Dalton Magna, Dalton Parva,

Dalton Brook.

Main Photo Content Jonathan Dabbs

DALTON TOLL HOUSE

A Presentation by George Alderson

 Toll Bar House Doncaster Road Pumping Station 1913

In 1764 by an act of Parliament the Doncaster Tinsley Turnpike trust  was given the authority to make repairs to Doncaster Road as the road was described as "in a ruinous condition and in places very narrow and incommodious " Of course such repairs were to be at the expense of the road users of the time by implementing Tolls.

In 1764 the Toll house above was established to collect tolls from traffic traversing along Doncaster Road at Dalton, it not only collected tolls from locals but also from anyone travelling to Doncaster from Rotherham and Sheffield and vice versa. You will see from the photo above that the house had a bay window which would enable the tollkeeper to view any approaching traffic from either direction.

The Toll bars or Turnpikes were organised by local people, as each town or village since the 17th century were made responsible for the upkeep of local roads. So what were known as Turnpike trusts were formed under an act of Parliament which enabled the trust to raise funds for the road maintenance and charge a toll for the use of such roads. Each turnpike eventually was required to have a milestone placed, these milestones would tell travellers how far they had travelled and how much further to the next town etc. The old milestone had been in use since Roman times in England, there are still some surviving in Yorkshire today. The  toll house above was managed by the Tinsley to Doncaster Turnpike trust. Following the introduction of rail transport in the late 1840's the Turnpike Trusts gradually disappeared and the one in Dalton was removed in 1873. The house was still used as a home until 1958.

Any alterations to the trust had to pass through Parliament and in the period 1841 Acts of the Parliaments of the United Kingdom we find under Part 27 (1841)  (4 & 5 Vict.).  c.cix Tinsley and Doncaster Turnpike Road, an act concerning the trust which exp.in pt.(1 Nov. 1873) - A.T.A. Cont. 1873 (c.90), s.3, sch.4.  residue Expired: see Introduction.

Again in the period 1849 to 1850 under Part 39 (1849-1850) 1849 (12 & 13 Vict.). c.lxiv Tinsley and Doncaster Turnpike Road Extension.  r.(1 Nov.1869) - A.T.A Cont. 1869 (c.90), s.1, sch.1. 

Like any form of taxation the turnpikes were not viewed with favour and there were many instances where turnpikes were attacked by angry users of the roadways. Though the turnpike trusts were not supposed to be profitable organizations this was often abused by the trustees charging extortionate tolls, thus invoking the anger against them.

In the 1800's fee's varied but one would expect to pay approximately the following tolls.

 
A Coach drawn by a singular horse  approx 9d. [ Nine pence ]
Two horses approx. 1s . 6d.  [ One shilling and sixpence ]
 Three or four horses approx 2s. 0d. [ Two shillings ]
 A really large Coach pulled by five or six horses approx 3s .0d. [ Three shillings ]
 

The Toll Bar House Aldwark Occupants.

Apparently there were two Toll Bar Houses at Dalton one was located on Wash Lane near Aldwark House, but the house on the photo above is sometimes referred to as Toll Bar Aldwark, so I will try and clarify this.

The Wash Lane Toll bar was owned by the mining company, and when Park Gate Iron and Steel company obtained the property they altered the road and the toll bar was no longer used. According to my source a little old lady collected the tolls around 1950.

THOMAS ALDERSON

One of the tollkeepers of the Doncaster Road Toll was a Thomas Alderson back in 1852 who was also a shoemaker and the great Grandfather of George Alderson.  Thomas was married to Mary Miller and in 1852 they had a son born on the 2nd of October whom they named Walter George.  The photo below is a copy of Walters birth certificate issued on the 6th November 1852

1881

Walter G. ALDERSON   Head   M   Male   28   Rotherham, York, England   Telegraph Clerk (Serv)    
 Emma ALDERSON   Wife   M   Female   23   Ellenbrook, Lancashire, England       
 William G. ALDERSON   Son      Male   1   Stretford, Lancashire, England       
 Jessie M. ALDERSON   Daur      Female   9 m   Salford, Lancashire, England       


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source Information:
  Dwelling   25 Ryall St
  Census Place Salford, Lancashire, England
  Family History Library Film   1341948
  Public Records Office Reference   RG11
  Piece / Folio   3972 / 40
  Page Number   33

1901

Walter was to move to Wales where  it seems as old Walter was married to Florence so that means he was married 3 times. Firstly to Emma, then Florence and finally Margaret Ann Jones.
 
 

Walter Geo Alderson 48 Yorks Aldwarke Anglesey Llanfair P G Entire Rway Clerk Eng Dept G P O
Gwladys Gertrude Alderson 0 Anglesey Llanfair PG Anglesey Llanfair P G Entire  
 Harold F Alderson 2 Anglesey Llanfair PG Anglesey Llanfair P G Entire  
 Herbert Thomas Alderson 4 Anglesey Llanfair PG Anglesey Llanfair P G Entire  
 John Ernest W Alderson 6 Anglesey Llanfair PG Anglesey Llanfair P G Entire  
 Hy James Alderson 17 Lanc Salford Anglesey Llanfair P G Entire Telegraphist G P O
 Walter Geo Alderson 48 Yorks Aldwarke Anglesey Llanfair P G Entire Rway Clerk Eng Dept G P O
  Florence  Alderson 34 Norfolk Starston Anglesey Llanfair P G Entire

In 1917  Herbert Thomas Alderson above  was 20 years old and died in action in France during the First World War  and his parents are recorded as Walter George and Florence Alderson.

ALDERSON, HERBERT THOMAS
Initials: H T
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Private
Regiment/Service: Royal Welsh Fusiliers
Unit Text: 14th Bn.
Age: 20
Date of Death: 07/06/1917
Service No: 21215
Additional information: Son of Walter George and Florence Alderson, of Llanfair P.G., Anglesey.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: VIII. A.A. 18.
Cemetery: TERLINCTHUN BRITISH CEMETERY, WIMILLE

George writes :- "The only conclusion  I can come to is that Walter married Emma and had 6 children then she died or divorced because I have a copy of Margaret Ann Jones ( aged 25) and Walters (aged 59) marriage certificate in 1912 in Anglesey, Llanfair, which is the short for  Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, how about that one!!!!! One of my problems is trying to find the right Jones in Wales!!!!!!!
 
Walter died in1916 leaving my father at 3 years old and his brother Walter at  2 years so they never knew their father, and both my father and his brother are now dead. Margaret Ann then married a Cecil Fleville (who was the only grandfather I knew ) and moved to Scotland and I always thought my father was Scottish as he never told me about the Welsh connection, and I found out when I inherited all his paperwork when he died.
 
It seems old Walter was a bit of a lad with the ladies!!!! "

THE TOLL BAR HOUSE 1891

In 1891 listed as living at the Toll Bar House Dalton was Thomas Thorpe and his family, Thomas was 35 years old at the time and was born in Wadsworth, he was a Joiner and employed at the time. His wife Elizabeth age 32 was born in Dalton.

The family had previously lived at Rawmarsh where they had three children born, Henry in 1881, Arthur in 1883, and Martha born in 1886

Page 1 Folio 4 1891Census.

In 1901 the family are still living in Dalton

Thomas  Thorpe 43 Yorks Wadsworth Yorkshire Dalton Joiner
Elizabeth  Thorpe 42 Yorks Aldwarke Yorkshire Dalton
Henry  Thorpe 20 Yorks Parkgate Yorkshire Dalton Commercial Clerk
Arthur  Thorpe 18 Yorks Parkgate Yorkshire Dalton Pattern Maker In Brass
Martha  Thorpe 15 Yorks Parkgate Yorkshire Dalton
 

© George Alderson

Additional text and research John Doxey

 RECORDS FOR THE TRUST
GB/NNAF/O18990
Tinsley and Doncaster Turnpike Trust
Tinsley, Yorkshire
Doncaster, Yorkshire
Scope 1826-1870: records Repository  Wakefield Libraries and Information Services, Local Studies
NRA catalogue reference NRA 23091 Aldam
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George is researching his family and would be very appreciative of any information regarding the Aldersons in particular Thomas and Mary, if anyone can help then please contact George at   george.alderson@ntlworld.com

If anyone can help with further information regarding the Toll Bar House please contact John

Thanks also to Nadia Simpson and Danny Cassidy for information on the Wash Lane Tollbar.