY the 28th of this Instant June; where due Care will be taken to instruct those committed to her, in every thing requisite for a genteel and useful Education, to the utmost of her Abilities; and to return her Thanks for the Favours received from those who have entrusted their Children with her, and to whom she has had the Happiness to render Satisfaction.
Saturday 10th March 1764 (page 3, column 1, 8th item):
COLCHESTER, March 7, 1764
MRS. ALEFOUNDER will remove to WIVENHOE between this and Lady-Day, at which Time she intends to open her BOARDING-SCHOOL for young ladies; where they will be taught all Sorts of Needle-Work in the neatest manner, and the greatest Care and genteelest Usage may be depended on. She begs leave to return her sincerest Thanks to those who have intrusted her with the Care of their Children, and hopes for a Continuance of their Favours.
N.B. Musick, Dancing, and Writing, at the usual Prices.
In her will she left a print of the picture Pleasing Intelligence to her grandson George Alefounder.
Both George's parents died when he was young, his father John (a surgeon in the Royal Navy) between 1781 and 1785 and his mother Sarah née Wakelen in 1787. Custody of George, a minor, and his brother William Wakelen Alefounder, an infant, was assigned to Mary Plunkett, widow, who made a declaration of Sarah's effects on 28 August 1787 (TNA ref PROB31/767/644). It seems likely that William died young as no further record has been found of him - in particular, unlike George, he was not mentioned in the will of his grandmother Alice. It is not clear how long George stayed with Mary Plunkett. In 1789 he was painted by W.R. Bigg in a portrait alongside Maria, wife of the artist John Alefounder. In his will John describes George as "Godson of my said Brother George Alefounder". From a letter of 1793 it is clear that George was then living with John's brother George and sister-in-law Ann at Wenham in Suffolk, learning to be a farmer - an occupation he did not eventually follow. In 1806 he was admitted as a free burgess of Colchester, described then as a confectioner of 178 Piccadilly, London. In the 1818 administration of his goods he was described as a fruiterer.
Brother of the artist John Alefounder, farmer of Wenham Hall in Suffolk and owner of land in Great Wigborough, Essex, later known as Alefounders Field. In 1818 he was appointed administrator of the goods of his cousin George, above, and of the goods of Alice Alefounder. Her will had been proved by William Kemp, one of the Executors, in 1801, but her grandson George had been given the responsibility for administering the estate, but had not done so before he died. He also became administrator for his son George in 1823.
I am indebted to Simon Curtis for information on this branch of the family, in particular, for a transcript of entries in a family Bible originally belonging to James Alefounder. This lists all his children, plus those of his widow after she remarried following his death, and continues until the death of George Swale Alefounder in 1925.
James Alefounder was a pawnbroker of Petticoat Lane near Aldgate [London], as appears from the records of two Old Bailey trials. On 21st May 1766 he suffered a fire at his house: various people saved some of his property, both personal and that held in connection with his business. James Alefounder alleged that two of these were a little reluctant to return the property afterwards. Transcripts of the subsequent trials on 2nd July 1766 can be found on the Old Bailey web site: both William Smithson and John Robinson were acquitted.
In 1767 James Alefounder appeared in court in connection with the theft by one Daniel Turner of some cloth from Samuel Richardson & Co. Daniel Turner had asked Esther Moses, a seller of oil and lemons, to dispose of the cloth. She took it to James Alefounder, who bought it and then sold it on to Mr. Blaney, a publican and tailor. Hearing the next day that the cloth had been stolen, he attempted to retrieve it, but Mr. Blaney would not reverse the transaction, preferring instead to claim the reward for the return of the stolen cloth, and even went so far as to attempt to have Mr. Alefounder arrested. The latter must have been well respected and trusted however, as a neighbour gave his word for £1000 for Mr. Alefounder's appearing the next morning. At the time of writing, this case does not appear on the Old Bailey web site, which is anyway only supposed to cover trials from 1674 (and why some cases from the 1760s do appear, I have no idea). However, a transcript of the case has been prepared from the published proceedings.
He appeared in court again in 1767, this time in connection with the theft by Mary Brown of various items belonging to Samuel Whale at the time she left his employment as a servant maid. James Alefounder was one of three pawnbrokers she used to convert the goods into money. A transcript of the case can be found on the Old Bailey web site.
James Alefounder died on the 30th May 1774 and it seems likely that his widow Elizabeth, who had been granted administration of his goods, took over the business. On 6th July an Elizabeth Alefounder, pawnbroker of Petticoat Lane, appeared at the Old Bailey in the trial of Moses Phillips, who had stolen a watch from her on 30th June. A transcript of this case can be found on the Old Bailey web site.
Notice in the Ipswich Journal, Saturday 10 November 1798, p2 column 4, under the heading Ipswich Nov 10, paragraph 9:
Thursday was married Robert Alefounder, Esq. Leut. in the East Essex Light Company of Militia, to Miss Swale, only daughter of Mrs. Swale, of this town.
Mrs Swale and Robert Alefounder ran a tannery in Ipswich until 1808. Ipswich Journal 1 October 1808, p2 col 4 item 2:
NOTICE is hereby given, That the Partnership lately carried on by us in the business of Tanners in the town of Ipswich in the County of Suffolk, was mutually dissolved and determined from the 1st day of Sept. inst. All debts due and owing to and by us in respect to the said business carried on at Ipswich, are to be adjusted, received and paid by the undersigned Martha Swale of Ipswich aforesaid. As witness our hands this 23d day of Sept. 1808.
MARTHA SWALE.
Witness P.T. Long
ROB.ALEFOUNDER.
He also moved house at this time, the cause of a furniture sale. Ipswich Journal 24 Sep 1808, p2 col4:
SALES BY AUCTION
By JOHN SPARROW [... item 14]
On Tuesday the 27th of Sept. inst. and following dayTHE genuine almost new and handsome Household Furniture, china, glass and other effects of ROBERT ALEFOUNDER, Esq. who is changing his residence, at his dwelling house, in Ipswich ; consisting of 5 handsome valuable beds and bedding, 2 servants ditto, complete drawing room suite, mahogany and japan'd chairs inlaid and plain, card, pembroke, loo and dressing tables, beautiful set of Jamaica mahogany dining tables, 5ft. 3, by 9ft. 2, chimney glass, 5ft. 6, by 3ft. 8 Brussels, Wilton and Kidderminster carpets, single and double chests with drawers, pier and dressing glasses, patent mangle, long dinner set of wedgewood ware, china and glass, great variety of good kitchen requisites, which will be expressed in catalogues, and may be had at the Auctioneers, Butter-market, Ipswich at 3d. each. Goods to be viewed on Monday preceding the sale, which will begin each morning exactly at half past Ten.
Also will be sold about 12 o'clock on Tuesday.
A clever brown Gelding, near 16 hands high, remarkably steady in harness or saddle
I believe that this is the same Robert Alefounder, now a Captain in the Hertfordshire Regiment of Militia, who was involved in a Court Martial in 1809. He and two other officers, Captains Richard Goakman and Thomas Keeling, were accused of "raising and circulating a report" of a scandalous nature, concerning one Lieutenant John Kingston. Robert Alefounder was acquitted of all charges, the other two were found guilty of circulating (but not instigating) the report and were dismissed. A prosecution witness, Lieutenant Hubback, was also dismissed for offering wagers on the trial. Tha Court was at pains to make clear that the report concerning John Kingston was completely untrue. Charles James has published an account of the trial.
In 1829 he was living in Newmarket Street when, it seems, he may well have had to move again. Ipswich Journal 22 August 1829 (page 3, column 6, 9th item; also advertised on 29th August and in the Suffolk Chronicle on the same two days):
FREEHOLD ESTATE
AT IPSWICH
-
To be SOLD by AUCTION.
By Mr. CATT.On Friday, the 11th day of September, 1829, at the House of Mr. Pipe, known by the sign of the Golden Lion, Ipswich, beginning at Six o'clock in the Evening, subject to such Conditions of Sale as will be then produced, in Lots.
...
Lot 2. All that Messuage or Dwelling-house, situate in New-Market Street aforesaid and adjoining the above, in the occupation of Robert Alefounder, Esq. consisting of two good parlors, pantry, store-room, kitchen, back-house, and other buildings, easily convertible into coach-house and stabling ; beer and wine cellars, three bed-chambers, one attic, small yard and garden, also suitable for the reception of a genteel family.
...
The several tenants are tenants at will, and are under notice to quit.
Particulars and conditions of sale may be had of Mr. Parson, solicitor, 43 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London ; at the place of sale ; and of the Auctioneer, Ipswich.
He died on 29th July 1840 and was buried
at St Matthew's, Ipswich.
Suffolk Chronicle, 1st August 1840 (page3, column 1):
DIED
On Wednesday last, at Harwich, after a long and severe illness, Capt. Alefounder, of Ipswich.
Administration of his estate was granted to his son Robert Swale Alefounder on 28th October 1840.
Mentioned by Copinger in his Manors of Suffolk:
[Concerning Wenham Parva manor: Little Wenham Hall - Little Wenham estate, which was sold to ...] Philip Havers by deeds dated the 22nd and 23rd Nov. 1765. Philip Havers married Ann Lowe, and made his will the 17th June, 1767 [Proved P.C.C 16th June, 1769]. On his death the estate passed to his son and heir, Philip Havers, who married Lucy, daughter of John Alefounder, of Colchester, and died 17th Jan. 1778, when he was succeded by his son and heir, Philip Havers, of Great Donyland Hall, in Essex, who married Mary Anne eldest daughter of Edward Sage, of Wivenhoe, co. Essex, and died the 8th Nov. 1856 [Will dated 6 Nov. 1844, proved P.C.C. 19th March, 1857] when the estate passed to his son and heir Philip Havers, of Colchester and of Wenham who died the 13th Oct. 1874 [Will dated 15th Sept. 1874, proved P.C.C. 19th May, 1875].
Lucy married, secondly, Captain Robert Baas (sometimes spelt Bass). In a settlement (Essex Record Office Acc 47 CPL 820), dated 7 April 1789, £1957 2s 5d Bank Stock was transferred to Charles Matthews esquire and Joseph Green, merchant (both of Colchester). Lucy was to have complete control of the money and dividends, which after her decease and in the absence of any will were to be divided between her surviving children at their ages of 21. She died in 1809 and was buried at St James', Colchester.
I have not found a record of the baptism of Robert Swale Alefounder, but he was granted administration of the effects of his father, Robert, in 1840 and records of admission of free burgesses of Colchester give his ancestry:
1826 April 3d Robert Swale Alefounder of Ipswich Gentleman son of Robert and Grandson of James was admitted and sworn a Freeburgess in right of birth from his Grandfather and hath no son.
[Essex Record Office, Colchester, freeburgess index book no 2 1620-1741, uncatalogued]
At the time of the 1861 census he was living in Ipswich, at 24 Tanner's Lane.
On a loose sheet in the family Bible mentioned above is written:
Ipswich 12th September 1864
This building was originally stables built by Mrs Martha Swale, who continued the business of Tanner for upwards of forty years after the decease of her husband William Swale who were both natives of Yorkshire.
William Swale was the son of Mr John Swale of Catterick and Mrs Martha Swale was the daughter of George and Martha Paget of Rawden Yorkshire.
Robert Swale Alefounder the present and only grandson of the said G&M Swale now inherit the property his mother being the only daughter of G&M Swale.
The present R.S.Alefounder rebuilt the nine houses opposite and also altered the buildings as chief of the property belonging to him in the street.
The said R.S.A. leaves only one son George Swale Alefounder who will inherit his property his eldest son died when eight years old.
R.S.Alefounder
12th September 1864
Aged 64
He died on 16th December 1864 and was buried at St Matthew's Ipswich.
Grandson of the above. An account of his life, together with a photograph of his children, is given by Grant (1914). According to this, when young, he went abroad on account of his health. In fact, his health would appear to have been excellent, as he was able to travel the world. In 1899, he gave an interview to a reporter for the Daily Picayune, a New Orleans newspaper, in which he mentions having lived in South Africa and travelled to Alaska.
He eventually acquired Studley Park, built on a former sugar plantation in Tobago, West Indies, and made a fortune growing coconuts. His inclusion in Grant's book arises from his residing, until 1913, in Great Bromley Hall near Colchester, returning thence to Tobago. He died on board the Royal Mail ship Danube on 4th July 1915 while on a journey back from the West Indies and was buried at sea.
The exact sequence of events thereafter is not as yet known to me, but it appears that the family did not retain ownership of Studley Park. However, they did acquire the nearby Grafton estate, which has now become a bird or wildlife sanctuary. A picture of the entrance board can be found here.
Grant's account and comments in the Daily Picayune interview concerning his earlier life are far from the entire story. In the National Archives, reference BT 31/11685/90445 can be found the details of Alefounder & King, mechanical engineers. This company was created in 1906 to continue the business of George Swale Alefounder the younger (of Holmesdale, Winkfield, Windsor) and Samuel King (of 42 Lyndhurst Grove, Camberwell) at Sumner Road, Peckham, London (registered office, 62 Leadenhall St). The other initial subscribers were Ellen M Alefounder of 10 Stanford Avenue, Brighton (wife of G.S. Alefounder), George Swale Alefounder of The Bungalow, Charmouth, Dorset, William Alfred Farmer of Glen Lodge, Winkfield (director of a public company), Florence Adalaide King of 42 Lyndhurst Grove (married woman) and Madeline Alefounder of Holmesdale, Winkfield (married woman).
On 7 January 1907, the company moved to The Regent Engineering Works, Conewood Street, Highbury, London. At an extraordinary general meeting held on 14 December 1908, the company was wound up voluntarily, by reason of liabilities. Harry J Barclay of 36 & 37 King St, Cheapside was appointed as the liquidator and the company was renamed Alefounder & King (1908) Ltd. Under this name, it continued to be listed in Post Office trade directories at least until 1919, with the address 20a Conewood St, Highbury. In fact, Alefounder & King (1908) Ltd. continued in existence long after that, and it was not until 24th February 1950 that a notice appeared in the London Gazette that the Company was to be dissolved in three months time. The actual dissolution took place, and was announced, on 19th December 1950.
Using the esp@cenet database, I have traced five patents in which George Swale Alefounder was involved:
Alefounder & King and the coconut plantation may not have been his only business interests. According to Skinner, a certain G.S. Alefounder was a director of Kangarilla Silver Mines Limited. It appears that this was a London-based company with mining interests near Adelaide, Australia; whether it was this G.S. Alefounder or his father that was the director is not clear.
A most unusual Alefounder reference can be found in Papers Past, an on-line collection of New Zealand newspapers and periodicals. According to the New Zealand Evening Post for 10 November 1910, a message in a bottle was discovered on the beach near Levin (West coast, North Island). A reward was promised for its delivery to G.S. Alefounder via his solicitors in London. It appears that the bottle had been thrown overboard from the SS Medic on 14 February 1909 at latitude 44.57, longitude 75.51, as part of an attempt to trace ocean currents. According to the White Star Line Routes web page, to be in that position the SS Medic would have been en route from Cape Town to Hobart.
Sketch map showing the route of the SS Medic and where the bottle was dropped. Inset: Levin, where the bottle was found. Larger version of map.
Again, it can not be certain that it was the younger G.S. Alefounder involved here, but he is the one known to have overseas interests and it would appear more likely that he would be the one travelling abroad.
Grave at St Mary's Parish Church, Troston
Larger version of picture (209KB). Picture copyright © Gravestone Photographic Resource, and used with permission.
Wife of the above George Swale Alefounder, lived at The Lodge, Troston, Suffolk. She died 10th January 1951 (notice in the Times 12 Jan 1951) and was buried at Troston.
I am grateful to the Gravestone Photographic Resource for the photograph on the right.
An account of the life of this turbulent priest is given by Solly (1949), from which the following summary is taken. He was born at Aberford, Yorkshire, with the surname Hickhorngill. He joined, and later left, the Baptists, Cromwell's army and the Quakers. He then rejoined Cromwell's army, went abroad, returned and was ordained into the Church of England, eventually becoming rector of All Saints', Colchester in 1662. He fell out with his bishop over various publications and, later, performing marriages without banns or licence. The first court case brought against him did not succeed, being mishandled by the prosecuting counsel, Sir George Jeffries (better known in later life as Judge Jeffries of the Bloody Assizes). He lost his living in 1682 as a result of a second court case, regained it in 1684 after writing a grovelling letter of recantation, lost it again in 1685 for supporting Monmouth, returned in 1688 and resumed publishing tracts against his bishop. He died in 1708 and was buried in All Saints' Church.
Solly(1949) makes note of the fact that when Edmund Hickeringill first arrived in Colchester, he had no benefice. He, possibly unofficially, undertook the role of Vicar of St. Peter's, signing the baptismal register there in 1662. He was also associated with Boxted for a short time, starting the day after his appointment at All Saints' (which was 21 October 1682), but resigned that post lest he lose both as a result of such an irregularity, and arranged to be re-instituted to All Saints' on 31 December 1662.
He married Anne Brookes at Boxted on 3 October 1663. Edmund their son is recorded in the Boxted register as "borne & baptised" 29 July 1664, the baptism also being recorded in the register of All Saints': he was buried at Boxted 9 July 1669. Similarly, their son John was baptised 21 January at All Saints' 1665 and buried at Boxted 14 March 1666. A curious omission from the registers is any mention of the baptism of Edmund Hickeringill's daughter Frances. She died in 1748 aged 79 and was buried at Greenstead. There are no entries in the baptismal register of All Saints' between 26 July 1668 and 11 July 1669. Solly makes no mention of his being deprived of his living just then; perhaps there was some connection to his attempt, reported by Board & Durgan (1994), to gain the parish of St Leonard's at that time (he was eventually appointed rector there in 1683). Evidence that Frances was indeed his daughter is provided by his will (Bensusan-Butt, papers at Essex Record Office, Colchester).
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Last updated 15th April 2008 by Peter Alefounder |
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