The Alabaster Chronicle

The Journal of the Alabaster Society

NUMBER TWENTY-EIGHT,  AUTUMN 2007

Contents

• Editorial, by Sheelagh Alabaster
• Letter from the Secretary, Laraine Hake
• The Eighth Alabaster Gathering, plans for April, 2008
• News from Around the World:
  My Ancestor was William Batey, by David Wharton
  My Ancestor was Ellen Alabaster 1869-1920, by Catherine Berry
  Airborne Reminiscences by Cliff Alabaster
  Family Photo from Greg Harrison (IV), plus Canada`s "Home Children"
  Photos of Celia Susan Charlotte Alabaster, Walter Eacott (WofW)
  Matt Alabaster & Family, by Millie Knox (WofW)
  Hadleigh Veseys, by David Vesey, Toronto,
  Criddle-Vane Homestead Celebration, Canada, by Oriole Veldhuis
  Bertie Alabaster, Young Soccer Star, found on the Internet
  Early Ancestors, by John and Robbin Churchill (IV)
  Arblaster/Alabaster 15c Research, by Tony Springall
  Alabaster Perfume in John Lewis, found by Lilian Alabaster (IIIB)
• Unisex Alabaster? by Sheelagh Alabaster
• Births, Marriages & Deaths
  Birth: Ella Georgie Cousins (IIIB)
  Marriage: Clare Alabaster to Matt Saunders
  Deaths: John Stanley (WofW); Margaret Oram (IIA);
         Susan Mary George (IIIB)
• An Alabaster Way Out West, by Robert Alabaster (IIA)
• Keith Alabaster is a Microsoft MVP, by Ian Alabaster
• Jennie Gray: Fire By Night, Book Review by Cliff Alabaster
• War Grave Record Put Straight (Gilbert Stephen Alabaster), by Moe Parry (IIA)
• RSM George Alabaster, 1885-1957
• Amy Alabaster Visits Bohemian Bee-keepers
• Long Lost Double Cousins, by Moe Parry
• Alabaster Arms Cast in Lead by Brian Alabaster

Editorial

by Sheelagh Alabaster

In this edition of the Chronicle we have a delightful range of articles to capture your interest and some excellent Christmas shopping ideas. If you read carefully you will learn about Elephant Seals and Queen Bees, Lancasters, regimental medals, Microsoft awards, and just a smidgeon of family history information.
See you all at the Gathering.

To Contents

Letter from the Hon. Secretary
Laraine Hake

How very quickly the six months seem to pass from one Alabaster Chronicle to another.

On the other hand, when I think back to report on the six months that have just elapsed, how very much seems to have happened in that time. Certainly, my granddaughters appear to have grown enormously, especially Florence, a mere three months old when the previous Chronicle was sent out and now very nearly walking…She does not seem to understand that we do not expect this of a nine month old child – scary!

In June, I had an operation of my knee (half-knee replacement) which meant I would not be able to join in with the proposed "Alabaster" walk around the environs of Bethnal Green. It was decided to postpone such an event until such a time as I am able to come with you which was very touching. As it transpired, in October it was discovered that a piece of cement (images of lumps of stone sprang to my mind) had come away from the replacement knee and so the wound had to be re-opened so that the cement could be removed which has extended the recovery time somewhat!

Do read the details elsewhere in this magazine and look for others on the enclosed flyer about the arrangements for the Alabaster Gathering to be held in the Guild Room of Hadleigh Guildhall on April 26th 2008.

Of course, not all news has been happy during the past months. I have been sad to hear of the passing of some of our Alabaster relatives; John Stanley who was always a stalwart figure at Gatherings will be missed as will my own Auntie Margaret, wife of my father’s brother, Uncle Alf. In August, I heard from Peter Abbott about the birth of another Alabaster twig, Ella Georgie, gt granddaughter of Susan Mary George (nee Alabaster) only to hear in October that Susan, herself, had died. Such is the natural course of events, I guess, but I hope that she had had some wonderful moments meeting Ella. Peter reminded me that Susan Mary had been the main influence behind several articles in the Alabaster Chronicles written by his brother, Steve Abbott, for which we are very grateful.

Christmas will be upon us almost immediately and I look forward to the Christmas cards that some of you so kindly send to me. I do hope the reason I do not reciprocate is understood, just the sheer numbers involved, but I will take the liberty, as ever, of using this opportunity to wishing you all a wonderful Christmas and a peaceful and happy 2008. I look forward to seeing many of you in April, of course. I wonder if I can manage to sneak in yet another photograph of my granddaughters without the editor noticing…it is the one I will be sending out with Christmas cards this year, after all!

11th November 2007
Love to you all!
Laraine.

To Contents

Eighth Alabaster Gathering – Saturday 26th April 2008

The Alabaster Gathering will be held in the Guildroom of Hadleigh Guildhall (pictured right) on April 26th 2008. The main focus of this Gathering will be the presentation of William Alabaster’s Book (1607) to the safekeeping of Hadleigh Archives on permanent loan to them. Although the book will naturally continue to be the property of the Alabaster Society with full access rights, it will be very satisfactory to know that it will also be accessible to other scholars. At the Gathering, Tony Springall will be giving us a short presentation to remind us about William and the period surrounding the publication of the book.

Many of you will remember Betty Alabaster West’s beautiful display of Victorian clothes at the last Gathering. For the 8th Gathering, she is not only going to produce a similar display but she has also agreed to give us a talk about them as she has done for various groups in her home locality. I am going to talk about my experiences in tracing the history of the Alabaster family, in particular how different family history research is today compared with 25 years ago when I began!

The wonderful, leather-bound book of the Alabaster Family 2001 will be on display along with William’s Book, of course, and many other Alabaster artefacts. It is very likely that you have something at home that we would love to be able to see: an Alabaster photograph, newspaper cutting, a medaletc. It would be wonderful if each one of us could bring something with us to show and share! During the afternoon we will have our traditional raffle - please bring contributions of prizes on the day – and in the evening we will be having dinner in the atmospheric Old Town Hall (pictured left) at the Guildhall, followed by Clive Paine, an excellent speaker, on "The plague in Suffolk during the seventeenth century with particular reference to Hadleigh" – and of course OUR ancestors did live through this time in Hadleigh.

The George public house, once owned by the Alabaster family, is expecting an onslaught of Alabasters on the Friday evening, 25th April when I hope we will be able to meet up for a meal to get in the Alabaster mood. The present landlord remembers our last pre-Gathering evening before the 2005 event - he had only just taken over. He said he would be very happy to see us again – I suggest individual bookings nearer the time.

It has become traditional for the hardier of us to visit another town in Suffolk with Alabaster connections on the Sunday. This time I have arranged for us to go to Ipswich where various members of the family were during the 18th century. In particular, Branches IIIA and IIIB are descended from John and Mary Alabaster (nee Querry) who were married at St Matthew`s Church, Ipswich, in 1760. On the Sunday it will be possible to attend the morning service at St Matthew`s, enjoy a short, guided walk around that part of Ipswich with particular emphasis on the 18th century followed by Sunday lunch in the same vicinity. Not everybody will choose to join us for all three of these activities, but I am optimistic that many will join us for at least one or two of the three.

If you have not actually booked your place at the Gathering, please do so NOW. Most of you will be using the enclosed Subscription Renewal Form to send your subs for 2007/2008 to Shirley Alabaster, our Treasurer, so I will ensure there is space on the form for the Gathering too. In fact, I will do my best to personalise the form so that it is clear whether I have already received your booking and deposit – this might be hand written if I cannot quite get my head around the technology.     
Laraine Hake

To Contents

News from Around the World

David Wharton, fellow member of the Guild of One Name Studies 30th May 2007
I see that there is reference on the Alabaster Society website to Robert George Alabaster who bought Batey & Co. That firm was founded by my great great grandfather William Batey, but on his early death the business passed to his underage son William.
The executors do not seem to have done a good job (except for themselves) and William Jnr was out to enjoy life - see the divorce in The Times in 1877.
There was an action in the Chancery Court by William Snr's daughters, including my great grandmother.

Robert George Alabaster (IIA) bought Batey & Co., the ginger beer and mineral water manufacturers, in Kingsland Road, Shoreditch, on 5th October 1882. His sons, John and Robert James, were directors of the company. Eventually it was bought by R. White`s in the first half of the 20th century. I now have three different versions of the Alabaster bottles, pictures of which can be seen on the website and in previous Chronicles.

Catherine Berry, via Genes Reunited 30th May 2007
Being a novice to Genes Reunited, I have -just!- begun to research my branch of the Alabaster family, which I am kindly informed by Kelley in N.Z., is Branch IIA. She told me to write and tell you. My father was Clifford Bishop who was one of the children of Everett James Bishop - 1862-1921 and Ellen Alabaster -1869-1920.
I have been on the Alabaster website and was fascinated to find out so much.
I am still at work full-time so cannot let this obsession take over my life until I retire in another 2 years or so

It is good to hear that you have found the Alabaster website interesting and that you have been in touch with Kelley (are you in NZ yourself?).  Kelley is quite correct of course, you are a member of Branch IIA but you may be interested to know quite how Ellen would fit in with the Alabasters who are given on the website. I have checked the tree we have printed on the website, I see that Ellen herself is mentioned!

*2nd Wife of Edward Alabaster: 
........................+Fanny Dickenson 1839 - 1904
...............................4 Ellen Margaret Alabaster 1869 -
...................................+Everett Bishop 

I don't know if you were able to find that yourself? Myself, I am the gt granddaughter of Thomas Alabaster and Cordelia Victoria Jolly.
The father of your Ellen (Edward) and the father of my Thomas (Thomas) would have been first cousins,  sharing grandparents in Robert Alabaster and Ann (nee Mizon) so.. Ellen and Thomas were second cousins, making you and me fourth cousins once removed.  In fact, members of the Alabaster Society include three or four who share Edward with you as a gt grandfather, including the jewellers, Alabaster Wilson & Co., which was founded by Arthur Alabaster, elder half-brother of Ellen.
If you would care to give me your snailmail address, I will send you a complimentary copy of the latest Alabaster Chronicle - edited by Sheelagh Alabaster Neuling, a great granddaughter of Arthur, come to think of it, so she is your second cousin once removed. --- Wake up there on the Editor’s bench!

 Cliff Alabaster, 20th June 2007 
So sorry to hear of the knee trouble – knees are the tricky ones to get straight.  Make the most of your enforced convalescence and - do your physiotherapeutic exercises !
I doubt if I will be able to make the walk around Bethnal Green in 2008.  I can remember my Pop talking of the area at the turn of the century – 1899 – he lived in Bow (North London Railway) but moved shortly after that to Willesden to work for the LNWR.  I think that by chance he found himself among a number of Alabaster cousins, James who fathered Evelyn, Dorritt and James, who were my second cousins. He also had another cousin, William (Bill), who was married to a Bessie and had a daughter Rose (a blue stocking).
Another cousin Louise, married to a Bill Tilbury, also lived nearby.   Distant memories but clear enough !

Greg Harrison, Alberta, Canada, (IV) 22nd June 2007
My mother Lillian Clara Silvester, granddaughter of Clara Rose Alabaster b1881, was here for a visit earlier this month and she brought some old photos. I thought I'd share this one with you.

Photo taken 11 Oct 1952 at home of William Leslie (Les) Silvester #10
and Constance Dora (Connie) Silvester nee Taylor #9 in Vancouver, BC, Canada
on 50th Wedding Anniversary of William Henry Ashbourne Silvester #11 (right foreground, with glass in hand)
and Clara Rose Silvester nee Alabaster #3.

Clara Rose Alabaster married William Silvester – 11th October 1902, St Anne’s, Finsbury Park.
Clara Rose was the daughter of Horace Alabaster and Jessie Ives (IV). She was born 26th March 1881, Gt Yarmouth, England and died 29th August 1969 in Vancouver, Canada.

Following the receipt of this fascinating photograph (Greg did include a full index to all the members of the Silvester family pictured here, should anybody want a copy) Greg and I exchanged further emails and information some of which may be of interest to the Society at large so I will reproduce it below……..

I checked the 1901 census (for Canada) and I found two new Alabasters - William age 22 in Ontario and Emma age 73 in the Northwest Territories. She lived in the area that was to become Manitoba later in the 20th century, in what is now Winnipeg, about 60 miles east of Portage la Prairie. Do you know where they fit?

William Alabaster b 1 Jun 1878 is shown as a domestic for Daniel W Pratt age 64. William is shown as born in England but the year of emigration is blank. Also in the residence were Daniel's wife Kevilla age 61, sister Emma age 79 and another domestic, John Smith age 57. Subdistrict Dereham, Norfolk (North/Nord), Ontario, District 93, b-3 Film T-6484. This is near present day Hamilton, Ontario.

Emma Alabaster b Dec 1827 is shown as a boarder with William Dixon age 81 and his wife Maria age 77. Emma is listed as born in England and emigrated in 1886. District TT, Assinniboia East, Chickney, Schedule 1, Film T-6552.

I am fairly sure that I do know who William is/was.  He was actually one of the children, about whom one now hears so much, who was sent to Canada as a pauper.  Do they call them "Home Children" ?  Strangely, knowing the family as I do, I can identify his father.  He was a member of Branch IIIA and was alive until the 1930s.  I wonder whether he knew what happened to his son.
As for Emma. -.does the information you have indicate whether or not she was married?  Was she born an Alabaster or did she become one?!  I cannot identify a suitable candidate for her.  Of course general registration did not begin in UK until 1837 so that is no help.  Any other information gratefully received.

Greg replied: Aha! - you are correct. Emma is a widow. Too bad there isn't an on-line version of earlier Canadian census records. Another aha! I searched the Home Children database and found an 11 year old George Alabaster who arrived in 1890. Details:

If George was born in 1879, that is also William's calculated year of birth. Did George become William? Or perhaps his full name was George William Alabaster? A search of http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~tweetybirdgenealogy/padychildplace.html finds one George William Alabaster from Chichester, age 12, sent in 1890 to J. Hendeshott, Hunter St., Hamilton, Ont.
While that is not conclusive proof, it is certainly very strong circumstantial evidence and frankly, good enough for me.
I find the whole Home Children episode repugnant but then our history is sadly full of mistreatment of children.

Interestingly, he was actually registered as William George Alabaster, Dec 1877, Chichester.
I am certain that we have the right one because it ties up with previously discovered snippets of evidence. I had a contact in the 1990s who was very interested in tracing WG from this end but we were not able then to get very far in Canada. Turning to my box files - which I am always "going to" sort through again, I discover I have more than "snippets" in fact it was clearly typed up at the time. I will copy what was written then here:

William George ALABASTER  
Born 28 Oct 1877, Chichester, Sussex

Born 28th October 1877 at St Pancras in the registration district of Chichester in the County of Sussex. 
William George, boy.  Father Alfred Alabaster, iron moulder.  Mother Harriett Alabaster, formerly Fleet. Informant H. Alabaster, mother of Saint Pancras, Chichester.

The following was taken from Chichester Union Correspondence Book 1889/90 and 1891/2 held at PRO Kew Ref MH12/12821 & 2

19 Mar 1890 letter from Guardians to Local Government Board stating that they are desirous of emigrating to Canada 3 pauper children through Mr Pady at a cost not exceeding £12 for each child. 
Three children were named and the following details were taken from the official application form. 

Name - George William Alabaster. 
Age - 12. 

Orphan/deserted - deserted. 
Educated Lytton School Chichester. 
Charges to be expended by Guardians:- Outfit £3, Railway fare £2 10s  Passage money, Kit & bedding £4.  Other expenses £2 10s  Total £12.

A certificate of health was attached showing him to have no problems.  Much correspondence followed regarding the fitness of Mr Pady and expressing reservations but finally there is a letter from the Minister of Agriculture in Canada stating that he accepts responsibility for the children sent by Mr Pady.

The following copy of a printed letter was sent to the Local Government Board 12 Jan 1891:-

Mr Pady has just returned from Canada and is happy to report that the journey out was completed without the slightest hitch or difficulty and that all the boys were in good health and spirits and placed in exceptionally satisfactory homes in the province of Ontario, (ten time the number of boys from 10 - 13 could have been placed easily).
Their conduct throughout was very good & their knowledge of Bible truth, general intelligence, and desire to do right, reflect great credit on those who have had them for training & leaves little room for doubt that they are just the boys to do well in their new homes.
 Several ladies have undertaken to correspond with the boys & see that they are well treated and attend Sunday school & church regularly.  In case of difficulty they would refer to Miss Pady or to Mr Walter Pady living in the district.
The Right Rev the Bishop of Althabasca, Dr Young, Miss Jones, the vicarage Bloor St, Toronto, & many other friends have expressed their high opinion in the manner in which the work is carried on.  Mrs Woodruffe one of the ladies in the saloon remarked "it does me good to hear the boys speak so warmly of your kind treatment".

72 Iffley Rd, London, W.  July 1890
attached to this letter is a handwritten scrap of paper with the names of the 3 boys sent from Chichester with addresses - G.W. Alabaster, engaged to Mr J. Hendershott, 243 Hunter St W, Hamilton, Ontario.

PRO Kew Ref WO 10 2710 show muster records for Chichester Barracks and show Alfred Alabaster as a driver with 16th Brigade Royal Artillery, either H or I Battery from Apr 1874 to 31 Mar 1875

Other information I have is from the 1881 UK census:

Harriet Alabaster, 23, and her three children, Letitia E., 5, George 3, and Jane 4 months are in the home of her father, George Fleet, 61, widower, sawyer.

I have been unable to find Alfred on the 1881 census.

The 1891 UK census gives:

Ellen Alabaster age 16 Scholar at Lavant House (this is Letitia Ellen), Mid-Lavant, Chichester
Jane Alabaster age 13 "training for service, domestic" in an institution in East Grinstead
George Fleet age 71, widower, sawyer, in the Workhouse  

I was unable to find an entry for the mother, Harriet, or a death between 1881 and 1891 for that matter, either under Alabaster of Fleet.  I did manage to find a marriage for a Harriet Fleet but I think I could be clutching at straws somewhat.
1891 also shows Alfred John Alabaster at 2 Nelson Place, Queen Street, Romford aged 33 occ Gen. stoker in household of William Aylet, the husband of Alfred's sister.
I wonder whether Alfred knew what became of his children.  He never did marry again, living until 1940 when he died aged 81.

Walter Eacott (WofW) 27th June 2007
I found a couple of photos among Jean's mum's possessions, one inscribed on the back with "C. S. Alabaster, 42 Blackhorse Rd Walthamstow". The other one seemed to be the identical person, so I'm sending them for George (copy to Laraine) in case you are interested. They would be pictures of Celia Susan Charlotte, oldest daughter of George Alabaster and Celia Charlotte Yarnell Young, sister to Walter and to Frances Eliza (my Jean's gran) and therefore Jean's great-aunt.

Celia Susan Charlotte Alabaster

Millie Knox (WofW) 22nd July 2007
I thought you would like to see this photo that Ian took last Thursday when Matt and family spent the afternoon with us. We had an enjoyable time, and everyone was sorry when it was time for them to go back to their holiday cottage.
We got on so well it was as though we had known one another for years. As you can imagine, there were many coincidences in our lives, even though we are an earlier generation.

This photograph is a reminder of the day that George Knox met his second cousin once removed, Matthew Alabaster.
Clockwise from left: Millie and George, then Matt, and then his wife Lesley.
In the front from left are Ian's long-time partner Debbie, and then Sophie Alabaster.

Both George and Matthew are descended from George Alabaster and Celia Charlotte (nee Young) who, strangely enough, were also the parents of Celia Susan Charlotte Alabaster whose two photographs precede this letter!

David Vesey, Toronto, who purchased a copy of Hadleigh and the Alabaster Family, 17th August 2007
Thanks for the info. Greatly appreciated. Will 'patiently' await the book.
You helped me last year and put me in touch with Tony Springall re the Forth family.*
Sue Andrews has done some great research for me on my Hadleigh Veseys this year.
In the interim I had my first trip to Norfolk. Spent a super morning in Bradwell where my Veseys lived throughout the 1600s. The church there has a fantastic MI to Wm Vesey (b. Hintlesham) who was the brother of 10x ggf Charles Vesey (and his Shottisham Norfolk wife Elizabeth D'Oyly whose father Edmond was High Sheriff of Norfolk).

*The Alabaster connection is not a direct link but rather through Robert Vesey of Hadleigh's  son, from his 1st marriage, Arthur Vesey  b.bef. 1520 who married Agnes WARREN. Her sister Christian Warren married Thomas ALABASTER b.abt 1520 Hadleigh.
Robert Vesey was married for a second time circa 1520 to Catherine FORTH of Hadleigh.
 

 Oriole Veldhuis, Winnipeg, Canada 17th August 2007
I wondered if you would be interested to know about the event to celebrate the family’s arrival in Manitoba 125 years ago. You are invited. Would love to have you.

The Criddle-Vane Homestead Heritage Committee

A committee of the Friends of Spruce Woods Inc. in conjunction with other heritage groups
and the Criddle & Vane families

Charlotte Oleson (Chairperson) Ruth Christie (Secretary)
Box 306, Glenboro, MBGlenboro, MB
R0K 0X0

Event August 26, 2007

Homestead Anniversary Celebration & Fund Raising BBQ

The volunteers of Criddle-Vane Homestead Park invite all to come celebrate the 125th Anniversary of the arrival of the Criddle and Vane families to the homestead in Manitoba.
The event will be held August 26, 2007 from noon to 3:30 p.m. at the park just south of Shilo off Hwy 340 (19 km south of the low road to Shilo). There will be a re-enactment of the arrival, entomology display at the newly restored "first" entomological lab on the Prairies, tours of the homestead, children’s games, golf contest, horseshoes, costume judging, music in the park, tours of the house, raffles and a fund raising BBQ. Come in period costume if possible, to celebrate these pioneer families’ contributions to agriculture and science at the old homestead. Please feel free to pass on this invitation to anyone whom you think might be interested.

Amazingly, when I replied to this and said (tongue-in-cheek) that I would love to go, Oriole told me to jump on a plane and she would take care of everything that end. Bless her! Oh, to be able to make a decision to travel that sort of distance with only a week’s notice! However, when I pointed out that I do not even have a passport in date at the moment, Oriole accepted that I would not be able to attend – but what a wonderful offer! Very many thanks, Oriole!

20th October 2007 Found on Internet…………..
Elsenham U-10 2 Aztecs A 0
Goals from James Yeadon and Bertie Alabaster gave Elsenham their first league win of the season against Aztecs A at the Recreation Ground.
The first half was even and despite chances at both ends, the teams went into the interval without a breakthrough.
After changing every player bar keeper Dan Keating at half-time, Elsenham looked just as good in the second period with a little bit more creativity and passing.
Yeadon opened the scoring, slamming the ball into the net after a cross from Alabaster.
Alabaster scored the second after racing from the half-way line and shooting left-footed into the corner of the net.

Fascinating! Who is this Bertie Alabaster, clearly aged less than 10 years old (U-10) who is performing so well for his Essex football team? I would be very interested to know!

John and Robbin Churchill (nee Alabaster) IV 8th November 2007
Hi Laraine,  I thought you would be interested in the attached file from our daughter-in-law, Sarah Labaree Churchill.  The Thomas Alabaster that she is apparently descended from was born in 1512 where the one that you and Robbin are descended from was born in 1522.  Is it possible they are the same?

Sorry John!  Delightful as would be to be able to say they were the same person, I am afraid it was not so!  Over the years we have tried to discover a relationship between them but, as far as I know, we have not been successful. 

 I will ask Tony Springall, who is our expert on this era, whether he has any further information to offer!

Tony Springall 9th November 2007
Yes, as you know, the Thomas (bc1512) was descended from James Arblaster. As you wanted the information in a hurry I have adapted some earlier notes of mine which you probably have seen and attach these to this email.
Isn’t it ironic: we have been looking over many years for a connection in the distant past between our family and that of James Arblaster. Little did we consider that it exists in the present.

Dear John, As Laraine said, your daughter in law is descended from a different Thomas Alabaster to the one from whom the Alabaster Society members arise. Sarah’s Thomas was the grandson of James Arblaster, about whom quite a lot is known (but not his origins).
I am attaching this note, together with a chronologically ordered file which contains every reference I have to James and his descendants, to my email to Laraine. From the file Sarah can construct the following skeleton tree:-

James Arblaster (m Agnes Wychingham, rm Katherine Pirton)
- Thomas (bc 1455) (m Joan Reynham)
- Katherine (nb: the John Hunt article is my only source of Kath & the next 3 sibs)
- Margaret
- Maryanna
- James
- Thomas (m Agnes)
- Edmund (m Frances)
- Edmund (bc 1545, d 1565)
- Prudence (m William Scott)
- Margaret (m William Mallows, rm John Easton)
- Jane (m Henry Wentworth)
- Alabaster Wentworth
- Elizabeth (m John Alleyn)
- Alice? (see 1492 Will of James Arblaster)
- Blanche? (see letters of 24/10/1465 & 1/6/1468, but she may be James’s stepdaughter)
- James (d 1520) (m ?)
- Ralph

You will notice from the file that the vast majority of the information concerns James Arblaster who died in 1492. James lived through one of the most turbulent and anarchic times in English history: the Wars of the Roses. During this on-off conflict two dynasties fought over and repeatedly swapped the English crown. James Arblaster tied his colours to the fortunes of the Earls of Oxford who were staunch Lancastrian supporters. Also allied to the Earls of Oxford were the Paston family to whom James Arblaster was a confidant. The extensive papers of the Paston family have survived which is remarkable for a modest gentry family of this period. James Arblaster is mentioned in many of the letters and is identified as the author of one of them, although his actual authorship is doubtful.

The origin of James has yet to be discovered. There are many candidate ancestral Arblaster/Alabaster families available in various parts of the UK other than Norfolk and it is not improbable that the 12th Earl ‘recruited’ him (or an ancestor) in his widespread domains. I haven’t included these earlier Alabasters in the file; please let me or Laraine know if Sarah would like their references. My personal hope is that James ties in with the Alabaster Society family which ‘originated’ in Norfolk. Modest support for this possibility comes from several concordances. A James Alabaster was a freeman of Worstead, Norfolk, in 1453 and a John Alabaster, who is related to the Hadleigh group, was buried in the church at Worstead in 1520. The Alabaster/Arblaster coat of arms is displayed on a corbel in the church but since there is no conclusive evidence that either James or John held such arms, its significance is yet to be fully established. By the way, don’t be distracted by the difference in the spelling of the surnames of the two families: contemporary records were variable in surname spelling, as the file shows.

A problem with the Norfolk origin of James is that, unless the ‘freeman of Worstead’ James Alabaster was a different person from James Arblaster, there is no record of other Jameses in East Anglia. However the Longdon Staffordshire Arblaster family had two James Arblasters (father & son) around 1370 to 1410s. Slight support for this possible origin is that the spelling Arblaster was much more common in Staffordshire than in East Anglia - indeed there are Arblasters in the telephone directory today who have descended from the Staffordshire centre. Also note that The Visitations of Essex 1612 & 1634 give the wife of John Aleyn as Elizabeth Alabaster of Staffordshire but this is clearly a mistake, probably arising from the writer’s familiarity with the Staffordshire family. Poor Elizabeth also suffers from being named Margaret in ‘Genealogical Gleanings in England’.

A third candidate family for the forebears of James is that of Thomas and Alice Arblaster who had property in the Essex/Buckinghamshire/Hertfordshire region and were married by 1439. Apart from the similar supposed stamping ground, it is also noteworthy that James probably had a daughter, Alice, who might have been named after Thomas’s wife. However recent delvings suggest that this Thomas was a known member of the well documented Longdon Staffordshire family, for which there is no known link to James.

There was an Arblaster/Alabaster group (although maybe not one family) in the East Midlands area who had associations with the Earls of Oxford from as early as 1301. Given the strength of James Arblaster’s association with the De Veres, this group cannot be ruled out.

She will notice that James acquired much property in Norfolk and Suffolk, some via his marriage to Agnes Wychingham (nee Walton) and others as a proxy for the Earls and Countess of Oxford. This led him into several legal and physical battles over ownership. Even after his death he had a role to play in the establishment of the property rights of the 13th Earl? (see The Last Days of Elizabeth Countess of Oxford).

If she is unfamiliar with the Paston letters, they have been published in many versions over the last two centuries. My favourite version is ‘The Paston Letters 1422-1509’, ed by James Gairdner pub. 1872-5, since this contains facsimiles of signatures and letters missing from other versions. The entire six volumes of this opus are downloadable free from the website:- http://www.archive.org/details/texts . Norman Davis is a modern expert on the Pastons and he has produced several books including a cheap paperback (The Paston Letters, World Classics, $8.95 in USA, in print, modern spelling). He has made his compilation of 421 of the letters, in original spelling etc., available on the Internet if you click this link. I include verbatim, in the file, the letters in this compilation which mention James Arblaster.

Good background reading is ‘The Pastons and their England’ by H.S. Bennett, Cambridge University Press. I think this is out of print but it was first produced in hardback in 1922 and in paperback in 1968.

Laraine:

I have included the full letter from Tony to John Churchill (but not the pages and pages of notes) because I truly think it full of interest and amazing that Tony can come up with such detail at very short notice. I think it will be of interest to other members too!

John and Robbin, November 2007 
Thank you so much for the wealth of information you sent.  I'm still reading and rereading trying to absorb it all.  We're so fortunate to have you (Tony) as our "in-house" historian.
Sarah's father (80 years old) will be so pleased to read your information.  He has been a professor of history at Williams College and has been working on their Labaree genealogy for a number of years taking over from his father who worked on it for 40 years before…

Lilian Alabaster IIIB, 4th November 2007
I was in Oxford Street, London, a couple of weeks ago and saw a window display in John Lewis. I did a double take….it was ALABASTER perfume! I went in and had a sample spray and found that by the evening the smell was gorgeous, so much so that the following week I made a special trip to the store to buy myself my very own bottle!

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Continue to the second and final part of Alabaster Chronicle No 28