Third time's the charm

In my last Blog post, One for all and Four in One, I explored an unusual headstone in Manchester, England. It turned out that "Nellie" (Ellen Walton 1865-1894) , whose name is listed on the headstone in Manchester, with her father, husband and sister, is actually buried in New York.

I was very excited to find the church record from St. Peters Episcopal church in Manhattan naming her final resting place as "Evergreen". A quick internet search revealed the most likely cemetery to be The Evergreens Cemetery in Brooklyn.

1884 Burial Record of Ellen "Nellie" Walton

According to their web page:   https://www.theevergreenscemetery.org

"The Evergreens Cemetery, a historic cemetery in the 'rural' style, was incorporated in 1849 and covers 225 acres... Visitors can explore the landscape, designed by Andrew Jackson Downing, and see the great variety of architectural styles represented in the mausoleums and grave markers. The Victorian Gothic Chapel was designed by Alexander Jackson Davis in 1849/1850. The Evergreens Cemetery is on the National Register of Historic Places."

In addition to some beautiful photographs of the cemetery, there was a helpful link to request help...which I did. They responded quickly with the following information:

I was able to find Ellen Walton, buried on November 19, 1894. She is buried in the section of Pleasant Hill, grave #6753. Below is the following information that was recorded at the time of her burial: Age: 29; Place of death: 327 West 25th Street; Cause of death: Peritonitis; Please see the map attached.

Map showing Burial Location of Ellen Walton

I had received this while researching the previous blog and included some of the information in my description of Ellen. I also created a new Find-a-Grave entry so I could request a photograph of her headstone.

Within 10 days I received the requested photograph of Ellen's grave in Evergreens Cemetery in Brooklyn. Thinking I could finally wrap up this investigation, I was shocked when I opened the file!

1884 Headstone for Ellen Walton in Evergreen's Cemetery, Brooklyn

closeup of 1884 Headstone for Ellen Walton in Evergreen's Cemetery, Brooklyn

Not only did I find Ellen, but now I had two more WALTON'S to track down!


Ironically, Ellen's birth date is blank here in Brooklyn. For the record, she was born on February 26, 1865 In Cheddleton, Staffordshire, England to Joseph Walton (1832-1900) and Mary Lyndoe (1824-1870). She died in Manhattan, New York on November 17, 1884 of Peritonitis, an infection most likely caused during childbirth.  So we can confirm her death date of 1884 is correct.

Poor lass! Over in in Manchester, her death date is as blank as her grave is.

Will the real Charles Walton Please stand up!

It didn't take me long to realize there are A  LOT of Charles Walton's in the various branches of "our" Walton family, not to mention how many Charles Waltons in general pop up on Ancestry.com.

I went back to our friends at the Evergreens and they kindly sent me the following details from their records:

Charles Walton, burial date 6/5/1954 was 77 years old and passed away at 48-82 Park Avenue.

Hannah Walton, burial date 12/31/1966 was 83 years old and passed away at Yonkers General Hospital.

Here we go again...another mystery.

Checking my extensive family tree archives, I found a number of possible candidates named Charles Walton, but I did not immediately find an exact match. Now I had to try to figure out which Charles to zero in on. My closest candidate; although incomplete; there was a mismatch for the birth date,He had several possible wives and had no previously documented death date. The good news was that I had really never done any detailed investigation on this Charles, so essentially none of the data was trustworthy anyway at this point in my investigation.

Looking more closely at the data I had received from the Cemetery, I noticed a minor error! If Charles was 77 when he died in 1954, then simple math tells me he was born in 1878 NOT 1881 like his headstones says. I have learned from experience that just because it is "carved in stone", doesn't mean it's right! (See "Grave Matters". It turns out George Walton has the wrong Birth date on his headstone!)

Checking Hanna' age, if she was 83 in 1966 when she died, she would indeed have been born in 1883, so that is, at least, mathematically accurate.

SO Who is the best Charles candidate?

Since Charles Walton is buried with Ellen Walton, It can be assumed that there is some relationship between them and she has plenty of close relations named Charles. Let's take a minute to investigate the most likely of them.

1)  Ellen has a brother named Charles Walton (1860-1872?) but his birth date is too early and it has not been established that he immigrated to New York. Some Family Trees place his death around 1872, which would indicate he died young and never married. More investigation is needed for this Charles but he isn't a likely Candidate.

2) Ellen's uncle Charles (1837-?), the brother of her father Joseph (1832-1900) was, like his nephew above, born too early and for this reason he is an unlikely candidate.

3) Ellen's cousin Charles (1874-1954) is the son of her father's brother John (1830-1890). This Charles was the youngest brother of my great-grandfather George (1864-1910) and Edwin (1865-1929), who was Ellen's Husband.

4) A quick trip down the family tree reveals multiple sons, grandsons, great-grandson, etc, named Charles Walton. These later generations are either too young or otherwise accounted for and are not good candidates.

I therefore think the best candidate is Charles Walton #3, the younger brother of Ellen's husband Edwin.

To start with, he is the Only Charles Walton with a wife named Hanna, but... there may have been an earlier wife named Mary...and certain dates don't seem to correlate, at least at first glance.

The only way to know for sure who is buried here with Ellen...is to dig a little deeper!

One for all and Four in One

(C)2020 By Frederick E. Walton (A Walton Family Historian)

There is an unusual headstone in a cemetery in Manchester, England, that is both a Genealogical treasure trove and a bit of a Mystery for the WALTON family... Our Walton family as it turns out!

As you can see. there are four names on the headstone. There are four Walton's Buried  here. BUT...They are NOT the four whose names are listed! We'll get to that later though...

In case you can't make out all the writing, The headstone says:

In Loving Memory of

JOSEPH WALTON

WHO DIED NOV. 5th 1900

AGED 69 YEARS

ALSO EDWIN

THE BELOVED NEPHEW OF THE ABOVE

WHO DIED MAY 4th 1929 AGED 64 YEARS

ALSO NELLIE WIFE OF 

EDWIN WALTON

AND DAUGHTER OF THE ABOVE

WHO DIED IN NEW YORK NOV.    1895

ALSO OF MARY ANN (NAN)

THE BELOVED DAUGHTER OF 

JOSEPH WALTON

WHO DIED JUNE 26TH 1935

AGED 83 YEARS

___________________________

The Manchester Southern Cemetery is located on Barlow Moor Road in Chorlton-Cum-Hardy. If you should wish to visit, you'll discover it is the final resting place of many great Mancunians. It turns out that in Victorian and Edwardian times, this was a very posh area to live in.  

Click HERE for additional Information about Manchester's Soouthern Cemetery

Opened in 1879, Southern Cemetery is the largest municipal cemetery in the UK and the second largest in Europe, with stunning gardens and pathways, and six grade 2 listed buildings, four of which are chapels. 

West Didsbury  became part of Manchester in 1904

Chorlton-cum-Hardy is a suburban area about four miles southwest of Manchester city centre, known locally as Chorlton.  The area comprises the ancient settlements of Chorlton, to the north of the Mersey river, along with Hardy to the south. 

The headstone in question is located in Section D- "Consecrated" 2227. (That simply means blessed by the church of England for Christian Burial).  If you look carefully at the upper right edge of the Headstone, adjacent to the name JOSEPH WALTON, you will notice the number "2227", the address for this particular Plot.

_____________________________________________________

Who's Who?

There is a lot of information written on this headstone covering a 40 year  time span. Let's start by unraveling the data:

                                              Date of             Age at           Relation to
Name                                            Death               Death               Joseph 

1) JOSEPH WALTON     5 Nov 1900           69         Himself
2) Edwin Walton              4 May 1929          64         Nephew/Son in Law (married to Ellen)                
3) Nellie [Ellen] Walton   [19] Nov. 1895   [29]        Daughter (Died in New York)
4) Mary Ann (Nan)          26 June 1935        83         Daughter

_________________________________________________________________________________

Joseph Walton (1832-1900)

Portion of Headstone Detailing Joseph Walton

Joseph Walton was the fifth child of John Walton (1801-1874) and Jane Waterson (1801-1870) both of Appleby Magna. He was born in Appleby Magna, probably in the 4th Quarter of 1831. The civil registration of births, marriages and deaths in England began in 1837, so there is no Birth record available prior to this time. 

Joseph was baptised on  December 5, 1832 according to the St Michael & All Angels' Church Registers of Appleby, Magna Parish, Leicestershire, England. If the date of his Headstone, Age 69, is accurate, then he was born sometime earlier than November 1831, which is possible when looking at the spacing of his siblings. This would mean his parents waited a year to have him baptised.

St Michael Episcopal Church, Appleby, Magna Parish, Leicestershire, England. (c) 2011 by Frederick Walton
Photo taken by author during research trip in 2011

Joseph had seven siblings, including an older brother John (1830-1890). John is my great-great-grandfather. John and his wife Eliza had twelve children, including my great-grandfather George Walton (1864-1910) and his younger brother Edwin (1869-1929). More about Edwin later...   

Joseph wed Mary Lyndoe (1824-1870) in the 1st Quarter of 1851when he was only 19 and working in Appleby as a groom.

Together they produced eight children including Mary Ann (1851-1935), their eldest, and Ellen (1865-1894), their eighth and youngest, both of who are buried with Joseph.

Throughout the years he worked as a groom, a butler and a carter.

He died on November 5, 1900. His age is listed as 69 years, which can only be roughly confirmed. He lived at 114 Kirkmanshulme  Lane, Longsight, a suburb in southern Manchester.  He is buried in the Southern Cemetery in Manchester under the magnificent head stone above, the patriarch of his family.

Joseph Walton's Find-a-Grave Record
_____________________________________________________

Edwin Walton (1865-1929)

Edwin Walton was the eighth child (of twelve) of Joseph Walton's older brother John Walton (1830-1890) and Eliza Bonsell (1830-1893). Edwin was born December 3, 1865 in Cheddleton, Staffordshire, England. His father, John, was a 35 year old Coachman and his uncle, Joseph, was a Butler. His cousin Ellen was born in nearby Basford, earlier the same year.

Edwin Walton's 1865 Birth Certificate (Copy)

Edwin was Baptised in St, Edward's Parish in Cheddleton on January 14, 1866.

Baptismal Font at St. Edwards in Cheddleton
Taken by author during a 2011 visit during Easter.

In the English census of 1871, five year old Edwin is living at "Sunnyside", his parents home in Cheddleton along with six of his siblings, including his older brother George (My Great-Grandfather). He is listed as a "scholar". In 1881 the 15 year old Edwin is apprentised to a joiner, but living with his parents at Belmont cottage where his father is employed as a Coachman.

At some point in the later 1880's, Edwin immigated to the United States. There are several passenger list entrees that may be a match, but they are inconclusive.  Even without an immigration record, we know he ended up in America. 

In the 1885 New Jersey Census, I found an "Edward" Walton listed next to George Walton in the Dodge household where George is employed as a groom. I can't find him again until 1893 in  New York when he married his cousin. Edwin Walton and Ellen Walton were married in the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration in Manhattan on May 21, 1893. They both had Manhattan addresses at this time, although I do not find either in the 1893-1895 city directories. 

Index Card leading to record entry

A year and a half later the happy couple celebrated the birth of their first child with a name that was bigger than the baby! Gertrude Mary Ellen Hayes Walton was born on October 28, 1894. Less than three weeks later, tragedy struck. Ellen Walton died on November 17, 1894, only two days before the baptism of her infant daughter.

Gertrude was baptised in St. Peters Episcopal Church in the Chelsea district of Manhattan on November 19, 1994. 

Edwin and his daughter disappear from the record books after this. Although I have "found" Gertrude (more on her later) Edwin seems to have simply disappeared until his death in 1929. How he managed to become the "beloved" nephew of  his uncle/father-in-law in the 6 years between his wife's death and Joseph's is not recorded. Perhaps Edwin was a favorite from childhood on...

The following year his estate was probated providing the final few details about Edwins life. 

"Edwin Walton of 52 Hillkirk Street Beswick Manchester died 4 may 1929. Admin (limited) Manchester 29 October 1930 to Marion Platt Widow [His Daughter] attorney of Julia Catherine Walton Effects 127 Pounds Sterling, 9 Shillings, 4 Pence"

Edwin Walton's Find-A-Grave Record

_____________________________________________________

Ellen Walton (1865-1894)

Ellen Walton on the  was born February 26, 1865 In Cheddleton, Staffordshire, England to Joseph Walton (1832-1900) and Mary Lyndoe (1824-1870).  

Nellie is a common English nickname for Ellen. Records refer to her as Ellen, although her headstone lists the more familiar "Nellie", perhaps her fathers pet name for her.

She immigrated to America between April of 1891 and May of 1893 when she married her cousin Edwin Walton (1865-1929) on  May 21, 1893 at the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration in Manhattan.

The Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration, colloquially known as the Little Church Around the Corner, was built in 1849 on West 29th Street between Madison and Fifith avenues. It is designed in the early Neo-Gothic style to look as though it is set in the English countryside 

Ellen gave birth to Gertrude Mary Ellen Hayes Walton on October 28, 1894. Ellen died less than three weeks later at her home, 327 West 25th St., Manhattan, N. Y., on November 17, 1884 of Peritonitis, an infection most likely caused during childbirth. At this time, prior to the use of antibiotics, the death rate resulting from childbirth was as high as 6 out of 100 woman. 

Ellen's Burial Service was held on November 19, 1894 at St. Peters Episcopal Church at 346 West 20th Street, New York city. 

Her infant daughter, Gertrude, was baptised in  the same church on the same date. This normally joyous occasion was surely melancholy, but all a fairly "normal" part of life in the 19th century. Among the baptism sponsors are Constance Walton, the wife of Edwin's brother George Walton (and my great-grandmother).

Ellen is memorialized with her Husband and Father on the headstone above, in Manchester England but she is interred in Brooklyn's Evergreen cemetery in the Pleasant Hill section, Grave # 6753. 

She was only 29 years old

Ellen Walton's Find-A-Grave record

____________________________________________________

Mary Ann Walton (1851-1935)

Mary Ann Walton was born on August 23, 1851 to Joseph Walton (1832-1900) and Mary Lyndoe (1824-1870). Her birth is registered in Cheadle, the registration district office for Cheddleton and the surrounding rural area. Her Baptism on Sept 21, 1851 is recorded in the Parish register of St. Edward Episcopal Church in Cheddleton. 

Throughout her life, she lists her birthplace as Basford. An 1851 Gazeteer describes Basford as "a hamlet and manor, of which the Rev J Sneyd is lord. Basford Hall is the seat of the Rev Samuel Bradshaw, MA". Basford Hall is just beyond Cheddleton and where Joseph  worked as a Butler.   

Nan was a common English nickname for Anne. Perhaps this was used in the houshold to distinguish Mary Ann from her mother Mary? 

Mary Ann lived with her father throughout her life and never married. In 1901 we find Mary Ann living at 114 Kirkmanshulme  Lane, Longsight, a suburb in southern Manchester where her father died the previous year. The only other relative is her 6 year old niece "Nellie" Walton, born in America in 1894. (This is Ellen and Edwin's daughter, Gertrude). Edwin Walton is not found in the 1901 census. In 1911 Mary Ann has moved to 1 Giles Street, Longsight, Manchester still living with her 16 year old niece, identified as G.M.E.H. Walton. Born in New York, but a British citizen, and working as a "confectioneer", G. M. E. H. is obviously Gertrude Mary Ellen Hayes Walton, the daughter of Edwin. Edwin Walton is, again, not found in the 1911 English census.  

On April 24, 1916, sixty-four year old Mary Ann signed a marriage register for her niece at the Parish Church of St. Benedict in Arwick, Manchester, Lancashire. Gertrude is now calling herself Marion. Marion's address, 1 Giles Street, is the same as her aunt Mary Ann's. Her father, Edwin, a labourer, is listed in the proper place on the form, but it is Mary Ann who signs as the witness, suggesting that Edwin was not present. Marion's husband, William Charles Platt, lists his occupation as soldier. Sadly, he died in action, as did so many young Englishmen, in the trenches during WWI.  His service records indicate a widows pension was awarded to Marion, living at 1 Giles Street in 1918, presumably living with her is her Aunt Mary Ann (We'll have to wait until 2022 to confirm this in the 1921 England Census!

Marriage Register of Marion Walton with Aunt Mary Ann Walton's Signature as witness

No additional records for Mary Ann Walton could be found until her Death on 26 June1935. She is buried in Southern Cemetery with her Father and Sister. 

Mary Ann lived to be 83. She never married.

Mary Ann Walton's Find-A-Grave record
___________________________________________________

Headstone Question

When was this headstone initially carved? 1900? 1929? 1894? 

Were names added as people died and were buried in the same grave site...or was the headstone carved all at once, at a later date?

I think that the headstone was carved initially in 1935 or later and errected when Mary Ann was buried. This would make sense since the lettering and spacing used is consistant across the entire headstone, but there are other clues.

First...why is Nellie's death date left blank? Surely this detail would have been well known if it was supplied at the time of her death in 1894, but may well have been forgotten if the headstone was being carved in 1935, over forty years later!

And if the Headstone originated with the first to die, Nellie in 1894, then why is she listed in the THIRD slot after her husband Edwin?

You may assume it was carved and erected for patriarch Joseph in 1900, but again the question is, why wouldn't Nellie have been added at that time, putting her in the SECOND slot, and possibly filling in her correct death date?

And why is Edwin  in the second spot and listed as a "Beloved Nephew"? Why is Mary Ann a "Beloved Daughter" and Nellie only just "Daughter"? 

The final clue that may indicate this was carved all at once in 1935 upon Mary Ann's death is this...There is one more person buried here, and a little more room on the bottom of the headstone to squeeze that final name in, even if he wasn't as beloved as Edwin and Mary Ann. But there is no name added. Could this be because the headstone was carved all at once, and no further names were added? Probably.

So Who is the Forth Person?
______________________________________________________

Person Number Four

Remember, although there are FOUR names on the headstone, Nellie (Ellen) is buried in New York, so that only acounts for three burials at this Grave site. 

The result of the Manchester city council website burial record search shows FOUR positions and FOUR BURIALS in Grave site 2227. 

Grave                         Position   Deceased
DConsecrated 2227    1              Joseph Walton
DConsecrated 2227    2              Edward Walton
DConsecrated 2227    3              Mary Ann Walton

DConsecrated 2227    4              Alfred Walton

Alfred Walton (1862-1950) is buried here but his name is Not on the headstone.

_____________________________________________________

Alfred Walton (1862-1939)

Alfred Walton, son of Joseph Walton and brother of Ellen and Mary Ann was buried in DConsecrated grave 2227 on April 10, 1939. He was 77.

Note: his name was NOT added to the headstone in 1939, although there is probably room at the bottom to squeeze it in, further evidence that the headstone was carved all at one time and never modified.

Alfred Walton was born August 19, 1862 In  Basford Cottages near Cheddleton, Staffordshire, England to Joseph Walton (1832-1900) and Mary Lyndoe (1824-1870).  

On March 29 1886 The 23 year old Alfred married Beatrice Hague, also 23, at Ashton Under Lyne,  in Manchester.

Between 1888 and 1896 they had 5 children while living in Manchester.

They continued living in the Manchester  through 1911, the latest Census record and, since they are buried here, most likely through the end of their lives. According to Census data, Alfred worked as a Grocery store Warehouseman throughout his working life.

Alfred died in 1939 and was  buried on April 10, 1939 in DConsecrated Grave  #2227. His name is not on the headstone, but he rests here with his family. 


Beatrice died in in 1940 and is probably buried in Groton Cemetery, Groton, Manchester. 

Alfred Walton's Find-A-Grave record

Another Branch Sprouts From the Family Tree

(c) 2020 by Walton Family Historian Frederick Walton

When I submitted my DNA sample to ancestry.com, I had high hopes that I would find a match to a “English” Walton cousin from my direct line who could help me with my research.

Cousin Audrey

Audrey Mistiades is my 2nd cousin 1x removed. She is an English cousin from my direct line. She was born in Manchester, England. Her grandmother, Rose Walton Williams (1870-1937), is the younger sister of my Great-grandfather George Walton (1864-1910). Audrey and are both descendants of George and Rose’s father John Walton (1830-1890) as proven with both the paper trail of our family tree, and more scientifically through our matched DNA.

George, the seventh child, and Rose, the tenth child, where among a dozen children sired in Appleby-Magna and Cheddleton, England by John (1830-1890) and Eliza (Bonsell) (1830-1893) Walton.

George and several of his siblings immigrated to America, and account for numerous American branches of the Walton Family tree, including my own “Westchester Walton” clan. Rose and other siblings remained in England.

During our initial correspondence Audrey answered many questions and introduced a few mysteries:

• Provided names and dates to fill in a good portion of her particular branch of the family tree., which is often challenging for researchers looking for solid data post 1940. 
• Relayed family oral history that revealed that Six of Rose’s older siblings immigrated to America when she was around 12 ,which is about 1882.
•  Identified an early 20th century transatlantic link between the English Waltons and the American Waltons.
• Provided confirmation of John Walton (1830-1890) having a public house.
• Mentioned clues to additional English cousins and introduced a mysterious “Aunt Polly”.

Generation 1- The Walton-Williams Branch

Rose Walton (1870-1937), was born on March 21, 1870 at her parents home “Sunnyside” in Cheddleton, England. John and Eliza Walton, both age 40, named their daughter “Rosalia Alberta Walton” as written on her birth certificate.

Copy of Rosalia Alberta Walton Birth certificate
courtesy of Cousin  Gayle (Walton) Judd, Saratoga, California.

In her first United Kingdom census appearance in 1871, her hand written name is very difficult to read, but knowing what it should be, one can almost make out “Roseter”, age 1, born in Cheddleton and living with her family at “Sunnyside”.

Photograph of “Sunnyside”, (note Sign on tree, right foreground)
the house the Walton’s lived in in 1870 in Cheddleton, England.
Photographed by Genealogist Rick Walton during a 2011 research trip.  

In the 1881 United Kingdom census she is identified as Rosetta, age 11 living at Belmont Cottage with her parents and siblings Edwin (15), Frederick (8) and Charles (7). 

“I never knew my Grandmother [Rose] came from a large family, as Mum [Agnes] only talked about Edwin, Fredrick & Charles.” said Audrey in a note to me.

Belmont Hall, in Cheddleton, England, where the Walton Clan worked as servents in the 1870's.
They lived in a Cottage on the grounds.
Photographed by Genealogist Rick Walton during a 2011 research trip.   

John Walton, died in 1890.and according to his death certificate his son-in-law, D. Williams, of 39 Taylor street, Bradford (Manchester) is listed as the informant.

In the 1891 United Kingdom census Rose is listed as Rose Williams (20), wife of Daniel. They live in Bradford parish, Manchester, England. Her Mother Eliza  lives with them and their new baby Madelina.

Rose married Daniel Williams (1865-1907) on March 9, 1889 in Manchester. Together they  had eight daughters between 1890 and 1907 when Daniel died at age 42, leaving a young widow to care for a large household.

“times were hard for my Grandmother [Rose] as my Grandfather [Daniel] passed away when he was 42 yrs old [1907] and left my Grandmother with 8 girls… times were hard” recalled Audrey 

By the end of 1913 Rose married George Harry Taylor (?-1939)  and together they had two sons; George and John.

Rose died “Rosetta Alberta Taylor”, age 62, on May 16, 1937 at her residence at 106 Kendal Street, Bradford, Manchester, England. She died from hypostatic pneumonia and Chronic Myocardial fibrillation. Her Husband George Harry Taylor (an Electro Plater) was present at her death.

Copy of death certificate courtesy of Cousin  Gayle (Walton) Judd, Saratoga, California.

Generation 2- Agnes Williams

Audrey never knew her grandparents, but learned about them from her mother, Agnes, and her Aunties.

Agnes Williams, The fourth daughter of 29 year old Rose and 34 year old Daniel Williams, was born, according to her daughter Audrey, on December 12, 1899 in Manchester, England.  This is confirmed in the 1901 United Kingdom census where 1 year old Agnes resides with her parents and three siblings; Madeline (11), Lily (8), Gertrude (6).

Four more siblings were added before Daniels death, in 1907, at the young age of 42; Edith Rose (1902-2000), Emily (1903-1997), Florence (1905-1921) and Eve (1907-1982).

Audrey told me in a note:  “I knew all my Aunties except Florence who died from pneumonia at age 16 yrs [1921]. We were a very close family.  Any special birthday or Weddings, we were all invited.”

Agnes was only seven when her father died in 1907, leaving her 37 year old mother with 8 young daughters depending on her. Her mother, Rose, found work as a housekeeper.  Her older sisters all pitched in to keep the family together. According to the 1911 United Kingdom census, Agnes eldest sister, Madeline (21)  worked as a “Jam finisher” in a Jam works.  Lilly (18) was a spinner in a cotton mill. Gertrude (16) worked in a printing shop while Agnes and her younger siblings remained in school.

 Audrey recalled: “I remember my Mother [Agnes] talking about when they were younger they used to receive parcels of clothing from relatives in New York, times were hard for my Grandmother. [Rose]” 

I wonder if these parcels of clothing came from my branch of the Walton Family in Westchester, New York? My Graet-Grandfather George Walton and his wife Constance Wilhelmina Long lived, with their 12 children in Tarrytown, New York.

Audrey wrote: “My mother [Agnes] said that when her mother [Rose] was sick, she would ...talk about a place called “Sleepy hollow””

Sleepy Hollow, made famous in Washington Irving’s Tales, is none other than Tarrytown, New York, the center of the Westchester Walton Clan. I was born in North Tarrytown as was my father and my father’s father. In 1996 the residents of North Tarrytown voted to formally change their village name to “Sleepy Hollow”. George Walton, his wife and several of their children rest for eternity in the Sleepy hollow cemetery. This bolsters the idea that George kept in touch with his younger sister, Rose, and supported her during her difficult times between 1907 and her second marriage in 1913. However George died suddenly in 1910, cut down in the prime of his life, leaving behind a young widow and large family who would soon be weathering tough times of their own.

In 1913 Agnes watched both her Mother as well as her eldest sister, Madeline, get married. This surely helped ease the troubled times faced by this struggling family.

Although this family appears on nearly a dozen family trees on ancestry.com, the status of Agnes’ sisters after their mothers marriage is unclear, although as each grew up they undoubtedly left home to start their own families.

In 1926 it was Agnes’ turn. Audrey reported that:

“My mother [Agnes Williams] married Arthur Morran in 1926. They had 2 children, myself [Audrey] in 1937 and my older sister Muriel in 1931.”

My cousin and fellow genealogist, Claudia Shuttleworth, also corresponding with Audrey shared info from Audrey’s parents history, including two lovely photographs:

The Morran family lived in Manchester, England., where daughters Muriel and Audrey grew up. Like most people in Manchester, the War gave this family its share of challenges.  As the years passed, Muriel and Audrey left home to start their own families. Both Daughters eventually emigrated to Canada. 

Audrey said “After my father Arthur died in Manchester, my mother Agnes, my son Chris and myself moved to Vancouver, where I still live.” 

Agnes died in Vancouver in 1997 at the age of 97.

Generation 3 Muriel and Audrey Morran

 

Audrey filled me in on her sister’s family and her own.

“My sister Muriel married Joseph McNicholls in 1952. They had 3 children and emigrated to Vancouver, Canada in 1966 “

Muriel and Josephs 3 children are my third cousins and are from my generation:

• Stephen (64) lives in Nanaimo, BC, 
• Paul (61) lives in Victoria, BC
• Joanne (53) lives in Calgary, Alberta.

Muriel died in 2016 in Vancouver.

Audrey is a widow. 

“ I married George Mistiades in 1960. George unfortunately died prematurely in 1964 when I was pregnant with my son Chris. “

Similar to her Grandmother Rose before her, Audrey’s husband George died prematurely on April 10 1964 in Manchester. Audrey was six months pregnant.

She raised her son in Manchester, but nearly two decades after her husbands death, Audrey and Chris , with Audrey’s mother, Agnes, joined her sister as emigres to Vancouver where she still lives today.

Her son Chris, born in 1964 and her Grandson Alexander are the forth and fifth generation on this branch of the family tree.  


Audrey wrote to me: “My sister did genealogy in the 70s. She passed away in 2016. I think she would have been very excited to know that I have found some of our relatives.“

We’re excited to find Audrey and this whole branch of the Walton Family. We thank Audrey for sharing it with us

Who is Aunt Polly?

Audrey wrote: 

“My mother [Agnes] said that when her mother [Rose] was sick, she would call out for “Polly…Unfortunately I don’t know which sister they called Polly” 

Let’s assume that Polly is a sister of Rose (1870-1937).

We know Rose had 5 sisters:

1. Emily ( Waugh the oldest, I don’t find much information one her) 
2. Elizabeth (1855-1861) died as a child before Rose was born 
3. Jane Ann (1857-1868) died as a child before Rose was born 
4. Mary (1859-?) Starling? some sources place her in N. Y. 
5. Louisa (1865-1895) numerous family trees place her in NY at death. 

Many internet sources identify Polly as a nickname for Mary. Since Rose had an older sister named Mary, could she be Polly? Mary would have been about 11 years older than Rose. As an older sister, and the oldest female sibling still living at home, perhaps Mary helped care for Rose when she was a baby, thereby forming a special bond with her.

Other reliable family trees show Mary betrothed to John Staling in 1885 and immigrating to New York.  By the early 1900’s she is living in Ossining, N.Y. near Tarrytown (Sleepy Hollow).  Although this is not technically “Sleepy Hollow” it is close by.  

Claudia’s  mother, Barbara, said she remember her grandfather [Harry Walton] talking about going to visit Aunt Polly when he was younger. She recalls Aunt Polly lived nearby to the Waltons in Tarrytown. This adds further credence to a Walton relative named  Polly living in New York.

More research is needed to conclusively link Mary as Polly. I hope someone from that family branch can be discovered to help us.   

Audrey also mentions

“only two cousins left”.

Her mothers sister Emily Williams Gee, who I believe, sadly. passed in 1997. and her daughter Mavis. This led me to find a well documented Gee family tree on ancestry.com and a new place to search for more cousins

Emigrating to the States

In a note to my cousin Claudia Shuttleworth, Audrey wrote that Rosetta stayed in Manchester and 

“We are led to believe 6 of her siblings emigrated to the U. S. A.. We believe she was around 12 years old [1882] when the siblings left for the U. S. A.”

Claudia’s mother, Barbara, said she thought her father Harry said 5 brothers and 1 sister came over from England , and most of the boys went west.  She also thinks she remembers him saying that a brother, possibly Charles, was from the Chicago area.

Although immigration records for the Walton’s are fuzzy, One thing I don’t  see is a group of siblings traveling together. The Waltons I can trace seemed to have come individually, but more work may need to be done to confirm this.

Looking at all 12 siblings, I find six or seven that I either know emigrated or we can guess they did and possibly try to pick up their story in America with additional research..

1. Probably NO- Emily Walton (1853-?) More research needed but other reliable family trees have her married (1883-Waugh) and living in England as late as 1901.  
2. No- Elizabeth Walton (1853-1861)- Died in Appleby of Meningitis.
3. No- Jane Ann Walton (1857-1868)- Died in Cheddleton of Scarlet Fever.
4. Maybe? Mary Walton ( 1859-?) More research needed but other reliable family trees have her married (1885-Starling) and living in Ossining N.Y. where she Dies in 1936.   
5. No-John Joseph Walton (1860-1860) died in Appleby at 3 months old from “tabes mesenterica” or “wasting of the Body”. This was possibly caused by tuberculosis.
6. Yes- John William Walton (1862-1936) - Patriarch of the “Washington Walton Branch” well researched by Cousin Gayle Walton Judd.  Identified 1880 as immigration year in consecutive U. S. Federal Census documents. 
7. Yes- George Walton (1864-1910)- My Great Grandfather and Patriarch of the “Westchester Walton Branch” immigrated around 1882. One document says “He is leaving me on the 6th inst. [6 Nov 1882] in order that he may join his brother in America, where he thinks he may be ableto do better for himself than if he remained in England” Other documents place him in N.Y. in 1883.
8. Maybe?- Edwin Walton (1865-1929) More research needed but other reliable family trees show him married in N. Y. (1893) and buried in England.  May have immigrated in 1886.
9. Probably- Louisa Walton (1867-1895) More research needed but other reliable family trees show her death in N. Y. in 1895. 
10. No- Rose Walton (1870-1937) Remained in England
11. Yes- Frederick Walton (1872-?) More research needed but probably immigrated about 1890
12. Yes- Charles Walton (1874-?) More research needed but probably immigrated about 1890 

Audrey went on saying “not all the family immigrated to the States some remained in Derby.”

Derby is a market town, turned industrial center, located near the rural community of Appleby-Magna, Where the John and Eliza Walton family started and also near Cheddleton, where the the middle and younger children were born. If you didn’t immigrate, this would be a logical place to settle because of various job opportunities. This is a good clue to look for some of the siblings and cousins who may have otherwise “disappeared” from the genealogical record.

We know that Rose, Agnes and Audrey all lived in Manchester as did Rose’s parents John and Eliza Walton. Per their Death Certificates both Parents were living with Rose when they died. 

John Walton’s Will stated he was “formerly of the “Midland “ Hotel Gorton-Road Openshaw near Manchester”.  Agnes was able to confirm that “John Walton did have a public house, it was called The Midland Hotel on Gorton Rd in Gorton.”

Family Photos

A valuable resource for genealogists are family photos and document. I asked Agnes (pictured above) if she had any to share.

She replied “We don’t have any photos from the past, My sister would ask our cousins if they had any but they didn’t .“ Perhaps this is understandable considering the hard time experience by Rose and the time period. 

As far as family resemblance, she said 

“I would like to have had a photograph as my Mother [Agnes] would say to Me I can see my Mama [Rose] in you.”

Conclusion

DNA has been a useful resource to help us connect to relatives we may otherwise never know and share information that family genealogists have spent years researching. My Goal is to share what I’ve found and find more to share! I hope families on all the branches of the Walton Family tree may find this information useful and welcome a newly discovered branch.

Walton Welsh Rarebit

(C)2017 by  Rick Walton - A Walton Family Historian

There were a lot of mouths to feed and they didn’t have much money so Welsh Rabbit became a family favorite...

"Do you know what Welsh Rabbit is?" asked my cousin Claudia in a recent email. 

She was talking to her mom and wanted to pass along a Walton family story. She wondered if my father had ever heard this story from his branch of the Walton family.

Claudia's mom, Barbara, daughter of Harry Walton (1897-1981), was looking through a recipe book recently and came across a short note on a recipe that reminded her of something about her father.

The recipe said that peasant workers for the higher ups in Wales weren’t allowed to hunt rabbit or other wild game so they substitued melted cheese in a dish called Welsh Rabbit as it was inexpensive and it fed alot of  family. Barbara said that she remembered her father, Harry, making it most every Sunday for supper. 

Harry Walton and his mother Constance Wilhelmina Walton circa 1920's
(Is he hiding a plate of Welsh rabbit behind his back?) 

His version was a tomato and cheese type of sauce and was poured over mostly crackers or toast. She figured he got it from his mother, Constance Wilhelmina (1869-1931), as there were a lot of mouths to feed and they didn’t have much, especially after her husband George died in 1910. 

I spoke to my dad. He did not recall his father, Fred (1908-1980), mentioning this particular story but he was knew his father grew up in a poor family. Stories were told of how his older brothers left school to contribute financially. This is born out by claims on their WWI draft cards!

Reviewing the census records from 1900 to 1940. I have to give Constance a lot of credit for keeping her family together in what must have been difficult circumstances. I doubt that George had life insurance and certainly no pension. When he died unexpectedly, the family must have had a tough time. Constance lists her occupation basically as housewife. Perhaps she took in laundry or did some other menial labor to bring in extra money. There was no welfare or food stamps. If she was lucky, and not too proud, she might have received some small aid from the church. Although the address, changed with each census, the family members stayed together until one by one the older ones left the nest to start their own families. But until then, they all contributed to the family coffers, including my grandfather, Fred, who worked as soon as he was old enough.

Claudia and her mom are in the process of trying to find the actual "Walton" Welsh rabbit recipe. Perhaps a Walton cousin has this recipe from among their mother or grandmother's recipes and can share it with us?

Rabbit or rarebit which is correct?

My Rarebit lunch in Bath, England in 2011

According to the Oxford dictionary, there is no evidence that Welsh rabbit, was originated by the Welsh. In fact, some sources credit this to an early English dish. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the term "Welsh" was used as a patronizing epithet for an inferior grade. For example a Welsh pearl was one of poor quality. Welsh rabbit may therefore have started life as a tongue-in-cheek slur to imply that the Welsh were too poor to afford meat.  In England, rabbit was the poor man's meat, in Wales the poor man's meat was cheese. The Welsh have always had a reputation for being passionately fond of cheese. A fourteenth-century text humorously tells the tale of the Welsh people in heaven being loud and troublesome. In order to get rid of them St Peter went outside the Pearly Gates and shouted ‘Caws pobi’ (Welsh for ‘toasted cheese’)—whereupon all the Welsh rushed out and the gates were shut on them.

So is is Rabbit or Rarebit? The earliest use was as Welsh Rabbit.  Some sources claim that rarebit is the spelling based on folk etymology, while others claim it is simply to distinguish that in fact it contains no rabbit. 

There are endless variations of this recipe including versions called  English Rabbit,  Irish Rabbit and  Scotch Rabbit. Essentially it is a savoury sauce of melted cheese and various other ingredients, served hot, and  poured over thick slices of toasted bread.

I don't recall my mom serving "Welsh rabbit", although a family favorite in our household was toasted cheese sandwiches. They went great with a steaming cup of hot tomato soup on a wintery Sunday evening.

They are still a favorite of mine, although my wife corrects me every time I mention it. In her household they ate "Grilled Cheese" sandwiches! 

Funny how things change, I bet if you went into a nice restaurant and ordered Welsh rarebit today it would be an expensive, snobby, but not particularly filling meal. I'll stick with my childhood favorite- a toasted cheese sandwich...uh make that grilled cheese!

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