Introduction

As always, greetings to all readers of "Daltons in History"!!

I start by reiterating the plea from our Editor, Dairne Irwin, for more material for publication in "Daltons in History". You will have noticed that in recent months the number of articles in each issue has diminished considerably, and we urgently need your help. Almost everything that has appeared recently has been written by one of a very small number of regular contributors, mostly officers and committee members. We are of course most grateful to this regular band, but they are beginning to feel very lonely without support from you, our DGS members and readers. Please do let Dairne have any Dalton related articles, notes or snippets of information which will be of general interest to our wide audience. "Daltons in History" is your newsletter and, without your contributions and your support, it cannot survive!

February has been another cold month here in England and we have been using the time to catch up with family history alongside the many other interests and activities with which we are involved. Despite having more time, there never seems to be enough to catch up with everything that is on the list!

As usual, you will find below all the latest news about DGS events and activities, together with other updates to keep you fully informed about what we are doing.

Future DGS events

For the 2013 Gathering and AGM we are returning to Ireland. We will be based in Dublin, as we were in 2005, and the event takes place over the weekend of Fri/Sat/Sun 26th/27th/28th July 2013. We are staying at the Ashling Hotel, where we were accommodated in 2005. Since then the hotel has been considerably refurbished and I know that we will be very well looked after. You can see more about the Ashling Hotel on their website at www.ashlinghotel.ie. The programme will concentrate on Dalton families with Irish ancestry. Full details about the Gathering have now been published and will be found in the "Forthcoming Gatherings" section of this website – just click here or follow the link on the left of this page or consult the article following these notes. The details have also been distributed to all members of the Society with Volume 57 of the DGS Journal for December 2012, which was sent out at the end of January.

Registration forms and deposits have been received from a number of you and others have been making enquiries and putting together plans to be in Dublin at the end of July. To date we have about 30 registrations. It will be most helpful if those of you still to register can do so as soon as possible in order that we have a clear view of the likely numbers attending. We then have the best opportunity to ensure that the more detailed arrangements that we are making for the weekend can accommodate you all.

Please register your interest as soon as you can and ideally by the end of March. We will look forward to seeing many DGS members and their families in Dublin, and particularly those with Irish Dalton ancestry.

As announced at the last Annual General Meeting, plans are now being made for 2014 and 2015. It had been suggested that the Burgundy area of France might be a possibility for 2014 but further investigation has presented difficulties in making suitable arrangements. We have therefore decided to base the 2014 Gathering in East Anglia, UK and we will announce further details soon. We still hope to return to the United States and visit Virginia in 2015. It has also been proposed that we return to South Wales, UK in 2016. The DGS committee is actively taking these plans forward and we will be making further more detailed announcements in the coming months about locations and dates. So watch this space!

And, as we like to plan ahead and explore other options for our annual gathering events, if you have any particular thoughts about where you might like to meet, or a particular Dalton theme you think we should incorporate, we would really like to hear from you with your ideas.

The Dalton International DNA Project (DIDP)

Our DNA project continues to attract considerable interest with a regular stream of enquiries about joining being received by myself and Karen Dalton Preston as administrators of the project. Last September we published a DIDP Update and this can be found in the "Dalton DNA Project" section of this website. Click here. This includes an up to date list of genetic family coordinators and details of the new reports that we now plan to publish during the first half of 2013. I have recently been in contact with Chris Pomery about the more detailed structure and content of these.

We are indebted to Chris for all his assistance with the project over the past seven years, which includes the preparation of three issues of the very comprehensive project progress report, and most recently a series of six reports covering individual genetic families. He has also given informative presentations at our annual gatherings on several occasions. We now have some 180 participants in the project, including three new recruits at last year’s Yorkshire gathering, and well over 80% are members of one of the 15 identified genetic families.

The DGS Journal

Volume 57 of the DGS Journal for December 2012 was printed and distributed to members in January. All members, both in the UK and overseas, should have received their copies. If you have not received your copy please contact your local DGS secretary.

As always this latest volume of our award winning Journal will contain much of interest and you will find details of the contents in a separate section below. If you are not a DGS member, please think about joining the Society. This will entitle you to receive the Journal regularly, and much more. Full details are in the "Join the DGS" section of this website, or just click here.

John always welcomes articles and other items for publication in the Journal, and material for publication should be sent to him as early as possible. This will enable him to plan the content of the next and future issues. The deadline for contributions for Volume 58 of the DGS Journal, due for publication by the end of June 2013, will be 15 May 2013. John is happy to advise and assist contributors and, if you have any questions or need help, please contact him by email at johndalton78@hotmail.com.

Back issues of the DGS Journal continue to be available. On this website you can access the "DGS Journal Index" from the homepage or by clicking here. Here you will find a full synopsis of the contents of the Journal of the Dalton Genealogical Society commencing with Volume 1 published back in 1970 through to Volume 41 published in December 2004. Lists of contents are given for Volumes 42 to 57 and the full synopses will be uploaded in due course. Copies of all back numbers are available for purchase and these can be obtained through your local secretary using the order form that you will find on the link above. Details of prices, including postage and packing, will be found there as well.

We are most grateful to DGS member Mrs Pat Robinson, who holds stocks of back numbers for the Society and arranges for their distribution in response to requests from the local secretaries (address: Mallards, 3 High Street, The Green, Barrington, Cambridge CB2 5QX, UK email: gandprobinson@waitrose.com.)

Conclusion

Enjoy this month’s issue of "Daltons in History", your regular monthly update on everything that is happening in the world of Dalton family history. We will be back again in April 2013.

Thank you for your attention and once again, please do send your articles, notes and snippets of information for publication in “Daltons in History" to our Editor, Dairne Irwin (email: dairneirwin@ntlworld.com).

Yours very sincerely

Michael Neale Dalton
Chairman and Honorary Life President of the Dalton Genealogical Society

For 2013, the DGS Annual Gathering is being held in Ireland and will be based at the Ashling Hotel in Dublin, conveniently situated near the city centre. This event will take place from Friday 26th to Monday 29th July 2013.

The Dalton Genealogical Society extends an invitation to all DGS members and their families to attend the 2013 Gathering of the Society in Dublin, Ireland from Friday 26th to Monday 29th July. All will be welcome, and the theme of the weekend will be the origins and the history of Irish Dalton families. Coupled with this we will review some of the projects that the Society is working on and look ahead to the future.

The weekend will include the opportunity to visit a number of interesting places both inside and outside Dublin, including some with direct Dalton connections, together with talks about Dalton family history and, of course, the opportunity to meet and chat with fellow members. The DGS Annual Dinner will take place on the Saturday evening.

Full details of the programme for the weekend, costs and booking arrangements will be found below. If you require any further information or have any queries, please contact Michael Neale Dalton (DGS Chairman & 2013 Gathering Organiser - email: michaelndalton@aol.com) who will be pleased to assist.

A note about travel arrangements:

It is anticipated that many delegates will want to combine their stay in Dublin with visits to other parts of Ireland. There are a number of travel options. You can fly to Dublin which offers good international connections. The Irish airlines are Aer Lingus (www.aerlingus.com) and Ryanair (www.ryanair.com). Many other airlines also fly into Dublin.

The best way to get around Ireland is by car, and it is easy to arrange a hire car for pick up at the airport. Visit www.auto-europe.co.uk/car-hire/Ireland.cfm, which is one of many options available to obtain a competitive quote.

Alternatively, there are good car and passenger ferry services from mainland UK to Ireland, with Holyhead to Dublin or to Dun Laoghaire, and Fishguard to Rosslare probably being the best options. Visit www.directferries.co.uk/ireland.htm for further information. Dublin is about one and a half hours drive from Rosslare.

If you do not want to drive a car, Ireland offers extensive railway and bus services. Details can be found at www.irishrail.ie and www.buseireann.ie respectively.

If you need advice, guidance or assistance with your travel plans, please contact Michael who will do his best to help.

A note about the Ashling Hotel:

The venue for the Gathering is the Ashling Hotel. This is where we were accommodated for the 2005 Gathering and since then the hotel has been very considerably refurbished. We anticipate that we will be well looked after at the Ashling and further details can be found on their website here.

Annual Gathering for 2013
Friday 26th to Monday 29th July 2013
Dublin, Republic of Ireland

PROGRAMME FOR THE WEEKEND

Friday 26th July 2013

from 12 noon

Check in at the Ashling Hotel in the usual way and register at the DGS desk in reception. Light lunches can be taken at the Hotel.

afternoon

The afternoon will be free for you to visit places of interest in Dublin. Subject to demand we will arrange visits to specific libraries and research centres – Bernie Walsh will be on hand to assist with this.

evening

Dinner will be available in the Hotel restaurant, or you may wish to explore what Dublin has to offer with its wide array of restaurants and bars. We will make suggestions for those not familiar with Dublin and ensure that all delegates are included in a DGS group.

Saturday 27th July 2013

morning

The programme will commence with the DGS Annual General Meeting. This will be followed by talks about Dalton family history and the work of the Society. It will take place in the Liffey Suite at the Hotel.

Buffet lunch served in the Liffey Suite.

afternoon

Another opportunity to visit places of interest in the city of Dublin. Again we will make suggestions.

evening

The DGS Annual Dinner will take place in the Liffey Suite at the Hotel and it will be followed by entertainment.

Sunday 28th July 2013

daytime

We are arranging a full day tour to include visits to Kildalton College, formerly a home of Irish Daltons, and Kilkenny Castle. We are planning to provide transport for all by coach.

evening

We have booked a private room for dinner at Ryan’s, a traditional Irish pub, noted for its excellent steaks. Ryan’s is just a few steps from the hotel and some may remember it from 2005!

Monday 29th July 2013

morning

The conclusion of the DGS Gathering. Check out from your accommodation. Arrangements can be made for those who wish to stay over.

REGISTRATION FORM

The form is given below and may be downloaded as an Adobe Acrobat (registrationform.pdf) or Word (registrationform.doc) document for printing, completion and return as per the accompanying notes.

REGISTRATION FORM NOTES

The Registration Form follows. Please note the points below:

You are asked to make your own reservation at the Ashling Hotel, secured by credit card. The easiest way to do this will by telephone (+353 (0)1 677 2324) or email (info@ashling.ie). When you book, be sure to mention that you are attending the Dalton Genealogical Society Gathering in order to obtain your room at the specially negotiated rate for our block booking.

The Society has already made certain commitments in order to be able to offer the programme for the weekend. We need to know numbers attending as early as we can in order to finalise the arrangements for the various events and visits during the weekend. If you wish to attend, it would therefore be extremely helpful if you are able to return your registration form and deposit before 28th February 2013.

We will endeavour to maintain availability of hotel accommodation for as long as we can, but it is unlikely that we will be able to take any more bookings after the end of April 2013.

We will keep you informed about take up and booking options on the DGS website at www.daltongensoc.com. Just follow the link to Forthcoming Gatherings and click on the 2013 DGS Gathering. Month by month the website will also carry further information about Ireland, about the speakers who will address us and about the places we will be visiting during the weekend. We will also feature articles about Irish Daltons and their family history.

You are asked to pay, in advance, a deposit payment of £75 sterling per person towards the cost of the Saturday morning conference and buffet lunch, the Saturday evening dinner, the Sunday tour and the Sunday evening dinner.

As soon as final costings are available for the various elements of the programme, you will be advised of these and asked to confirm the elements in which you wish to participate. The balance due will be payable in euros when you are in Dublin.

The Society will return deposits to delegates who subsequently are unable to attend, subject to the deduction of any unrecoverable costs incurred.

If you wish to extend your stay either before or after the three nights (Fri/Sat/Sun), please make your requirements clear to the Ashling Hotel and they will reserve the extra nights for you, subject to availability of rooms.

Prices for accommodation are as follows:

The Ashling Hotel – 3 night package (Fri/Sat/Sun)

381 euros for bed & breakfast for 2 people in a double/twin room
322 euros for bed & breakfast for 1 person in a single room
One additional night (Thu or Mon) 99 euros double/twin, 92 euros single
Stays of less than 3 nights and further additional nights – prices on application.

If you prefer to take alternative accommodation there are a number of other possible options locally. Please indicate this on the registration form and we will assist if we can. It is also possible for those who live locally to join the weekend as a day delegate.

Indicative prices for events and visits are as follows:

Dinner on Friday Evening

Own arrangements

Conference and Buffet Lunch on Saturday

40 euros per person

DGS Annual Dinner on Saturday (3 courses excl. drinks)

35 euros per person

Sunday visit to Kildalton and Kilkenny (excluding lunch)

35 euros per person

Dinner on Sunday evening

35 euros per person

Subject to demand, we plan to arrange transport by coach on Sunday. The indicative prices include an allowance for this. As soon as final details and costings are known, they will be advised to all those who have made reservations, and they will be published on the DGS website.

Notes for overseas members:

Members in the United States and Canada may remit to the Society’s North American Secretary in US dollars. A deposit of $130 per person made payable to "Dalton Genealogical Society" should be sent together with a copy of the registration form to: Karen Dalton Preston, DGS North American Secretary, 2777 Turtle Head Peak Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada 89135, USA.

All deposits paid will be converted into euros at the prevailing rate and balances due will be payable in euros when you are in Dublin.

Members in Australia and New Zealand should contact the Australian Secretary, Maureen Collins by email (mmcollins@ozemail.com.au) for guidance.

Please remember that even if your remittance is being sent to either Karen Preston or Maureen Collins, you must also send your registration form with all the details to Michael N Dalton at the UK address on the form.

REGISTRATION FORM

for THE DALTON GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY GATHERING
DUBLIN, REPUBLIC OF IRELAND 2013

Name .....................................................................................................................................

Address .................................................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................................................

Tel No ................................................... Email ......................................................................

I/we will attend the Gathering from Friday 26th to Monday 29th July 2013.

Please give the names of additional members of your party and indicate clearly the hotel rooms that you wish to book (double, twin or single), together with the nights that you wish to stay at the Ashling Hotel. Alternatively please indicate that you plan to stay elsewhere or to attend as a day delegate.

................................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................

Please remember it is your responsibility to reserve your accommodation at the Ashling Hotel – see note above for details of this. Deposits for your accommodation are not required. Your reservation should be secured by credit card.

Please indicate any special room requirements and any special needs:-

................................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................

**** please now turn over and fill in form overleaf and sign declaration ****

Additional elements of the weekend programme:

Please fill in to indicate your expected participation in the following events and the numbers in your party:

Date

Event

Estimated Cost per head in euros

Tick to indicate participation

No in party

Friday 26th July

Dinner - in a DGS Group

-

 

 

Saturday 27th July

Conference including coffee and biscuits and buffet lunch

40.00

 

 

Saturday 27th July

DGS Annual Dinner

35.00

 

 

Sunday 28th July

Visit to Kildalton and Kilkenny

35.00

 

 

Sunday 28th July

Dinner at Ryan's

35.00

 

 

 

TOTAL DEPOSIT FOR EVENTS @ £75.00 PER PERSON

 

Declaration:

I have read the enclosed details and ticked the boxes as requested, and enclose my cheque for the total indicated above and made payable to ‘Dalton Genealogical Society’. Alternatively, I have made arrangements for the payment to be sent to one of the DGS Overseas Secretaries.

I understand the terms outlined above relating to the return of deposit monies paid to the Society.

In the event of any changes to my booking or cancellation, I undertake to notify the DGS Chairman and 2013 Gathering Coordinator, Michael N Dalton, at the earliest opportunity.

 

Signed:  ............................................................................ Date:     ............................................................................

Please return this registration form, completed and signed, to:

Michael N Dalton, 2 Harewood Close, Reigate, Surrey RH2 0HE, UK

In the January 2013 issue of "Daltons in History", the last instalment in this series covered the year 2002. This personal account of the history of the Dalton Genealogical Society by Michael Dalton continues with the seventeenth instalment, commencing at the beginning of 2003.

2003 is remembered by me as the year that the DGS Gathering was held in South Wales and a large group were able to visit the village of Pembrey and see the gravestone of my direct Dalton ancestor, James Dalton who was born in 1650 in Witney, Oxfordshire and died in 1721 in Pembrey. As I wrote in my Letter from the Chairman in DGSJ Vol 38, published just after the Gathering at the end of May 2003:

"We enjoyed a truly memorable weekend. For me the undoubted highlight came on the Sunday morning when we attended the morning service at St Illtyd’s Parish Church in the little village of Pembrey and then explored the churchyard in which the gravestone of James Dalton, who died in 1721, can be found. James Dalton is my seven times great grandfather as he is to three other members who attended the Gathering. Canon Meats, the present incumbent at Pembrey, made us all most welcome and, in his sermon, he drew parallels between the Daltons who had fled to Wales, following their defeat fighting for the Royalist cause at the Battle of Worcester in 1651, and Daltons alive today. He emphasised the determination of these Daltons in the face of adversity and speculated about the hardships they must have suffered, and went on to draw our attention to the importance of relationships that people build with one another. He suggested that today we would do well to take heed of the example set by our forebears – surely good advice for us all!!"

I will return to the Gathering in more detail later in this instalment, but before doing so I want to record some of the important initiatives that were undertaken by the Society early in 2003. In January the task of uploading the index and synopsis of contents of the DGS Journal to the DGS website was commenced. Previously this had only been available in hard copy form circulated at intervals to DGS members. It was felt that the online availability of this information would be of benefit not only to DGS members but also to the wider audience attracted to the website, and that visibility of the wealth of material published in the Journal since 1970 would encourage more people either to purchase back numbers of journals and/or to join the Society.

In 2003 we still held regular committee meetings and on 1 March, 2003 the 54th such meeting took place at my home in Reigate. Although only four of us were present, everyone else had submitted their thoughts in writing on various important agenda topics. The meeting opened at 12 noon and concluded at 6.20 pm according to the minutes "with suitable breaks for refreshments and to view the DGS website!" What a marathon! The minutes also record that there was much discussion about the forthcoming Gathering in Wales and also a planned event in Sydney, Australia in January 2004, and about membership subscription administration which apparently needed some attention. In addition two very important matters were discussed and decisions taken. The first concerned the setting up of an editorial team for the DGS Journal, and it was agreed that this should be done in order to improve the flow of material for publication. The second was consideration of the proposals from Millicent to proceed with setting up the "Dalton DNA Project". Millicent had actively researched what would be involved in doing this and the committee agreed that we should proceed with her proposals and announce the DNA project at the forthcoming AGM. The DGS committee has, ever since it came into existence back in the late 1970s, been a vital part of the evolution of the Society. The camaraderie at these meetings and the fact that they usually took place in the homes of committee members made them a very special part of the DGS. Today of course we do things rather differently with email and online discussions, but fortunately we do also meet as a committee from time to time, usually now during our Gathering weekends. There really is no substitute for a good old-fashioned face to face meeting with a social element as part of it as well!

So now I will return to the Wales Gathering. We had been lucky to find the North Gower Hotel on the recommendation of a colleague at de Stafford School – a Welshman with roots in the Swansea area. Kate and I visited the area in the previous December and stayed at the hotel, which we were able to book for our weekend in its entirety. The 18 rooms were all spoken for by the end of January, and with the assistance of the hotel we were able to place additional delegates in local bed and breakfast accommodation. The weekend attracted a total of about 40 delegates. On the Saturday morning there was a short committee meeting and then we held our AGM. All serving officers and committee members were re-elected and it was announced that the DGS Journal Editorial Board was being formed led by John Dalton with Elizabeth Cameron and Lucy Slater as its members. The "Dalton DNA Project" had been the subject of a talk by Millicent on the previous evening, and at the AGM I officially announced the launch of the project, which had in fact already been announced to the world on our website because Millicent had arranged for the June edition of "Daltons in History" to be uploaded a day early! This caused much amusement to all present, but I think the underlying importance of the project was already apparent to everyone and the fact that Millicent had participants who had already taken tests and obtained results lent weight to it all. Millicent had also brought DNA test kits with her and a number of us were able to do the test there and then. So the "Dalton International DNA Project" as we now call it was well and truly under way.

DGS Gathering 2003 - held at the North Gower Hotel
at Llanridian on the Gower Peninsula in South Wales

The DGS committee meets before the AGM
John, Howard, Millicent, Pam, Lucy,
Maureen, Mel, Howard J and Michael

Millicent explains the latest additions
to the Dalton Data Bank at the AGM
Laugharne Castle
DGS group at Laugharne
The boathouse at Laugharne where Dylan Thomas did his writing
St Peter's Church, Carmarthen
Rodney Dalton, Rosemary Dow, Michael Dalton
and Arthur Whittaker at the Dalton tombstone
in the chancel of St Peter's Church
The inscription on the tombstone for Charlotte Augusta Catherine Dalton
and Margaret Augusta Dalton Prytherch

On the Saturday afternoon a group of us visited Laugharne and Carmarthen. Laugharne was the home of the Bevan and Powell families, both of which Daltons married into. We enjoyed visiting the old castle and seeing the boathouse where Dylan Thomas did much of his writing. We then went on to Carmarthen to visit St Peter’s Church and see the tombstone of Charlotte Augusta Catherine Dalton who died in 1832 aged 27 years and her niece Margaret Augusta Dalton Prytherch who died in 1839 aged only 8 years. This tombstone had been rediscovered less than three years before in September 2000. Charlotte was a daughter of James Dalton of Carmarthen (1771-1823) who served in the East India Company and is a great great grandson of James Dalton buried at Pembrey in 1721. James of Carmarthen married Augusta Ritso a daughter of Hannah Lightfoot, allegedly by King George III. This royal connection has been the subject of much speculation and the church warden who showed us around the church held the view that it was as a result of this that St Peter’s was such a splendidly appointed church with lavish decoration and adornment not usually found in Welsh churches. Various articles about these Daltons have appeared in the DGS Journal but this is not the place to try and reiterate the whole story. The important thing for us on our visit was that four of us, including myself, are direct descendants of James Dalton (1650-1721) and therefore directly related to James Dalton of Carmarthen and his family. It was a privilege for the four of us to stand by the tombstone and acknowledge and honour our kinsmen. We were most grateful to the church warden for opening the church especially for us on a Saturday afternoon.

On Saturday evening we held our traditional DGS Annual Gathering Dinner and we were pleased to welcome Canon Meats, Vicar of Pembrey Church, as our guest. After the dinner, Maureen and Howard J entertained us with a selection of songs and Howard added a specially written verse to "The Ash Grove":

Down yonder Llanrhidian where Daltons are gathered,
When twilight is fading we ponder the past,
From lands near and far, we’ve made the long journey
To mix and to mingle, all hands to the mast.
To Michael we’re grateful for telling the story
Of Walter and James, both Pembrey males.
Around us with gladness the stories are ringing
Of Dalton ancestors in beautiful Wales.

Millicent with Canon Meats
Mike Dalton, Howard J Dalton and Dave Lynam
with Jack Richards and Sam Craig opposite them
Rodney Dalton, Arthur Whittaker, John Dalton and
Bill Keymer with Rosemary and Charles Dow opposite
Lucy Slater, Maureen Collins, Joy and Peter Goater
with Alicia Riley and Margaret Deyes

On the Sunday we drove to Pembrey to attend the morning service at St Illtyd’s Parish Church and, of course, had the opportunity after the service to explore the churchyard and discover the gravestone of James Dalton. This was a very special occasion for Rosemary Dow, Rodney Dalton, Arthur Whittaker and myself, who share James as a seven times great grandfather. Rosemary is my fourth cousin and Rodney and Arthur, who are members of the large American Dalton family who form part of genetic family C and had travelled especially from Utah, USA to be with us, are my eighth cousins. I had previously seen the gravestone back in the mid-1980s when I had visited Pembrey with Joyce Parker.

St Illtyd's Church, Pembrey
The DGS group outside the church
with Canon Meats and choir members
Michael Dalton points to the inscription on James Dalton's tombstone
Michael Dalton, Rosemary Dow, Arthur Whittaker
and Rodney Dalton, all direct descendants, at the
grave of their ancestor, James Dalton (1650-1721)
The inscription on the tombstone.
Here lyeth the Body of James Dalton....
The entrance gateway to Kidwelly Castle
On the ramparts of Kidwelly Castle
View across the Carmarthenshire countryside
from Kidwelly Castle

The Gathering concluded on the Sunday afternoon with a visit to the historic Kidwelly Castle. Kidwelly is where Walter Dalton, father of James, fled to after the heavy defeat fighting for the Royalists at the Battle of Worcester in 1651.

This was a truly memorable gathering and of course very special for me on account of my being a direct descendant of James. What I think remains in my memory also is that we enjoyed the company of many more overseas visitors than at previous Gatherings.

So, 2003 was another good year for the Society. In the next instalment I shall move on to 2004 when our DNA Project took off, Kate and I visited Australia and attended the Sydney Gathering, the Guild of One Name Studies celebrated its 25th anniversary and we returned to Lancashire for our annual Gathering. Another busy year!

1. From Cathy Negrycz, Florida, USA

Dorothy Dalton Williams: Newspaper Obituary and Death Notice

Beloit Daily News (WI) - Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Dorothy Dalton Williams, 91, of Clinton, peacefully passed away on Sunday, January 13, 2013, with loving family by her side. Dorothy was born in Mazomanie, Dane County, Wisconsin, on October 2, 1921, the daughter of Walter and Selma (Hering) Marquardt. She was a graduate of Mazomanie High School and Madison Beauty School. She came to Clinton as a beautician in 1941. She was the co-owner of Dorothy and Bea’s Beauty Shop for 45 years, retiring in 1991 after 50 years as a beautician. Dorothy married W.E. (Jack) Dalton on May 20, 1946 in Rock Island, IL. He passed away on December 26, 1982. She married Carl Nyberg on June 16, 1984. He passed away on January 9, 1988. She later married Raymond Williams on September 28, 1991. He preceded her in death in November 1999.

Dorothy was an active 65-year member of the First Presbyterian Church in Clinton, having served as an elder and on the building and grounds and funeral luncheon committees. She was also a member of the Clinton Women’s Club, Kiwanis Club, and was a past Worthy Matron of the Order of the Eastern Star. She enjoyed volunteer work. Dorothy delivered Meals on Wheels for many years, and made phone calls for “Top of the Morning”. She was a Beloit Memorial Hospital volunteer, doing hair in the shampoo shop and making teddy bears for patients. She received a 20-year award in June 2012 from the Retired & Senior Volunteer Program of Rock County. Dorothy was an avid Chicago Cubs fan, loved to play euchre and 500, and bowled in a league through the age of 89. She loved family gatherings and especially her two great-grandchildren. Dorothy touched the lives and hearts of all who knew her.

Surviving are her two daughters, JoAnn (Bruce) Ruston of Beloit; and Diana Riesterer of Milton; nine grandchildren, Emily (Bob) Lanphear; Brooke Ruston (KC Avery); Chad; Judy, Jackie, and Phil Riesterer, Jr; Janet (Dan) Hedtcke; Jean (Alex) Loper; and Joe Riesterer; two great-grandchildren, Addison and Gavin Lanphear; sister, Jean Krogman of Lancaster; stepsons, Ken (Rebecca) Nyberg, Terry (Julie Antol) Nyberg, and Dave (Alice) Nyberg and their families; nieces and nephews; and many dear friends.

In addition to her parents, Dorothy was preceded in death by her brother, Russell Marquardt and his wife Doris; sister, Delores Hodgson; son-in-law, Phil Riesterer, Sr.; brother-in-law, Ernie Krogman; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Phil and Betty Dalton; nephew, Larry Marquardt; and niece, Pat Schroeder.

The family wishes to give a special thank you to Saint Jude Hospice nurses and volunteers for their care and compassion for Dorothy and support given to us. Thank you, also, to the staff of Alden Meadow Park Health Care Center for the care given to Dorothy over the last three months.

Memorial services will be 11:00 am Saturday, January 19, 2013, at First Presbyterian Church in Clinton. Visitation will be from 10:00 am until the time of service. A family inurnment at Mount Philip Cemetery will be at a later date. Memorials may be made to the First Presbyterian Church. Please share a memory of a condolence with the Williams family on our website.

Dorothy Dalton Williams

See http:www.genealogybank.com

2. From Maureen Collins, Australian and New Zealand Secretary

Deceased: Michael Dalton Died: West Derby, Liverpool - January 1881

3. From Maureen Collins, Australian and New Zealand Secretary

I read some reference to Dalton, Georgia, USA, "Cover capital of the world" and intrigued I looked it up on the internet and found the cover actually referred to carpets which are made in huge quantities in Dalton. As to the history, the most interesting bit is as follows:

Woodland Indians and Creek Nation held the area of present-day Dalton, Georgia until the mid 18th century, when the Cherokee pushed the Creek to the west and south. The Cherokee Indians called the mountains of north Georgia their "Enchanted Land" until their forced removal in 1838, in a tragedy known today as the Trail of Tears.

This does not of course solve the puzzle of how Dalton got its name and I wonder if anyone reading this can help with information.

4. From Maureen Collins, Australian and New Zealand Secretary

DGS member Jilly Warren is working on the Boer War Memorial Committee in Sydney and I sent her a copy of the Boer War information on DGS website and her reply was:

"It is my grandfather William Dalton in Murray page 168 Australian Commonwealth Horse A squadron (No: 46), also my grandfather on page 91 NSW Imperial Bushman No: 220"

Perhaps other members/readers have information on their Australian or New Zealand family members who fought in or had connections to the Boer War. If so, Jilly Warren would be very pleased to hear and I imagine comments could be published in D in H and/or passed on to Jilly or me.

Have other readers have found anything similar in any of their records, and if so, do they have any comments.

5. From Colleen Dalton, West St. Paul, MB., Canada

A loose leaf blowing in the wind:

Many years ago I took out a membership in the Dalton Genealogical Society thinking that my family tree would leaf out just by being a member. That simply isn’t the case. Research is still a requirement to locate ancestors. Simply having a membership doesn’t provide the information. I am writing this message asking for help. I am hoping that someone can lead me in the right direction since I have no experience researching in Ireland and don’t know where to go next.

My husband, Ken Dalton, is the son of Austin Dalton (1913-1987, Montreal, Quebec) and Shirley Myles (1924-1999, Kenora, Ontario). It is the Dalton branch that I am interested in searching. I have been able to document 65 Daltons but most are current. The earliest ancestor I have is Thomas Dalton estimated date of birth 1812 in Ireland. He died 23 June, 1875 in Valcout, Quebec. Thomas married Mary Logan and together they had 10 children.

Children born in Ireland: James, Ellen, William (between 1839 and 1851)

Children born in Quebec, Canada: Martin, Alice, Thomas, Mary, Bridget, Catherine, Anne (between 1852-1864)

I have been able to use the Canada Census for 1851 and 1871 to document the information that I have. I know that they were Roman Catholic and both Mary and Thomas were born in Ireland. Now I am stuck. I am pleading with the knowledgeable members of the Dalton Genealogical Society to come to my aide. I would be so happy to hear from anyone willing to assist me. (kcdalton@shaw.ca)

Thank you for reading this message and I hope to hear from anyone willing to help.

We are still working to get settled in to our new home in Florida. It seems that we aren't making much progress, but we are down to the last 20% of boxes. I am anxious to have everything unpacked and to have my office space organized. This week we are doing some painting. I am hoping that my office will be back to normal by the end of March.

I have to apologize to the North American members for falling behind on the reminder emails for membership renewals. I will be sending out reminders to those whose renewal dates fell during the time of move in January and February. Some of you have already contacted me, and I thank you for your renewals.

I have also heard from a few of you who are thinking of attending the Gathering in Dublin in July. If you plan to attend, please get your deposits in as soon as possible, and don't forget that this year, you need to make your hotel reservations directly with the hotel in Dublin. You will find a link to the Ashling Hotel's web site in the Gatherings section of this issue.

I'll have an update in the next issue, and I hope to be able to post photos of the new office by then.

The Office by David Preston

Now, unfortunately, it has to be back to housework, after a quick rest!! David, where's my chair?

With my best wishes to you all,

Karen Dalton Preston
North American Secretary

Thank you to those who did contribute in March 2013 and thank you to the Chairman for his plea, once again, in his notes this month.

This issue of "Daltons in History" is still short on content so, Please continue to contribute!

Please send me any ideas you may have for future articles or areas of research we could look at. New ideas are definitely needed!!

Please consider contributing a short description of any Dalton-related travels you may have undertaken anywhere in the world. Also members who are travelling to do research, visit a Dalton-connected site, or have made a connection to a distant cousin through the DGS. might be interested in letting other members know what they are doing through "Daltons in History". Photos from your travels would be appreciated. Also, it would be a way of helping members get to know each other a little better, and might help members who are widely dispersed geographically to feel a bit more connected.

Contributions for the April 2013 issue need to be with me no later than 5th April, 2013. (e-mail: dairneirwin@ntlworld.com).

Please continue to stick to the set deadlines!! There is no excuse for missing the deadline - PLAN AHEAD!!