Introduction

Welcome to the March 2008 issue of “Daltons in History”. My notes include the usual updates on our events in 2008, the AGM in June and the Gathering in August; and other news as well. February seems to have passed by in a flash and, as the days lengthen, it is good to feel that the worst of the winter is behind us and, hopefully, spring is around the corner.

2008 Annual General Meeting

The Society’s 2008 Annual General Meeting 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. 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 programme for the day together with the registration 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. A number of you are already registered and it is important to return completed registration forms to me as soon as possible.

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 the 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.

Since the initial details were published last October considerable interest has been shown in the Birr Gathering and the accommodation in Dooly’s Hotel is nearly full. It is still not too late to book and 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 are to be found in the “Forthcoming Gatherings” section of this website, and they have also been mailed out to all DGS members with Volume 47 of the DGS Journal.

It is important that anyone who pre-registered and has yet to confirm their registration now does so by completing the form and sending it to me or one of the overseas secretaries with their deposit. Full details and instructions for this accompany the registration form.

If, in the meantime, you have any questions about our plans for the Gathering or need help with making your travel arrangements, please contact either Ciaran or myself. Many delegates are planning to tour in Ireland before and/or after the event.

The Dalton International DNA Project (DIDP)

Issue 2 of the DIDP Progress Report dated December 2007 was distributed by email to all project participants during January. The publication of the report has generated a considerable amount of discussion, and I want to thank all those who have been in contact following reading and digesting the report. I am endeavouring to deal with your responses as quickly as I can. In the meantime, you will find a further short note included in this issue of “Daltons in History”.

Subscriptions to the Dalton Genealogical Society

This is a final reminder to members of the Society 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.

All DGS members should have received a communication from their local secretary about the payment of 2008 subscriptions to the Society and, if you have not already done so, 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 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 available for Volumes 42 to 47 and the full synopses will be available shortly. 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.

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.

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

DGS Australian Secretary, Maureen Collins, asked the Chairman to pen a note of greetings to those attending the recent meeting held in Melbourne. Below is an adapted version of that note which sets out our vision for the Society in 2008. This may be of interest to readers of “Daltons in History”, who are new to the DGS.

The Dalton Genealogical Society was founded in 1970 and started with around 50 members, almost all of whom lived in England. It is today, nearly forty years on, a worldwide organisation with a membership of approaching 300. Through its members and their families, and through an ever increasing presence on the worldwide web, the Society now reaches out to literally thousands of people around the world who share a common interest in Dalton family history. Since the millennium we have arranged an exciting programme of annual gatherings in the UK, in Ireland and in America and these events have attracted worldwide participation. Each year we have welcomed more overseas visitors to our events and this year will be no exception, with good contingents joining us from Australia, from America, and of course from England, in Birr, County Offaly, Ireland for another gathering of the clans. And, of course, next year - 2009 - we look forward with eager anticipation to the DGS Annual Gathering taking place in Orange, New South Wales, Australia. It is really encouraging to know that we have such a vibrant worldwide DGS membership, who are part of our global organisation, and who enjoy travelling to different venues around the world and finding fellowship and enjoyment when they meet like minded folk with shared Dalton ancestry.

Many of you will be familiar with the growing resources that the Society is able to provide centrally to assist you in your researches, and I want to just mention the main ones very briefly:

  • Our Dalton International DNA Project now has over 100 participants and nearly all those who have joined recently have found matches and become members of existing “genetic families”. This project goes from strength to strength and the more our results database grows, the stronger it becomes. Also, in Chris Pomery, we retain a highly regarded professional consultant to advise us on interpretation of the results and future avenues for research.
  • The Dalton Data Bank now has in excess of 150,000 individual Dalton references arranged geographically by state or county within country. This growing resource is shortly to be transferred to our new website with a powerful search facility, making it easier to access.
  • Already up and running on the new website are the DGS Journal Index and the “Daltons in History” Archive. Both of these have a customised search facility designed to make it easy to locate potential references that are of particular interest to you.
  • Each month we bring you “Daltons in History”, our website newsletter, and twice a year we publish the DGS Journal. This major publishing programme puts the DGS in the forefront of what is on offer from one name societies around the world.
  • In addition we arrange our major annual gathering weekends, with exciting programmes of lectures and visits, and the opportunity to meet and interact with other members. We also have an expanding programme of local meetings.

I hope you will agree that what we offer represents good value for the modest annual subscription that members are asked to pay, and we hope that we are meeting the demands of our membership. Of course, we can always do more and we hope we are responsive to any suggestions that our members may have about how we can improve. Our only limitation is the resourcefulness of the wonderful band of volunteers that make up the committee, and its team of consultants and other helpers, and I want to pay tribute to all their efforts. Without them the DGS would be but a shadow of what it is.

As we move forward to our 40th year in 2010, I am conscious that we must continue to sustain and expand what we do. We are always looking for enthusiastic people to assist with the running of the Society and if anyone out there feels that they might be interested in helping in some way, please do be in touch either with myself or a member of the committee. We will be very pleased to hear from you.

Following the distribution during January of Issue 2 of the DIDP Progress Report to all project participants, there have been a number of points raised with me by way of discussion, and a short note follows summarising some of these.

Many participants in the project come from Dalton families now resident in America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. By far the largest group is Genetic Family “A”, which at present traces its origins back to Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina in the late 17th/early 18th centuries, but at present is unable to identify an original immigrant to America. Chris Pomery, in his report writes that the interesting feature about the Dalton project is that only one member of Genetic Family “A” has origins traced back to England and this is only a 25 marker result. Given that the result is so common among American participants (a total of 38), he would have expected to have found this DNA signature more often among the British or Irish origin participants. The reason behind this assumption is that there is likely to be more genetic diversity among British-origin Daltons than among American-origin Daltons for the simple reason that only a small proportion of all the British Daltons ever emigrated to the USA and had male descendants. The answer is either that all the Daltons in the UK and Ireland with this DNA signature have died out or that not enough British and Irish-origin Daltons have yet taken a test to be identified within the project.

Participants in Genetic Family “A” have latched onto this last point and commented on the relative sparsity of data within the DIDP database from Daltons still resident in the United Kingdom or in Ireland. They are pointing out that expanding the base of such participants may well provide the key to unlocking further details about their Dalton origins. This has been recognised more generally as an important direction for the development and expansion of the project and we will be looking to prioritise the recruitment of such participants over the coming months.

I want to thank our American participants for raising this important point. It serves to emphasise one of the actions identified in the project conclusions and this will be a key challenge for male Dalton DGS members living in the UK and Ireland.

From Howard J Dalton, DGS Committee

Several months ago I chanced upon the grave of William Henry Dalton of Thurnham Hall in a Bournemouth Cemetery. The story is documented in a previous “Daltons in History” article.

Bournemouth was founded in 1810 by Lewis Tregonwell and his tomb is situated in the churchyard of St Peter’s, Bournemouth. Close by is situated the tomb of the family of the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley and his wife Mary Woolstonecraft Shelley, author of “Frankenstein”.

The famous composer of “Jerusalem”, Sir Hubert Hastings Parry, was born in Bournemouth in 1848. His mother, poor in health, had travelled from their home in Highnam in Gloucestershire, for the birth but sadly died two weeks later and is also buried in the churchyard.

Imagine my surprise when I visited this churchyard and discovered the grave of one The Reverend James Dalton near to the Parry grave.

The inscription reads:

“In Memory of the Rev. James Dalton who died November 7th 1862 aged 31 years. Son of the Rev. Cecil Wray Dalton, Vicar of Grewelthorpe, Yorks”.

He was the son of Cecil Wray Dalton and Madeline Agnes Dalton, and was born on the 5th October 1831 at Croft, Yorkshire. His grandfather, another Rev. James Dalton, born 1764 in York, was a famous botanist. He was Rector of Croft-on-Tees for 37 years and his successor was Rev. Dodgson, father of Charles Ludwidge Dodgson, known as “Lewis Carroll” and author of “Alice in Wonderland”.

This interest in botany was inherited by the younger James and I understand that his papers on the subject are lodged at York Museum.

I looked up the 1841 census for Sleningford, North Stainley, near Ripon, and found the Dalton damily living at "Friars Hurst".

John Dalton aged 83 years Independent Means Born in County
Cecil Wray Dalton aged 38 years Independent Means Born in County
Mary Dalton aged 36 years Independent Means Born in County
James Dalton aged 10 years Independent Means Born in County

The 1861 and 1871 census shows Cecil Wray as Incumbent then Vicar of Grewelthorpe, near Ripon. I have not been able to find his son listed on the 1861 census.

I decided to send for a Death Certificate for James with the following information:

7th November 1862 at 2 Clifton Terrace, Bournemouth, James Dalton aged 31 years.

Occupation: Clergyman – formally Curate of West Kirby.

Cause of Death: Consumption Not Certified.

Present at Death: C.W.Dalton of Friars Hurst, near Ripon.

After much research I am fairly certain that Clifton Terrace (long disappeared) was situated close to Bournemouth seafront. The town had established a sanatorium several years earlier and it is likely that James came to Bournemouth for treatment and to recuperate amongst the pine trees and fresh sea air that made Bournemouth famous.

I have since discovered a Dalton Pedigree Chart which links the family back to John Dalton, born Limerick in 1726, Captain in HEIC service and defender of Trichinopoly 1752-3. He was the only child of Captain James Dalton, 6th Foot Regiment, and Elizabeth Smith of Limerick. He in turn was the great grandson of Colonel John Dalton, of Caley Hall, near Otley, a royalist officer in the Civil War.

On the maternal side Madeline Agnes Dalton (listed as Mary on the 1841 census) was born in 1801, daughter of John Dalton born 1758 at York, and Susanna Prescott. Madeline and Cecil shared the same grandparents, John Dalton and Isabella Wray, whose father was Sir John Wray with connections at Sleningford.

I am proud that Bournemouth is the last resting place for the young James whose short life was undoubtedly full of great promise.

From Rodney Dalton, USA

Let's see if any of you can find out where this land is in Wysox, PA. Answer next time.

Deed Book No. 15- Pages 476 & 477.

JOHN DOLTON JR. & SIMON C. DOLTON
DEED TO ZENAS THOMAS

"This indenture made the 7th, day of October A.D. 1835 Between John Dolton Jr. & Simon C. Dolton of the Township of Wysox, County of Bradford and the State of Pennsylvania of the one part and Zenas Thomas of the Borough of Towanda and State aforesaid of the other part. Whereas that the said John Dolton Jr. & Simon C. Dolton for and in the consideration of the sum of four hundred and sixty dollars to them in hand paid, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, haft granted, bargained and sold, aliened and confirmed and by their present, do grant, bargain and sell, alien and confirm unto the
said Zenas Thomas, his heirs and assigns forever all that piece of parcel of land lying and situated in the Township of Wysox, being a purchased from Stephen Furgasan who purchased thru Joesph Atwood from Shephard & Dorrance , formerly in Claverack Township bounded as follows. Beginning at Hickory sapling, adjoining lands of Samuel Coolbaugh & running as a division line between him said Samuel and the said John & Simon Dolton in the division of two and a half lots in Shephard & Dorrance running North 59-3/4 degrees East two hundred and forty one rods to Chestnut sapling, hence North 31 degrees West eighty rods to a Pitch Pine corner, hence South 59-3/4 degrees West two hundred and forty one rods to the corner, half division of lot no.142 hence south 31 degrees East eighty rods to the place of beginning, being one forth of lot no.142, one half of lot no. 143 & one half of lot no. 144 running one hundred seventy three rods near and on the water of the Little Wysox Creek, saving and excepting the undisclosed third part of said lot which is left by the said John & Simon Dolton for the widow of Henry Dolton, deceased, for the use of their children to be taken off the North West side of said lot adjoining Harry Morgan and John Atwood and along their line except the saw mill & privileges of the flowing of waters & mill yard which is loosely conveyed to the said Zenas Thomas being our separate right. The one half only owned with Harry Morgan- The two thirds wherefore of said lot adjoining Samuel Coolbaugh's line together with the one half of the saw mill as before mentioned is hereby granted by the said John & Simon C. Dolton to the said Zenas Thomas and his heirs assigns for all the described track of land on the two thirds for such rights as belongs to Shephard & Dorrance and the said Zenas Thomas to discharge the lien of the Commonwealth except the dollars which we have paid to Samuel Coolbaugh towards the patenting fee which said Thomas is entitled to count to his use & to and for the only use on behalf of the said Zenas Thomas, and his heirs assigns forever and the said John Dolton Jr. & Simon C. Dolton with warrant by these presents by order we have herewith sit our hand and seals this day before the presence of Harry Morgan, JP."

John Dolton Jr. (seal)
Simon C. Dolton (seal)

Personally came before me, one of the Justices of the Peace in and for said County - John Dolton Jr. & Simon C. Dolton and acknowledged the above and foregoing tabulation to be their free act & deed and desire the same be recorded as such- witness my hand & seal this 7th, October 1835.

Harry Morgan JP (seal)

From our roving Australian Reporter, Gerry Wood

This is one of Gerry's relatives who was in Parliament in New South Wales, Australia during the middle of the 20th Century.

Former member of NSW Parliament
http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/web/common.nsf/key/Archives_MemberPage

  • Date of Birth: 01/01/1904

  • Place of Birth: Wee Waa, New South Wales, Australia

  • Date of Death: 16/08/1981

  • Place of Death: Miranda, New South Wales, Australia

  Thomas William Dalton

Parliamentary Service

Position

Start

End

Period

Parliament

NSW Legislative Assembly

14 Feb 1953

23 Jan 1968

14y 11m 10d

 

Member for Sutherland

14 Feb 1953

6 Feb 1956

2y 11m 24d

37th (1953-56)

Member for Sutherland

21 Mar 1959

5 Feb 1962

2y 10m 16d

39th (1959-62)

Member for Sutherland

3 Mar 1962

31 Mar 1965

3y 29d

40th (1962-65)

Member for Sutherland

1 May 1965

23 Jan 1968

2y 8m 23d

41st (1965-68)

Political Party Activity

Australian Labor Party (ALP)

Qualifications, occupations and interests

Railwayman. Educated in country schools, shed hand and shearer; joined construction section, Railway Department in 1922, timberman, powderman and ganger; organiser for City Construction and Permanent Way section of Australian Workers Union from 1935 until 1945, vice president of New South Wales branch in 1939; ganger from 1945 until 1953; operated a taxi truck after Parliamentary defeat; member of overseas trade delegation in 1963.

Personal

Son of George Henry Dalton, teamster, and Mary Grintell. Married Edna Fahey, compositor, on 21 February 1922 and had issue, 1 daughter and 1 son. Brother of Christopher Alfred Dalton (q.v).

From the Editor

These are taken from “A Little Bit of Ireland” on the Internet:

Killaloe, Co Clare – Marriage Licence Bonds

DALTON Michael, Esq of Woodpark, Co Clare and Mary Anne FITZGERALD of Castlekeale, Co Clare, Spinster. Bondsman Reverend John Moconry of Sixmilebridge, 20 April 1761 (folio 164).

DAVIES Robert, yeoman of Killaloe, Co Clare and Elizabeth DALTON of Ballinderry. Bondsman George VALLINS of Killaloe, 14 April 1707 (folio 73).

 

Last month we reported that Millicent Craig was taken ill in early January and is unable to prepare her usual piece for “Daltons in History”. Sadly, this continues to be the case and in the meantime Michael Dalton, DGS Chairman, is dealing with some of the items from the American postbag. He writes briefly below.

Millicent has asked me to send her best wishes to you all, and she thanks those who have been in touch with her and sent her good wishes for a speedy recovery. She and her family much appreciate everyone’s thoughts at this time and she apologises for the delay in dealing with your enquiries, emails and correspondence. Urgent items continue to be passed on to me and I am sending out replies as quickly as I can. Please be just a little more patient than usual if it takes longer for us to come back to you!

Many DGS members in America and Canada have already booked to come to the 2008 DGS Gathering in Birr, Co Offaly, Ireland at the beginning of August. We hope that many more will take this unique opportunity to visit Ireland and interact with the many Daltons who will be present at what promises to be a landmark event for the Society. You are asked to return your registration form without delay. Full details of the event are to be found on this website by clicking on “Forthcoming Gatherings”.

For the time being, you should continue to refer any urgent DGS matters to me at michaelndalton@aol.com. If I am unable to deal with them, I will pass them on to someone who can and I will keep you informed. Subscriptions and deposits for Birr should continue to be mailed to Millicent at her usual address. Again, we all wish Millicent a speedy and full recovery and look forward to her returning to her computer soon.

Thank you to all who have contributed to the March 2008 issue of “Daltons in History”. I am still awaiting information concerning Scottish Daltons. Do we not have any Scottish Daltons or are they very shy?

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 April issue need to be with me no later than March 25th 2008.