Alice Chester

Alice Chester was a Bristol business woman. She was a widow of a rich draper, Henry, who exported cloth to Spain, Lisbon, Bordeaux and Brittany. After Henry’s death in 1471, she continued his business and traded in cloth, wine, iron and other commodities with Ireland, Spain, Portugal and Flanders, often in her own ships.

Alice prospered and built an imposing house in the High Street with ground floor shop and three dwelling storeys above, and was also a great benefactress. For Bristol she funded the construction of a massive barrel crane that made the loading and unloading of ships far safer and easier, while her gifts to All Saints Church, High Street, included a rood screen, elaborate vestments, and a costly silver cross.