Parish of Wetheral, Township of Corby Great.
Registration District: Carlisle. Sub-district: Wetheral.
Address: Meadow Cottages
Joseph DALTON, age 35, Cotton Spinner
Jane DALTON, age 35
Ann DALTON, age 10
Isaac DALTON, age 7
Elizabeth DALTON, age 5
William DALTON, age 3
Joseph DALTON, age 8 months
All were born in Cumberland

So when the census was taken on 6 June 1841, the family still lived in the county of Cumberland.

Joseph senior was employed in the cotton industry as a spinner and later as a weaver. There were a number of small textile mills in the north of England where the Dalton family resided but cotton weaving in the small dales started going downhill about 1820. County and industry histories note many mill laborers had to move around for employment. Many immigrated to America. When work was scarce for weavers this may have precipitated the move to the United States, where Joseph could pursue the profession he knew and support his growing family.

They left Cumberland County England sometime between June of 1841 and October 1842. Most likely Joseph and Jane booked passage from Liverpool England, a major port with frequent crossings to the United States. They sailed with Ann, Isaac, Elizabeth, William and Joseph.

It was previously assumed (family lore) that Joseph Dalton Junior was born on a ship headed to the United States in 1840-41. Baptismal documentation as well as the 1841 English census conclusively prove this was not the case. If Jane did give birth to a child on the Atlantic crossing, perhaps it was Mary Dalton. Records show Mary was born in Pennsylvania in 1842. If she was born during the ships voyage, and the scheduled port of arrival was in Pennsylvania, then American citizenship could be claimed and place of birth would be the state where arrival was planned. This is conjecture as there has been no prove a child was born on ship to Jane Dalton.

A Pennsylvania newspaper article, dated 26 December 1878, reports "after several removals the Daltons settled in Upland, Pennsylvania." There was a new mill opening in Upland in 1847 and Joseph found employment there as a weaver. Where they lived prior to settling in Upland is unknown at this writing. The mention of "after several removals" would imply the Dalton family arrived in the U.S. and moved about for work. There were mills in Rockdale, Pennsylvania where the cotton industry was thriving. There is strong evidence that Joseph settled in this area prior to his move to the aforementioned mill in Upland.