Final Installment

“A patent of Maria Theresa, bearing date at Vienna, the 25th of April 1777, after reciting that the aforesaid Richard, Chevalier D’Alton is descended from a very ancient stock in Ireland, and stands in connection with the most respectable families there, adds, ‘We are also pleased to take into consideration his extraordinary, faithful, and lasting services in the field of war, rendered through four and thirty years, with unimpeachable attachment to us and our ducal house; and inasmuch as he has assisted at the campaigns of the Rhine and in Italy, then in the last Prussian War, especially at Frankfort, at Landshut and by Lignitz, manifesting extraordinary proofs of his skill, Prudence and valor; nor less afterwards in times of peace, especially at the taking possession of the Kingdom of Gallicia.

We are, therefore, moved to confer upon him a regiment of infantry, with the dignity of  Privy Councillor, and the rank of a Count in all our hereditary Kingdoms and Principalities; and this not only on him but on his eldest brother, Christopher; his second brother, James; his cousin, Edward, (a Lieutenant-General in the Imperial Service afterwards of Grenanstown); his (Edward’s) uterine brother, Christopher, and their heirs both male and female; and his sister, Elizabeth Nugent ( who had, in 1741, married Edmund Nugent of Ballinacor), to be raised alike to the dignity of Countship, as if they had been bred and born Counts and Countesses, with a grant of Armorials therein fully specified.

This patent was confirmed by the Emperor Joseph in the following year - to Richard as Count ‘Von Alton,’ and the Imperial honour was recognised and confirmed within the British Dominions by the warrant of the Duke of Rutland, when Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in 1785, authorising General and Field Marshal Richard D’Alton and his brother, of Mount D’Alton, to use the Coats of Arms of Counts of the Roman Empire and to enjoy the same honours in Ireland, as were so conferred upon them by Maria Theresa; and directing that such title and arms should be registered in the Office of the Arms of Ireland.

Count Richard was afterwards, from 1787 to 1789, the too memorable agent of the Emperor Joseph’s oppressions in Brabant, as incontrovertible evidenced by his majesty’s letters printed off in 1790. James D’Alton, the brother of this Richard, was appointed Governor of Gratz; and of him, Michael Kelly, in his “Reminiscences” (v. 1, p.5), makes mention, as that he had met him at Gratz about the year 1780, with Generals Dillon and Kavanagh. He was Commandant, ‘an enthusiast about Ireland; and he agreed with me that the Irish language is sweeter and better adapted for musical accompaniment more than any  other, the Italian excepted.’

On Dumourier entering that country, Major General James removed thence to Brussels. His life was, it is supposed, afterwards terminated by shipwreck on the coast of Essex, in his attempted passage for Ireland.

Of the Tipperary Daltons was the above-mentioned Christopher of Grenanstown, Chamberlain and Colonel of the Guards to his Electoral Highness of Saxony, and who died at Richmond, near Dublin, in 1793, -- Edward, the uterine brother of said Christopher of Grenanstown, was also a Chamberlain and Major General in Austria. He was killed in the trenches at Dunkirk, when in 1793 that town was besieged by the Duke of York, and he was buried with great funeral honours by the Austrians.”

Editor’s note

In the “ Index to Prerogative Wills of Ireland, 1536-1810”  by Sir Arthur Vicars, F. S. A., Ulster King of Arms, and originally published in 1897, we find three listings of D’Alton Counts. They are:  1797, Count Edward, lieutenant-general in the Emperor’s service; 1799, Count Oilver, Mount D’Alton; and 1800, Count James, major-general in the Imperial service.

From “Historical Memoir of the Family of Dalton of the Kingdom of Ireland” printed in the Dalton  Genealogical Society Journal Vol. 11, 1982, p. 24  there is a description of the Coat of Arms registered to the D’Altons.

Arms    Azure - a lyon rampant, Argent, guardant, Linguent (?), unguant (?), membered, or, five fleur de lis, or.

Crest    A Demilion bearing a branch of Laurels, and a Norman Eagle, Dexter.

Supporters    Two Lions rampant, argent.

Motto    Justus et Fidelis

On one of our trips to Ireland we purchased a copy of the Dalton coat of arms in a gift shop. It is not exactly the same as that granted by Emperor Joseph and Maria Theresa. However it does contain some of the same elements as mentioned above.

Linda Bunting Blake from Nebraska is a direct descendent of Jasper Blake and Deborah Dalton, who she states were married in Wimbotsham in 1648*.  She is interested in researching the “whys” of her ancestor’s immigration, and what was going on in their personal lives and in England that justified such an exciting and dangerous leap.

Over several months she has sent notes that cover her research efforts  on her family and has made several interesting Dalton discoveries which will be treated in subsequent issues of "Daltons in History". Linda is living in a small village about 30 minutes from Cambridge and has easy access to many nearby small villages in East Anglia as well as Norwich. We begin with Linda’s  descendency.

Deborah Dalton - B 3 Jun 1619 in England; d. 20 Dec 1678 in Hampton, Rockingham, NH.

        Married Jasper Blake - b c 1614 in Wimbotsham, Norfolk, England; d 11 Feb 1672/73.

Timothy Blake- b 16 Oct 1649 in Hampton, Rockingham, NH; d 6 Jan 1717/18 in same.

         Married Naomi Sleeper  1655-1668

Israel Blake, Sr, - b 1 Jan 1682 in Hampton, Rockingham, NH ; d Apr 1753 in Nottingham, NH.  

         Married Leah Smith 1683-1753

Israel Blake, Jr. b 2 Apr 1716 in Hampton, Rockingham, NH; d after 1778 in Cape Rosier or Brooksville, ME

          Married Mary Swain

Israel Blake, b 1741; d. 13 Sep 1817 in Thornton, Grafton County, NH.

           Married Charity Welch 1741 -1817

Israel Blake, b 23 Mar 1766 in Nottingham East, NH; d after 1830.

           Married Rachel Tande 1768 - after 1830

Gideon Blake - b 14 Feb 1793 in Thornton, Grafton, NH; d after 1870 in Wisconsin.

          Married Johanna Sanborn 1796 - after 1870

Samuel Edison Blake - b Oct 1824 in Elsworth, Grafton, NH: d. 22 Jan 1911 in Manhattan, KS.

          Married Emily Willey 1832 - 1913

Frank Nelson Blake - b Sep 1860; d 1909

           Married Lydia Anna Shoup - 24 Jun 1864 - 25 Mar 1952

Henry Edison Blake - b 10 July 1905 in Haddam KS; d. 26 May 1966.

         Married Frena Louise Cales 1911-1954

William Lee Blake - b 3 Aug 1928 in Haddam, Washington, KS;

         Married Ruth Jean Prall 1928-1996. 

Linda Louise Blake b 15 Oct 1948 in Scottsbluff, Soctts Bluff, NE 

Notes from Mar. 4, 1998

“I just talked with Lucy  Slater (DGS Secretary in Cambridge) on the phone to report some information I recently found.  I was visiting the church in Swaffham, Norfolk the other day and found two memorial slabs directly in front of the altar with Dalton names. Both slabs had identical shields on the upper portion, a wyvern with open wings at the top and below that a circle of eight cross crosslets surrounding a lion rampant. Lucy tells me this is the Lancashire branch and your (American secretary) line as well.

The first slab had:

Francis Dalton, Gent, who departed this life  12 October 1767 In the 63 year of his Age

The second slab had:

In memory of Robert, Son of Francis Dalton, Gent. and Elizabeth, his wife who died March 12, 1760 Age 20 years.

Also of Francis Dalton of West Bilney and Ann his wife who died an infant 7 Sept 1763.

I didn’t have a camera the day we visited the church and am afraid my notes were scribbled on the back of a grocery receipt so there may be some errors. I live only a few miles from Swaffham and will go back within the next few days to take a photo and recheck the details. The find was of particular interest to me because a mystery surrounds the parentage of Deborah, Timothy and Philemon, and also how Deborah might have met her husband, Jasper Blake, who was from Wimbotsham, Norfolk.

Jasper and Deborah were married in Wimbotsham in 1648* before they emigrated to the colonies. Wimbotsham is about 20 miles from Swaffham and Jasper Blake’s great, great grandfather was John Blake of Swaffham. I am thinking that perhaps Deborah, Timothy and Philemon’s parents may have been from this area.

Lucy and I will be going to Stow Bardolph on April 16th to look at the records there. When the county of Norfolk began to insist that the villages and churches turn over their old records to the county in order that they might better be preserved and cared for, Stow Bardolph and Wimbotsham opted to pool their funds and buy their own small cabinet that controls temperature, humidity and light... a fortunate decision, since there was a tremendous fire a few years ago in the library and records office in Norwich, where the records would have been sent had the county had its way.”

*Editor’s Note.  In the  notes that will be continued next month you will learn that Linda found  no record of the Wimbotsham marriage.

If you have read the preceding article, “ Notes from an American in Norfolk”, you will readily agree that it was a wise choice for the Dalton Genealogical Society to select Swaffham for their 1999 Annual Gathering and Meeting. Daltons will assemble in this charming town on the week-end  of August 7 and 8. Lucy is having the will of Francis Dalton, Gent. transcribed and will present it at the meeting.  This Dalton was a prominent vintner in the 16th Century.

From the research of Lucy and Linda, Swaffham was obviously  highly populated by Daltons as evidenced by the many Dalton memorials in the grave yard  and inside the Church of SS Peter and Paul. It is  one of the finest of the many Medieval churches in East Anglia, with a magnificent hammer-beam roof and carvings depicting the legendary Pedlar of Swaffham, John Chapman. There are ample lodgings of all price ranges in and around Swaffham. The DGS has chosen The George Hotel for its meeting and dinner.

Every Saturday, this tranquil town is transformed by the famous open-air market and lively public auction which attracts thousands of people. Swaffham was a fashionable centre in the Georgian period and attracted many of Norfolk’s gentry to its great social and sporting events. Lord and Lady Nelson, and Lady Hamilton were frequent visitors.

Swaffham is located in the center of many historic sites. Castle Acres 11th century Cluniac Priory is only four miles distant and the remains of the Castle is open to the public. Within forty minutes drive are King’s Lynn, Sandringham, Norwich, Thetford Forest and the coast. The area also offers a full range of activities including golf courses, fishing and horse riding.  So there is plenty of sight seeing and exploration in this part of East Anglia. On Sunday, August 8, the Rector of  SS Peter and Paul Church will hold a special service for the Daltons.

We would like to meet more Americans  and Australians at Swaffham in 1999 and  hope that you will place it on your August itinerary.  For more information about accommodations please e-mail  Millicenty@aol.com

At the Madingley War Cemetery in Cambridge, there is a magnificent memorial to American servicemen who died during, and  after World War II. These servicemen not only participated in the European campaigns, but many were killed in other arenas of combat such as the Philippines, North Africa and Hawaii, and may  have been buried there because next of kin was unknown.

After the War, the cemetery was visited by throngs of  American visitors, families and friends of their loved ones. Over the last decade the number of visitors has dwindled as families have aged or passed on. Today it is a  tranquil place, beautifully maintained. Those who were interred are  listed in The Book of Remembrance.  There are 50 American Daltons on the list which includes: the full name, location of the grave, home state, date of death, rank, serial number, theater of war, and  unit. In this issue we will print half of the list and the remainder will be printed next month. You may find an elusive family member who disappeared from records in this century.

Chapel at the American War Cemetery, Cambridge, England

Daltons from the Book of Remembrance

Dalton, Archie                             TEC. 5        34505173              853 Engr Bn/Avn/

Tenn.  Nov. 27 1943                    North Africa          PH

Dalton, Bernard A.                      CPL             12239467              Air Corps

N. Y.   Jan. 04 1943                     New York

Dalton, Bill R,                               PFC           37250439              320 Inf. 35 Div.

Iowa    Sept. 18 1944   E-13-27    Lorraine                 PH

Dalton, Bruce W.                           Arm3C       08656977             USNR

Kans.    Feb. 04 1944                     Honolulu                PH

Dalton, Charles D.                          PFC            34378219             254 Inf 63 Div

Tenn.     Jan 23 1945      8-21-22    Lorraine                 PH

Dalton, Charles E.                           PFC            35774223             53 Inf 4Armd Div

KY        Feb. 21 1943                      Luxembourg         BSM          PH

Dalton, Charles E.                            S1C             02016484            USN

Mass.     Dec. 15, 1945                     Manila                     PH

Dalton, Charles M.                           CPL              00307004           USMC

Cal.       Nov. 13 1942                      Manila                      PH

Dalton, Claude L. Jr.                         TEC 5          33650207           485 Ord Evac Co.

VA        Apr. 08 1945      1-5-5         Luxembourg

Dalton, Clifford T.                             PVT             34831757           301 Inf  94 Div

GA        Oct. 19 1944       c-18-4       Brittany                     PH

Dalton, David C.                                  S SGT             06902172           Hq Co 82 ABM Div

NY          June 12 1944       C-3-30      Normandy                  PH

Dalton, Dean H.                                   CAPT              0-424924           565 Bomb Sq 389 Bomb

MO         Nov. 24 1943       8-10-11     Netherlands     AM/2 OLC/PH                            GP/H/                                                                                                                        

Dalton, Edward F.                                 LT COL          0-171095          Civil Affairs Reg ET

MASS      Mar. 30 1945      A-14-3       Ardennes                                                      QUSA

Dalton, Elbridge H.                                PFC                 35817154          254 Inf 63 Div

KY           Apr. 10 1945       0-29-37      Lorraine                      85M      PH

Dalton, Elwood A.                                 SC1C               02658061          USN

VA           Jan. 09 1946                           Honolulu                      PH

 

Dalton, Eugene E.                                  PFC                  31048778          34 Inf 24 Div

Conn        Nov. 23 1944     8-6-130        Manila                          PH

Dalton, Francis                                        SGT                  13077610          86 Cav Rcn SQ

PA           Mar. 30 1945      C-32-44        Lorraine                        PH                 6 Armd Div

Dalton, George R.                                   PFC                   377425172        26 Inf 1 Div

Iowa        June 10 1944        B-23-31       Normandy                                    

Dalton, Gerald M.                                    2 LT                  0-675562

NY          Mar, 18 1944                           Epinal                           PH

Dalton, Gerard j.                                      PFC                   32905694         313 Inf 79 Div

NY          Dec. 19 1944                            Luxembourg                35M       PH

Dalton, Harold O.                                     PFC                    19010942         28Bomb Sq 19Bomb                                                  

Utah        Sept. 07 1944                             Manila                           PH                           GP/H/                                                                       

Dalton, Holland                                         PVT                   19033777         119 Inf 30 Div

CAL         July 26 1945                              Brittany                        B5M       PH

Dalton, James L.                0-15-109          BRIG GEN         0-019100          25 Div

Conn.       May 16 1945                               Manila                         O5C         55 LM BSM/OLC/                                                                                                                                                                                 Dalton, Joe B.                                             2 LT                    0-663488         452 Bomb SQ 322    

Tex           May 17 1943                              Cambridge                      AM      PH       Bomb GP/H                                                                                                                           

Dalton, John A. Jr.                                       PVT                    35297027         60 Inf 9 Div

Ohio         Oct. 14 1944        8-11-37           Henri-Chapelle                PH

Complete records may be obtained from the U. S. War Department, Washington D. C.

George Dalton, DGS member, and his daughter, Mary Susan Dalton of Buffalo, N. Y. are running out of leads and sources of information while trying to locate their Irish family.  Mary Laughlin and  Joseph Dalton were married on 8th June 1839 at St. Mary’s, Haddington Rd., Dublin. The eldest child, Michael, arrived in Canada with his mother when he was about 10 years old.  His mother returned to Ireland where she had left her husband, Joseph, and two children, Stephen and William  who were also baptized at St. Mary’s. A fourth child, Ellen, was born after her return to Dublin in 1859. There are no more traces of the family in this parish.  Michael married Susan Gorman in 1863 in St Thomas, Ontario and it is from this family line that George Dalton and Mary Susan are descended. The death notice of Michael in Canada in December 1918 states that he was from Cork  but does not differentiate between the city and the county. George believes that the family  had moved from Dublin to Cork.  George needs  to learn what census listings, directory listings or other sources are available which might show the presence of members of their family in Cork between  1850 and 1900.  Can anyone help with suggestions or sources of data for Cork during that time period? Does anyone know how many parishes there are in Cork? Or is there a possibility that some members of this family came to North America? Mary Susan  may be contacted at: MDalton835@aol.com

An addendum to the above query.  In the data sent by George and Mary Susan Dalton there is another listing which might be helpful in making a connection. The name, Maurice, not altogether common,  appears as the nephew of Joseph and Mary Dalton. Maurice Laughlin, the father of Mary Laughlin, was a witness to the marriage of Joseph and Mary Dalton.   The sister of Mary Laughlin, Julia, married the brother of Joseph Dalton, Richard, in 1842. Richard and Julia Laughlin Dalton named their first child, Maurice.  If you have an unconnected Maurice in your family tree this may be worth pursuing.

DGS member Dean A. Dalton and cousin Margaret Baker are encouraged by the recent discovery of the marriage record of Bradley Dalton to Dolly Robertson (Robinson?) 31 October, 1782 in St. James Northam Parish, Goochland County, VA.  Rev. Douglas of Douglas Register renown was pastor of this church.  Dean and Margaret will be intensifying their efforts in early parish records and would like to hear from anyone with this same connection.  Dean A. Dalton, 12501 Ulmerton Rd. #85, Largo, FL 33774-2728

Peggy Loar from McKinney Texas, who is not a Dalton descendent,  has a bit of Dalton memorabilia that came into her possession many years ago.  It is a lovely , embossed Victorian wedding invitation for Harry M. Dalton and Sally B. Stroud.  The invitation reads; “ Mr. and Mrs. James Stroud request your presence at the marriage of their daughter, Sallie to Harry M. Dalton   on Tuesday October 18, 10 AM 1892 at their residence No. 733 So. Fifth St., Paducah, KY.”  In addition there is a small Home Card which reads; “At home. Wednesday after the twenty-eighth, October 1892. Corner Jefferson and Fountain Ave., Paducah, Kentucky.”.  Peggy would like to pass these items on to a descendent of Harry and Sally and she may be contacted directly at: peggy@dhc.net

Karen Watkins of Western Australia is a long time member of  the DGS. She is looking for information on James Dalton, baptised 07 Dec 1823 at St. Mary’s Higham near Gravesend, Kent, UK. and  also for his parents Robert and Anne (nee?) Dalton.  James married a Jane Longhurst and the couple’s first born, James Dalton, was baptized on 27 Feb 1848 at St. Mary’s Higham, near Gravesend, Kent, UK. James, Jane and young James, migrated to South Australia.   A daughter, Emily Wilson Moir Dalton, was born on a trip to SA, on board the Emily. Another ten children were born in South Australia - Rachel, Mary Ann, Ellen, Harriet, Matilda, James, Robert Thomas, Thomas, Amy and Arthur. If you have knowledge of James and Jane Dalton,  or if you can do look-ups in England, please contact Karen at:kew@gateway.net.au

The DGS  wishes to thank those members who have helped with the processing of “The Dalton Book I” which will be offered in the millennium to members. The volunteers are: Pam Dalton,  Henderson, NV; Delores Dalton, Phoenix, AZ; Russell Braiden, Shelby, IA; and Betty Dalton, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. The Dalton Book II is much longer than Book I and when the DGS makes a decision to update this one for printing, we will  again call for assistance.

With your help we can assemble a skills  bank of volunteers  who have some of the following skills: writing, editing, word processing, computer tasks, marketing copy, or other essential talents required to publish a web page. In addition, we need people to do  look-ups for others. Do you have a special data source--such as a white telephone directory for England or Scotland,  a disc of vital statistics of a given country, particularly of Ireland, or other scarce items that would help our Daltons with their searches?  Do you live near a records office? If you are willing, we can begin listing these sources. Our English members are especially invited to participate. Send your comments about a skills bank to: Millicenty@aol.com