MEDAL LOOKUP - CRIMEA

[diatrbus]

Happy New Year from Canberra in Australia.

I would really appreciate someone doing a lookup of “medal-entitlement, or medal(s)-issued” for me and other descendants of one Charles DALTON who served with the 8th Hussars in the Crimea and India and is believed to have rode in “The Charge.”

There is/was certain confusion as to how many DALTONS were in the 8th at the time; the various rolls and lists compiled years after the event conflict somewhat.
•   In 1877 the early lists of the Balaclava Commemoration Society had Charles down as DALTON, H, Pte No 1436; the later lists of 1879 show him as Charles.
•   The EJ Boys Archive lists have: DALTON Charles, Pte, No 1136 (close to No 1436??)
•   The EJ Boys Archive also had: DALTON Wilmall, Winnal, William, Pte, No 1467  (and two other names from two other regiments with that same regimental number – which I as an amateur presume was how Service Numbering worked.)
It is said that one of the medals worn by Charles was stamped/engraved: DALTON, J. Perhaps this is another red herring? I am hopeful of soon getting to actually see and photograph the medal set (which I understand is NOT LOST) which may answer a number of the questions other researchers and I have.

Thanks in advance,
Dalton Neville – a Grandson.

[neil1821]

The Indian Mutiny roll shows the following:
436 Pte Charles Dalton, 8th Huss
1467 Pte Whirral Dalton, 8th Huss
Both entitled to the Central India clasp.

Those are the only 2 Daltons listed in the 8th Hussars.

[neil1821]

Whereas on the Crimea roll we have:
1136 Pte Charles Dalton, 8th Huss
1467 Pte William Dalton, 8th Huss

I can't see a J.Dalton listed anywhere so that's probably a red herring.
APart from that, I'm not sure this clears up any of the confusion 

[ShaunJ]

I'm sure you will have seen this already - the page on Charles Dalton from Roy Dutton's book

http://www.rootschat.com/links/07rx/

[diatrbus]

Thanks Neil,

It seems a bit of a bugger's-muddle with the several iterations of names and numbers. I'm inclined to think that 1136 and 436 both refer to our Charles and that there's a transposition error, or a crook bit of handwriting that has had one look like the other.

Can you tell me which roll or list provided you with the Crimea number, please? Was it a regimental muster post-charge, or one of the later-made ones? If the former, is there any chance of getting an image? I've got some document and handwriting examination skills and an image may lean me one way or t'other. I

f you've been following the other Charles Dalton related thread you'll see that we've only just noticed a badge of rank on his sleeve in the only three photos we have of him that (I believe) was previously not noticed - this however, seems to be a NSW Police badge of rank and probably puts a full stop as to whether the uniform he's seen wearing was an 8th H or a Governor's Escort version of the Police uniform of the period.

Many thanks for your help.

Shaun,
Thanks, I have that and much of it is (after a couple of mild adjustments) incorporated into a lengthy tome that I am putting together for family distribution and checking - before we put it, or other version to press.

Brgds, DFN

[neil1821]

It seems a bit of a bugger's-muddle with the several iterations of names and numbers. I'm inclined to think that 1136 and 436 both refer to our Charles and that there's a transposition error, or a crook bit of handwriting that has had one look like the other.

That would certainly seem the logical explanation. Dodgy handwriting is all too common!

Can you tell me which roll or list provided you with the Crimea number, please? Was it a regimental muster post-charge, or one of the later-made ones? If the former, is there any chance of getting an image? I've got some document and handwriting examination skills and an image may lean me one way or t'other.

It's from the official, original handwritten medal roll, more or less contemporary with the end of the war, so 1856-ish. Here's the best image, the 1136 seems incontrovertible. Also, another image where William appears to have a second initial (T or J?) if that helps.

[diatrbus]

Now why didn't I find this site fifteen years ago?

Many thanks, Neil. That's terrific. I'd bet that the number 436 that we've seen elsewhere (unless it's from a re-vamped regimental numbering) is a corruption of 1136. If you put a cross-bar over the two figures "1" in 1136, you get 436. So, now that this image shows the true number in such clarity - and that it fits in with all of the other mens' numbers, that's the one that I'm going to use . . . with reference to the 436, too, of course.

Now, if only I could get my paternal grandfather to tell the truth about who he actually was before he arrived in Australia, I'd be a very, very happy chap. I might dig him up next week and go for a DNA sampling!!!

My grateful thanks to all who have participated - and to the site-owners.

Brgds, DFN

[diatrbus]

Can anyone following this thread give an informed opinion on the likelihood of Charles Dalton being seconded - and hurried off to join the hastily travelling new Governor-to-be to Sydney?

Charles's discharge date was either 1862 or 1863 and yet the best evidence we have has him arriving with Sir John Young, in 1861. Research has so far not found a link between Charles Dalton (born in England of London parents)and the governor's wife, one Adelaide Annabella Tuite Dalton, born in Dublin.

He's not known to have returned from India to England and isn't found in any other arrival database or report - other than as an un-named "Man Servant".

Our current thinking is of the possibility of a secondment to see out Dalton's service (and to perhaps put a military person into Gov't House). There were "interesting times" with and within the police in the colony around that period. The Force wasn't consolidated into one until 1862.

Brgds, DFN

[diatrbus]

Not only does a descendant hold our Charles Dalton’s medal set; I am thrilled this week to have been able to also photograph the medals of Charles’s son (Charles Albin Dalton) and two of Charles’s grandsons, Clive Malcolm Dalton – killed at Gallipoli; and Kenneth Dalton who survived both WW1 And WW2.

The medals will be staying with the family.
 
Having seen them I can see why family story had it that Charles let his children and grandkids play with the medals and his sword (in its scabbard).