John Wakeham Stidston & Mary Borlace Frean Family

 Alfred John Stidston was born on May 13, 1852, in Plymouth, Devon, England, into a prominent drapery family. He was one of the children of John Wakeham Stidston and Mary Borlase Frean. His early life saw several moves within Devon, and by 1861 he was boarding in Dawlish, later becoming a farm pupil by 1871. His adult life took a dramatic turn in 1877 when he emigrated to Australia, initially arriving in Adelaide. Shortly after, he married Mary Isabella Buttrose in South Australia in 1879. Over the next two decades, Alfred and Mary had a large family, with children born across South Australian towns like Ovingham, Woodville, Mount Gambier, Kent Town, and Maylands. His life was marked by both personal achievements and losses, including the early death of his son Herbert and the passing of his parents and siblings abroad. Despite these events, Alfred built a stable life in South Australia, contributing to a growing British emigrant community. He passed away in Adelaide on February 25, 1923, and was buried there, having lived a life that bridged two continents during a time of significant change and expansion within the British Empire. 

 John Howard Stidston was born in July 1848 in Plymouth, Devon, England.Raised in a prominent and industrious family, John spent his early years in the Charles the Martyr parish of Plymouth, a central part of the city that was both residential and commercial. Census records from 1851 and 1861 show him living at home, part of a large household that included multiple siblings, among them Mary Borlase, James Wakeham, Alfred John, Charlotte, and Alice. Although specific details about his adult life are sparse in the public record, we know that John Howard eventually left England and settled in South Africa. This move was not uncommon during the height of the British Empire, as many Englishmen pursued economic opportunities abroad, particularly in colonial regions like the Cape Colony. By the time of his death, John was residing in Cape Town at an address listed as 7 Mille Terrace, suggesting he had established a relatively stable life there.

He passed away on March 10, 1916, in Cape Town, Cape Province, South Africa, at the age of 67. His death came during World War I, a period that saw considerable movement and upheaval across the British Empire. Like several of his siblings, John Howard's life reflected the broad geographic reach of the Stidston family, whose members settled in far-flung places such as South Africa, India, and Australia. Though he spent his final years far from his Plymouth roots, his life remains a testament to the era's spirit of migration, enterprise, and the enduring ties of family across continents.

 Alice Stidston was born in October 1858 in Plymouth, Devon, into the distinguished Stidston family. Alice was raised in a lively, upper-middle-class household among several siblings, including Mary Borlase, John Howard, Alfred John, and James Wakeham. The family lived in the Charles parish of Plymouth, a central area known for its commercial and residential life. By 1881, Alice was living in Deptford, London, listed in the census as a "draper’s daughter," likely indicating that she had followed in some capacity the family trade. Around 1882, she married James Plomer Cregoe, a man from a family with similar social standing. The couple had four children: Charles Lancelot, Alice Marquerite, Julian Plomer, and Esme Gladys. The birthplaces of their children—ranging from Plymouth and Charleston, South Carolina, to Bodmin in Cornwall—along with a noted 1887 arrival in New York, suggest the family led a highly mobile life, with strong international ties. These movements likely reflect James Cregoe's professional or entrepreneurial pursuits abroad during the height of British global influence. In 1891, the family resided in Cornwall, and by 1901 they had relocated to Lewisham, London. A decade later, they were living in Penge, Surrey. After James’s death in 1920 in Hampstead, Alice was recorded as a widow in 1921, living independently and managing "private home duties," a term often used to describe the work of women who managed their households.Alice continued to travel even in later life. In 1932, at the age of 74, she departed England and arrived in Montréal, Canada—another sign of the enduring international dimension of her family’s life. She died on November 22, 1944, in Paddington, London, at the age of 86. Her probate was registered in Llandudno in 1945. Alice Stidston’s life reflects the mobility and cosmopolitan nature of many upper-middle-class British families in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Her experiences—bridging England, North America, and the British colonies—mirror the arc of the British Empire itself, and her longevity, adaptability, and strong family ties speak to a life of quiet resilience and social influence.