The Gathering and Annual General Meeting of the Dalton Genealogical Society was held at the North Gower Hotel in Llanrhidian near Swansea in Wales on the weekend of May 30th to June 1st 2003.

Daltons arrived in Wales from Lancashire, Yorkshire and other counties. For some it was a stop on their eventual voyage to North America.

This was a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn the history of Daltons in Wales and to actually visit the sites where Dalton history was made.

from Millicent Craig

For those of us who had never been to Wales, a pleasant surprise was in store.  The Dalton Genealogical Society Chairman, Michael Neale Dalton, hosted the annual AGM at the North Gower Hotel from May 30 to June 1, 2003.  Michael (who has roots in Wales) and his wife Kate organized displays and tours to Daltons sites of interest for a non-stop weekend. The weather could not have been more inviting for touring through the green rolling hills and driving along the shores of the estuaries.

Many delegates arrived on Friday evening and after dinner a video was shown to the assembly on the value of DNA testing to determine relationships.  Our Daltons responded enthusiastically.

On Saturday morning after a general meeting, a talk on the Welsh Daltons by Michael and a buffet lunch, the group traveled to Laugharne, home of the Bevan and Powell families who married Daltons.  While there, we visited Laugharne Castle.  We also viewed the boathouse and garage where Dylan Thomas composed his poetry.

A highlight of the afternoon was a visit to St. Peter's Church in Carmarthen.  Under the floor of this church Dalton tombs were recently uncovered. The story of the alleged Dalton linkage to King George III was recounted by church warden Harris. This church houses a magnificent organ that was donated by the King.  Before returning to the hotel for dinner,  the Daltons visited a little Church in Llanddowror where there is a memorial to John Dalton, the son of James Dalton mentioned below.

On Sunday morning the Daltons set out for Pembrey Church and services conducted by the Vicar of Pembrey, Canon Meats. He made special mention of the Daltons of Pembrey and their contributions to Welsh life.  Of special interest was the tombstone of James Dalton, d. 1721 and an ancestor of four of our Dalton delegates.  After lunch the party departed for Kidwelly Castle where Walter Dalton, father of James fled after defeat, fighting for the Royalists at the Battle of Worcester.  Norman construction of this castle was an engineering feat. Several  members remained at the hotel on Sunday evening and left on Monday morning for home.

The Fall issue of the Dalton Genealogical Society Journal will contain minutes of the meeting and a more detailed description of  the Dalton sites of interest. Photographer John Dalton of Oswaldtwistle will provide photographs.  Don't miss this issue!

Delegates arrived for the week-end from Brazil, Australia and the U. S.  This is the first time that such a large number of Americans have attended an AGM and their enthusiasm and delight indicates that they will be attending next year.

Two of the U. S. members  were overwhelmed at finding their roots in Wales and will be returning. As the group departed, one Dalton was heard to say that he wished the members could get together more often. We would all agree but until the next time we have many photographs to remind us of the days in the Welsh Wonderland with friends, old and new.

In 2004, the Annual Gathering of Daltons will be held in Lancashire, England and in 2005 it will be held in Ireland.  Preliminary plans are underway for a meeting in the U. S. in 2006. If you are not already a member of the DGS,  you will want to join and participate in the camaraderie and long term friendships that are being built on all sides of the big ponds.  Over the next two years, the International Dalton DNA Project  (sponsored by the Society) will likely show that some of these friends are actually your relatives.

The Dalton Genealogical Society's Chairman Michael Neale Dalton announced an International DNA project for members at the May/June 2003 Annual Gathering and Meeting in Wales.

All committee members provided samples of their DNA.  It is recognized that there is a large number of members who have been unable to trace their ancestral line beyond several generations and quite rarely beyond the late 1500's through records.  In Ireland it is uncommon to trace an ancestral line beyond the late 1700's.

The DGS DNA Project hopes to assist members by determining whether there are cousin relationships, whether individuals may have the same paternal roots and where to turn their attention for further records research.  Daltons comprise a large segment of the population, not quite as prevalent as Smith and Jones, but nevertheless one of the largest of One Name Studies. As such it is possible that there is not one but several founding fathers. This study will begin to show whether this is indeed a possiblity.

The project is being approached in a systematic manner by inviting those members with the longest ancestral records to contribute their DNA.  Many of these ancestral lines have been the subject of research reports that have been published in the DGS Journal.  Thus ancestral record bases exist for matching and should prove  helpful to other members whose ancestral lines are not so long.

The paternal roots of nearly all Daltons lie in either England or Ireland and this study is directed toward both the English and Irish segments of Daltons.  Baselines are being established for both groups. Partcipants from Australia, Canada, Ireland, the U. K. and the U. S. are now part of this study all with either English or Irish ancestry and showing connections across the globe.  Many have been totally surprised and are now in contact with new found relatives to exchange information and to pursue new avenues of research.

Clusters now forming

Manchester/Oldham, England workers in the textile trade.  Emigrants who came to the textile plants in PA and N. E. may be part of this line. There may also be a line in Utah. This line shows Viking/Norman ancestry.

Byspham/Croston, England.  There are dozens of descendents in the U. S. and many, many in England.  Need male descendents of Thurnham for this section.  Fitzgerald-Daltons will not carry the Dalton DNA.

Wales, Curbridge, England.  Cluster now shows that hundreds of Utah Daltons belong to this line as well as many, many Daltons in England.

Mid South Ireland.  This cluster is growing with American/Irish and Irish participants, hitherto unknown to each other.

Ready for Matching

The DNA for the following lines have been processed.

Hampton, NH, Newburyport, MA Daltons with roots in Suffolk England.  Descendents of Samuel of Mayo, VA who believe they are connected to  the  Samuel/Timothy of NH may want to participate and confirm or deny.

The DNA of a line of Westmeath Daltons is available for matching.  This line consists of hundreds in the U. S. and many are in Utah.  Members who remained around Madrid, N.Y and those who stayed in Ireland are most welcome.  Argentinian Daltons are also welcome.

The Yorkshire line is most important for American and English Dalton links.  Because there were so many of them, additions to this sector of the test are wanted to establish linkages with established lines.

Other Results

In future issues of the web page there will be updates of where the clusters are occurring.  In the  DNA pool are descendents of Daltons who were in Lincolnshire, Buckinghamshire, Norfolk, London, Dublin, Kerry.  We also await the results of those members whose ancestry was in VA, TN or KY and whose origins are unknown.  An announcement of historical significance will be made in the Fall DGS Journal regarding American Daltons.

Invitation

You are cordially invited to join the Dalton Genealogical Society and to participate in the International Dalton DNA Project. The procedure is simple and if your DNA is submitted by mid-October 2003, your certificate will be ready for your family by Christmas 2003.

At the date of writing, in 2003, there are two types of tests available.  A 12 marker test will show cousin relationships and the 25 marker test will show additional ethnic background information and the probabilities of having the same ancestral father if such a relationships exists.  A 12 marker test is $99.00 and the full 25 marker test is $169.00. (These are group discounted prices). The latter is recommended because of the likelihood that Dalton lines go back to Norman times. Generally about seven weeks are required for results.

For those who would like to be a part of this study, please be in contact and let us know the geographical location and date of your earliest recorded Dalton ancestor. DNA kits can be mailed to any location in the world. The particulars of this study are available on the  Family Tree DNA web site and Millicent Craig, the American Secretary is your current coordinator.  Contact: Millicenty@aol.com

The 2003 Gathering and AGM in Wales

Saturday 31st May to Sunday 1st June

May 2003

DGS members and friends will meet at the North Gower Hotel in Llanrhidian near Swansea Wales on May 30, 2003 for the annual meeting and gathering of Daltons. Formal meeting and dinner on May 31, 2003.

FRIDAY 30th May 2003

Arrival

Dinner available at the North Gower Hotel

After Dinner

Video on "value of DNA testing to determine relationships"

 

SATURDAY 31st May 2003

10.00 am

Dalton Genealogical Society Annual General Meeting (coffee and biscuits will be served)

11.30 am

Talk on the Welsh Daltons by Michael N. Dalton

12.30 pm

Buffet lunch

Afternoon

Visits to:
Laugharne Castle, home of the Bevan and Powell families who married Daltons.
Boathouse and garage where Dylan Thomas composed his poetry.
St. Peter's Church in Carmarthen.
Llanddowror Church with memorial to John Dalton.

7:00pm for 7:30pm The Annual DGS Dinner

 

SUNDAY 1st June 2003

10:00am

Depart for Pembrey, attend the morning service at Pembrey Church, explore the church yard and Dalton tombstones.

1.00 pm

Tour of Kidwelly Castle

 

Before embarking on their journey to Wales, delegates may want to become re-acquainted with the history of Daltons in this part of the UK.

DGS members who have a complete set of Journals may want to re-read the following selections and refresh their memories of important historical events that will be covered in the AGM schedule.

For those who do not have a complete set of Journals, please go to the DGS Journal Index page. Non-members are also invited to share in this "once in a lifetime" opportunity and to expand your knowledge of the universe of Daltons.

READING LIST

“The flight to Wales in 1651” by Morag Simpson

DGS Journal, Volume 6, page 24.

The losses in the Dalton family in the Civil War, particularly at the battle of Newbury in 1644 and the battle of Worcester in 1651 are noted, together with the flight of Walter Dalton into Wales, with the Royal Paychest and his friend Rowland Vaughan one of the Vaughan family of Golden Grove in Carmarthen. Also notes are given on this Vaughan family, Pembrey and the surviving Daltons.

“Daltons in Wales”, An introduction by Michael N. Dalton

DGS Journal, Volume 10, page 22.

This article covers the senior line, descended from Walter Dalton who fled to Wales after the battle of Worcester in 1651.  It has many photographs of the areas concerned as they are today, in the Gower peninsula.  It also reproduces some inscriptions on the Church at Pembrey and on the tombstone of James Dalton in the churchyard there.

“Daltons in Wales, Geography and Court house” by Michael N. Dalton

DGS Journal, Volume 11, page 17.

This article gives a list of the places mentioned in the Welsh branch of the Dalton family tree and places them on a map of South Wales.  It also gives a drawing and some notes on Court House, the family home for many years.

“Daltons in Wales, the Descendants of James Dalton and Joyce Vaughan” by Michael N. Dalton

DGS Journal, Volume 13, Part II, page 2.

This is the third article about Daltons in Wales.  It discusses the descendants of James Dalton, the fifth son of Walter of Kidwelly and gives extensive charts of his family descendants over five generations.

“The Junior Dalton Line, the Missing Link” by R. N. D. Hamilton

DGS Journal, Volume 14, Part I, page 7.

This paper discusses the tradition that the Daltons of Witney, the so-called junior Dalton line, are descended from Roger Dalton of Thurnham.  The author gives a transcription of the will of Roger, dated 1588, which makes no mention of a son called Walter.  The possibility that the Witney Daltons are descended from the Yorkshire Dalton line is then discussed and suggestions made for further lines of research, to clarify the connections between the Yorkshire Daltons, the three Walter Daltons at Witney and James Dalton of Pembrey.