Dalton Magna, Dalton Parva,

Dalton Brook.

Main Photo Content Jonathan Dabbs

EYRE FAMILY OF DALTON

Presented by Brian Eyre

When I first was introduced to your site, I was looking through the census what you had printed For Dalton as one does. I found my Grandmother Clara Eyre, she had been born in Birstall  Yorkshire.
I also noticed  another woman Mrs Silina Simpson[ with little visitor] also from Birstall,  she was staying with a Mrs Priclla Foulds as her niece. Well Mrs Simpson turned out to be my Grans Sister.

The photo on the left kindly provided by Brian Eyre is of his Great Granddad William Eyre with his family at Dalton Magna about 1897 with unknown man at the rear.  Herbert age 7 [ On pony ], Lily age 8,  Gertrude age 12 , Florence age 10 Martha  age22, and Williams second wife Lucy age 43 holding son Ernest age 2.

The family story begins with Thomas Eyre Father of John Eyre [born  26th May 1772 ]. at Sykehouse Yorkshire ; John married Martha White [ born1773 ] on the  25th Nov 1794 in Hatfield Doncaster.

Their 2nd son William [born 10th Oct 1803] in Scrooby Notts. He married Ann Mellars born [1806/7] on the 25th June 1827 at Rotherham Parish Church.

Their 3rd son William [born 1840] in Nether Haugh, Greasbrough Rotherham, married Sarah ???? They resided at 52 bethel Rd, Eastwood where their 1st son William [my Grand Father] was born [1868] also their 1st daughter Martha was [born 1875 ]. They then moved to Dalton Magna, where my Grand Father got married to Clara Machin [born 1869] from Birstall Yorks.

They went on to have 6 sons and 2 daughters:-Clifford b 1891, William b 1893, and Basil b 1897 [my Father], then Wilfred b 1899, Beatrice b 1902, Cecil b 1905, Rose b 1908, and in 1913 Walter who died at the tender age of 3 years.

I am very grateful for most of this information above came from Mr. Gary Garner, who is William Eyre’s [b 1803] Great, Great Grandson  same as I am. His Great Grand Father was the 4th son of  this William , he was  George Eyre.  I came into contact with Gary Garner when he sent a request in to this site ;- message:” Trying to find where William Eyre lived in Dalton Magna at turn of last century.  Supposedly a farmer but no idea which of the Magna \ farms he owned.  Any help useful”. To which I answered his request, it turned out that Gary had been researching his family Garner and couldn’t go any further, so he diversified the Eyre side of the family. This just goes to what you can find out by helping  someone else.

The family can be found on the 1881 census as follows.

William Eyre  Head   M   Male   41   Rotherham, York, England   Milk Vendor And Farmer Of 23 Acres     
 Sarah Eyre  Wife   M   Female   35   Penistone, York, England        
 William Eyre  Son      Male   14   Rotherham, York, England        
 Martha Eyre   Daur      Female   5   Rotherham, York, England        
 George Pettinger  Boarder   U   Male   20   Booton, Nottingham, England   Milk Carrier     
 Jane Smailey   Servant      Female   13   Rotherham, York, England   General Serv Domestic     
  Dwelling   52 Bethel Road
  Census Place Rotherham, York, England
  Public Records Office Reference   RG11 Piece / Folio   4673 / 43 Page Number 14

1891

William Eyre born 1867 at Rotherham Yorkshire moved to Dalton prior to 1891 when he was listed as a Farm Labourer Employed living at 52,Dalton Magna
Clara Eyre Wife M born 1869 at Birstall Yorkshire
Public Records Office Reference Page 11 Folio 9 RG12/3848

William Eyre born 1840 at Greasboro Yorkshire lived in Rotherham after his marriage approx 1876 moving to Dalton between 1886 and 1899 listed in 1891 as a Farmer Employer living at 55, Dalton Magna
Sarah Eyre Wife born 1845 at Penistone Yorkshire
Martha Eyre Dau born 1876 at Rotherham Yorkshire
Florence A Eyre Dau born 1883 at Rotherham Yorkshire
Gertrude Eyre Dau born 1886 at Rotherham Yorkshire
Lily Eyre Dau born 1889 at Dalton Yorkshire
Herbert H Eyre Son born 1890/91 at Dalton Yorkshire
Ann R Eyre Mother W born 1806 at Letwell Nottinghamshire
George Burden Servnt S born 1875 at Dalton Yorkshire Farm Servant
Emma Eyre Servnt S born 1874 at Swinton Yorkshire General Servant [ this is possibly a niece of William Eyre]
Public Records Office Reference Page 11 Folio 9 RG12/3848

Priscilla Foulds born 1829 at Dalton Yorkshire became a farmer and Grocer listed as a Widower in 1891and running a business, Priscilla lived at 15,Dalton Parva in the house are her nephew
Mark Guist born 1850 at Dalton Yorkshire Farm Labourer
Selina Simpson born 1865 at Birstall Yorkshire her married niece and a little visitor
Edith M. Johnson born 1886 at Rotherham Yorkshire and a lodger
Samuel Simpson born 1864 at Harthill Yorkshire a Coal Miner
Public Records Office Reference Page 3 Folio 5 RG12/3848

Somewhere between 1891 and 1901 William Eyre snr. had lost his first wife Sarah, and he had remarried a Rotherham Lady named Lucy.

1901

The Eyre family were living in Dalton and were
Ernest Eyre age 6 born at Dalton,,
Herbert Eyre age 9 born at Dalton Yorks.
Lily Eyre age 11 born at Dalton.
Lucy Eyre age 47 born at Rotherham.
Gertrude Eyre age 15 born at Rotherham.
William Eyre age 61 born at Wentworth and was a Dalton Farmer
William Eyre age 7 born at Dalton living at Dalton
William Eyre age 23 born at Rotherham Yorkshire living at Rotherham as an Iron Worker Labourer

Between 1891 and 1901 Selina Simpson had lost her husband and by the 1901 census has remarried to a Frank Dawson age 29 who was born in Attercliffe, and employed as a Farmers Labourer. Living at 22 Dalton Magna the couple had a son named Ernest Dawson age 7months, also living there was Selina's son Samual Simpson age 9, both boy's being born in Dalton.

 My Grandfather  William Henry Hill   and my Grandmother, moved there from Masbrough Rotherham.
My mother Edith and her twin sister Agnes were born in Masbrough in 1909, I think it was Sarah street. My cousin thinks my Grand dad and family were in the house from them being built, I do know they were in the house when my dad went in the army about 1917.

Samual Simpson the son of Selina pictured left of Dalton Parva was sadly one of those servicemen never to return. On the 1/07/1916 Private Simpson of the York and Lancaster Regiment  8th Bn. died during the Battle of the Somme age 24.

The battle commenced on the 1/07/ 1916 Making Samual of the first casualties in what was to be an horrific engagement lasting until November of 1916, approximately 68, 000 United Kingdom and South African Officers and men were killed within those five months.

The Memorial at Thiepval where Samual is commemorated, is for those 68,000 men who have no known grave, By 1918 a total of 72,000 men were lost on the Somme.

Pictured left circa 1935 at his home 59 Saville St. Dalton is William Eyre who was born in 1867 at Rotherham. William Eyre, at the top of the back yard in Saville street backs, in the far back ground if the quality of the photo was better I think is Dalton Parish church These photos were taken on glass plate, not film as today or yesterday now the digital cameras are here My father had one of these cameras.
 
 

 My other cousin says her father William [born 1893] went to war from Dalton Magna but not sure on exact year, then my father was attested in December 1915, and was Mobilized in April 1918 and his next of kin, his mother is living in 59 Saville St.

Also Aunt Rose [ Pictured below ]told Annie [my wife] she could remember pushing her brother Walter [1913 to 1916] in his pram, down past the water trough and to shops in Dalton.

My cousin thinks my Grand dad and family were in the house from them being built, I do know they were in the house when my dad went in the army about 1917.

In the household at 59 Saville Street with my Grandparent s were:-

Clifford b1891

William jnr.b1893,

Basil b1897,

Wilfred b1899,

Cecil b1902,

Beatrice b1905,

Rose b 1908 [ Pictured left taken at the end of their back yard. My Aunt was born in 1908 and she looked about 11 or 12 years old at the time. ]

 Walter born 1913 died 1916.

My cousin says her grand parents called Frank and Hanna Wright, came from Hide, Manchester to Dalton for work at Silverwood. They went back again when he lost his leg in an accident at work, they also lived in Saville St. at number 57. Frank and Hannah had a daughter named Lillias who was my cousin’s mother and she was born in1900 in Hyde Manchester, and they came to Dalton to work in the pit There was another daughter Miriam born in 1913 and they lived there from the house being built to about 1930. It was about this time he had his leg off due to an accident in the pit, and this being the reason they returned to Hyde.

Her Mother and Father [Lillias and Wilfred Eyre] married in 1921 and not long after this they went to live in No 46 Saville St. Where Wilfred junior was born in 1925 and 1935 Jean was born.
 It wasn’t till I asked about this history that I found my Aunt was named Lillias as I had always known her as Lily. Wilfred snr  worked at Silverwood at first then went to work at Aldwark
 

© Brian Eyre

Additional research and information courtesy of Gary Garner

Additional text and formatting © John Doxey

Many thanks to Brian for sharing his family here