Georgia and Georgians - the Digital Library of Georgia

GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS 2965Carolina, served in Congress in 1807 and 1811; removed then to Alabama,where, as chief justice,. he presided over the orphans' and county courtsfrom 1816 to 1821. In South Carolina the orthography of the name seemsto have been Allston. William Allston, born at Charleston in 1757, marrieda daughter of Rebecca Motte, of Revolutionary fame, whose name is perpetuated in .Port Motte, on the Congaree River, South Carolina. He servedin the American Revolution as a captain under General Marion and laterwas prominent in political life and his son, Joseph Allston, became governorof the state from 1812 to 1814. He married Theodosia Burr, the beautifuland talented daughter of Aaron Burr, whose tragic story has been thetheme of song and romance. The family gave yet another governor toSouth Carolina, in the person of Robert Withers Allston, who was electedto that high office in 1856. Another member of this unusually gifted familywas Washington Allston, one of America's famous landscape artists, whowas born in South Carolina in 1779.While other states profited in numberless ways through the sterling qualities of this family through generations, Georgia also welcomed their adventin the person of Robert West Alston. In 1802 he came from South Carolinaand settled in Hancock County. Other members of the family located inFlorida and in Alabama, and in almost every state in the South the nameappears in some honorable connection. None have ever had occasion to fallback on ancestral achievements to establish their claims to prominence, but,nevertheless, cannot fail to cherish a pardonable pride in their ancientlineage. The great English authority thus describes the family coat ofarms: Azure, ten etoiles or, four, three, two and one. Crest, a crescentargent, charged with an etoile or. Motto, Immotus.Robert Gotten Alston was born in Barbour County, Alabama, April 30,1873, and is a son of Hon. Augustus Holmes and Anna (Ott) Alston. Duringthe war between the states, Judge Augustus H. Alston gave faithful servicein the Confederate army under Gen. John H. Morgan. After the closeof hostilities he engaged in the practice of law, became probate judge ofBarbour County, Alabama, serving two termjs and at present is a distinguished jurist of the state. The surviving members of his family are:Edward Ott, a resident of Denver, Colorado; Phillip Henry and WilliamOtt, residents of Atlanta; Mrs. Lawrence H. Lee, a resident of Montgomery,Alabama; Louise, Elizabeth Drake and A. H., Jr., all residing at Clayton,Alabama; and Robert Gotten, of Atlanta.Enjoying liberal educational advantages, Robert C. Alston was graduatedfrom the Georgia State University in 1890, with the degree of Bachelorof Arts, and in 1893, from the Atlanta Law School, with the degree ofLL. B., in the latter institution, having been made orator of his class andsecuring distinguished mention at the university. In 1893, in associationwith Guy W. Winn, Mr. Alston established the law firm of Winn & Alston,which was maintained until Mr. Winn retired, when Mr. Alston becameassociated with the late Judge Henry B. Tompkins, under the firm styleof Tompkins & Alston. This continued until the death of Judge Tompkinsin February, 1903. In the same year Mr. Alston entered into partnershipunder the firm name of Du Bignon & Alston, which was subsequently dissolved on account of the failing health of the senior partner. In August,1906, Mr. Alston, in association with Sanders McDaniel and Eugene R.Black, organized the law firm of McDaniel, Alston & Black, from whichMr. Alston withdrew on March 1, 1911, when he entered into his presentpartnership with his brother, Philip H. Alston, the style being Robert C.Alston & Philip H. Alston. Mr. Alston's standing at the bar demonstrateshis high order of ability and his professional success, conscientiously strivenfor and universally acknowledged, is dear to him as a compensatingachievement. In every branch of the law he has been effective and many