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The Alabaster ChronicleThe Journal of the Alabaster Society
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The Alabaster ChronicleThe Journal of the Alabaster Society
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Editorialby Laraine Hake - February 1995 Here is Alabaster Chronicle Number Four! I do hope you will enjoy browsing through it, or even reading it carefully! One feature I have added this time is an article made up of excerpts from some of the letters I have received over the past few months. I am so thrilled by the information that I am sent, it seems sad not to be able to share it with others. Occasionally there is sufficient on which to base a whole article, but then there is not always room to include something large. I hope that you will approve of "Laraine's Letters Page" (Steve suggested the title, but I think it was tongue in cheek). This has been edited for the web and renamed "News from Around the World". As a postscript to one of the snippets, I received another letter from Dorothy Gould yesterday, in which she enclosed a photocopy of her grandfather's group wedding photograph, dated 1865!! Thank you very much to all those who have contributed to this journal. Please keep the articles and letters coming in: they are really good to read, and they cut down on my work tremendously. I am sure that it is also good for the readers to have a change of style of prose! Six months has passed since several of us met in Hadleigh last September. It is certainly true what they say about time going faster as you get older! As you will read later in this Chronicle, it was decided to go ahead with plans for a proper "Gathering" in April 1996. Having tried to look at other options, Hadleigh still seems to be the most favoured place at which to base the Gathering, the town and Guildhall's historical associations being a major plus point! In 1996, I hope to organise a tour of places of "Alabaster" interest in Suffolk for the Sunday, and thus make a full weekend for those interested, as we did in 1990 at the first Gathering. Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated. The Guildhall in Hadleigh is now open for visitors, with guided tours from May to September by the "Friends of Hadleigh Guildhall". I think these take place on Sunday and Thursday afternoons, but I am informed that they will be happy to organise one at any other time if a request is made in advance. I have joined the "Friends" on behalf of the Alabaster Society, so do contact me if you want further information. As far as visitors from overseas go, I will always try to arrange a small meeting to accommodate their visits, and Cyril Cook of Hadleigh Archives is willing to make information available there. At the moment, I hear it is likely that there might be Alabaster visitors to Britain later in 1995: from New Zealand, Canada and Australia. When I receive more definite information I will pass it on to anybody who would be interested in meeting them. Thank you all for being there! Without the members, the Alabaster Society would not be possible! Laraine Hake, 17th February 1995To Contents |
Alabaster GatheringHadleigh Guildhall September 10th 1994This Gathering, which was intended to be a small affair, was held to coincide with a General Meeting, marking the
end of the first year of the Alabaster Society's existence. In the event, the day saw the meeting of almost 50
Alabaster family members, including several who had not previously attended a Gathering, many of these being quite
new members. Minutes of the AGMThe Chairman of the meeting was John Stammers Alabaster. Secretary's Report - We are still getting new members. The Society started one year ago with two members, myself and Robin. Since then we have had another 65 households (subscriptions) joining. These include two in Canada, three in New Zealand, three in Australia, one in USA. Thank you for all the contributions to the magazine. Please keep them all coming in. Treasurer's Report - I have issued copies of the Balance Sheet. We now have 67 households who have paid subscriptions, the number of members is actually far higher than this, if a head-count was done. At the end of the year we are in surplus, quite a handsome surplus on a small membership. When Laraine and I originally discussed the format of the Society, what we were aiming to do and what the costs would be, we decided on two journals a year, and estimated that with 40 members it would be viable; with 67 it is more than viable. Thus there seems to be no reason to change the level of subscription. A couple of unusual features of this year's accounts include donations totalling £5, and a surplus of £25 in hand from previous Gatherings. The main reason for the subscription is not to pay for Gatherings such as today`s, but to finance the publication of the Chronicle. Money is being saved where possible, for example magazines to Australia are posted to one member and then redistributed from there. The accounts are in draft form. We need to appoint an auditor. We can make any member of the Society the auditor. Norman Alabaster has kindly agreed to conduct the audit on our behalf. It is intended that the accounts will be published annually in the Spring issue of the journal. Questions followed during which it was clarified that these figures did not include the costs involved in producing, printing and posting the third Alabaster Chronicle which had been sent to all members at the beginning of September, whether they had rejoined by then or not. The Treasurer agreed that it was unlikely that all 67 members would rejoin. The legal basis of the Society was discussed. The Society has been accepted as a member of the Federation of Family History Societies, and they are aware of and have accepted our Constitution. We are not a charity as recognised by the Charity Commission. Questions were raised whether there was any liability to tax on the Income over Expenditure of the Society. This was thought to be unlikely. The £20 subscription to the Federation of Family History Societies includes an element of insurance for family gatherings amongst other benefits. The accounts were formally accepted; proposed by John Stanley and seconded by Jeffrey Alabaster. The floor was now opened for a general discussion. In particular, frequency of meetings was brought up and whether it was necessary to have an Annual General Meeting. The function of the Society was originally conceived to be to publish the journal/Chronicle. It was felt that we do want to have meetings as well but do we want them to discuss the affairs or just to get together? It was agreed to keep everything as informal as possible with the main emphasis being on the family gathering. Any general meeting, by its very nature, must be open to all members, and as our members are so widely scattered and preparations need to be made in advance, the members present decided that a general meeting once a year was unnecessary. After much discussion it was decided that providing the accounts were published annually and members were thus kept informed of the financial situation then, when we do have a Gathering, if it is appropriate, perhaps other matters of the Society could be discussed at a General Meeting. It was agreed to amend the Constitution accordingly. At the previous Gathering in Spring 1993, Spring 1996 had been mooted as a good date for the next major Gathering. This was put to the floor and sufficient people thought that they were likely to be interested to make it worthwhile to continue with this date. It was suggested that, if Alabasters were visiting the UK from abroad at dates between official Gatherings, a note should be put in the Chronicle with a view to some sort of meeting being made available. To Contents |
The Guernsey Lily "May Millican"Following the death of the oldest member of the Alabaster Society, Clara Constance May Millican (nee Alabaster), born 15 September 1898, Robin Alabaster has named his most recently flowering strain of Nerine "May Millican" in her memory. Nerine Sarniensis, more commonly known as Guernsey Lilies, originated in South Africa but have been cultivated in Britain since the 17th century. There is a long tradition of trying to produce new bulbs from seed and naming them after ladies. The photograph of "May Millican" will in no way do it justice. It is actually a waxy pink, with reflexing petals dusted with gold. To ContentsNews from Around the WorldSeptember 1994 James Herbert Alabaster, Eltham: " On 16th September 1994, my son Matthew James Alabaster married Michelle Karen Bentley. The weather held up, just!!!!" October 1994 A member of Suffolk FHS writes: "I found this entry in the burial register of Tuddenham St Martin, Suffolk and thought you would be interested: Briant ALABASTER aged 106 buried 31 July 1748"Bryan Alabaster was a son of John Alabaster (1624-1700) and his wife Elizabeth, and brother of William Alabaster who married Ann Clarke, [many times great grandparents of all surviving Alabasters, as far as I can tell. Both Bryan and William were mentioned in the Wills of Jane Alabaster of Stuston, 1708, sister of their father, and Benjamin Bryan, 1708, first cousin of their father, after whom, I assume, Bryan (Briant) was named. It is unlikely that he was really aged 106, although we have not yet found his baptism, although we have those of various brothers and sisters. It is quite likely, however, that he was well into his nineties! LH November 1994 Eric Orbell, Leicester: "There is one entry on the Warwickshire 1881 Census, as follows:- 1 Court 4 House Thorp Street, Birmingham
November 1994 Beryl Neumann, New South Wales, Australia ALABASTER John Leaving the Colony Sydney Gazette 27th April 1816. 1816 - before Tom came out here. Surely if he was leaving he was not a convict. It was as clear as anything. I can find about 6 to 8 Johns who would have been 30ish about this time but I will not have time to investigate on this further until the New Year. Bother!" December 1994 Nan Kenyon (nee Criddle) British Columbia, Canada (as part of her Christmas Newsletter) December 1994 Carole Alabaster, Newport, Pembrokeshire December 1994 Sue Andrews Associate Member on behalf of Brett Valley Local History Society: January 1995 Dorothy Gould, nee Alabaster, Alizo Viejo, California: January 1995 Martin Alabaster, Cardiff: After discussion between Martin and me on the phone, Martin emailed this gentleman, Harold Alabaster, again for
further information. January 1995 Beryl Neumann, New South Wales, Australia: Samuel West Alabaster - he should have arrived in Australia round about 1852-1855. I have looked in all States - he was not a convict, he did not come as an assisted immigrant, or a settler. Most probably for the gold. RECORDS ARE VERY SCANTY - have not been able to find anything. John Alabaster - Have now sighted the Sydney Gazette dated the 27th April 1916. Heading: Claims and Demands. Underneath it reads: "The person undernamed being about to depart the Colony, request all Claims may be presented to themselves forthwith for Payment, and all those indebted to them are requested to settle their respective Accounts immediately. In the Mary - John Alabaster." It seems that once a convict had served his time or had received an absolute pardon he could leave the colony and return home. Also when people left the colony a notice of their intent was published in the Sydney Gazette. They were allowed to leave 14 days after this notice. If they could not pay their fare they worked on trading, whaling, or fishing vessels. I did find a vessel named Mary, 217 tons, which departed from Sydney on the 14/15th May 1816, Master Owner was Brown & Turner, to Calcutta, cargo 50 t. stone pavement. I looked through records of departures but they started December 1816 (it is always the way). I understand the India Office Library in London may have the logs on this boat. He was not in the Muster of 1814 and was not a convict. I have checked to see if he had a Government Appointment and also sighted the Colonial Secretary's correspondence, but to no avail. Other ideas: Seaman or military, I cannot find anything further here - sources in London might reveal something. Also the East India Co. might know something. Is there anybody who would be willing to look into this in London? LH To Contents
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Federation of Family History SocietiesGeorge Knox represented the Alabaster Society at a meeting of the above. He said it was very interesting. The meeting was held to dissolve the old Federation as from 31st December 1994 as per clause 14 of the constitution and transfer everything to the new company limited by guarantee known as The Federation of Family History Societies (Company No. 2930189 - Registered Charity No. 1038721. There were representatives from 39 societies. There will be a form sent to societies to ask if they are willing to transfer to the new company. To ContentsThe Head of ArbalesterIn the Prado Museum in Madrid there is a small oil painting called "The Head of Arbalester" (28 x 20 cm). It was
painted in about 1511 by Hieronymus Bosch, an artist better known for his monsters, demons, and nightmares in such
paintings as "The Temptation of St Anthony" and "The Garden of Earthly Delights". Question One. Who was Arbalester? I don't know. The Netherlands was in turmoil at this time and soldiers of many nationalities were active. Even our own King Henry VIII, not wishing to be left out of the general mayhem, sent a force in 1511 to besiege the town of Venlo, only 45 miles from S'Hertogenbosch, the town where Bosch lived and worked all his life. Question Two. Was there a flourishing Arbalester Society in Europe 500 and more years ago? In a way, yes. Crossbowmen were well paid, highly skilled professionals and were organised into combat groups or fraternities. In France they were under the jurisdiction of a 'Grand Master of the Crossbowmen', while in Germany and the Netherlands they formed guilds or associations under the patronage of St Sebastian. One example is the 'Great Archers Guild' of Louvain, formed in the 14th century. In 1435 they commissioned the Flemish painter Rogier van der Weyden to paint an altarpiece for their own private chapel in the Church of St Peter's Louvain. This altarpiece, which depicts the deposition from the cross, is considered one of the great masterpieces of 15th century art. It is 8½ feet wide and 7 feet high and, in two corners hanging from painted imitation stone tracery, are tiny painted crossbows to remind worshippers just who it was who paid for the painting. It is now in the Prado Museum. Perhaps crossbowmen wore a badge to identify their particular guild, in the same way someone now might wear the badge of a regiment or a trade union. Whether they had regular family gatherings with morning coffee, a buffet lunch, and tours of local places of interest is more debatable. Peter Robert Alabaster (WofW)To Contents |
The Winthrop Familyby Tony Springall (IIA) It may seem perverse to have an article on the Winthrops in a journal dedicated to the Alabasters but its inclusion may be justified on several counts: the marriage of Roger Alabaster to Bridget Winthrop, the common environment of the two families and the probable (tortuous) blood link between Christian Warren, the wife of Thomas Alabaster (1522-1592), and Mary Forth, the mother of John Winthrop the younger (1606-1676). The Winthrops were of yeoman stock of possible Irish origins [1]. The first Winthrop to raise to prominence was Adam (1498-1562). Although the son of a farmer, his parents, Adam Forth and Jean Burton, obviously had ambitions for his advancement as they apprenticed him to the Clothworkers Company of London. He took full advantage of this opportunity and became very prosperous whilst still a joumeyman. At the age of 46, and just one year before he attained the status of Master, he purchased the manor of Groton, Suffolk for £408-18s-6d. This period of English history was one in which wealth and the ownership of land were sufficient to overcome status at birth. His children married well and he was clearly accepted by the local 'ruling' class. The marriage of his daughter Bridget to Roger Alabaster is the first link with the Alabasters. His third son Adam (1548-1623), by training a lawyer, added further land to the estate and, in 1592, acquired a coat of arms. His first wife Alice Still, the sister of Dr John Still and who died without issue, forms a second link, albeit non-genetic, with the Alabasters. Adam married Anne Browne (1559-1628?) in 1579 and the records show that they had 6 children: Adam (1579), Sarah (1579), Anne (1585), Jane (1592) and John, the future first governor of Massachusetts, in 1588, the year of the Armada. His diary provides an invaluable insight into the everyday life and business transactions of his time and place, and contains many references to the Alabaster family. The eldest son, Adam, attended Trinity College, Dublin and remained in Ireland. John entered Trinity College, Cambridge just before his fourteenth birthday but stayed only 2 years, probably as his father disapproved of the licentious life he was leading. 'The family portraits show him, his father, and his son, to have been of the dark, sanguine, and passionate type of Englishman; so we may believe John when he tells us that he was "wild and dissolute" as a lad, and at times tempted by the lusts of the flesh' [ 4 ]. In 1605, at age 17, John married Mary Forth, the daughter and sole heir of John Forth, of Great Stambridge, Essex and the granddaughter of William Forth of Butley Abbey, Suffolk. She died 11 years later having borne him 6 children including John Winthrop the younger.
Pictured left: John Winthrop the ElderMary's exact relationship to Christian Warren is unclear. Although Muskett [6 ] assigns Robert Forth as Christian's grandfather, the Harleian version of the Visitation of Suffolk 1561 [ 7 ] refutes this and claims that her grandfather was a William Forth. Whichever is correct, it seems probable that the Alabasters share some genes with John Winthrop the younger and his American descendants. John Winthrop (senior -- pictured above) was a Justice of the Peace at 18 years, practised law in London and kept a diary like his father. His second wife, Tomasine Clopton, died, with her first child, a year after their marriage on 6th December, 1615. His third and longest marriage was to Margaret Tyndal, daughter of Sir John Tyndal of Great Maplested, Essex. They married in 1618 and were together for almost 30 years. 'To his four successive wives, John was a tender husband. No woman could want more affectionate letters than those of John Winthrop to his "sweet wife" Margaret, mingling gossip with kind messages and talk of God ...' [4 ]. Details of his last wife are scarce; even Anya Seton in her excellent novel [5] fails to name her. John Winthrop was more of a dedicated puritan than his father. The diary of Adam dealt with domestic and business events whereas John's up to the time he set sail for the New World dealt only with religion. His diary was finally published in its entirety in 1825 as "The History of New England from 1630 to 1649, by John Winthrop". His decision to go to the New World was sudden and was probably prompted by three key events. In 1629 King Charles dissolved Parliament and John Winthrop, as a known puritan, lost his attorneyship at the Court of Wards and Liveries to which he had been appointed by Sir Robert Naunton in 1626. In the same year, the Massachusetts Bay Co. decided to transfer 'the charter and government of the Company to the soil of New England'. This meant that any future governor of the colony would be vested with full authority and , would no longer be answerable to any body in England. On August 26, 1629 the stockholders 'signed and dated at Cambridge a compact, which with the Charter is the basis of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.' The legal decision to transfer the Company was made in London on August 291629. On 20/10/1629 John Winthrop was offered the governorship but it is not known in detail why he was chosen.
If John was an ardent Puritan, this was not universally true of the emigrants he led to Massachusetts. 'The Winthrop Fleet of 1630' [3] records that 'from what is known of subsequent happenings, it is clear that a considerable part of the passengers of the Winthrop Fleet were loyal to English Church and had no intent or desire to be part of any scheme that pretended otherwise. Many of them never joined the Puritan churches, nor became Freeman after their arrival.' Pictured left: John Winthrop the YoungerThe fleet consisted of 11 ships including the 'flagship' Arbella, in which sailed Governor John Winthrop and his company.
This quote, however, gives the wrong image of early life in the colony. Life was tough, especially in the first winter as the emigrants arrived too late to plant crops. The new arrivals found that their predecessors possessed only one or two houses and the rest of the population lived in wigwams modelled after the huts built by the Indians. Even when the colonists resettled after two months to Shawmut many temporarily lived in tents and congregated under trees for meetings. Shawmut was officially renamed Boston at the first meeting of the freemen. John Winthrop wrote in his Journal that "the poorer sort of people (who lay long in tents) were much afflicted with scurvey and many died, especially at Boston and Charlestown." Despite John Winthrop's plea that "We must be knit together, in this work, as one man...We must entertain each other in brotherly affection", the colonial leaders soon set about cohercing all to become puritans. An early 'victim' was the Rev. William Blackstone who had invited the newcomers to the hilly peninsular of Shawmut. Blackstone fled the colony, after selling to it the 50 acres he had managed to retain (now preserved as Boston Common), with the words "I came from England because I did not like the Lord Bishops but I will not join with you because I do not like the Lord Brethren". The monument on Boston Common (pictured below and above right) commemorating the event gives a rather sanitised view. Many who refused to become puritans were driven from the colony and those that refused to conform or to leave were executed. Perhaps the most famous example was Mary Dyer, a Quaker, who after being asked three times to become a Puritan, and refusing each time, was hanged from the Great Elm on Boston Common. |
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Boston Common |
Notes: 1. Some account of the early generations of the Winthrop Family in Ireland, Robert Charles Winthrop (the Younger),
1883 To be continued in the next Chronicle. To Contents |
An Apprenticeship IndentureLast year I advertised, in the Family Tree magazine, for anybody interested in the name ALABASTER. One reply that I received was from a lady with no Alabaster family connection, but who kindly sent me a copy of her grandmother, Ellen Shoobridge's apprenticeship indenture, dated 1891, to Robelt Alabaster, 10 Lyall Road, Roman Road, Old Ford, London Middlesex as his Apprentice in the Art, Trade or Business of Embroidery. Robert Alabaster was born in 1857, the eldest son of Robert and Harriet Harris. At his marriage in 1876 to Emma Haffner, he gave his trade as "confectioner". In 1877 and 1878, on the birth certificates of his son and daughter, Robert's trade was given as "baker". However, the Post Office directories of 1889 to 1903 show him as a "regalia maker" or "regalia manufacturer". Robert died in 1911 but the trade directory for the following year, 1912, gives "E. Alabaster & Co. regalia manufacturers, 10 Lyall Road, Bow", so Emma appears to have continued the trade. Robert was the eldest of four brothers, who included the grandfathers of three members of the Alabaster Society (Branch IIA). I have been told that Robert was a freemason and that his work in regalia was linked with the freemasons. I would be interested to learn more if there is anybody within the Alabaster Society who is able to examine the Freemason records. Click to view in a larger size.
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Notes on Alabaster DemographyPart 2. General Distribution of the 'Hadleigh Alabasters' , post-1850by John Stammers Alabaster (Branch I)In the first note of this series (Alabaster Chronicle No. 3, pp 14~15, 1994), I chose as an arbitrary measure of general trends in the family, the number of registered Alabaster births in England and Wales, and tried to find a way of analysis and visual representation which others might find useful. it showed (in Figs 1 & 2) that births had risen from one per 25-year period in the 1600s at Hadleigh, to 12 per 25-year period in the 1850s, by which time there had been a marked shift in distribution of births towards London. This increase was roughly in line with the national trend in population size as a whole, and also reflected the gradual urbanisation that was taking place in the country at that time. In the present note, I have examined the distribution of births after about 1850, to gain some further general idea of the status and movements of the Alabasters, recognising, however, that statistics alone can provide only a small part of the framework on which our family history can be built. Special attention is paid to London where the population is concentrated, but I have also drawn attention to some of the differences between the different branches, thanks again to print-outs of data provided by Laraine Hake. Eight branches were arbitrarily defined and given in some detail in the booklet produced for the first Alabaster Gathering, and their origins were summarised again in the first issue of the Alabaster Chronicle (1993, pp.8-9) |
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Arbalester has a crossbow
quarrel piercing his hat and a large and elaborate crossbow badge
on his tunic. In the second edition of the 'Alabaster Chronicle'
details were given of a crossbow badge made by Alabaster &
Wilson of Birmingham. did they realise that those continentals had
beaten them to it by some 500 years?The same Arbalester (without
the badge) also appears in "The Making of Christ" (Antwerp
Museum) by Bosch, where he is seen forcing the crown of thorns
on to the head of Christ.
This is the third link with the Alabasters.
However it was said to be 'for his integritie & sufficiencie'. He took some time to decide. 
The fleet arrived at Salem in June 1630 and it is
recorded that when Governor Winthrop landed he
'supped on good venison pastry and good beer,
while most of those who came with him went
ashore on Cape Anne side (now Beverly) and
gathered strawberries.' [2 ]
