Contents [hide]

Alston History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Motto Suggested Reading Citations

Alston History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

Early Origins of the Alston family

The surname Alston was first found in Lancashire where in the year 1246 when Roger de Alleston held estates in that county, close to Ribchester, of one the most important Roman forts in the north of England. Later a family seat was established at Dennington in Suffolk. " The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £36. 3. 4., and in the gift of the family of Alston." 1

Alston or Altson-Moor is a market-town and parish, forming a union of itself, in Leath ward in the E. division of Cumberland. "Mining in this district is of some antiquity, several charters having been granted to the miners of "Alderston" in the 13th century. " 1

Early History of the Alston family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Alston research. Another 175 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1194, 1275, 1455, 1487, 1595, 1609, 1640, 1643, 1654, 1660, 1665, 1669, 1676, 1678, 1682, 1688, 1689, 1691, 1692, 1697, 1698, 1700, 1701, 1714, 1716, 1718, 1750, 1769, 1809 and 1886 are included under the topic Early Alston History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Alston Spelling Variations

Sound was what guided spelling in the essentially pre-literate Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Also, before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Therefore, spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Alston family name include Alston, Allaston, Alleston, Allston, Elston and many more.

Early Notables of the Alston family

Distinguished members of the family include

Sir Edward Alston (1595-1669), President of the College of Physicians
Sir Joseph Alston, 3rd Baronet (c. 1665–1716)
Sir Joseph Alston, 4th Baronet (1691–1718)
Sir Evelyn Alston, 5th Baronet (1692–1750) and more until the title became extinct in 1809 with the 8th Baronet

Alston Ranking

In the United States, the name Alston is the 883^rd most popular surname with an estimated 34,818 people with that name. 2

Alston migration to the United States +

For political, religious, and economic reasons, thousands of English families boarded ships for Ireland, Canada, the America colonies, and many of smaller tropical colonies in the hope of finding better lives abroad. Although the passage on the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving, those families that survived the trip often went on to make valuable contributions to those new societies to which they arrived. Early immigrants bearing the Alston surname or a spelling variation of the name include:

Alston Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Ann Alston, who landed in Salem, Massachusetts in 1629 3
Rose Alston, who landed in New England in 1661 3
Grixel Alston, who arrived in New Jersey in 1685 3

Alston Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

John Alston, who landed in Carolina in 1710 3
Samuel and William Alston, who settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1767

Alston Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Joseph Alston was Governor of South Carolina in the early 1800s
David Alston who arrived in New York City in 1806
Mr. Alston, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1821 3
William Alston, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1834 3
John Alston, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1841 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Alston migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Alston Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

John Alston an immigrant from Liverpool, was married in St. John's, Newfoundland in 1858 4
Alice Alston who settled in Quebec in 1870

Alston migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Alston Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

George Alston, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lord Goderich" in 1838 5
Agnes Charlotte Alston, who arrived in Glenelg Roads aboard the ship "Pestonjee Bomanjee" in 1838 6
John Alston, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lysander" in 1839 7
Helen Alston, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lysander" in 1839 7
Jean Alston, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lysander" in 1839 7
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Alston migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Alston Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Henry Alston, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Avon" in 1860

Alston migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 8

Alston Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

John Alston, who settled in Barbados in 1685

Alston Settlers in West Indies in the 19th Century

James Alston who settled in Jamaica in 1801

Contemporary Notables of the name Alston (post 1700) +

Charles Henry Alston (1907-1977), American painter, sculptor, illustrator, muralist
Lee J. Alston (b. 1951), American Professor of Economics at the University of Colorado
Jon Alston (b. 1983), American film director, screenwriter, film producer and former NFL football player
Garvin James Alston (b. 1971), American retired Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher
C. Donald Alston, American contemporary Major General in the United States Air Force
Derrick Samuel Alston (b. 1972), American former NBA professional basketball player
Wendell "Dell" Alston (b. 1952), American former Major League Baseball right-handed outfielder
Walter Emmons Alston (1911-1984), American baseball player and manager
William P. Alston (1921-2009), American philosopher, professor emeritus at Syracuse University
Sir Thomas Alston (1724-1774), 5th Baronet of Odell, an English Baronet and Member of Parliament
... (Another 19 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Alston family +

HMS Repulse

Mr. John Alston, British Marine, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 9

The Alston Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Immotus
Motto Translation: Immoveable.

Citations +

Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LORD GODERICH 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838LordGoderich.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The PESTONJEE BOMANJEE 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838PestonjeeBomanjee.htm
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LYSANDER 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839Lysander.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html