Alfred Sturge
On his mother’s side, he was descended from a noble French family, and Count Emerie de St. Dalmas was his maternal grandfather, whose eldest son converted to the Protestant Christian faith, and was consequently prevented by the law of those times from inheriting his father’s title and estates.Subsequently, he moved to Plymouth, where he sat under the ministry of Samuel Nicholson of the George Street Baptist Church (1845–1941), which he joined when he was about twenty-five years old.[2] On returning to England, he resided for some time with his uncle, Thomas Sturge of Northfleet, and became known in the neighboring town of Dartford, where he assisted the pastor of the Congregational Church.After the death of that pastor, he established a Baptist church in that growing town on 7 April 1867 which met in the Working Men’s Institute.[2] He was buried in the East Hill Cemetery at Dartford in Kent, where his tombstone reads:[7][3] In loving memoryofERNEST BRAINERD STURGE [8]who fell asleep in JesusSeptember 21st 1882in his 21st year.Also in loving memory ofMARGARET TAIT STURGEwife of the Rev ALFRED STURGE,a devoted wife & mother and an earnest Christian worker.Entered into her rest on March 29th 1913,in the 95th year of her age.