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!

January has been a good opportunity to catch up on DGS matters and family history. Here in Reigate, and generally in the UK, in addition to long winter evenings there has been cold and snowy weather giving us all plenty of time to pursue our favourite hobby!

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.

I have started to receive registration forms and a number of you have been making enquiries and putting together your plans to be in Dublin at the end of July. It will be most helpful if you can register as soon as possible in order that we have an early 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. Below you will find a separate article with some more details about the weekend.

Please register your interest as soon as you can. 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 with the Burgundy area of France and Virginia, USA as the suggested locations. It has also been proposed that we return to South Wales, UK, maybe 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.

We are indebted to Chris Pomery for all his assistance with the project over the past six 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 the 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 has been printed and distributed to members. It was posted towards the end of January and by the time you read this all UK members should have received their copies. Copies for overseas members have as usual been despatched by airmail and, if you have not received your copy by the end of February you should 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 March 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

Saturday 27th July 2013

Sunday 28th July 2013

Monday 29th July 2013

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:

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:

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.

Additional elements of the weekend programme:

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

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

On Sunday 28 July, as part of the 2013 DGS Gathering weekend, a visit to Kildalton and Kilkenny is planned. Here Michael Dalton gives some more details about these places and their Dalton connections.

On the Sunday of the 2013 Gathering weekend we will be exploring the south east corner of Ireland and making our way in the morning to Kildalton College near the small village of Piltown in the southern part of County Kilkenny. There we will be given a guided tour of what until 1971 was called Bessborough House, built in the mid-1700s and now an agricultural college. At the end of the morning we will drive the short distance to the county town of Kilkenny where delegates will have some free time to have lunch and look at the old part of the city with its quaint narrow streets. There will then be a guided tour of historic Kilkenny Castle, for centuries the seat of the Butler and Ormonde families. Later in the afternoon we will return to Dublin in time for dinner at Ryan’s, just a few steps from the Ashling Hotel.

Kildalton

Kildalton’s connection with the Dalton family goes back to the late-1500s, Daltons having arrived in Kilkenny as early as 1382. It is known that William Dalton who died in 1591 lived with his family in a castle on the Kildalton estate. It is recorded that in 1641 the Dalton family owned 3,223 acres of land. However with the rise of Oliver Cromwell and his successful invasion of Ireland in the Civil War following the execution of Charles I in 1649, the fortunes of the Daltons of Kildalton were turned around and Cromwell rewarded one of the leaders of the invasion, Colonel John Ponsonby, with the Kildalton estate. Ponsonby was created Earl of Bessborough and renamed Kildalton Castle Bessborough. The original castle was destroyed and replaced with a fine new mansion in 1744, Bessborough House. Some members of the Dalton family continued to live on the estate as tenants of the Earl.

DGS member Pat Robinson is descended from this Irish Dalton line and has researched the trials and tribulations of her Dalton ancestors in some detail. The latest issue of the DGS Journal includes a fascinating article written by Pat entitled “Daltons of Kilkenny” (DGSJ Vol 57 Dec 12 pp 24-27) which gives a much fuller account of the history of these Daltons.

Kildalton College today

The photographs below were taken on my visit to the College in November 2012:

Kildalton College situated in Piltown, Co Kilkenny opened in 1971	The imposing 18th Century mansion - Bessborough House, now Kildalton College

In the grounds on a fine autumn day

The rear elevation of the property	Autumn view from the gardens

There is a brief history included in the current publicity material for Kildalton College, which, although making little mention of the Dalton connections, gives an interesting account of the development of today’s buildings. The following extracts will help the reader to appreciate the story.

Kildalton was a very different place before the main house was originally built in 1744. Sir John Ponsonby changed its name to Bessborough House in honour of his second wife Elizabeth, known as Bessy. Sir John died in 1678 and it was his successors who were responsible for the fine mansion constructed of blue Kilkenny limestone that we see today. It took 11 years to build and was completed in 1755. The architect was Francis Bindon from County Clare. A wing with a new dining room was added in about 1870 and the entrance hall and porch were reconstructed as well. Among the many objects of interest that were to be seen in the house were paintings by eminent artists of the day and two sets of elk or moose deer horns, reputedly the largest ever discovered.

In 1923 Ireland went through much disorder and unrest and a number of large houses including Bessborough were burned to the ground. Lord Bessborough had wisely taken the precaution of moving his best pictures elsewhere. By 1929 the house was restored with the compensation received from the courts, but the Ponsonby family did not feel secure enough to return. They sold the house to the Oblate fathers who in 1940 opened Our Lady’s Scholasticate at Bessborough House, a new training facility and seminary. They built a new wing on the west side of the house to provide a lecture hall and a dining room. A further wing was added in 1944 on the east side, providing a chapel, a dormitory and bathrooms. The Oblates worked their own bakery and dairy, kept poultry, cattle, pigs and sheep, and grew potatoes, grain and other crops. They also had a very good orchard. Major construction took place in 1960 when an old building projecting out from the main house northwards was demolished and replaced with a three storey wing containing 92 single bedrooms and associated facilities.

By 1970 numbers joining the order had decreased and the Oblates decided to sell the property. It was purchased in 1971 by the Department of Agriculture and opened as Kildalton College. With the accommodation and the working farm already there, this was a match well made for training young farmers and horticulturists.

The College today has become a centre of excellence and provides courses in Equine Studies, Machinery, Agriculture and Horticulture. It is linked to the local Institute of Technology in Waterford to make it a progressive learning facility in the South East of Ireland.

Kilkenny

Kilkenny is famous for its castle which stands dramatically on a strategic height that commands a crossing on the River Nore and dominates the 'High Town' of Kilkenny City. Over the eight centuries of its existence, many additions and alterations have been made to the fabric of the building, making Kilkenny Castle today a complex structure of various architectural styles.

The original Anglo-Norman stone castle was built for William Marshal, 4th Earl of Pembroke (c.1146-1219) during the first decade of the thirteenth century. Kilkenny Castle later became the principal Irish residence of the powerful Butler family for almost 600 years. The Butler ownership began when James (c.1360-1405), 3rd Earl of Ormond, purchased the castle in c.1391, and lasted until 1967 when Arthur, 6th Marquess of Ormonde (1893-1971), presented it to the people of Kilkenny in return for a token payment of £50. The buildings have been in the care of the Office of Public Works since 1969, and many important programmes of archaeological excavation, conservation, and restoration have been carried out there since then.

Kilkenny and Kilkenny Castle

Kilkenny Castle from the Parade	View of the River Nore from Kilkenny Castle grounds

We look forward to an interesting tour on the Sunday of our 2013 DGS Gathering to Kildalton and Kilkenny.

During her many years as General Secretary of the DGS, Lucy Slater accumulated a vast quantity of documentation and correspondence relating to Dalton family history. Following her death in June 2008, no less than 16 arch files full of documents were passed to Michael Dalton together with an index of their contents. Michael has been delving into these archives and this is the seventh of a series of articles for “Daltons in History”, in which he shares some of this material with readers, this time from arch file number 7.

Firstly apologies to readers for the long delay since Part 6, which even I was surprised to see was a full year ago!

Index to File 7

In the Index of Dalton Documents Vols 1 to 6 we have so far found some 560 separate documents. In Vol 7 we find another 80 or so documents to review. These relate mainly to Daltons in Lancashire, Warwickshire, Yorkshire and Wales. Here is my selection from what I have found of interest.

Doc 0405 – Dalton of the Hutts, Grewelthorpe, West Riding of Yorkshire 1633-1945 from Burke’s Landed Gentry 1952

Doc 0406 – Daltons of Sleningford, Thurnham and Dunkirk Manor House from Burke’s Landed Gentry 1858

These copies of entries in Burke’s Landed Gentry give very detailed accounts of four well known and well documented Dalton lines as follows:

1. Then (in 1952) Brigadier Charles James George Dalton (later Major-General Sir Charles D) and his lineage commencing with Thomas Dalton of Bedale, 2nd son of Lt-Col John Dalton of Hauxwell b 1633 m Anne, daughter of Sir Marmaduke Wyvill, 2nd Baronet of Burton Constable, and d 1710. Details of each succeeding generation follow.

2. John Dalton Esq of Sleningford, Co Yorkshire, and of Fillingham Castle, Co Lincolnshire, late a captain in the army (in 1858) m Elizabeth, only daughter of Richard Lodge Esq of Leeds and has issue. His lineage commences with a note – The family of Dalton is proved by Dugdale’s Visitation (1666) to have been settled at Kingston-upon-Hull many years prior to going into Richmondshire – and commences with Sir William Dalton, Knight of York, one of the King’s council for the northern parts, son of Thomas Dalton of Sutton in Holdernesse, by Anne his wife, daughter of Sir Robert Tyrwhitt, of Kettleby, filled the office of recorder of York and Hull, and was subsequently appointed by James I, attorney-general to the court at York, receiving at the same time, the honour of knighthood. Sir William d in 1649. Details of succeeding generations follow.

3. Dalton of Thurnham, – The representation of this ancient family at present (ie in 1858) vests in the two surviving daughters and co-heirs of the late John Dalton Esq of Thurnham Hall, viz Lucy, wife of Joseph Bushell Esq, barrister-at-law, and Elizabeth. The lineage commences – Sir John Dalton, Knight, son of Sir Robert de Dalton, living in the reign of Edward III, d in 1369, seised of the manors of Bispham, Dalton Hall and other lands in the county of Lancaster. He was direct ancestor of Robert Dalton Esq of Bispham and Pilling, who acquired by purchase in 1556, the manor and estate of Thurnham. Details of succeeding generations follow.

4. Edward Dalton Esq DCL, FSA of Dunkirk Manor House, Minchinhampton, Co Gloucester, barrister-at-law, b 22nd May, 1787, m 24th November, 1831 Elizabeth Head, only daughter of Nathaniel Lloyd Esq of Uley, Co Gloucester, and has an only surviving child, Elizabeth Head. The lineage commences – This is a branch of the family of the name of Thurnham Hall, Lancashire resident for many generations at Curbridge, in the parish of Witney, Oxfordshire, whence Walter Dalton, with his sons, joined his chief, Colonel Thomas Dalton, who raised a regiment to assist King Charles I, as recorded by Lloyd and other historians. They suffered severely at Newbury in 1644. Colonel Dalton died of his wounds at Marlborough, and Walter Dalton the younger escaped wounded into Wales, where he purchased lands near Kidwelly, still in the possession of the family. He left issue James Dalton Esq, barrister-at-law, resident at Pembrey, near Kidwelly, where he d 5th May, 1721, aged 71. Again details of succeeding generations follow.

It is interesting to read these entries in Burke and of course the various lines have been expanded in great detail in the DGS Journal over the years. The Edward D of Dunkirk House entry clearly states that the line is a branch of the Daltons of Thurnham family, something which still remains unproven to this day although obviously believed to be true in the mid-19th Century. Much research was done on this by the late Dick Hamilton who wrote a series of articles for the DGS Journal entitled "The Missing Link" (DGSJ Vols 14, 15, 16) but sadly with no firm conclusions. Also there is no reference to Walter Dalton fighting for the Royalist cause at the Battle of Worcester in 1651, from where he fled to Wales. One wonders whether Edward D was aware of this.

D0436 – Article about the Daltons of Thurnham published in 1890

This is a paper entitled "The Daltons of Thurnham" by William Oliver Roper which was published by the Lancashire and Cheshire History Society and read to a meeting of the Society on 20th February, 1890. The paper extends over some 20 pages followed by abstracts of various wills and bonds, a family tree and a list of family portraits that used to hang in Thurnham Hall. It is preceded by a line drawing of the carved oak chest which was in the Hall for many years and may have come originally from Cockersand Abbey. Roper’s introduction sets the scene:

"Some two miles to the west of the great north road, and rather more than double that distance from the county town of Lancaster, stands Thurnham Hall, the seat of the Dalton family. Situate away from the main road, the stirring stream of life appears to have left the Hall rather on one side, and the noise of battle seems not to have penetrated the woods which shut it off from the world. Even now it stands lonely, almost deserted, and melancholy in its neglect.

Yet, though Thurnham Hall does not seem to have looked down upon any great events in history, it has its own annals in the story of the family who have held it so long, and under whose charges it has seen so many strange vicissitudes. To these annals, the story of the Dalton family – at one time perhaps the largest landowners in the neighbourhood of Lancaster, and always staunch supporters of the Catholic faith – I wish in this paper to draw attention".

The paper continues to give a very full account of the history of the family commencing with the purchase of Thurnham Hall by Robert Dalton of Bispham in 1556. It tells how in 1715, John Dalton of Thurnham threw in his lot with the exiled royal family and joined the Jacobite rising whereupon he was taken prisoner in Preston and eventually found guilty at a trial in London. After a long confinement in prison he was left to make his way back to Lancashire on foot. At the end of his paper, Roper records that the old home of the Daltons of Thurnham still stands (in 1890), shorn of its grandeur indeed, but having suffered far more from the ruthless hand of the so-called restorer than from the hand of time. He concludes:

"Such is an outline of the history of the Dalton family, a family who rose upon the ruins of the monasteries, and who suffered for their attachment to the ecclesiastical power to which those monasteries at one time belonged; a family who nonetheless valiantly fought for their king in the Civil War and in "the Fifteen" (a reference to those around Lancaster who fought for the Jacobites) and whose firm adherence to their religion largely contributed to keep alight the lamp of the Catholic faith in North Lancashire".

This is a fascinating account from which I have only given brief excerpts here and it gives a graphic view of the impact that being Roman Catholics had on the Daltons, along with many others.

D0440 – Paper "Which Bispham and a Croston Will" by R N D Hamilton 1990

In this 6 page paper, the late Dick Hamilton considers the three places in Lancashire called Bispham and which one is where the Daltons were living prior to the purchase of Thurnham Hall. He concludes that it is the Bispham in Croston Parish in Leyland Hundred. This followed a visit made by members of the DGS to Bispham in Billinge Parish in West Derby Hundred during the 1990 DGS Gathering where we saw Bispham Hall then under restoration. Dick is quite clear that this Bispham Hall does not have Dalton connections and he also discounts the Bispham near Blackpool. This is a typically thorough piece of research work by Dick, whose legal mind served the DGS so well for many years.

D0442 – Article on Dalton, Barton & Co, ribbon manufacturers of Coventry

L0443, 0444 – Letters from Ruth Weaver

D0445, 0446 – Obituaries of Robert Arnold Dalton and press report of his funeral

The article was published in 1887, Queen Victoria’s golden jubilee year. The text appeared in the Journal as MN&Q17.3 about Robert Arnold Dalton, Mayor of Coventry (DGSJ Vol 17 No 1 June 1988) and this was followed by MN&Q19.7 (DGSJ Vol 19 No 1 Dec 1990) where Lucy Slater’s links together three Dalton families originating from Daltons of Church Lawford near Rugby. Various family tree charts were supplied by then DGS members, Kathleen Turrall and Ruth Weaver, descendants from these Daltons, with whom there is correspondence. Finally there are copies of very full accounts of his funeral which appeared in various local newspapers following his death on 10th January, 1893 at the age of 68. Numerous other related papers on the Daltons of Warwickshire follow.

D0454 – Dalton families in Westmorland

Daltons recorded in parish registers extracted from the IGI by past DGS committee member David Kirkley. Also extracts from census returns and from wills proved at Carlisle. A quick look at the section in the Dalton Data Bank for Westmorland suggests that most of the data on file is available in the DDB but this needs to be checked more thoroughly.

T0456 – Tree of Yorkshire and Durham Daltons 1716-1990

This is a comprehensive family tree prepared by DGS members Robert Anthony Dalton and David Brian Kirkley, who are third cousins, and descended from Thomas Dalton, Farmer of Blind Beck, Baldersdale who married Mary Cleasby in 1716.

Conclusion

In this volume of the archives, there is another wealth of interesting material, and it is always difficult to pick out a representative selection of items. The in depth research work undertaken by Lucy continues to be in evidence and the archive is a valuable source of additional material to the many published articles, particularly for anyone interested in resuming and adding to the research already undertaken.

1. From Cathy Negrycz, Florida, USA

A Source of Old and Rare Books for England, Scotland, Wales and Canada

While most of my research involves Irish and U.S. records, I have had occasion to search for an ancestor or two who went to England or Australia for employment. My grandfather’s oldest brother, William, went to Australia to work. There, he married a woman who was born in Scotland of Irish parents, her father having relocated to Scotland seeking employment when he was a young man, and then finally settling in Australia. As a result, I keep an eye out for websites containing information about these areas and thought that the following might be of interest to anyone researching in any of the counties of England, as well as Scotland, Wales or Canada, or even if you’re just a history buff.

The Anguline Research Archives is "dedicated to bring rare books on CD at an affordable price, to the local history researcher and to the family history researcher". Their website can be found at http://anguline.co.uk.

There you will find copies of rare and old books, parish registers, school and college registers, directories, maps, listings of wills, etc. containing information regarding births, marriages, and deaths dating back to as early as the 1500s, some even with indices. On the left-hand side of the home page is a listing of the English counties followed by Wales, Scotland and Canada, as well as a listing of categories.

Having relatives in London, although not until the 1900s, I found these listings: "Register of the Freemen of the City of London In the reigns of Henry VIII and Edward VI", "London’s Underworld," a "Historic Stillbirth Register" with entries between 1551 and 2005, "London in the Olden Time, …" published in 1855, containing a map and showing London at the end of Henry VIII’s reign. Many parish and marriage registers were also listed.

Scotland’s offerings include a historical account of Edinburgh, some school registers, extracts of records of "the burgh of Glasgow, 1691-1717," "Diocesan Registers of Glasgow, Vol. I", etc.

Listings from Wales include Parish Registers, "Episcopal Registers of the Diocese St. David’s, 1397-1518", "Paupers in Workhouses …", letters and registers of "The Catholic Record Society …", etc.

Under the offerings for Canada, the provinces are listed, but not all the links are "live" as sections still need to be uploaded. Under "All Canada", there is a "Civil Service List of Quebec 1853 and Canada 1872 and 1894". There are various trade directories which cover all of North America including many entries from the United States. One even includes "1144 railroad routes" and "17 pages of maps".

This website’s CDs are reasonable, beginning at $10.56 (8 Euros), depending upon the current exchange rate. Downloads can be obtained at a 3 Euro reduced rate.

Perhaps there will be a record in one of these old books which will help in your search for your ancestors or just give you a glimpse into the way things were in that time frame.

2. From Maureen Collins, Australian and New Zealand Secretary

I’ve just read the following in one of the websites I belong to and I thought it might be useful to other DGS members.

Over 6 million records from baptism, marriage and burial registers for Manchester and the surrounding area are now available online at Ancestry.co.uk, complementing their existing collection of Lancashire parish registers. I've at last been able to see the baptism and marriage entries for a branch of my family who moved to Oldham in the second half of the 19th century - confusingly these records can be found under Manchester, not Lancashire (the same applies to Rochdale, which is even further away from Manchester).

Scotland Valuation Rolls for 1905 now online

Scotlandspeople have recently added the 1905 Valuation rolls, which are a very useful source - for full details and examples follow this link.

Millions more Irish court records online

Findmypast have added a further 2.1 million records from the Irish Petty Sessions order books from 1850-1912, covering 25 new courts and adding to the existing data for more than 50 others. By my calculation about half of the 16 million records are now online, so it's a massive resource for a country whose population was only about 4 million in the second half the 19th century.

The Petty Sessions were the lowest level courts, dealing with civil cases as well as criminal ones, and most of the people who appeared weren't hardened criminals but ordinary people who were charged with minor offences or had got into a dispute. You can find out more about the records and see a list of which courts are included here.

3. Robyn Dalton's recent travels - via Maureen Collins, Australian and New Zealand Secretary

Robyn Dalton recently sent me some news of her travels which I include here:

I was in London again for 2 weeks at the end of October and had a delightful lunch with Michael and Kate Dalton at the Royal Overseas Club where I stay..... a very good location for a London visitor!! Michael suggested I might go back again next year and fit in the Dublin DGS Gathering!!

I then went on to New York, the night before the hurricane arrived...however, we were not affected directly by this disaster....although New York did close right down for three days. I was on a "Theatrical Odyssey" ...and managed to see 22 shows over 4 weeks in London and New York...interspersed with a presidential election and a snowstorm in Times Square while we were there!! A very eventful but wonderful holiday!

Vern’s brother, Barry Dalton, who attended one of your annual "get togethers" with his wife, Fay, has moved from Mackay to Sydney, retiring to the ARV complex at Little Bay... a beautiful complex...within walking distance of the ocean and surrounded by golf courses etc ...still only 13 Km from the city.

Barry trained as a chaplain and is voluntarily working with the Department of Corrective Services in this capacity....his late brother, Vernon, was previously Chairman of NSW Corrective Services during the 1980's.

Note from MC: When her husband, Vernon Dalton, died, Robyn continued his DGS membership.

4. From Dairne Iriwn, Editor of "Daltons in History", United Kingdom

Whilst indexing at Bolton Registrar's office recently we came across the following entry:

James Dalton - b. 3rd May, 1900 at 79 Back Bradshaw Brow, Turton. Son of George (occupation: House Painter) and Emma Dalton (nee Malon).

Is this family one of your relatives?

After a 6 day drive with 2 claustrophobic cats, David and I have arrived safely in our new home in New Port Richey, Florida. We are just a few minutes away from my parents now.

Our furniture all arrived safely, and we are working to get unpacked and settled - not a small task. The office is a forest of boxes at the moment. I am working with my laptop on an end table as an improvised desk, next to a sofa in the living room. But we make a little more progress each day - soon, we'll be settled in. The next step is a kitchen remodel!

Help! - overtaken by boxes and furniture

Boxes galore!	The Office

Short and sweet this month due to pressure of housework!!

All very best wishes.

Karen Dalton Preston
North American Secretary

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

This issue of "Daltons in History" does have a little bit more in it but, 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 March 2013 issue need to be with me no later than 25th February, 2013. (e-mail: dairneirwin@ntlworld.com).

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