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!

.’

The Walton Brothers in the "Great War"

Copyright (C) 2017 by Frederick Walton
Walton Family Historian

As Memorial day 2017 approaches and we turn our focus to the Centenial remembrance of the "Great War",  I wanted to document the service of my Walton Ancestors and the contributions of these first generation American's to serve uncle Sam during World War One.

The Draft

Like most people of my generation, when you say "the draft" the first thing that comes to mind are 18 year olds. This was not true during WWI. In fact there were three seperate draft registration days.

The first,  June 5, 1917 required all young men age 21 (born 1896) to 31 (1886) to register. The draft lottery was held on July 20, 1917.

The Second registration was the following year on, June 5, 1918. It required all young men who turned 21 since the 1st registration to register.  A supplemental registration was  held on August 24, 1918, for those becoming 21 years old after June 5, 1918. This was included in the second registration.

The third registration was held on September 12, 1918, widening the range to men age 18 through 45.

The war ended, thanks largely to America's involvement, on November 11, 1918, so many of the third round draftees were still in training or were dismissed from serving


June 5, 1917- The first Draft Registration



As these period newspaper headlines show, the registration day was on June 5th, 1917. ALL elligible young men, whether White, Black or Foreign born had to register on THAT DATE. The consequences of not registering were severe.



There was little concern about draft dodgers, however, because after years of headlines about the attrocities of the Hun and the threat of German U-boats shadowing and heartlessly sinking American shipping, the young men across america were ready to serve. This included the Walton Brothers!

The Walton Brothers

George Walton and Constance Wilhemina Long were blessed with 7 sons, 10 if you include their first three sons who did not survive infancy.

On June 5, 1917 the two eldest Walton brothers  are eligable for the draft. Their father, George, had been dead for 11 days short of  7 years and their widowed mother Constance (age 48) had struggled to keep her family together in his absence. Although no records exist to tell the story, I'm sure, like most mothers, the prospect of sending her sons into harms way was emotionally daunting as well as financiall frightening. Without any visable means of support, she surely relied on her older working sons to keep the family united.

In the 1915 New York State Census [1] eldest son William had taken up his father's profession, listing his occupation as Chauffer. Second son  Robert was listed as a "tinsmith helper". Although too young for the first draft, Harry (17 in 1915) was already working as a "Elect[ricians] Helper " and Charles (15 in 1915) listed his occupation simply as laborer. They all remained under their mother's roof and clearly helped support their younger siblings who were still in school.

The following is a summmary of their World War One Service. I would love to hear from my cousins, their direct descendants, to learn more details about their service from family stories or gather photos and mementos.


William Walton

---

William E. Walton, U.S. Army
(1892-1960)

William E. Walton, born in Madison, N. J.  on 27 June 1892 was the oldest son. On June 5, 1917 he was 24 years, 11 Months and 9 days old, making him eligible for the first draft.

Draft Registration Card 

His Draft registration card is seen below and is available for free at the following link:

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-8BRB-99VF?mode=g&i=1545&cc=1968530

June 5, 1917 Draft Registration Card for William Walton

According to the data on his card, William is no longer living with his Mother and lists his address as 142 Bartholdi Avenue, Jersey City, New Jersey. This is in the Greenville section, not far from the Greenville RR yard where he worked. He most likely took up residence here to be closer to his job. (line 10 indicates he is still single, so he doesn't have a family of his own yet.)

Although no longer living under his mothers roof, he lists "Mother, one sister and Two Brothers" as dependants. This describes the three  youngest siblings: his sister Lillian (12) and brothers John (10) and Fred (8). He added a note above "Three other brothers working". Does this imply one brother and one sister have moved out of the household by this time?

Despite the fact that he is contributing to his mothers finances, he does not claim a reason for exemption, suggesting he is willing to do his duty.

The back side of the card describes William as tall, medium buid with brown eyes and light hair. It also shows that he registered on June 5, 1917 in Jersey City where he worked and resided.

World War I Service Cards, 1917-1919

On July 11 1919, the United States Congress passed an act authorizing the Secretary of War (for the Army) and the Secretary of the Navy (for the Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard) to create a record of service for each soldier, sailor, and marine who served between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1919, and furnish to the adjutant general of the individual states. The cards were created by the staff of the War and Navy Departments over the next seven years, being finally completed in 1926.

One of the most frustrating obstacles in searching for WW1 era records is due to a 1973 fire at The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis where they maintained World War I Official Military Personnel Files (OMPFs).  The fire destroyed approximately 16-18 million Official Military Personnel Files, including most dating to WW1.

Because of the St, Louis fire, these records may be the only remaining sources of information but, to date I have unable to discover a source for these cards for the state of N.J, N.Y. or Mass. so I do not have a service card that "officially" summarizes Williams service.

Burial- U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1963 for William E Walton

One place I was able to find some information for William was on the application form for a veterans headstone. All veterans are eligble for this honor. William's wife, Charlotte M. Walton applied for this on 21 September 1960, the same date as his death.



As you can see, He was a WWI veteran who served from 22 February 1918 to 4 Feb 1919 when he recieved an honorable discharge. The V. A. also marked in red pencil under medal that he received "P. H."- the Purple Heart (I wonder where this medal is today?). His wife listed his rank as Private 1st class, 16th company, 4th Battalion, 153 Depot Brigade

.

Example of a WWI era Purple Heart

The V. A. made some additional notes on the back of Williams Card: Highest Grade held: Corp[oral] with Co. B 308 Machine Gun Battalion, 78th Div. (one unverified internet source mentioned: The 78th Div. arrived in June of 1918 and fought at St. Mihiel,the Limey Sector and in the Meuse-Argonne campaign at the north end of the Argonne Forest at Grand Pre and beyond.)

William grave has a veteran's marker, but there have GOT to be some untold stories about his service. Does anyone in the family know? What a shame that they may be lost!

I created a Find-a-grave entry for William, linking him to his parents and siblings, and have requested someone local to take a photo of his gravestone. I will add a photo of the marker when it becomes available.

William E. Walton Find-A-Grave


Robert Walton

---

Robert Walton and sister Lillian

Robert Walton was born on May 26, 1895, in Madison, New Jersey. He was the second eldest son.  On June 5, 1917 he was 22 years, 0 Months and 10 days old, making him eligible for the first draft.

Draft Registration Card 

His Draft registration card is seen below and is available for free at the following link:

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-G1N1-LRL

June 5, 1917 Draft Registration Card for Robert Walton

This card is filled out in Robert's own hand and signed by the 22 year old.  He lists his home address as 135 Main Street, Tarrytown, N. Y. and confirms his birthdate as May 36, 1895 in Madison, N. J. He lists his occupation as a "driver" for Rose Bacigalupi, a 46 year old Italian widow who lives down the block on Main street and owns a retail fruit business. Since he calls himself a "driver" and not a "chauffer" I will make the assumption that Robert was a delivery driver, however there is nothing to document this with. Although still living with his mother and siblings he claims that he has no one dependant on him, although I'll bet he was contributing to the financial stability of the family.

We have a physical description of young Robert: medium height, "stout", brown eyes and brown hair. We also have a sample of his handwriting and signature.

Like his older brother, he does not claim a reason for exemption, suggesting he is willing to do his duty.


World War I Service Cards, 1917-1919

I was fortunate enough to locate a service card for Robert Walton on the subscription genealogy service FOLD3.Com  which nets out his WWI service. (I searched here for all the brothers and for some unknown reason, Robert's was the only one on line.)

He was inducted on 16 May 1918 (3 months after his older brother William) and was assigned to Rep[air] Shop Unit 301 where he remained throughout his service. He was never sent overseas and was honorably discharged on 19 April 1919. His rank was a Private.

A family oral tradition,  related to me by his grand-daughter in 2014, is that he was run over by a truck while in the Army and had a broken back when he was discharged. This is not reflected on his service card, however, because it lists 0 % disability upon discharge. While more evidence needs to be gathered to document his injury, it is well known, by family members that knew him, that Robert was hunched over. His granddaughter told me he loved the swimming pool because it was the one place he regained most of his mobility.

After being discharged Robert was a "tinsmith" for an auto company. My Dad recalled his Uncle Robert worked at the Tarrytown GM plant.

Burial- U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1963

I was unable to find a form requesting a headstone because his death is later than the data that is in the on-line database. Clearly someone requested a Veterans headstone, because that is what is on his grave. If these post-1963 cards ever become available, they will contain useful information to help us document the veteran's military career and possible family connections.

Grave marker at Memorial Park Cemetery in St. Petersburg Fla. 
photo courtesy of  great-granddaughter Marnie Caleen

I created a Find-a-Grave entry for Robert and linked him to his parents and siblings.

https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=156729390



Harry Walton

---

Harry Walton and his Mother Constance
circa 1920's
(photo Courtesy of his Grand-daughter Claudia Shuttleworth)

Harry Walton was born in Madison, N. J.  on 18 August 1897.  He was the third Walton son. He had not reached age 21 by the first draft registration on June 5, 1917, and just barely missed the second registration on June 5, 1918. A supplemental draft registration was added on August 24, 1918 and on that date Harry was 21 years, 0 Months and 6 days old, making him eligible for the first draft.

Draft Registration Card 

His Draft registration card is seen below and is available for free at the following link:

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GBRD-K2V?mode=g&i=315&cc=1968530

August 24, 1918 Draft Registration Card for Harry Walton

This card is filled out in Harry's own hand and signed by the 21 year old.  He lists his home address as 58 Depot Street, Dalton, Mass. He had left his Mother's home in Tarrytown sometime after the Census in 1915 and relocated to Massachusetts, probably for work. This is just down the street from the home of  his future wife, Sarah Mae Adams, and her parents at 139 Depot Street. Family Oral history says that being neighbors is how they met. There is no question on the form that identified marital status.  It is unclear exactly when Harry was married.

Harry confirmed his birthdate as August 18th, 1897 in Madison, N. J.  He lists his employer as "Crane and Company" a high quality paper mill in Dalton. He lists it as a "government Mill" reflecting the fact that they supplied paper used for U. S. Currency.

Notice this is a slightly different form than the one his older brothers used. There were three different forms corresponding to each registration period. On this second registration form the question about claiming exception has been eliminated.
Finlly, we have a physical description of young Harry: medium height & build, Brown Eyes and Brown Hair. We also have a sample of his handwriting and signature.

World War I Service Cards, 1917-1919

I have been unable to find any information about Harry's service. Discussing this with his grand-daughter, the family oral history is that he was all set to serve, and then the war ended on November 11, 1918 before he could be inducted. Massachusetts does not have their WWI service cards available in the state Archives so I was unable to confirm his service. The lack of photos of him in uniform would support the family oral history.

Burial- U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1963

Not having served Harry would not have been eligable for a veterans headstone.

I created a Find-a-Grave entry for Harry and linked him to his parents and siblings.

https://www.findagrave.com

/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=160682100


Charles Walton

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Charles "Chum" Walton
U. S. Navy C. 1918

Born 13 July 1899 in Madison, N. J. He was the fourth son. He attended school in Tarrytown. Charles was not eligible for the draft until the third registration period on September 12, 1918 when he was 19 years 1 Month and 30 days old. The third registration period dropped the eligible age from 21 to 18. Unlike his brothers, He Served in the U. S. Navy.

Draft Registration Card 

His Draft registration card is seen below and is available for free at the following link:

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-81N1-2F3?mode=g&i=1482&cc=1968530




The registration card for Charles is the third type and has a slightly different format and questions from the ones used by his brothers. This card is filled out in Charles handwriting and is signed by the 19 year old.  He lists his home address as 135 Main Street, Tarrytown, N. Y. and confirms his birthdate as 13 July 1899 in Madison, N. J. He lists his occupation "forestry" and he worked for F. A. Bartlett in Stamford, Connecticut. Bartlett Tree Experts was founded by Francis A. Bartlett in 1907 and today is the world's leading scientific tree and shrub care company. Bartlett also founded an Arboritum in Stamford in 1913.

He lists his Mother as his nearest living relative and, considering he lives with her  and commutes to nearby Stamford, he is most likely contibuting financially to the household.

His physical description is similar to his brothers medium height & build,  brown hair, but he has blue eyes, where his brothers are brown. We also have a sample of his handwriting and signature.

World War I Service Cards, 1917-1919

Below is a certificate of the military service of Charles Walton found among the papers of  his daughter and family genealogist Mabel (molly) Lewis, now in the hands of her daughter Alice Kearins. It shows he served for 4 years from 5 February 1919 to 3 February 1923.

Military Service Certificate for Charles Walton from Mabel Walton Lewis papers
Courtesy of Alice Kearins, Scanned by Rick Walton 2012 

Cousin Charlie Walton, the Great Grandson of  Charles, shared this 1921 Navy certificate, issued to sailors who make their first equitorial crossing. The line-crossing ceremony is an initiation rite in various navies that commemorate a sailor's first crossing of the Equator. The tradition may have originated with ceremonies when passing headlands, and become a "folly" sanctioned as a boost to morale. Although it is all "tonque in check", it was meaningful enough to Charles, like most sailors who earn it, to keep and pass down through the family.

As a historical document it tells us a couple of  important facts:

1) Charles was still in the Navy in 1921- 3 years After WWI was over. He served a total of 4 years.

2) Charles served aboard the U.S.S. Idaho

from Wikipedia:  USS Idaho (BB-42), a New Mexico-class battleship, was the fourth ship of the United States Navy to be named for the 43rd state. She was the third of three ships of her class. Built by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation of Camden, New Jersey, she was launched in June 1917 and commissioned in March 1919. She was armed with a battery of twelve 14-inch (356 mm) guns in four three-gun turrets, and was protected by heavy armor plate, with her main belt armor being 13.5 inches (343 mm) thick.

Idaho spent most of the 1920s and 1930s in the Pacific Fleet, where she conducted routine training exercises. 

This information will help us conduct additional research. Charlie also recalled being told that his G-G-Gfather was the Fleet Boxing Champ.

Burial- U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1963

I was unable to find a form requesting a headstone because his death is later than the data in the on-line database. Clearly someone requested a Veterans headstone, because that is what is on his grave and is shown below. He was a Seaman 1st Class. If you look closely at his photo, you will notice the braid sewn into shoulder seam which indicates his rank.


























I created a Find-a-Grave entry for Charles and linked him to his parents and siblings.

https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=157569717

Frank Walton

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Frank Walton, U. S. Navy

Born 18 Dec. 1902 in Tarrytown, N. Y., Frank was the 5th Son, and was technically too young to have enlisted in world War one. He attended school in Tarrytown. Perhaps the allure of adventure caused him to enlist and join his older brothers in serving. Like brother Charles, he chose the Navy.

Draft Registration Card 

Frank was only 15 years 8 Mos and 25 Days at the time of the third and final draft registration on Sept 12, 1918 which required men age 18 to 45 to register. Frank was under age so he was not required to fill out a draft card and I was unable to find one for him.

World War I Service Cards, 1917-1919

At this time I was unable to locate a service card or any other information about Frank's Naval Service. Did he run away and lie about his age? Did his mother give him permission? How long did he serve? The war was nearly over, yet we have pictures of him in uniform and his obituary states he was a World War One veteran of the Navy. He started his 45 year long career with New York Central Railroad in 1923, so it is possible he entered the navy at the tail end of the war and served afterwards.

I am hoping family members who are direct descendants can fill me in with stories, documents and mementos that will help capture and preserve his naval career.

Burial- U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1963

I was unable to find a form requesting a headstone because his death is later than the data in the on-line database. When I visited this grave, there was no veterans marker. He is buried at the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Tarrytown, N. Y., Plot: section 95, row C, grave 12.

I created a Find-a-Grave entry for Charles and linked him to his parents and siblings.

https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=157308238


Post War

All five of the Walton brothers survived the war and had  long lives. Although serving in the "war to end all wars" didn't prevent some of their children from fighting in the second world war and Korea, while  grandchildren and great grand children (and beyond) continued to honorably serve. To all the Walton's who answered their counties call to arms... 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE   

______________________________________________________________________________
Footnotes

1) 1915 New York, State Census; New York State Archives; Albany, New York; State Population Census Schedules, 1915; Election District: 01; Assembly District: 03; City: Greenburgh; County: Westchester; Page: 03; 135 Main street

resources:

Family Search:United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918

http://www.militaryindexes.com/worldwarone/

Ancestry.com  is a subscription Genealogy sevice that has a variety of WWI records available

Searching for the Waltons in Wales

(C) 2016 by Frederick Walton

Recently a cousin of mine told me that he was planning a visit to Wales. I told him about the time that I visited Wales in September & October 2002. I had gone to Wales looking for information about my great grandfather, George Walton.

At this time, in 2002, the only information I had about George Walton was an 1860 birth date from his headstone (later discovered to be incorrect), his date of death and the fact that he and his parents were “English” from various sources like his U.S. Federal Census records and my grandfathers birth certificate. Oddly enough, My grandfather listed his father, George’s, birth place as “Wales” in his 1930 census. He also listed his mothers birth place as “New York”  both subsequently proven to be incorrect. But it was this fact, along with a Welsh address on a job reference that ultimately encouraged me to seek more information on George Walton in Wales.

Job Reference #2, John Peel of DANYRALLT Llangadock, S. Wales to George Walton dated 4 November 1882

Early in my genealogical sleuthing I had being given copies of a set of documents belonging to George that turned out to be his job references from throughout his work life. One of these had the name of an estate, DANYRALLT, in South Wales embossed on the stationary¹.

Llangadock or Llangadog?

"Llangadock (now called Llanadog), South Wales is a “market-town and parish, in the county of CARMARTHEN, SOUTH WALES, 21 miles (E.N.E.) from Carmarthen; and 188 miles (W. by N.) from London. This parish, which derives its name from the dedication of its church to St. Cadog, is of very remote antiquity . . . The TOWN is beautifully situated between the rivers Brân and Sawdde, over the former of which it has a neat stone bridge of three elliptic arches . . . it consists principally of one spacious street, containing several well built houses of respectable appearance, and is abundantly supplied with water, but neither paved nor lighted."²

The name DANYRALLT comes from the Welsh “Tan Yr allt” meaning “beneath the hillside” and is often used to names farms and estates in southern Wales.³

Searching through my records I came across the journal I kept during this trip. The following are notes I made of my visit to Llangadog, Wales, where, according to the 1882 job reference, my great grandfather, George Walton, was employed by John Peel as a groom.

Monday, September 30, 2002

Black Mountains of South Wales on the way to Llangadog. Photo by Rick Walton (c) 2002

Our trip from Bath, England to South Wales took us through some beautiful countryside, much of it on well paved, yet not very busy highways. At times the mountains towering above the lush green valleys reminded us of those fertile valleys in California near Brownsville. At other times the far-reaching vistas reminded us of the valleys in Pennsylvania and the Shenandoah mountains.

Turnoff to to Llangadog.  (Square and Compass refers to the old public house  at this spot)
Photo by Rick Walton (c) 2002

 Llangadog s on a major “B” road and was no challenge to find, the bigger challenge being the  navigation along the narrow streets of the village. The village is very small, composed of three primary  streets that meet in the village center.  The streets are clogged with cars parked in nearly every available empty place, but that did not seem to bother the local farmers driving massive tractors with farm machinery, at a fast pace, clearing the autos by mere centimeters. As I recall, we parked near the edge of the village and walked!

View of Main street from center of Llangadog village. Photos by Rick Walton (c) 2002

 The village consists of three or four hotels or public houses, a post office and newsstand, a general store and residences or shops. It was lunchtime, but the village was a quiet as a tomb.

Author Rick Walton in front of the Castle Hotel in Llangadog, South Wales. Could his Great Grandfather, George Walton, have frequented the pub 120 years earlier? Photo by Ruthann Walton (c) 2002. 

We ate lunch at the Castle Hotel before heading to the Post Office. Ruthann mailed some postcards while I made inquiries. The little man who ran the connected stationary/newspaper store was as fidgety as a nervous mouse. I explained that I was looking clues to my ancestor, who once lived and worked here but there seemed to be a minor language barrier. Even though I was asking him questions in English and he was responding in English neither of us seemed to understand the other well. I showed him the job references. He seemed to recognize the scrawled signature on job reference #1 but didn't know about Belmont Hall. This was exciting. I had been unable to decipher this name and it was causing a brick wall to my research.

He seemed to think the middle name was Lloyd and pronounced the last name…in his Welsh accent… still undecipherable, this time to my ear instead of my eyes. I begged his pardon and asked him to repeat it, which he did several times, ending up shouting at me. It was still illegible to my ear. I asked him if he would mind spelling it for me. He impatiently picked up a pen and wrote it out for me on a scrap of paper. It looked correct…in fact it looked exactly like the scrawl I already had, illegible.I could see it was pointless to continue so I thanked him for his help and we
left. Still a dead end!

“Mystery” signature from the 1879-1882 Job Reference #1.  

The Llangadog clerk incorrectly identified the middle name as “Lloyd” 

He directed me to the Shoemaker, a Mr. Edwards who at 80 something was the oldest man in the village and if anyone would know, he would. We walked down the road as directed and two buildings beyond the square we were looking at the cultivated fields outside the village. The distinctive smell of burning coal drifted from chimneys to ward off the late afternoon chill. Other, more pungent, odors wafted into the village from the fields. We came to a small darkened shop with shoes on display in the window. I tried the doorknob. To my surprise it opened into a small unlit room with counters on either side and cobblers tools neatly organized behind the counter.

I didn't know if I should enter or not, but the opening of the door jangled a shop bell. As I stood there deciding what to do next, I heard footsteps approaching. A tiny, spry, white-haired, older gentleman, dressed in a clean white shirt and tie and wearing an unbuttoned cardigan sweater looked at me with a friendly smile as he switched on the shop lights. He didn’t look 80 something. He stood about 4’ 8" high. He was not a dwarf, but a perfectly proportioned miniature man.

"Are you Mr. Edwards?" I inquired.

"Yes I am" He replied with a smile.

I explained to him the man at the post office had sent me and he was happy to listen to what I had to say. I mentioned the name Perl (which is what I thought the signature on job reference #2 looked like) and  he corrected me.

"It's Peel: P– E– E– L, he was a Sir you know! Sir Melvin Peel, a generous man!”

I pulled out the job reference and showed him the signature of John peel.

Mystery Signature for Job Reference #1- Is it PERL or PEEL (it’s Peel) 

"Oh, that was his father, they are buried at the local cemetery”.

I probed him for other details and learned the following: DANYRALLT was a large estate located on the edge of the village. After Word War I, Sir Melvin Peel partitioned off lots from his estate to give to destitute returning local veterans. They were very grateful to him. The mansion was used for refugees during World War II and burned down in the 1940s, shortly after the war. The horse stables, where my great-grandfather worked as a groom, were still standing near the entrance to the estate and being refurbished as town houses. The ruins of the estate were about half a mile beyond the stables and couldn't be seen from the highway.

Danyrallt Park was built as a villa in the 1840's, replacing the 'Old Tanyrallt' (Nprn 17288). In 1864-5, the villa and an adjacent farmhouse were joined and named 'Dirleton'. The building is thought to have had a stone circular staircase in a canted bay. In 1881, the building was renamed Danyrallt Park. It was burned down in the 1940's (5).. 

He had no recollection of any Waltons, but suggested visiting the village church, the only one in town. “They may have some records of the Waltons. If the vicar is not at church, his house is just down the street. The Peel family plot is in the village cemetery on the right about halfway down the lane.” Mr. Edwards informed us.

The shop bell jingled as a customer entered. Mr. Edwards had answered my questions and there was not much more to tell me,  so I thanked him for his time and let him return to his business.

Grave Monument for John Peel at the village cemetery in Llangadog, Wales.
Photo by Rick Walton (C) 2002

We drove to the cemetery on the edge of the village in search for the Peel family plot, a large conspicuous monument. We next searched each row for Walton headstones, eventually going up and down many rows in the cemetery. No Waltons were found., although we did not take the time to inspect every one of the hundreds of stones stretched out before us. 

As disappointing as this was we did find information on the Peel monument that John Peel was from “Lanc” which we took to mean Lancaster or Lancashire, perhaps this is where the Waltons were from as well. Mr. Edwards had explained that local land barons like the Peels brought their servants with them rather than trying to communicate with the Welsh speaking locals. Considering some of the communications issues we had encountered ourselves, this seemed like a good idea.

St Cadog Parish Church, Llangadog The name of the village, Llangadog, means the area around (the church of) Cadog. There has been a church on this site since the 7th century. The tower was a 14th century addition. The present-day church is mostly the result of an extensive restoration and partial rebuild in 1889.
source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:South_side_of_St_Cadog_Parish_Church,_Llangadog_-_geograph.org.uk_-_3331830.jpg

Our next stop was the church. it was closed and empty. The ancient burial grounds surrounding the church was full of ancient headstones tilted in every direction. No Walton was found among the few that were legible. We drove to the Vicars house, down Rectory Lane, no one was home. I had hoped to look at church records to see if the Waltons were among the parishioners but were unable to. Another dead end.

Alter inside the empty St. Cadog church. I wondered if this is what my Great Grandfather viewed while attending church on Sundays. Photo by Rick Walton (C) 2002 

The day was rapidly burning to a close but I had one more stop to make, the stable my great-grandfather worked at.

We drove down the highway and turned left as directed. We came upon a large two-story stone barn on the left side of the highway. Pulling off nearby I walked back along the highway to take photographs.

The countryside in all 360° of my view had probably changed very little since my great grandfather took in the same views over a century before. This was the land and the very building where my great-grandfather worked as a groom. I felt a connection, but also disappointment in not finding out any more details about my mystery ancestor.

We pulled into a country lane to turn the car around, and discovered we had entered the courtyard in front of the stable, and a sign that said DAN-YR-ALLT Park, Private.

Pulling over on the farm lane I got out and took several more pictures of the beautiful stone building. My great grandfather most likely had quarters here on the second floor to fulfill his duties as a groom which required him to look after and care for the horses at all times  Beyond the stable, the lonely farm lane farm disappeared into fields that rose to a commanding hill. I imagined the long gone estate mansion perched on the crest.

Farm lane leading from Dan-Yr-Allt Park Stable to Mansion ruins in Llangadog. This is the same view seen by my great grandfather George Walton while he worked worked here as a groom from 1881-1882

Photo by Rick Walton Sept 30, 2002

My wife reminded me that our time in Llangadog had run out. It was time to head to our next destination.

I had actually found the estate and the stable he worked in! Amazing! Exhilarating! Yet disappointing. I did NOT find what I was really looking for. Who was George Walton? I knew he left Wales from right here in 1882, but where did he come from? Who were his parents? What was my Walton ancestry?

All I knew at this point was that my 22 year old⁴ great grandfather, George Walton,  worked on this estate for John Peel as a “groom under a coachman for somewhat more than a year.” There was no trace of him or any Waltons in Llangadog now. He probably wasn’t Welsh. Walton is not a typical Welsh name. I still needed more  clues to uncover his origin. He had been right here, but I sensed the rest of the Walton clan originated elsewhere still waiting to be discovered. More research was needed to continue. My trail had dried up.

I had come all the way to Wales based on a letterhead. I found the actual estate where this reference was written 120 years before but still hadn't learned who George was. That would come years later.

Notes:

[1] I received a photocopy of this document from cousin Molly Lewis in Sept. 2000. It was a single, cut sheet measuring 8 ½ “ by 5 ½”. The seal and printed address would indicate it was a piece of stationary for the Danyrallt estate. The crest is the Peel crest.

In 2010 I received a scan from cousin Claudia Shuttleworth taken from the original in the position of her mother Barbara Simpson, the daughter of Harry Walton. Barbara was studying family history in the 1960’s when she received this from her cousin Connie Ludwig. Connie had received this and other family documents from her mother, Lillian (Walton) Halpin who had received them from her mother, Constance Wilhelmina Walton. Constance Wilhelmina lived with Lillian and her family before her death in 1931

[2] From A Topographical Dictionary of Wales (S. Lewis, 1844). Found online at  Genuki in 2002 & 2016. http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/CMN/Llangadock 

[3] Gareth, John, List Administrator for Dyfed, GGM & PEM, Genuki, 3/1/2002 reply to  emailed question about present location of DANYRALLT in Llangadog. He was unable to identify the location, but shared the Welsh meaning of the name.

[4] Actually only 18 years old in 1882 once I found his correct birth date (3 July 1864) in 2006.

[5] source:  https://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/111848/details/llwyn-y-berllandirletondanyrallt-park