JOHN ALDER (c.1712-1780), lottery winner and public benefactor, at 39 Stert Street, formerly the Mitre Inn
John Alder, a cooper by trade, was the landlord of the Mitre Inn. One day in 1767 Mrs Alder had apparently given her husband £22 to settle the brewer’s bill but he had paid only £10 and used the rest to buy a lottery ticket with the winning number 3379. James Powell, the landlord, brought him the news of his win.
He instantly wiped out the debts of his regulars and in January 1768 bought clothing, bread and beef to distribute to the poor. In the same month he was elected a churchwarden of St Nicholas Church and presented a set of chimes which rang out at three, six, nine and twelve until c.1856. He also bought a new body for Francis Blewitt’s stagecoach, The Abingdon Machine.
His win evidently improved his social standing since he appears on the 1768 poll list as "John Alder, Gent." He bought a successful racehorse which he renamed Prize and rented four parcels of land near the Thames, now part of the Abbey Grounds, at an annual value of £45. He died in April 1780.
Source: information provided by The Abingdon Joint Environmental Trust.
The plaque was unveiled on 24 April 2003.