Welcome to the Web Site of The Dalton Genealogical Society devoted to bringing you little known facts about "Daltons in History", knights and knaves, in this huge world-wide family. The contents are drawn from a research base that has been compiled over a period of 29 years by this prestigious, international organization. Without this data base, we would not be able to develop this page for you. All DGS material is subject to copyright law and permission had been granted for the publication of abstracts.

by DGS Member, Don Hadrick

In the following thinkpiece, Don raises some questions and presents alternative views on the origins of Timothy Dalton. He hopes that his scenario concerning Timothy will provoke some thoughtful discussion.

Since Reuben Dalton, Sr. and his children were the only Daltons in Grainger County, TN in the first quarter of the 1800's, it should be easy to track his children. It should be especially easy since Reuben in his Will dated Jan. 1822 names all but one of his children. Yet there remains a question on the identity of one of the sons in his will, Timothy. Grainger County oral history and practically every researcher I have encountered who descends from Timothy, tells me that Timothy, born in 1810, is the Timothy that Reuben named in his will. But was he? There is at least one person who believes that the Timothy named in Reuben's Will was the Timothy Dalton who was a Captain in the Militia in Grayson County, VA. That researcher theorizes that Timothy did not go with Reuben and his family when they moved to TN. Timothy of Grayson led a force to Norfolk, VA in the War of 1812, when it appeared that the British would land a large force.

Timothy is said to have left Grayson County, VA for Hawkins County, TN and according to Myrtle Abendroth of Dighton, KS, moved on to Mississippi County, MO. If he was the son of Reuben that would explain why Reuben left land to his three other sons, Carter, Enos, and John Meredith, while leaving Timothy fifty cents. Or was the reason he left Timothy fifty cents because Timothy was only 12 years old when Reuben died and still under his mother's care? My personal belief is that Captain Timothy Dalton of Grayson County was Timothy Dalton III, brother of Reuben Sr.

Reuben not only did not name all of his children in his will, he did not share his property equally among his children. His son, Reuben Dalton, Jr. died in 1820, approximately two years before his father. Reuben Sr. had sold Reuben Jr. 76 acres of land in 1816, but did not leave any additional land to Reuben Jr.'s family. He did leave Reuben Jr.'s children fifty cents.

Reuben Sr. also treated his daughters differently. He gave fifty cents each to his daughers, Polly Dotson and Elizabeth Rucker, but to his daughter, Anne Harrell (Harville) he gave a saddle worth -$18 to be paid by Meredith, and he directed Carter to pay Anne Harville a horse worth $40. Hannah Dalton, his other daughter, was not mentioned by name, but her son, William Shockley, was. Hannah was married to Booker Shockley. Reuben Sr. instructed his wife, Elizabeth, to give William Shockley a horse worth $30 or $30 worth of some other property if Elizabeth died before William reached the age of 21. I wish that I knew why Reubern thought so highly of this one grandchild.

One of the major problems to overcome when considering Timothy (born 1810) as the son of Reuben Sr. and Elizabeth is the age of Elizabeth at the time of Timothy's birth. In the 1810 Census, Elizabeth is listed as over 45 years of age. Enos Dalton was the first child of Elizabeth and he was born in 1772.

The birth years for Enos and Timothy are well documented. There is a span of 38 years between her first born and last born, if in fact Timothy (born 1810) belongs to her and Reuben. Just assuming that she was 16 years of age when Enos was born, would place her at age 55 years at the birth of Timothy. If Timothy was not the child of Elizabeth and Reuben, then who were his parents? In 1810 there were only 3 male Daltons listed in Grainger County who were old enough to have children. They were Reuben Sr., Reuben Jr., and Enos Dalton. Enos Dalton, Reuben's oldest son had married Rebecca Williams in 1795 in Grayson County, VA. When the 1810 Census of Grainger County, TN was taken, Enos and Rebecca had 2 male children under 10 years of age. They have been identified as Reuben Anderson Dalton (1799) and Carter Dalton (c. 1800).

Reuben Dalton Jr. was the second oldest son and he married Nancy Shockley in 1808. In the 1810 Census two sons are listed under 10 years of age. They were Timothy Dalton born in 1809 and Enoch Dalton born in 1810. Reuben Jr.'s son Timothy would later marry Susannah Adams in Grainger County in 1830. The Timothy Dalton in question would marry Delphia in Grainger County in 1828.

There is no doubt that two Timothy Daltons were born around 1809 and 1810. The 1810 Census for Reuben Dalton Sr. was: 12101-11101
This indicates that living in his household were 1 male born between 1800-1810 (Timothy?)
2 males born between 1794-1800, (John Meredith and Carter).
I male born between 1784 - 1794, (No Dalton fits this time frame and it is believed to be the
Unknown Rucker who was married to Reuben's daughter, Elizabeth).
1 male over 45, who was probably Reuben Dalton, Sr.
The females in this household included 1 female born between 1800-1810 (Hannah Dalton).
1 female born between 1794-1800, (believed to be Elizabeth Dalton who was married to Unknown Rucker).
1 female born between 1784-1794, (Anna Dalton? She was born before 1790 and did not marry until 1818).
1 female over 45 who was probably Elizabeth Shockley.

I have been unable to determine what happened to Elizabeth Dalton and the Unknown Rucker who I believe were living in Reuben's household in 1810. It is possible that the child under 10 years of age belonged to them? If the child mentioned in the 1810 Census did belong to them, it still would not answer the question of where Timothy Dalton came from.

So who were the parents of Timothy Dalton born in 1810? Was he the son of Reuben and Elizabeth, just as tradition says he was even though Elizabeth appeared to be too old to have children? There is another possibility, one that I believe has not been considered. Anna Dalton, the daughter of Reuben and Elizabeth was born before 1790. In the 1830 Census she is listed as being between 40 and 50 years of age. In 1810 she was still living at home and it was not until 1818 that she married John Harville. In 1810 she was between 20 and 30 years of age. Could Anna Dalton be the mother of Timothy Dalton? I encourage anyone who has information ideas or opinions on this family to respond". DHadrick@aol.com.

from a talk by Dr. Lucy J. Slater

In 1689, John Dalton of Fogg Lane called himself a weaver. He would be at that time, a hand loom weaver. His wife, Sara, and those of his nine children who were old enough would all have to help in the process of producing cloth.

Once a week, John would go to a factor to buy ready spun wool, linen or cotton to weave his cloth. After weaving, it had to be fulled, usually by the weaver's family and then taken to be sold by the piece to a factor. A skilled man, with a hard working wife could earn about 8 shillings a week. John Dalton, the weaver, carried within himself the seeds of a great industry. His sons, John, William and Robert, were all weavers, all living in Jackson's Pit, as were his grand-son Edmund and his great-grandsons, James, John, Robert and Edmund. In Edwin Butterworth's "Historical Sketches of Oldham", reprinted 1981, on page 155, William and his brother Robert both of Jackson Pit, were said to be the principal cotton spinners of the time, 1750-1770.

John, the weaver of Hollinwood, is the man credited with bringing Dutch Wheels into Oldham from Holland, to speed up the spinning process, about 1770. These machines could spin up to twenty fine warp threads at once and John delivered an extensive trade with the Nottingham hosiers, selling them warps of ready spun threads. (E. Butterworth, p.126). He is also the direct ancestor of Alicia Riley. His brother, Robert, as we have already seen set up one of the earliest weaving sheds in West Street, Oldham about 1770.

The third brother, James, was my great grand-father's great grand-father and almost all of his descendants worked in the cotton industry, either in spinning or weaving. Jackson Pit, where so many of the Daltons lived and died, still exists today. It consists of a small court with some basement dwellings underneath an old chapel. It must have been a very unsanitary place indeed in the 1700's which is one reason why so many children died young. Tuberculosis and cholera were rampant, as well as pneumonia, measles, small pox and scarlet fever in the very over crowded living conditions.

By 1819, hand loom weavers were earning very low wages and in some cases, starving, so that their wives had to go out in the moors picking mosses to make some sort of soup for their families. Cotton spinning mills and weaving sheds had taken over all of the work. There is a tradition in my family that my great grandfather, Robert, was at Peterloo. As a child, I thought Peterloo was a battle like Waterloo, but for those who like me, are not too sure, Peterloo was a famous riot, caused by the decline in hand weaving and the low wages paid to those who worked in the spinning mills.

A large but orderly crowd of workers had gathered to hear an address by one of their leaders in St. Peter's Square, Manchester on Monday, August 16th, 1819. It was brutally put down by the authorities. About twenty people were killed and over two hundred injured, by a sabre charge made by the mounted troops to disperse the crowd.

The cotton industry continued to expand all through the 1820's, 30's and 40's. Hence the great increase in the population of Oldham over that period. Machines had taken over from men in spinning and weaving. Great mills were built and people flocked to work in them. Oldham sucked in from all the surrounding countryside every hopeful young man and woman who wanted to make a fortune. Many of them, being disappointed in this hope, found their way down to Liverpool to emigrate to America.

As a rule, the Oldham mills spun short stapled cotton, that is cotton with a short fibre from India, into coarse counts or threads for Fustian and Meltham cloth and felt for the hat trade. The finer stapled cotton from America was spun in the valleys further to the north. In the period 1864-65, the American Civil War meant that no cotton could get to Liverpool from the Confederate States and the people of those vales literally starved to death*. The Oldhamers fared a little better, being able to make some sort of living making felt hats from the very poor Indian cotton know as "Surats". Even so, times were very hard, as can be seen once again, by the number of children who died in infancy.

In the 1870's and 80's several severe cholera epidemics and civic pride led to the night soil men, who went round at night emptying the privies, being largely replaced by a new sewer system and tumbler water closets. Even so, my mother remembered such a night soil man still plying his trade in the early 1900's. He rejoiced in the name of Mr. Nightingale.

Also, in the late 1800's, workers' Cooperatives were set up, the forerunners of the modern trade unions. My grandfather, John Joseph Dalton, was one of the founders of the early Cooperative movement in Oldham, in the 1870's. He would work a twelve hour shift in the spinning room, Monday to Friday, and a six hour shift on Saturday. Then after mending all of the broken belts and other running repairs which were the responsibility of the head minder, he would get himself washed and shaved and then walk to Rochdale, some eight miles to attend a meeting of the infant Cooperative movement. Then he would walk eight miles back again.

Such were the Oldham Daltons, hard working and inventive but never able to make vast fortunes like some of the other branches of the family. They were born, married, died and left little behind them in the shape of written documents or houses and possessions. They are for the most part shadowy figures having a great effect on the life of their town and country but with little to show for their efforts and often not even being able to afford tombstones over their graves.

* Editor's note. In 1863, The Croston (Lancashire) Relief Fund for Unemployed Weavers was established as a result of the American Civil War. Our Croston ancestors were among those affected. Many who worked in the cottage weaving industry and the two local mills, left Croston for employment in Church, Accrington, Burnley and other larger cities.

The Black Wall in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA is a remembrance to the US service people who lost their lives during the Vietnam War. In November of 1998, an announcement of the Vietnam "Virtual Wall" was made. The idea is that the visitors to the web site can leave remembrances of loved ones and reflections on the Vietnam era. Your audio and text files will be added to the Virtual Wall web site, where they will be available to millions of people around the world.

There are 21 Daltons on this wall and a spot check of the names shows that no one has provided remembrance information for them. They are:

Army
Dalton, Clarence, Elmer, Jr., Rollinsville, CO.
Dalton, David, James, Tampa, FL.
Dalton, Donald Everett, Cove, OR.
Dalton, Edward Joseph, Jr., Concord, MA
Dalton, Gordon Thomas, Hamilton, OH.
Dalton, James Albert, Jersey City, NJ.
Dalton, James Gilbert, Sawyer. OK.
Dalton, James Wendall, Maineville, OH.
Dalton, John, Riverdale, NJ.
Dalton, John Michael, Chicago, IL
Dalton, Major Roy, Jr. Morgantown, WV.
Dalton, Michael Joseph, Ferguson, MO.
Dalton, Michael Moran, Pawtucket, RI.
Dalton, Randall David, Collinsville, IL.
Dalton, Robert Alan, Parma, OH.
Dalton, Robert Leroy, Eagle Mountain, CA.
Dalton, Robert Lloyd, Grand Rapids, MI.
Dalton, Toussaint O., Jr., Baltimore, MD.
Daulton, William Manson, Medora, IN.

Marines
Dalton, Bill Norman, Kearns, UT.
Dalton, Michael Francis, Kansas City, MO.
Dalton, Theodore Hubert, Sharpsville, PA.

We urge the friends and relatives of these Daltons to leave their reflections on this website. Their personal stories will ensure that the sacrifices of these men who served in Vietnam, our "Daltons in History", will never be forgotten. For further instructions go to the following web site. http://www.thevirtualwall.org/initial_display_page.htm.

In this issue of "Daltons in History" there are several queries from readers. If you have a connection or can provide information, please send your response directly to the submitter. There are postings on the guest page that cannot be responded to as the e-mail address will not work. Doannie Tambascio, if you see this notice, please send a viable e-mail address.

Judy Sullivan's grandmother is Lena May Dalton and her parents were William and Dillie Elizabeth Skidmore Dalton. Her grandmother is descended from James and Mary (Polly) Dalton Adams. E-mail: Skidmore@webtv.net

Regina Dalton's great grandparents were Henry and Colona Reece Dalton of Floyd County, VA. Henry died about 1920 or 1921 when her grandfather, E. Luther Dalton, was about 13 years of age (born about 1907). Luther was of Indian Valley, VA. Unfortunately Regina's e-mail address does not work so if you have information for her, you may be able to locate her in Indian Valley, her home town.

Sara Carper Green is originally from Roanoke, VA. Her mother, Edith M. Dalton Carper had family roots in lower southwest VA in the Hillsville area where there were many Dalton families. Sara's grandparents were William Oscar and Sarah Elizabeth Fields Dalton. Her great grandparents were George Washington and Faire Ellenor Grey Dalton. E-Mail: Green@aztec.lib.utk.edu

Cathleen Bailey of Seattle WA writes that she is the great, great granddaughter of Jane Bailey who is supposed to be related to the (in)famous Kansas Daltons, either a sister, aunt or cousin. Her great grandmother was Omie Glenn and her grandmother was Ruth Schultz. Her father Jack Jenks was born in Came, NE. Cathleen would like to know whether there is a web site that tracks the Coffeyville Daltons and their ancestors/descendents. E-mail: tomncat@oz.net

Douglas Whitlock of San Juan Capistrano is a descendent of Richard Dolton, born 1815 in Madison County, KY. Reportedly he was a descendent of Samuel & Ann Redd Dalton but is somewhat doubtful of the connection. He is certain that Richmond's father was an Isham Dolton. If you are acquainted with this line and can help verify Richard's connection with your Samuel Dalton he would be very grateful. E-mail: whitl03@aol.com

Emma Grace Dalton Murphy of Sevierville, TN notes that her father, William Thomas Dalton died in Paintsville, KY in 1969. His father was John Culbertson Dalton who died in Lawrence, KY in 1909. Any relatives out there? E-mail: hagerhill@aol.com

Jean Wright of Texas has found an old photo in her great grandmother's belongings. On the back of the picture is "Ocie Dalton in her casket". Can you help identify' it? E-mail: wrightjc@aol.com

Tammy Dalton's husband is Donald A. Dalton III and he knows nothing about his Indiana family. Does anyone have a Donald Jr. or Donald Sr. in their family tree? E-mail: ldalton@kconline.comldalton@kconline.com

Ruth Higgens of Redding, CA believes that her great, great grandparents were Thomas and Rebecca Adams Dalton who came to CA from OH in 1849. Thomas was born in KY and Rebecca was born in SC. Her great grandmother, Margaret Jane Dalton was born in 1841 in Cincinnatti, OH. E-mail: RHiggens@aol.com

Nancy Schremmer's 5 great, great grandfather, Elisha Dalton, was born in Ross County Ohio and died in Allen, County, KS. Nancy would like to hear from Daltons in OH and KS who might be related. E-mail: NSSchre@aol.com

Chris Kelly of Philadeplphia needs to know the birthplace of great grandfather John Aloysius Dalton. born in Ireland, 1848. He emigrated to the US about 1871 and married Bridget Doyle in Jersey City, NJ in 1872. Bridget's birthplace in Ireland is also unknown. She was born in 1872. Their parents are Patrick and Ellen Dalton, Cornelius and Mary Doyle, all of Ireland. Their children were born in Jersey City and are: Mary, b. 1872; Patrick, b. 1874; Ellen, b. 1875; John, b. 1878 - d. 1953; Bridget, b. 1880, and Cornelius b. 1881. John Dalton died in 1882 and his widow, Bridget Doyle Dalton, died in 1883. E-mail: kellys@voicenet.com

Again we ask our readers to assist our Dalton brethren in locating their Irish families. If you have any source material for Ireland and are willing to do an occasional look-up it would be greatly appreciated. We are attempting to assemble a data library and realize how scarce Irish national data is. Please contact the editor at: Millicenty@aol.com
DHadrick@aol.com.

From the rolls of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Name: Albert Dalton, Private, Canadian Infantry, died 2 April 1918, age 26
Parents: Mr. and Mrs. James Dalton, Chipman, New Brunswick
Burial: St. Joseph's R. C. Cemetery, New Brunswick.

Name: Albert Dalton, Private, 49th Battalion, Canadian Infantry (Alberta Regiment), died 9 June 1917, age 27.
Parents: James and Mary Dalton of Kinmount, Ontario; husband of Alice Lucy Dalton of Fabyan, Alberta.
Burial: France.

Name: Arthur Beard Clifford Dalton, Serjeant, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps, died 17th December 1943, Age 29.
Parents: Arthur B. Dalton and Annie Dalton, Toronto; husband of Thelma Dalton.
Burial: Toronto (Prospect) Cemetery, Ontario

Name: Charles William Dalton, Private, 3rd Battalion, Canadian Infantry (Central Ontario Regiment), died 24 September, 1916
Burial: France.

Name: Francis Cyril Dalton, Leading Alrcraftman, Royal Canadian Air Force, died 27 December 1943, age 19.
Parents: Edward and Regina Dalton of Newcastle, New Brunswick.
Burial: Newcastle (St. Mary's Cemetery) New Brunswick.

Name: Francis James Dalton, Private, 27th Battalion, Canadian Infantry, (Manitoba Regt.) died 3 October 1916, age 18.
Parents: Percy and Jessie Dalton, 1551 Ross Av., Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Burial: France.

Name: George William Rupert Dalton, Pilot Officer, 427 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force, died 13 June 1943, age 25.
Parents: Samuel Percy and Emma Dalton of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada; husband of Grace Elizabeth Dalton.
Burial: The Netherlands.

Name: Harold Woodsworth Dalton, Private, 7th Battalion, Canadian Infantry (British Columbia Regiment).
Parents: Richard and Emma Dalton of Toronto; husband of Mary M. Dalton, 438 West Marion St., Toronto.
Burial: Belgium

Name: John Dalton, Serjeant, 5th Canadian Mounted Rifles, (Quebec Regiment), died 1 October 1916, age 24.
Parents: John and Catherine Lape, of Broadway, Amsterdam, NY, USA
Burial: France.

Name: John Anthony Dalton, Pilot Office Bomb Airman, I 66RAF Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force, died 29 April 1943.
Burial: Denmark.

Name: John Pendergast Dalton, Private, 14th Battalian, Canadian Infantry, (Quebec Regiment), died, 9 April 1917, age 18.
Parents: James and Mary B. Dalton of Georgetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada.
Burial: France.

Name: Kenneth Haldane Dalton, Pilot Office, 3rd Squadron, Royal Canadian Alr Force, died, 13 January 1943.
Burial: Surrey, U. K.

Name: Neil Maxwell Dalton, Warrant Office, 410 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force, 27 August 1943, age 25.
Parents: Herman Cann Dalton and Etta Frye Dalton of Kentville, Kings County, Nova Scotia Canada.
Burial: ?

Name: Philip Henry Dalton, Gunner, Canadian Field Artillery, died, 4 November 1917, age 21
Parents: Percy John and Jessie Harrie Dalton, 1247 Alexander Av., Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Burial: Winnipeg Brookside Cemetery, Manitoba, Canada
Note: The second half of this list will be printed in a subsequent issue.

Irish Data
Marriages at Waterford Cathedral (Church of Ireland) (1698-1706/7)
1699 - Harwood, Mr. Richard and Dalton, Mrs. Elizabeth M. 17th Oct.
The title Mrs. does not necessarily denote a woman who has been married at the period. It is a sign of social standing only.
Marriages at Lismore Cathedral.
There is a gap in the Registers from 1767 to1784 except for one entry in 1773.
1695 - Dalton, William and Hallahan, Margaret, M. 2nd July.
1754 - Hogan, Wiliam and Dalton, Margaret, M. 20th May.
1755 - Dalton, James and Hill, Alice, M. 17th June.
Passengers from Ireland.
1766/11/15, Cork, Ireland Dalton, James, Ship Willmott.
1852/04/02, Dublin, Dalton, William, Ship Odessa to New York
1853/10/25, Liverpool and Tralee, Dalton Catherine, Ship Telegraph to New York

Early New York Naturalization Records
Theckla Constable Ledyard of WA has sent the following records which she assembled in her search for New York Daltons. Remember at the time that these papers were filed, Ireland was under British rule so unless the complete abstracts are examined one cannot tell whether the indivdual was from Ireland, Scotland or England.
Dalton, James, shipmaster, subject of Great Britain; recorded by William Miller, measurer, 20 Aug 1805, # 72 Court of Common Pleas.
Dalton, John, subject of Great Britain, recorded by N. Norris Haldea, 4 Nov 1839, #58, Court of Common Pleas.
Dalton, Patrick, subject of Great Britain, recorded by Gilbert Gahagan of 95 Mulberry St., 3 Nov 1840, # 62, Court of Common Pleas.
Dalton, Henry, subject of Great Britain, recorded by John Cummesky, 8 Nov 1837, Court of Common Pleas.
Dalton, Henry, subject of Great Britain, recorded by Patrick McBarron, 8 Nov 1837, #181, Court of Common Pleas.