Alliston (surname)

This surname is most popular in South West Suffolk and North Essex England. Variants include Alliston, Elliston, Allaston, Ellystone and Alston.

Most branches of the Alliston variant can trace their heritage back to William Alliston/Elliston/Alston, who was a yeoman at Hedingham Castle, home to the De Veres (Earls of Oxford) in the 15th century.

Lawrence Elliston his grandson was mentioned in the will of the 15th and 16th Earls. William Elliston was mentioned in the will of the 13th Earl of Oxford. They were 40 shilling Yeomen being paid 40 shillings on the death of their Feudal Lord.

see http://www.oxford-shakespeare.com/documents.html for the wills

There is also a mention of a Hugh Austyn or Allstyn mentioned in the medieval soldiers database in 1415 as a soldier with Richard De Vere 11th Earl of Oxford, he would have fought at Agincourt.

Another branch appears to have gone to Scotland in the 14th century when Hugh Alston ending up fighting for Robert De Bruce. See the story of Thinacre Milne.

The coat of arms of the Scottish family are the same as those for the Suffolk Alston branch. The Elliston branch seems to have acquired a new coat of arms about the time of the battle of Bosworth ( 13th Earl of Oxford) when they started using the arms of Maur De Eylston who is mentioned on the Collins roll of Edward I (1290's).

Coat of arms

In the Collins Roll I ‘Erdeswickes version’ (lost original from circa 1295) the Arms of Mane de Eglestone are given as Per pale Gules and Vert an Eagle displayed ArgentIn

Collins Roll II ‘Dethick’s version’ (lost original, 15th-century additions to above only), the Arms of Malg’ de Eyleston are again given as Per Pale Gules and vert an Eagle displayed Argent.

It was then recorded in the Essex visitation of 1634

Arms-Per pale gules and vert an eagle displayed argent, membered or.

Crest-Out of a ducal coronet an eagles head gules, beaked or.

Mathew Elliston of Castell Hedingham in com. Essex ==

Mathew Elliston of castell==Anne d. Will’m Harrington of maplestead

Joseph Elliston 2 sonn of Tillingham==Mary d. Geffrey Binks of Tillingham==

Joesph Elliston 4 years old

Again in the Visitation 1664–1668

Arms – Per pale gules and vert, an eagle displayed argent charged on breast with a crescent for difference.

Crest – An eagles head argent, erased gules, murally gorged azure.

John Elliston of Black Notley==Alice Pilgrim

Mathew eldest sonn mar. Mary Champion ———— Isaac Elliston Of little Coxall alias Cogeshall== Mathew Mary

Also in the church at Gestingthorpe, Essex there is a memorial to John Elliston bearing the same arms. John of Gestingthorpe and Mathew Elliston were Cousins.

Early records

A William Alston is on record as having lived at Stistead not far from Hedingham in the time of Edward I^[1]

The earliest mention of the surname in Suffolk is a Feet of Fines record in 1224 when John son of Adam de Alliston sold land at Stansfield Suffolk. Stansfield is just North of Clare Suffolk home of the De Clares later Earls of Gloucester and Hertford.

See the website history for St Botolphs , Swyncombe for an explanation of relationships at the time of the Domesday of De Clare to William I.

Just to the south of Clare is Stambourne, North Essex which was home to Alestan an Anlgo Saxon. Stambourne and Hedingham are also quite close.

From Domesday Book and The Law by Robin Fleming. Cambridge University Press.ii 100b (0-33) Annexations (invasiones) against the King; Stambourne: TRE Aethelstan, a freeman, and twelve other freemen held forty acres of land in Stambourne. They still have it.

This implies that Alestan and the twelve free men were resisting William I. The fact that they appear to have survived the Norman invasion implies quite powerful connections.

William I had given it to Hamo the Sheriff of Kent but Alestan kept physical possession. He may have been the same Alestan that had held West Ham which was given to the Peveral family who also gained Stambourne in the 13th century.

There is one place name reference in West Ham to Alestan it is Alestan Beck Road and it Adjoins Stansfeld Road. Stambourne is thought to derive from Alestans Bourne (Saxon) or Allestans Stream, Stans field probably derives from Alestans Field, Alestan Bec (Danish) also means Alestans stream.

From the Calendar of Royal Documents Henry I91. Writ of H I, ordering Aubrey de Vere, sheriff of Essex, to convene the shire court concerning the dispute between the abp. of Canterbury and the abbot of Westminster concerning the land of Alestan [in West Ham]; to cause a verdict to be delivered on who has the better title, and to put him lawfully in seisin. Westminster [1129, ante Nov.]

British History West Ham

In 958 West Ham had been granted to an Aethelstan by King Edgar. Alestan is a middle English variant on Aethelstan so the name and land are consistent with inheritance. The Pase website identifies this as Bishop Aethelstan although it could also be Earldorman Aethelstan who had fostered King Edgar as a child and who was one of his main supporters when England was divided between to the two King brothers Eadwig and Edgar in 957. Ealdorman Aethelstan appears to have a brother called Eadric who had a son Aethelweard the historian who claimed to be the grandsons grandson of Aethelred I King of Wessex.

Alliston is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:

• Buddy Alliston (born 1933), American football player
• Cyril Alliston (1891–1973), English cricketer

References