Sir Edward Alston (1595 – 24 December 1669), was the president of the

College of Physicians A college (Latin: ''collegium'') may be a tertiary educational institution (sometimes awarding degrees), part of a collegiate university, an institution offering vocational education, a further education institution, or a secondary school ...

who married Sussana Hussey the widow of Jasper Hussey. Hussey had been a London fishmonger and he had left significant and valuable property in Billingsgate. Alston's daughter Sarah (later fourth duchess of Somerset Seymour) was a significant benefactor.

Life

Alston was born in

Suffolk Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...

, son of Edward Alston of

Edwardstone Edwardstone is a village and civil parish in the Babergh district, in the county of Suffolk, England. The parish contains the hamlets of Mill Green, Priory Green, Round Maple and Sherbourne Street, and Edwardstone Woods, a Site of Special Sc ...

, and was educated at St. John's College, Cambridge. He graduated B.A. 1615, M.D. 1626. In 1631 he was elected a fellow of the College of Physicians, and was president from 1655 until 1666. At the Restoration he was knighted by Charles II (3 September 1660). He increased the power of the college by a judicious inclusion of physicians who during the

English Civil War The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...

had practised without the college license. Thus seventy honorary fellows were created at once. Their diploma fees filled the almost empty college chest, but while the college was unguarded during the plague, thieves carried off the money. In the following year The Great Fire of London inflicted a still more serious loss on the society, Alston promised money to rebuild the college, but a quarrel arose as to the site, and at the annual election he was not again chosen president. He withdrew his promise of money and never renewed it. Alston married Sussana Hussey, the widow of Jasper Hussey. Hussey had been a London fishmonger and he had left significant and valuable property in

Billingsgate Billingsgate is one of the 25 Wards of the City of London. This small City Ward is situated on the north bank of the River Thames between London Bridge and Tower Bridge in the south-east of the Square Mile. The modern Ward extends south to th ...

. He published in quarto ‘A Collection of Grants to the College of Physicians,’ London, 1660. He lived in Great St. Helens,

Bishopsgate Bishopsgate was one of the eastern gates in London's former defensive wall. The gate's name is traditionally attributed to Earconwald, who was Bishop of London in the 7th century. It was first built in Roman times and marked the beginning o ...

, and died very rich 24 December 1669. One of their two daughters Sarah (later fourth duchess of Somerset Seymour) was a significant benefactor thanks to a clever

Prenuptial agreement A prenuptial agreement, antenuptial agreement, or premarital agreement (commonly referred to as a prenup), is a written contract entered into by a couple before marriage or a civil union that enables them to select and control many of the legal ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alston, Edward 1595 births 1669 deaths Medical doctors from Suffolk Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge 17th-century English medical doctors Presidents of the Royal College of Physicians