Frederick Dalton Esq. b. Edinburgh 1815/20?

[pierre]

Our Dalton family is researching Fredrick Dalton Esq. who flourished in New South Wales (NSW), Australia between about 1850 and 1881. We believe that Frederick was born in Edinburgh Scotland between 1815 and 1820. Frederick had a well documented career as a frontier magistrate in the NSW colonial service between 1860 and 1880, with his work being frequently mentioned in newspapers.

Frederick married Rosa Lavinia Wood; exactly where they were married, where they came from and how they got to NSW is still a mystery to us. Frederick and Rosa had eleven children between 1858 and 1879.

We recently came across a newspaper marriage announcement from 1879; in it both Frederick and his daughter (Sarah Louisa) are called "Tudor" Dalton and reference is made to a grandfather of the bride, the late (in 1879) colonel Tudor Dalton". If Frederick's father was a colonel he would probably have been in the British army. There are a number of Daltons who either were or could have made it to Colonel in that era, but we can find no reference to "Tudor Dalton".

Frederick disappeared while traveling as part of his work in late 1880 and Rosa died in 1901.

I would be happy to hear from anyone who can help with information.

Best regards,
Peter (Pierre) Dalton
Canberra
Australia

[Howard Dalton]

Will be in the Record Office in Edinburgh in August and can look for you

Cheers

Howard Dalton

howard.dalton@hotmail.co.uk

[pierre]

Hello Howard,

I have just read your reply on the Dalton Forum to my request for information
on my ancestor Frederick Dalton.

Something that I hadn't mentioned in my request on the Dalton Forum is that
Frederick was regarded as a "practical geologist" by many of the people he worked
with on the NSW frontier, many of whom were (gold) miners during the many
gold rushes in and around NSW in the latter half of the 19th century. There
are numerous accounts of Frederick forwarding mineral finds and fossils to
the Museum of Australia (natural history museum) in Sydney during his career.
So it seems that somewhere Frederick acquired a knowledge of geology.

If you find any information in the Edinburgh records office about Frederick
and/or his family I would be most grateful.


Best regards,

Peter (Pierre) Dalton
and
Margaret Dalton (mother)

Chapman ACT
Australia

[pierre]

Hello again Howard,

I sent a note to my brother Brendan (Dalton), who is also researching our Dalton family, asking if he had any suggestions or clues that you may find useful in any search you may undertake at the Edinburgh records office.

Here is Brendan’s reply, with some of my explanations in quotes:

Re: Howard Daltons offer of assistance.

Thanks Peter,
 
Sounds like a really great opportunity.
 
Some suggestions:
 
•   I have seen reference to gentlemanly Dalton’s being granted hunting licences around Edinburgh in the early 19th century;
•   they may be associated with a property called Logan Lee;
•   may also be a reference to an Edinburgh Dalton as an officer in the Dragoons;
•   I’ve also come across an entertaining  letter to an Edinburgh paper from a [George] Dalton who inherited a Scottish property in the late 18th Century - complaining about his neighbours getting him drunk all the time.

These are the only references to a Dalton family around Edinburgh that might possible include a potential Colonel Dalton. Trouble is I found them once and haven't been able to find them again.

 
For Frederick himself around Edinburgh:
 
•   any references to potential gentlemanly Dalton families - references to Dalton military officers
•   any lists of Dalton students at grammar schools - schools in general - between 1825 and 1835
•   Edinburgh became a centre for the study of geology around 1835 - any references to Fred studying Geology
•   he seems to be associated with the church of Scotland in Sydney so are there any church immigration schemes in the early 1850’s from Edinburgh
•   or any church records of parishioners
•   was he married prior to coming to Australia - a first wife could have died before he came to here
•   any reference to the Hindmarsh family, eg; he may have emigrated with them and then bought his property with them near Grafton NSW
•   was he a journalist in Edinburgh (not sure what Howard can do about this). “before Frederick entered the NSW colonial government service in 1860 he worked as the Mining Correspondent for the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) which was owned by Mr. John Fairfax”
•   did he come to Australia to work for (John) Fairfax? if so did Fairfax write to the geological survey to get them to send someone with geological knowledge?
•   any military records about Daltons living around or stationed around Edinburgh.
 
So these are all the ideas that I have. Its a great opportunity and I wish Howard lots of luck.
 
I think Fred's full name may have been Frederick William Dalton. There are also a couple of references on Trove (National Library of Australia),  from late in his time, to Warden W Dalton from Forbes and Parkes. I don't think there were two warden Dalton’s in the same region at the same time, but maybe he was really William Frederick Dalton. 
 
 
All the best
 
Brendan