Several years ago I was looking over an unorganized collection of genealogy information I had accumulated on my Dalton relatives. Sadly, there was no order to this collection. Frustrated with my lack of organization, yet realizing my compulsion to collect any scrap of paper, photo or note on my ancestors, I decided on a wonderful course of action. I would adopt a methodical system of filing and write a short biography on each ancestor while I was about it.

It seemed I would accomplish both a chronological accounting of their lives while simultaneously organizing a methodical, neat and easy to access filing system. Well, it wasn't until I started keeping a journal where I listed some resolutions and goals that I discovered the aforementioned "biography project" had been on hold for several years. This prompted me to establish a timeline of goals for each individual biography as well as a projected print date.

As for the format, I wanted the accountings to be easy to read, like a story, but provide specific documented sources for each person. The importance of documentation can not be overrated when one is trying to prove a lineage. Certainly there is some theorizing involved during the research process, however, I wanted to submit documented facts on each individual. Having meticulously researched this line of Cumberland bred Daltons, I won't include suppositions without qualifying that I am presenting a theory rather than fact. It would certainly call the validity of my claims into question.

This biographical accounting is limited to my great great great grandparents, Joseph and Jane Dalton, and their children. If it extended to other generations, which I would love to do, you would not be reading this accounting right now. It would be too cumbersome and possibly confusing to include more than this generation.

After much consideration it was decided to use the more widely recorded spelling of Jane's maiden name (Weightman) in the header of her biographical accounting. The reasoning is the earliest documented recording of Jane's maiden name is spelled Weightman. For any descendent of Joseph and Jane Dalton who may take issue with the spelling of her maiden name let me offer this in the way of explanation. Variations of Jane's surname have been numerous. All my life I have believed her maiden name to be spelled Whitman. Many of my cousins and uncles bear the name Whitman as their middle names, thereby preserving one of our family names. Jane's grave stone also bears the name Whitman - but historical documents have preserved her identity using many variations of spelling. This will be addressed in the first biography under the header Variations on the Surname.

Also, for those familiar with the geography of northern England as well as a knowledge of where the Daltons lived in the 1800s - the county of Cumberland became Cumbria in 1974. Cumbria now encompasses the former Cumberland and Westmoreland counties.

At this writing, these are the bare boned facts known about Joseph and Jane Dalton and their children. Where they lived and worked, the years their children were born and baptized, and an approximate time frame when they left their country for the United States. Many of the common details of their everyday lives are unknown and I dearly wish that weren't the case. Wouldn't it be wonderful to find a diary or old letters - to discover whom their friends were, when and where their parents lived and died, celebrations and tragedies, favorite foods and clothing.

My new goal is to start the next generations' biographical accounting. If you have something to share or have a correction, please feel free to contact me with your contribution. It will be properly documented in the next family history.

Happy reading!