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.