Sir Alfred Stephen

  Noted events in his life were:

• Occupation: Chief Justice of NSW, 7 Oct 1844. ⁷⁹³

• note. Rhonda Macrae notes:
Virginia died just after the birth of her 9^th child. Sir Alfred then went on to marry her friend, Eleanor Bedford and had 9 more children.

"It is with extreme pain that we have to announce the death of Mrs. Alfred Stephen, the Lady of Mr. Attorney General Stephen. She departed this life on Monday morning last, at six o'clock, having a few days previously giving premature birth to a daughter, which did not survive two days. Her loss will long be deplored by all who knew her.--COL. TIMES, January 24.
The Sydney Monitor (NSW : 1828 - 1838) Wednesday 8 February 1837


Lines written by Sir Alfred Stephen. In court in 1859, during a very long speech by counsel in the trial of a squatting action which lasted 4 days. Sir Alfred spoke of his children.

'Of children, this knight had no less than eighteen,
Twice nine little heads with marriage between;
He had nine when a barrister, nine when a judge,
And of 'sex' - since to Nature he owed not a grudge -
Nine exactly were girls, the other half boys,
An equal division 'twixt quiet and noise;
While if by marriage the number he reckoned,
There were nine of the first and nine of the second.
Nine in Tasmania, nine New South Wales;
Then (to show with what justice he still held the scales)
Since nine it was clear he could not divide,
(A third sex yet having never been tried)
Five sons, and four daughters in Hobart were born,
That four sons, five daughters might Sydney adorn;
Twin daughters, twin sons, complete the strange story
Of this patron of wigs; though constant old Tory.'

Sir Alfred's will.
Evening News (Sydney, NSW : 1869 - 1931) Monday 14 January 1895
p 5 Article

Late Sir Alfred Stephen.
PARTICULARS OF HIS WILL.
The will of the late Sir Alfred Stephen, in respect of which - stamp duty to the amount of £468 18s was paid last week, was sworn at £15,630. Under a deed 'dated March 12, 1872, the testator appointed Edward Milner and Cecil Bedford Stephen trustees of certain policies of assurance, and all bonuses accrued or to accrue therefrom, and certain moneys invested in bank shares or on mortgage, to hold on trust for his late wife Eleanor, and after , her death for his daughters, Sarah Consett, Alice Mary, Agnes Victoria, and Mary Ann. By another deed, dated 1885. he assigned to his sons Matthew' Henry and Edward Milner Stephen a mortgage, dated May 31, 1884, on Trust, after his death, for their -sisters, Virginia Hewlett and Jessie Leslie. The testator confirmed these two deeds. The 'moneys arising by policies, investments, or otherwise under the deed of 1872 he directed, together with the rest of his property not included in - the deed of 1885, to be held by his trustees, and in the matters comprised in the deed of 1872 by the trustees therein mentioned, namely, all furniture books, plate, pictures, wines, ornaments, consumable stores, illuminated addresses, presentation gifts, &c., given to his daughters, Sarah Consett, and Alice Mary, except as to such articles as may be specifically given by written memoranda to different members of his family. As to the rest of the matters comprised in the deed of 1872 he directs that as soon as may be reasonably practicable the trustees should convert the same into money, and after payment of debts and funeral expenses, that special legacies of 150 pound should be given to his daughters, Sarah Consett and Alice Mary. The remaining portion of the estate was to be divided in four equal shares, of which one was to be transferred by the trustees to Sarah Consett for her sole and separate use absolutely ; the second share to be transferred to Alice Mary for her sole and separate use ; the third to be invested by the trustees, and the income paid to his daughter, Agnes Victoria, during her life, for her sole and separate use, independent of any husband, ; with the power to her to leave it by will to anyone. In case of her dying without a, will, or leaving no children surviving her, then the share to be for her sister's issue, share and share alike. The fourth share was to be held by the trustees upon the same trusts for his daughter Mary Ann. The trustees were authorised to continue the College-street establishment so long as they thought necessary, and to defray the costs out of the general estate. The testator appointed Matthew Henry, Cecil Bedford, Eward Milner, and Septimus Alfred Stephen, trustees of the will, which is dated November 15, 1891.

From Goulburn Evening Penny Post Tuesday 16 October 1894 p2.
No corrections yet
Death of Sir Alfred Stephen. Sin ALFRED STEPHEN died at his residence, College-street, on Monday morning at 9 o'clock. He had been failing in health for some few weeks past, but his faculties were perfectly clear to the last. He, was 92 years of age, and passed away peacefully and painlessly. Sir Alfred Stephen was the fourth son of Mr. Justice Stephen, who for some years was a Judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, and who died in 1833. Sir Alfred was born in the island of St. Christopher, in the West Indies, on the 20th August, 1802, and was sent at an early age to England, and placed in the London Charter-house School and at the Grammar School, Honiton, Devonshire; but at 13 years of age he accompanied his father, who was then Solicitor-General for the Leeward Islands, back to the West Indies, and two years afterwards received an appointment as second lieutenant in a militia corps of Fusileers formed for the defence of- St. Christopher. His tastes, however, soon manifested themselves in the direction of the law, and so turning to England he commenced to study for the Bar. He was called to the Bar at Lincoln's Inn in November, 1823, and commenced. practising immediately as an Equity draughtsman. The following year he married the daughter of Matthew Consett, a London merchant, and not long after wards, being attracted by the prospects of advancement and success offered in the Australian colonies, he and his wife embarked for Tasmania, and arrived there before the first year of their marriage had expired. He served as Crown Law Officer in Tasmania, as Judge of the Supreme Court and Chief Justice in New South Wales as President and (after resignation of that office) as member of the Legislative Council in this colony, as member of the old Board of National Education, as Senator of the University, as trustee of the Australian Museum and the National Art Gallery, and as Lieutenant-Governor, the office which he last resigned. His service began in Tasmania in 1825. His resignation of the Lieutenant-Governorship took place in 1891. Immediately upon hearing of the death of Sir Alfred Stephen the Premier, Mr. G. H. Reid, wrote to the representative of the family in Sydney offering a public funeral as a compliment from the people of the colony, which the career of Sir Alfred Stephen eminently deserved; but finding that the members of the family were averse to a public funeral the matter was not pressed. The funeral will in consequence be private, and it is the special wish of the family, and it was also the wish of Sir Alfred Stephen, that the ustom of sending wreaths should not be observed in connection with his funeral.

Alfred married Eleanor Martha Pickett Bedford, daughter of Rev William Bedford and Eleanor Martha Pickett, on 21 Jul 1838 in St Davids, Hobart Town, Tasmania Australia.⁷⁹³ (Eleanor Martha Pickett Bedford was born on 16 Dec 1810, christened on 11 Jan 1811 in St Botolophs, Bishopgate, London England and died on 11 Jul 1886 in College St, Sydney, NSW Australia ⁷⁹³.)

Alfred next married Virginia Consett, daughter of Matthew Consett and Sarah Southgate, on 22 Jun 1824 in St George the Martyr, Queen Square, London England.⁷⁹³ (Virginia Consett was born on 27 Apr 1803 in St Pancras, Camden Town, London, Middlesex England, christened on 27 Apr 1803 in St Pancras, Old Church, London England, died on 23 Jan 1837 in Hobart Town, Tasmania Australia and was buried in St Davids, Hobart Town, Tasmania Australia ⁷⁹³.)