Introduction

Greetings to all readers of "Daltons in History"!!

The DGS Annual General Meeting for 2011 took place here in the UK on Saturday 18th June. This event was hosted by Geoffrey and Jane Dalton at their home in Catherington, Hampshire. About 25 people attended with the AGM being held in the morning, followed by a buffet lunch and then a talk in the afternoon by DGS member, Martin Griffiths on his Dalton family, the Church Lawford Daltons. A separate report on the event will be found in this issue of "Daltons in History".

Below you will find the latest information about the DGS together with the usual updates to keep you fully informed about everything that we are doing.

Future DGS events

The DGS Annual Gathering for 2011 is being held in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA over the weekend of Fri/Sat/Sun 23rd/24th/25th September 2011. This very special event is being organised by our North American Secretary, Karen Dalton Preston. Karen and her team now have all the plans in place. Full details can be found in the "Forthcoming Gatherings" section of this website, just click here for the link. The third of the regular email newsletters to keep you informed was published last month and it included full details for registration and booking. Please note that the final deadline for booking guaranteed hotel rooms was 30 June. Anyone without a reservation who still wishes to attend should contact Karen immediately.

For the 2012 Gathering and AGM we are returning to Yorkshire over the weekend of Fri/Sat/Sun 27th/28th/29th July 2012. The venue for this event will be the Ramada Hull Hotel. This hotel is very accessible and is ideally situated between Hull, which has a number of interesting Dalton connections, and Beverley with its Minster and an excellent Record Office. More details of the hotel, which is a 19th Century manor house set in 12 acres of gardens, can be found at http://www.ramadajarvis.co.uk/hotels/hull.aspx?mckv=mkwid|stdl8vXAWRm|pcrid|50623303531|plid||kword|. I am most grateful to Howard Dalton of Pickering for his assistance with making these arrangements. Howard is a past DGS Treasurer and well known to many DGS members. He organised previous DGS Gatherings in Scarborough in 1992 and in Pickering in 2002. Further information will be found in the “Forthcoming Gatherings” section of this website, just click here for the link.

For 2013 we are considering returning to Ireland and for 2014 and beyond we have a number of suggestions already. But, 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)

We are indebted to our DNA consultant, Chris Pomery for all his assistance with the project over the past five years, which includes the preparation of three issues of the very comprehensive project progress report, and most informative presentations at our annual gatherings on two occasions. We now have approaching 170 participants in the project, and well over 80% of these are members of one of the 15 identified genetic families. The latest DIDP news and a full DIDP update were published in December 2010, and these can be found in the "Dalton DNA Project” section of this website, or simply click here for the link.

The emphasis is now on providing updated reports for each individual genetic family. The first of these, for genetic family A, was published in December and, with the template for these reports now established, the remainder will follow during 2011. The ones for genetic families B, C and D will be ready for publication soon. Further information on this programme was published in a separate report in May and can now be found in the “Dalton DNA Project" section of this website.

The DGS Journal

Our editor, John Dalton, is now working on Volume 54 of the DGS Journal, due to appear in the next few weeks. John will welcome articles and other items for publication in the Journal. Any material for publication should be sent to him as early as possible, so that he can plan the content of future issues. 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 53 and the full synopses will be uploaded in due course. 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 August.

Thank you for your attention.

Yours very sincerely

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

This year’s AGM was held on Saturday 18th June and hosted by DGS committee member, Sir Geoffrey Dalton and his wife Jane at their home in Hampshire. Our Chairman Michael Dalton reports on this event.

It was five years ago, back in 2006, that Geoffrey and Jane hosted our AGM on a glorious summer’s day. Sadly the beautiful weather was not repeated but this in no way diminished the warmth of the welcome given to us by our hosts, and all those attending were able to participate in a most enjoyable and stimulating day.

Arrangements had been made for the formal Annual General Meeting to take place at Napier Hall in Horndean, a short distance from Geoffrey and Jane’s home, Farm Cottage in Catherington. So we gathered there and, following a cup of coffee, commenced the meeting at 11.30 am. A particular welcome was given to Malcolm Brown from New Zealand and his sons, Alastair and Warwick. Malcolm is descended from Lancashire Daltons. I was able to report on another successful year for the Society. The DGS finances continue to be in good order and all the present officers and committee were re-elected, together with the appointment of co-opted committee member Mike Dalton of Norfolk, as a full member of the committee. Reports were received from the General Secretary, the overseas secretaries and the editors of "Daltons in History" and the DGS Journal. There will be a full record in the minutes of the AGM which are currently in preparation, and these will be published both here on the website and in the Journal.

Malcolm Brown from New Zealand (sitting) with his sons, Warwick and Alastair

Following the formal meeting, the assembled company moved to Farm Cottage, where an excellent buffet lunch awaited us. Thanks to Jane for arranging this with assistance from Sheila and Kate, not forgetting Geoffrey who prepared the delicious homemade soup!

Maureen Collins with Rosemary and Martin Griffiths, who gave a talk about the Church Lawford Daltons

After lunch it was the turn of Martin Griffiths to entertain us with his fascinating talk about the Church Lawford Daltons. Church Lawford is a small village in Warwickshire, not far from Rugby. Martin’s Dalton ancestors have been traced back to as early as 1485 when they were church wardens and poor law administrators in the village. In the 18th and early 19th centuries the family were clock and watch makers and Martin spent some time explaining this, showing us very interesting photographs of the beautiful grandfather clocks, church clocks and pocket watches that they made. In the 19th century, family members turned their hands to other trades and professions, and various branches of the family travelled abroad and took up residence in America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Martin has had considerable contact with his overseas cousins and together they have constructed very full records of the family and how they are all related. Much of the detail of this has appeared in articles written by Martin for the DGS Journal (see Vols 48 (Jun 08), 52 (Jun 10) and 53 (Dec 10) for further details. All present were most impressed with the work that Martin had undertaken to assemble his Dalton family history and we much enjoyed hearing the story at first hand. Many thanks to Martin for preparing and delivering this talk.

New committee member, Mike Dalton from Norfolk with his wife, Kate

Following the talk there was plenty of time for informal conversation and discussion and various exhibits were on display. In the evening, arrangements had been made for an informal supper at a local pub, and fifteen of us enjoyed a meal together at the Red Lion at Horndean.

Thanks are due to Geoffrey and Jane for making all the arrangements for the day and looking after us all so well. If there was one disappointment, it was that we were not able to enjoy their delightful garden to the full – when I ventured out for a walk around, I was soon driven in by a very heavy shower of rain!

From David Preston, Las Vegas, USA

I recently read a very interesting article in the New York Times about the way our evolving society is changing the implication and complexity of our Family Tree Charts.

With marriages on the decline in favor of co-habitation, and the advances in medical science, one's past can be composed of both genetic and family name information which do not necessarily stem from the same origin.

As an example, consider the Ashmores:

Laura Ashmore and Jennifer Williams are sisters. After that, their relationship becomes more complex. When Ms. Ashmore and her husband, Lee, learned a few years ago that they could not conceive a child, Ms. Williams stepped in and offered to become pregnant with a donor's sperm on behalf of the couple, and give birth to the child. The baby, Mallory, was born in September 2007 and adopted by Ms. Ashmore and her husband.

Then the sisters began to ponder: where would the little girl sit on the family tree?

Many families are grappling with similar questions as a family tree today is beginning to look more like a tangled forest. Genealogists have long defined familial relations along bloodlines or marriage. But as the composition of families changes, so too has the notion of who gets a branch on the family tree.

For the last six years, according to United States census data, there have been more unmarried households than married ones.

This trend is not limited to the US – The 2010 England and Wales Census revealed that marriages are also decreasing in the UK, and there are more “civil unions” and unmarried households, as the following graphs depict:

 

In the USA, new questions are being phased in on the standard birth certificate questionnaire about whether, and what type of, reproductive technology was used, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Tracing a family tree, though, is more than just an intellectual exercise. There are medical and legal implications, particularly when it comes to death and inheritance. Families, according to Melinde Lutz Byrne, president of the American Society of Genealogists, are mostly concerned with who inherits property when a biological relative dies.

But what significance would genetic offspring that are adopted into the family play in this scenario? Will the legal systems for probate, wills and trusts have to consider these relationships with some additional weight not currently afforded to the “add-in” family members?

Rob Okun, a 61-year-old magazine editor from Massachusetts, agreed to donate his sperm to a lesbian couple 16 years ago. Mr. Okun already had two biological children with a longtime female partner and two stepchildren with his current wife. He wanted no role in parenting the children born with his donated sperm, but did want them to know who he was.


The couple, Patricia Kogut and Lynne Dahlborg, agreed, and Ms. Kogut gave birth to Lucyna and Nathaniel. Ms. Dahlborg then adopted both children.

She described the family as having a “triple family tree” that included her, Ms. Dahlborg and Mr. Okun.

The irony of this situation is that “strange” family trees have existed for centuries. In reality, being married before having children is not a relatively new social concept or some “degradation” of morals or “family values” in the 21st century.

As many of you know, my wife Karen has been working on a second Family Book (Familienbüch as they are known) for her German ancestry. These books are compilations of Church and civil records that were kept by German towns and villages. She is currently working on a town that was called St. Hubert, in what is now Serbia.

While writing this article, I asked her for a recent entry into her manuscript that might elucidate this point. Here is one fairly typical entry:

Lorenz Klien had 7 children with Katherina Marshall between 1871 and 1882. But they were not married until 1889!

And, adoption of illegitimate offspring, while not generally common, was also practiced:

MAYER Michael, adopted son of Christoph MAYER and Aloisia LAUB born 25.08.1898 in St. Hubert, married 20.11.1917 St. Hubert to BINDER Magdalena, dau of Nikolaus BINDER and Eva PERRENG Born 29.09.1897 Soultour.

1. Josef *01.11.1918 Soultour 9b
2. Elisabeth *14.05.1920 Soultour 10

Godparents: 1. Josef Kiefer, Anna Mayer

Note: Michael MAYER is the illegitimate son of Aloisia LAUB, subsequently adopted by her husband, Christoph MAYER. Michael Mayer's father is unknown.

So, accurate, detailed genetic and familial lines need to be employed when researching your past and documenting your lines for the future.

From Mel Irwin, Webmaster

For those of you who are going to Salt Lake City for the Gathering in September, here are a couple of sites which might be of interest:

http://www.slcgov.com/visitors/ - Welcome to Salt Lake City

http://www.slctravel.com/ - A helpful site for the first time visitor to Salt Lake City

Various pictures of Salt Lake City

If anybody has any interesting sites about Salt Lake City please send them to the the Editor for inclusion in the next edition of "Daltons in History".

 

We have just returned from a trip to Salt Lake City to meet with the hotel management at the Salt Lake City Plaza Hotel. And, we managed to squeeze in a little time for research in the Family History Library, too.

The weather in Salt Lake City was warm, but beautiful, and perfect for walking. And the temperatures there were a nice break from the Las Vegas heat! Our summer temperatures are hovering around 106 (or 41 degrees C.)!

2011 Gathering News

The Gathering is now less than 90 days away! You can view the countdown on the homepage of the Dalton Data Bank site.

We made the final arrangements for the Banquet dinner on Saturday and for the meeting and hospitality rooms for the attendees. This promises to be a wonderful event. Entertainment will be provided by Clive Romney. He is well-known in the Salt Lake City area as a performer, composer, teacher and music historian. He will be taking stories and bits of Dalton family history and weaving them into his music to create a program especially for the DGS.

Rich Williams, the Director of Sales and Marketing at the Plaza, is looking forward to welcoming our group in September. By the time this issue of Daltons in History reaches you, the deadline for booking our block of rooms will have expired. Rich Williams and I will try our best to accommodate those who are registering late. But, please understand that space in the hotel is already very limited. If necessary, we will try to provide some other near-by hotels an option.

The June edition of the Gathering newsletter was sent in June. If you missed yours, you can go directly to the June edition by clicking on the link http://www.daltonamericas.org/gathering/June2011Gen.htm. You can also read the newsletter on the DGS site, in the "Forthcoming Gatherings" section.

Dalton Data Bank Update and Web Site Statistics:

Web Sites Update:

For the period from 1 June to 24 June 2011

Update to the Data Bank:

19 June, 2011:

Lancashire England - Moved Oakham Christening Record to Rutland, Contributed by Gerard M-F Hill, Cumberland, UK

DDB Web Site Usage Statistics:

31,604 visits came from 166 Countries / Territories

Map showing June DDB visitor distribution

Top 10 Countries by Visits:

1. UK – 5,897
2. India – 5,666
3. Pakistan – 4,544
4. USA – 2,757
5. South Africa – 894
6. Australia – 717
7. Argintina – 674
8. Colombia – 574
9. Algeria – 565
10. Mexico – 515

Top 10 Pages Visited:

1. Home Page
2. Join Us (Pop up on Home Page)
3. England
4. USA
5. Australia
6. Republic of Ireland
7. South Africa
8. Canada
9. Scotland
10. Northern Ireland

Comparatives:

DDB Comparison Chart

Dalton Forum:

There are a total of 238 Posts in 143 Topics by 313 Members.

During the reporting period, there were 3 new topics added, 3 new posts and 12 new members added.

DGS Web Site Usage Statistics:

1,410 Visits from 76 Countries / Territories

Map showing DGS visitor distribution

Top 10 Countries by Visits:

1. United States – 572
2. UK – 313
3. Australia – 79
4. Ireland – 62
5. India – 62
6. Pakistan – 58
7. Canada – 41
8. South Africa – 26
9. New Zealand – 21
10. Philippines – 11

Top 10 Pages Visited:

1. Home
2. Membership
3. Daltons in History
4. Daltons in History (May)

5. Dalton International DNA Project
6. Daltons in History Archive
7. Photo / Video Gallery
8. Forthcoming Gatherings and Events
9. USA Gathering, Salt Lake City
10. Clan Dalton

Comparatives:

DGS Comparatives

Membership Page Tracking:

There were a total of 351 visits to the Membership page. 315 Visitors (94%) were as a result of links from the DDB “Become a Member!” pop-up box and the Google Ad Campaign. The remaining 36 Visitors (6%) were generated from within the DGS site.

The graph below depicts the flow of Visitors to the Membership Page:

Membership Page Graphics

Google Ad Campaigns:

Dalton Data Bank Site:

17,825 Visitors reached the Data Bank by clicking on one of the 1,799,316 Google Ads served during the reporting period.

DGS Site:

4 Visitors reached the DGS site by clicking on one of the 2,477 Google Ads served during the reporting period.

Google Ads for new memberships:

This Ad Campaign generated 2 visits to the Membership information from 1,841 Google Ads served during the reporting period.

Here's hoping you will be enjoying a wonderful July! I am looking forward to seeing you in September!

Karen Dalton Preston
Secretary for North America

Thank you to all who have contributed to the July 2011 issue of "Daltons in History".

Salt Lake City is now drawing ever nearer!! Click this link for details. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALTHOUGH YOU CAN STILL BOOK, A GUARANTEED HOTEL ROOM IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE AS WE HAVE HAD TO HAND BACK ANY UNFILLED ROOMS.

Due to time constraints the Lucy Slater Archives and The DGS 40 Years On do not appear this month but will be back in August 2011. Also the next part of Bill Dalton's family history will be back in August 2011.

Please send me any ideas you may have for future articles or areas of research we could look at. New ideas are 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 August 2011 issue need to be with me no later than 30th June, 2011. (e-mail: dairneirwin@ntlworld.com).

We must begin to stick to set deadlines as Mel is getting fed up with complaints about the late appearance of the "Daltons in History"!!