Edward Daniel Alston

4. Edward Daniel Alston born 8 April 1842 and was lost at sea after 27 August 1890 together with his wife Grace Charlotte Francis whom he married at Richmond on the 20 March 1877. I understand that this tragedy took place while rounding Cape Horn on what was to have been his last voyage before retiring as captain. Their son was also aboard.

Inscription in the Alston Vault:

Sacred to the memory of Edward Daniel Alston

second son of the late Edward John Alston

of Great Bromley Hall.

Commander of the ship Roman Empire.

Born April 8th 1842

and of Charlotte his wife born February 19 1853.

Both lost in the ship with all hands

last spoken August 27 1890

and also of their son Roland Athel Edward

born at sea December 18th 1877 died at sea January 16 1885.

Captain E. D. Alston

Information contained on this page has been kindly supplied by Dr. Alan Platt, historian, and expert on the history of the "City of Adelaide"; and also by Howard Murphy and Gilbert Provost.

Edward Daniel Alston was the last of the masters of the City of Adelaide during her term of service in the London to Adelaide trade. A man of totally opposite character to that of her first master, Captain David Bruce, Captain Alston came from a well-to-do family from Great Bromley, Essex.

He was the fourth child of nine born to Edward John Alston and Mary Heningale, and was born at Great Bromley on 8th April 1842. The family lived in a small "country house" called Great Bromley Hall, which still exists today and is now known as Newhouse. There, his father employed 19 men to tend the 350 acres of land that surrounded the house; a governess and four house servants to tend the house and family; and a harness boy.

The elder Edward Alston went on to become a partner in a brewing firm Stour Brewery at Manningtree.

Edward D. Alston's training as seaman began when he was four month shy of his fourteenth birthday. On 28 July 1856 he joined the company of the ship Bombay, 1280 tons, built in 1809 at the city after which the ship was named. A year later he moved to Duncan Dunbar's 914 ton Octavia, launched at Shields in 1853. He completed his three years of training in this ship on the 11th July 1859, and became one of her officers, serving for two years as 4th mate and one year as 3rd.

He was granted his 2nd mate's certificate on 19th August 1862. He then moved to the Ramillies, owned at the time by Gellatly and Co., where he served as 2nd mate from December 1863 until January 1864. During this time, his experience grew, and on the 4th February 1864 gained his 1st mate's certificate. His first berth as Chief Mate was aboard the 433 ton barque Teviot owned by Tindall & Co. of Scarborough. He made only one voyage in this ship, to New York and Ceylon.

He gained his masters' ticket on 11th August 1865, but would make several voyages in different ships for various owners before he came into a command of his own. The following lists the ships on which he served prior to attaining his own command:-

Peveril of the Peak - 713 tons, Harrison, 2 voyages to India as Chief Mate

Chaa-Sze - 566 ton tea clipper, Baring Brothers, Chief Mate - several voyages to India and Australia between 1868 and 1872

St Vincent - 1872 as Chief Mate

On the 4th February 1873, at the age of 30, he became master of the Devitt & Moore part-owned Dunbar Castle. He made one voyage to Sydney in this ship, and then moved to another of their part-owned ships, the 697 ton barque Gateside. Again, he made only one voyage in this ship as master.

His next command was in the City of Adelaide which commenced in May of 1876. And thus began a long association with this wonderful old ship. He continued to sail as her master until she was sold by Devitt & Moore in 1888. During his time aboard the City of Adelaide, Edward Alston married, and his wife Grace, could often be found amongst the passenger lists of his voyages.

After the sale of the City of Adelaide, Edward Alston moved to the Roman Empire. This was to be his last command. The ship several voyages to the west of South America, and in February 1888 made a voyage from the Thames to Melbourne, and a year after that visited several Chilean ports.

On 29th July 1890, the Roman Empire left Liverpool, bound for Mollendo in Peru with a load of coal. No more was heard from her until the 29th December, when a report was received by Lloyd's List from an Auckland freighter, the Hermione, who had spoken with the Roman Empire 14 days out from Liverpool. Telegraphs were sent to the Lloyd's agent in Mollendo asking if the ship had arrived, to which a negative reply was received in return. On that same day, the master of the British Empire wrote to say that "the barque Santa, of Bristol, was in company with the Roman Empire on Aug 27 in Lat 5N Long 18o30'W." He further that the Santa arrived at Iquique [Chile] about 3 weeks before the writing of the letter, and that on the 17th and 18th of September, a vessel which was taken to be the Roman Empire was in company with the British Empire, but was too far away to be positively identified. He reported that position as 42oS 54oW. However, Lloyd's List didn't publish this information until the 3rd Feb 1891.

The following was published for insurance and Board of Trade purposes on 11th March 1891:-

MISSING VESSEL

Roman Empire, Alston, of London, official number 54638, sailed from Liverpool for Mollendo on July 29 1890, with a cargo of coal, was spoken on Aug 27 in 5N 18W, and has not been since heard of.

Sadly, it is believed that Capt. Edward Daniel Alston, late of the ships Bombay, Octavia, Ramillies, Teviot, Peveril of the Peak, Chaa-Sze, St. Vincent, Dunbar Castle, Gateside, and City of Adelaide did what all good courageous captains do - he went down with his ship, the Roman Empire.

The following was received from Howard Murphy and Gilbert Provost:-

ALSTON, Edward Daniel; born Essex 1842

Master Certificate of Competency No. C 26,521 passed in London in 1865.

1865-66 - TEVIOT, Official Number: 27374 - East Indies

1866-67 - PEVERIL OF THE PEAK, ON 15029 - East Indies

1868-72 - CHAA SZE, ON 28388 - Australia

1872-73 - ST. VINCENT, ON 35770 - Australia

1873-74 - DUNBAR CASTLE, ON 50071 - Australia

1875-76 - GATESIDE, - Australia

1876-82 - CITY OF ADELAIDE, ON 50036 - Australia

1884-86 - CITY OF ADELAIDE, - Australia

1888-90 - ROMAN EMPIRE - Drowned 6/9/90