Matthew Alston

Brief Life History of Matthew

When Matthew Alston was born on 11 December 1842, in Nauvoo, Hancock, Illinois, United States, his father, John Alston, was 35 and his mother, Ann Ellison, was 22. He married Talitha Ann McConky on 14 October 1867, in Adrian, Hancock, Illinois, United States. They were the parents of at least 2 sons. He lived in Rock Creek Township, Hancock, Illinois, United States for about 10 years and Montebello Township, Hancock, Illinois, United States in 1900. He died on 24 March 1909, in Hamilton, Hancock, Illinois, United States, at the age of 66, and was buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Augusta, Hancock, Illinois, United States.

Photos and Memories (2)

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Family Time Line

Matthew Alston
1842–1909
Talitha Ann McConky
1850–1927
Marriage: 14 October 1867
Robert Harrison Alston
1868–1949
David John Alston
1875–1957

Sources (22)

  • Mathew Austin, "United States Census, 1860"
  • Mathew Alston, "Iowa, County Marriages, 1838-1934"
  • Mathew Alston, "United States Headstone Applications for U.S. Military Veterans, 1925-1949"

World Events (8)

1845 · Oh My Father

"In October 1845, the newspaper Times and Seasons published a poem written by Eliza R. Snow entitled ""My Father in Heaven."" It has become the well known hymn, ""Oh My Father."" The song is only one in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hymnbook that referrs to a Heavenly Mother."

1846

Iowa is the 29th state.

1861 · Simple life to Soldiers

Illinois contributed 250,000 soldiers to the Union Army, ranking it fourth in terms of the total men fighting for a single state. Troops mainly fought in the Western side of the Appalachian Mountains, but a few regiments played important roles in the East side. Several thousand Illinoisians died during the war. No major battles were fought in the state, although several towns became sites for important supply depots and navy yards. Not everyone in the state supported the war and there were calls for secession in Southern Illinois several residents. However, the movement for secession soon died after the proposal was blocked.

Name Meaning

English and Scottish:

from the Middle English personal name Alstan, which is a coalescence of several different Old English personal names: Æthelstān ‘noble stone’, Ælfstān ‘elf stone’, Ealdstān ‘old stone’, or Ealhstān ‘temple stone’.

habitational name from any of various places called Alston (in Cumbria, Lancashire, Devon, and Somerset) or Alstone (in Gloucestershire and Staffordshire). With the exception of Alston in Cumbria, which is formed with the Old Norse personal name Halfdan, these placenames all consist of an Old English personal name + Old English tūn ‘settlement’, for example Ælfsige in the case of Alstone in Gloucestershire.

Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.

Possible Related Names

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