Introduction and New Year Greetings

As “Daltons in History” embarks on its eleventh year of publication as a monthly web newsletter, I send greetings to all our readers for the New Year. 2008 promises to be another landmark year for the Dalton Genealogical Society, and it is my sincere wish that all our readers find peace and happiness throughout the coming year and, most importantly, that your knowledge of your individual Dalton family history is extended significantly, be it through assistance from the DGS, through your own endeavours, or through a combination of the two. Surely this is the great strength of the DGS? The Society acts as a catalyst and leads you to otherwise unexplored avenues of research. In their turn these provide significant new facts which extend your knowledge of the history of your own Dalton family.

I look forward to the coming year with eager anticipation. The Society has arranged two major events – our Annual General Meeting in Surrey, England on Saturday 7th June, and then our Annual Gathering combined with the first official meeting of Clan Dalton taking place in Ireland at the beginning of August. Keep a close watch on this website for further more detailed information on and background to these events over the coming months. We hope to meet many of you, old members and new, on one or other, or both of these occasions.

Apart from our two events, the DGS Journal, this web newsletter “Daltons in History”, the Dalton International DNA Project and the Dalton Data Bank will all continue to supply you with a wealth of new Dalton family history information. There has never been a better time to be a member of the DGS. Membership gives you full access to all our services and, if you are not a DGS member, please think seriously about joining the Society. Full details will be found by clicking on Join the DGS from the homepage. At just £10.00 per annum (US $24.00 or Australian $27.00), we think membership offers tremendously good value.

2008 Gathering in Ireland

Friday 1st to Monday 4th August 2008 are the dates when our 2008 Gathering will take place in Birr, Co Offaly, Ireland. This is a double event – it is an Annual Gathering of the Dalton Genealogical Society and it is also the first official meeting of Clan Dalton. Dooly’s Hotel is the venue, with its excellent conference facilities for our meetings and the annual dinner. Delegates will be able to stay at Dooly’s and we have also arranged additional accommodation at three nearby places offering bed and breakfast. Birr is located in the heart of mid-Ireland about two hours drive west of Dublin, and a similar distance east of Shannon. It is a beautiful old Georgian town with an impressive castle and much of interest to the visitor. It is also well situated to enable us to make a number of visits to places with Dalton connections. Full details, including the registration form, will now be found on this website.

Since the initial details were posted three months ago, considerable interest has been shown in the Birr Gathering and the accommodation in Dooly’s Hotel is almost full. Again, if you have not already done so, you are urged to contact myself (email: michaelndalton@aol.com), and our Irish Secretary and Clan Dalton Chieftain, Ciaran Dalton (ciaran_dalton@hotmail.com) at the earliest opportunity to register your interest in attending. The full programme for the weekend, together with the official registration form, have now been published on the website, and they have also gone to all DGS members with Volume 47 of the DGS Journal, which has just been printed and distributed.

It is important that all those who have pre-registered now confirm their registration by completing the form and sending it to me with their deposit. Full details and instructions for this will be found by clicking on the “Forthcoming Gatherings” link on the homepage, and then on the Birr event on this website.

If, in the meantime, you have any questions about our plans for the event or need help with making your travel arrangements, please contact either Ciaran or myself.

2008 Annual General Meeting

As already announced, the Society’s 2008 Annual General Meeting is to be a separate event from the Birr Gathering, and it will take place on Saturday 7th June 2008 at the Royal Logistics Corps Museum in Camberley, Surrey, England. This venue has been chosen to give the opportunity to view the original of the Victoria Cross medal awarded in 1879 to James Langley Dalton for his gallantry at Rorke’s Drift in the Zulu War. DGS committee member, Sir Geoffrey Dalton and I have recently visited the museum to finalise the arrangements. The day will commence at 11.00 am with a tour of the medal collection, including the James Langley Dalton VC, hosted by Colonel Owen. This will be followed by a buffet lunch, after which we will have our DGS AGM. Those attending will then be free to tour the Museum which contains many interesting displays. The full programme for the day together with a booking form will be found in the “Forthcoming Gatherings” section of this website, and they have also been distributed to all DGS members with Volume 47 of the DGS Journal.

The Dalton International DNA Project (DIDP)

Chris Pomery, the consultant to DIDP, gave the Society a most encouraging presentation on the project at the Worcester Gathering at the end of July 2007. He has now prepared Issue 2 of the DIDP Progress Report (for 2007) and this is about to be distributed by email to all project participants. The 42 page document is a state of the art analysis of the DNA results of 98 testees. This includes some testees in the Dalton America Project whose DNA results match testees in DIDP. Any male Dalton who is not a project participant, and would like further information about joining the project, should contact Millicent Craig in her role as the DIDP Coordinator (email: millicenty@aol.com)

Subscriptions to the Dalton Genealogical Society

Members of the Society are reminded that the UK subscription rate is £10.00 per annum with effect from 1 January 2008.

The 2008 rates for overseas membership are as follows:

For members in the United States and Canada who remit their subscription to the American Secretary, Millicent Craig US$24.00

For members in Australia and New Zealand who remit their subscription to the Australian Secretary, Maureen Collins A$27.00

These rates take account of the prevailing exchange rates and the costs of airmail postage for the DGS Journal. We are also investigating opening a euro account, which will enable us to accept payments in euros, and hope to announce a euro subscription rate soon.

All DGS members should have received a communication from their local secretary about the payment of 2008 subscriptions to the Society and you are asked to remit these as soon as convenient.

Back issues of the DGS Journal

Back issues of the DGS Journal continue to be available. On this website you can access the DGS Journal Index from the homepage. Here you will find a 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. Shortly we will be adding the synopses for Volumes 42 to 47. Copies of all back numbers are available for purchase and these can be obtained from DGS member, Mrs Pat Robinson (address: Mallards, 3 High Street, The Green, Barrington, Cambridge CB2 5QX, UK email: gandprobinson@waitrose.com. Details of prices, including postage and packing, will be found with the index.

Meeting in Melbourne, Australia – February 2008

DGS Australian Secretary, Maureen Collins, has arranged a one day DGS meeting in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia to take place on Saturday 16 February 2008. This meeting is open to all Australian DGS members, and any others who may be visiting that area. It is taking place at the home of John and Lyn D’Alton at 14 Palpera Terrace, Greensborough, Victoria and anyone interested in attending should contact Maureen (email: mmcollins@ozemail.com.au) at the earliest opportunity.

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 February.

Thank you for your attention and best wishes to you all.

Yours very sincerely

Michael Neale Dalton

Chairman and Honorary Life President of the Dalton Genealogical Society

From Millicent Craig

Ray Geraghty of Dublin, Ireland sent a note inquiring about a Patrick Dalton of County Longford who served in the Spanish American War. Did he finally settle in Cuba, the U. S. or return to Ireland?

The birth of Patrick Dalton is noted in the Dalton Data Bank as are his siblings. All were born in County Longford to John Dalton, coachman, and his wife Anne Ryan. It was the Ryan connection that led Ray to Patrick.

Births:

28 July 1871, Mary Anne at Ballyhoolivan, Ballinalea, Granard Road.
19 January 1874, Patrick at Rathcline, Longford Road.
1 August 1875, Michael at Killashee, Longford Road.
5 August 1881, Joseph at Rathcline, Longford Road.

The next five were born at Rathcline, Longford Road:

4 May 1883, Catherine
1 May 1885, Eliza
30 October 1887, James
1 October 1889, Thomas
28 May 1891, Bridget

Patrick had to be about 25 years of age when he enlisted in the Spanish American War (1898) and this photo (courtesy of Ray) was taken while in Huntsville, Alabama. How long was he in the states prior to enlistment and where did he live?

Patrick Dalton

Patrick's siblings moved to Manchester, England. They were James, Thomas, Elizabeth, Catherine and Bridget. Are they among your ancestors?

In the British Army Pension Records, 1914-1920 there is a listing for a Patrick Dalton. His estimated year of birth was 1874 and age was 44, a match with the above birth record. His residence was in Coreham, Ardagh, County Longford. The document is dated 1918 and the Regimental Number is 364437. Also in the Indian Army Quarterly List and Army Listing he is noted as Patrick Dalton, Corporal, 82nd Foot (Prince of Wales Volunteers).

And here the record for Patrick ends. He was still a young man when pensioned. Did this handsome, adventurous man remain in Ireland or did he return to the U. S. or perhaps go to Cuba or Australia? Or did he join his siblings in England? Anyone with knowledge of members of this family or who is looking for an elusive ancestor named Patrick, please be in contact. (email: Millicenty@aol.com)

By Nancy B. Samuelson

It was through the efforts of Mary Louise Dalton that the "Flag Bill" was passed that prohibited the desecration of the American Flag by being used for advertising purposes. This bill also provided for the annual celebration of "Flag Day" on June 24th throughout the United States.

Mary Louise was born in Wentzville, Missouri on April 1, 1869 and her parents were Dr. William R. and Harriet U. Dalton. Her father was a well known doctor in the St. Louis area. He was also a graduate of the U. S. Naval Academy but joined the Confederate Navy when the Civil War broke out. This family was descendants of an early Virginia settler, Samuel Dalton, often referred to as Samuel of Mayo.

Mary Louise was educated in private schools in Missouri and New York City. She graduated with honors from Lindenwood College in St. Louis. She worked for a time in a law office in New York City. For several years, Mary Louise was the literary editor and book reviewer for the St. Louis Republican. She later was an assistant Sunday editor for the same newspaper. She wrote editorials, book reviews, stories and articles of a general nature for the Republic.

In 1903 Miss Dalton became the librarian for the Missouri Historical Society in St. Louis. She was known for her fine mind and her genius for gathering historical material and for digging up long forgotten historical facts. She was internationally known as the leading Missouri authority on matters relating to early Spanish and French settlements in the St. Louis area.

She was active in the Daughters of the American Revolution and in the United Daughters of the Confederacy. She directed a program to mark the graves of Revolutionary War Soldiers and one chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy was named after her.

Sadly Miss Dalton's life ended in June 1907. She died from complication of cerebral meningitis. It seems fitting that she was buried on June 14, 1907, on Flag Day, the holiday she was responsible for founding.

Sources: A variety of family papers and correspondence about this branch of the family are located in the Missouri Historical Society in St. Louis. Various volumes of St. Louis History and of the Confederate Veteran magazine also contain articles about Mary Louise, her father and her uncles.

Note: Nancy B. Samuelson is a dedicated researcher, journalist and author who has published numerous articles on the Dalton gang, western outlaws, sheriffs and deputies. The Dalton Gang Story first published in 1992 remains quite popular. Contact Nancy at 8962 Canberra Drive, Sacramento, CA 95826.

John Dalton, Editor, has written that Volume 47 has been sent to the Printer in December 2007 and will be distributed during January 2008. John would welcome further articles for Volume 48 which is due towards the middle of 2008. You can contact John at: johndalton78@hotmail.com.

From: David Dalton Edwards

Further information in response to the recent articles on the Dalton Adding Machine has been sent in by David Dalton Edwards.

What goes around comes around

As I was reading the December, 2007 issue of Daltons in History, I noted the article about the Dalton Adding Machine, especially the part that it was “...bought out by Remington Rand in 1926”.

Well, in 1926 the other side of my family was working for Remington right here in upstate New York.

Let me try to put this in perspective if I can, without going back too far.

My grandmother Ellen Grace Thomas left Wales and arrived in New York in 1910, was met by my grandfather Robert William Edwards, taken to Granville, New York on the “slate belt” along the New York / Vermont border where they were married within weeks. Arranged? Don’t know. Anyway, within a couple of years the slate business deteriorated and the couple along with my father William Robert Edwards left for Ilion, New York in about 1914 - 1915.

Ilion, for about one hundred years, had been and was the site of the Remington Arms Company. With about 900 employees, Remington was making a modest number of sporting and military weapons. With the outbreak of World War I, demand increased significantly with orders coming in from France, England, Russia and eventually the U.S. Employment escalated to over 11,000, and both the Edwards’ were hired by Remington.

Remington’s history in Ilion is somewhat confusing due to its product diversification and ownership changes. After WW I Remington diversified into making knives and cash registers, and the Remington Typewriter Company (where Ellen Grace Edwards spent most of her 37 year employment; Robert W. Edwards spent all his at ‘the Arms’) plant that was spun off in 1886 continued to make typewriters in Ilion until 1927 when it merged with Rand Kardex Company, the Powers Accounting Machine Company, and now we know, the Dalton Adding Machine Company, to form Remington-Rand.

The “Rand” began making Remington Razors in 1937, 45 caliber pistols from 1942-1945 for World War II, and in 1950 introduced INIVAC (UNIversal Automatic Computer), the first commercially successful computer. In 1955 the Sperry Company bought Remington Rand and formed Sperry-Rand, which merged in 1986 with Burroughs to become UNISYS.

In 1979 the razor component was sold as Remington Products, and in 2003 that company was bought by Rayovac which became Spectrum Brands.

In 1931 Remington’s cash register division was sold to National Cash Register Company (NCR), and this is apparently where any remaining Dalton style machines went. However NCR had gone through a period of poor management, and never did make a go of office machines other than the basic cash register. Apparently this was the end of the line for the Dalton Adding Machine or any ‘descendants’.

In 1933 the Dupont Company bought 60% of Remington Arms in order to secure a market for its gunpowder. Dupont purchased the Arms outright in 1980, and sold it to a holding company, RACI Acquisitions, in 1993.

Currently, in 2007, my cousin Michael Manion, another grandson of Anna Dalton Dillon, is making shotguns at the Remington Arms in Ilion.

Contribution from Howard Dalton of Pickering Yorkshire:

In Cathedral Square in Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand, is a monument to some of the immigrants that arrived there in the 19th Century.

It is in the form of three flower beds, and on the stone edgings are carved the details of the three ships that sailed from the UK under the auspices of the Canterbury Association of London.

Aboard the “Sir George Seymour” which sailed from Gravesend on September 4th 1850, was George Dalton aged 25, Agric Lab, and his wife Ann 23 yrs and an infant Elizabeth. The ship arrived at Lytleton on 17th December 1850.

N.B. The Canterbury Association was a scheme to found an Anglican colony in New Zealand. Would be participants were offered the chance to buy farmland at a reasonable price. During the early 1850’s a dozen Canterbury Association ships left London for New Zealand.

Extracted from correspondence between Edna Redpath and our American Secretary Millicent Craig:

Edna and a friend visited Thurnham Hall, Lancashire, and visited the Church where she found two Dalton graves.

1. Gerald R Dalton Fitzgerald
Bart of Thurnham Hall Lancaster
and Bigods Hall Dunmow Essex
Born 23rd August 1832
Died 22 February 1894

He was a Knight of the Order of St John of Jerusalem and Malta. He served many years in the Royal Navy.
RIP

The other one was:

2. Sir James George Dalton Fitzgerald
Died 17 January 1867 aged 36 years

From Millicent Craig

The year 2007 was an excellent one for the Dalton Genealogical Society and its members in North America. Twenty four new subscribers were welcomed, five of them in the month of December. This was also a banner year for membership renewals and we thank each and every one. Through the media of Daltons in History and the DGS Journal, new friendships and relationships developed with Daltons in all parts of the world. Americans also had a high level of participation in the Dalton International DNA Project and discovered genetic cousins hitherto unknown.

Letters of welcome were sent to: Monna Aldrich, family historian for the Wisconsin Dalton family after whom the village of Dalton was named; Richard J. Dalton, Jr. journalist of New York and of Irish descent, Howard Dashke of IL and Graham Neil Dalton of Nova Scotia both descended from an English Sea Captain, Thomas Dalton; and Mrs. Lillian Miller of FL a descendent of the SC and VA Daltons. During December several Daltons of English and Irish descent joined the DNA Project and more have indicated their desire to participate. We await your Request to Join. DGS members can go directly to http://www.familytreedna.com enter the name Dalton and then click the Dalton International DNA Project to enter your Request to Join. All others please contact Millicent Craig Millicenty@aol.com, Coordinator of the DNA Project for instructions. We are specifically searching for descendents of certain lines in or from England and Ireland and your genes may hold a valuable genetic key.

Highlights from Members

In 2000, Carol Jefferies of Ontario, Canada began researching the Daltons in the family of her husband, Thomas Jefferies. She sent a very long descendant chart and will field any questions on this family. You may be able to help her find a gravesite in New York City. cjefferies@rogers.com

Carol writes:

I guess I wanted to know more about Thomas' family and the most colourful character was his great grandfather John Alexander Dalton a ship builder, a sealer, fisherman, road commissioner who had had at least three wives, two of which were buried side by side on an island in Notre Dame Bay called Exploits. The family has proved most interested to follow around. Sad he ended up in an Odd Fellow Home in New York City (1930 census) and died there in his 90s. I still have not found out exactly where he is buried. One day we would like to go to New York and try and find out where. His grandson Neil Jefferies who is still alive ( in his late 80s now) remembers him and talked of him when we were last there visiting.

Mike Dalton of Oregon is investigating a Thomas Dalton who came to San Francisco with his family; possibly originating from Castlemaine near Tralee but claims Castleisland as residence on passenger manifest. Possibility of cousins in Castleisland. Castlemaine, Castleisland and Tralee are all in County Kerry.

Mike's grandfather Thomas Dalton came to San Francisco about the same time; but he has not been unable to find him on any 1900 or 1901 census or existing passenger list(s) for that time period. According to Dayton relatives he may have been working on the railroads traveling... He had brothers and sisters in Dayton, Ohio and likely friends and relatives in Chicago. I am currently inquiring of his affliliation with longshoremen (ilwu) in San Francisco circa 1900 to 1920+ evidenced by tie clasp (1904) and 1910 census- 1920 census -- occupation.

Rodney Dalton has done considerable research on the Pembrey Daltons of Wales, home of his ancestors. If you have an interest in Welsh Daltons, send you questions to Rodney at: rgd333@netzero.com. He also manages a Dalton Family web site and will be glad to direct you to it. Here you can exchange information with Daltons who have a similar interest.

Theckla Constable Ledyard needs your help in finding the descendents of one Joseph Benjaimin Dalton who was living on Monticello Ave., Chicago in 1917 and of James F. Dalton b. 1869. Both were likely born in New York. They are named in a family will and are descended from John Dalton, brother to Theckla's great grandfather James Dalton. The two brothers were volunteers in the Brooklyn Fire Department and also in the plumbing business.

Elizabeth J. Brown, last known to be in Williamsburg, VA is a descendent of John's family and Theckla would also like to contact her. Shown in a family photo is a George Dalton who may be a relative and still living, whereabouts unknown. Contact: ThecklaLedyard@comcast.net

Jack Dalton of Alaska, New Book

M. J. Kirchoff of Alaska has contributed material to past issues of Daltons in History concerning the famous and infamous Jack Dalton of Alaska. Kirschoff is a former "Alaska Historian of the Year" and in November 2007, published "Jack Dalton, The Alaskan Pathfinder", 248 pages long. The first edition of 2,000 books, hardbound in cloth, is available in bookstores in Alaska but is more easily obtained through Hearthside Books of Juneau. http://www.hearthsidebooks.com. The summer edition of the DGS Journal will contain a short review of this book.

Happy New Year to Daltons everywhere and may your research efforts in 2008 be the most fruitful ever.

Millicent Craig
American Secretary, Dalton Genealogical Society

Thank you to all who have contributed to the January 2008 issue of “Daltons in History”. I am still hoping we can have some information, which I can include in one of our future issues, about the Scottish Daltons.

We have had an enquiry, from Australia, for information about the Dalton Paper people of the U.S. Can any of our readers help?

Please continue to send to me any ideas for future articles and also keep looking for any information to include in the Dalton Strays section (email: dairneirwin@ntl.com).

Contributions for the February issue needs to be with me no later than January 25th 2008.