Dr. John J. Alston, a retired physician and prominent farmer of Lauderdale
County, was born in Williamson County, August 1, 1831, and is the son of
Hardaway Alston, who was born in Warren County, N.C., in 1800, and came with
his parents to Williamson, January 8, 1813, and after attaining his majority
he married Rebecca P. Bradley, a daughter of Capt. Joseph J. Bradley, a farmer
and one of the pioneers of Middle Tennessee. After his marriage they settled
in Williamson County, Tenn., and settled at Mason’s Grove, remaining until
1857, when he removed to Lauderdale County and settled near the Hatchie River,
and died at his son’s (V.S. Alston), in 1876. The mother was born in Warren
County, N.C., and died at the home on Hatchie River in 1858. Dr. John Alston
was raised on the farm, and received a liberal education at Triune, Tenn.,
then read medicine with Dr. W. L. Fox, at Mason’s Grove, and attended
lectures at the Memphis Medical College in 1852-53, and was a most successful
physician for eighteen years, when he retired in favor of a cousin. Dr.
Alston was married in Lauderdale County, May 4, 1859, to Miss Mary F. Loyd,
daughter of Sydney S. Loyd, a farmer. Mrs. Alston was born in North Carolina,
in 1837. No children have been born to this marriage, but they have an
adopted daughter, Lee Anna Alston, fifteen years of age. Dr. Alston is a
democrat, and was made a Mason in Fuller Lodge, No. 269, at Ripley, Tenn., in
1857, representing his lodge in the Grand Lodge at Nashville for many years.
In 1858-59 he was coroner in the county. In 1878 he represented his county in
the Legislature. With his wife he belongs to the Missionary Baptist Church.
Dr. Alston owns a farm of 767 acres of good land, eleven miles south of
Ripley, on the Fulton road. It has a handsome residence on it and is one of
the most desirable homes in the county, but they are at present living at
Henning, where they have another pleasant home, and are prominent people
socially and in the church.

Goodspeed’s Biographies of Lauderdale Co., TN