Irish topography contributed by D'Alton to the 'Irish Penny Journal,' commenced in January 1833. The drawings were supplied by Samuel Lover. In 1838 D'Alton published his valuable and impartial 'Memoirs of the Archbishop of Dublin.' He published in the same year a very exhaustive 'History of the County of Dublin.' His next work was a beautifully illustrated book, 'The History of Drogheda and its Environs,' containing a memoir of the Dublin and Drogheda railway, with the history of the progress of locomotion in Ireland. Shortly followed the 'Annals of Boyle.' Lord Lorton, the proprietor, contributed 300l. towards the publication. He published in 1855 ` King James II's Irish Army List, 1689,' which contained the names of most of the Irish families of distinction, with historical and genealogical illustrations, and subsequently enlarged in separate volumes, for cavalry and infantry. They bring the history of most families to the date of publication.
In 1864 D'Alton was requested to write the 'History of Dundalk.' He had prepared the earlier part of this work, but as his strength was failing, it was entrusted to Mr. J. R. O'Flanagan, who completed it from the reign of Queen Elizabeth to that of Queen Victoria. D'Alton had great business qualities, and his rigid adherence to the naked facts of history doubtless impaired the literary success of his books.
Latterly his infirm health confined him to his house, but he was very hospitable, loved society, and had great talent as a vocalist. He occupied himself towards the close of his life in preparing an autobiography, but it has not been published. He died 20 Jan. 1867.
[Personal knowledge.]
DALTON, JOHN (1814–1874), catholic divine, was of Irish parentage, and passed the early years of his life at Coventry. He received his education at Sedgley Park School, and was transferred in 1830 to St. Mary's College, Oscott, where he was ordained priest. He was engaged in the missions at Northampton, Norwich, and Lynn, and became a member of the chapter of the diocese of Northampton. In 1858 and the following years he resided for a time at St. Alban's College, Valladolid. After his return from Spain he settled at St. John's Maddermarket, Norwich, where he spent the remainder of his days, with the exception of a brief interval in 1866, when Archbishop Manning sent him to Spain to collect subscriptions towards the erection in London of a cathedral in memory of Cardinal Wiseman. He died on 15 Feb. 1874.
He published translations from the Latin and Spanish of various devotional works, including several by St. Teresa; also:
- 'The Life of St. Winifrede, translated from a MS. Life of the Saint in the British Museum, with an account of some miraculous cures effected at St. Winifrede's Well,' Lond. 1857, 18mo.
- 'The Life of Cardinal Ximenez,' Lond. 1860, 8vo, translated from the German of Dr. C. J. von Hefele, bishop of Rottenburg.
- 'A Pilgrimage to the Shrines of St. Teresa de Jesus at Alba de Tormes and Avila,' Lond. 1873, 8vo.
[Norfolk Chronicle, 21 Feb. 1874, p. 5; Weekly Register, 28 Feb. 1874; Gillow's Bibl. Dict. ii. 5; Cat. of Printed Books in Brit. Mus.]
DALTON, LAURENCE (d. 1561), Norroy king of arms, entered the College of Arms as Calais pursuivant extraordinary, became Rouge Croix pursuivant in 1546, Richmond herald in 1547, and Norroy king of arms by patent 6 Sept. 1557, though his creation as Norroy by Queen Mary at Somerset Place was postponed till 9 Dec. 1558 (Addit. MS. 6113, f. 144). He received a pardon 26 April 1556 for the extortions he had practised in his office of Richmond herald. In 1557-8 he began a visitation of Yorkshire and Northumberland. He died on 13 Dec. 1561, and was buried in the church of St. Dunstan-in-the-West, London. His portrait, representing him with his crown and tabard, is engraved in Dallaway's 'Inquiries into the Origin and Progress of the Science of Heraldry.'
[Noble's College of Arms, pp. 128, 132, 144, 146, 153, 154, 171; Gent. Mag. 1823, ii. 487; Evans's Cat. of Engraved Portraits, No. 14854; Addit. MS. 6031, f. 172; Harl. MS. 1359, art. i.]
DALTON, MICHAEL (d. 1648?), author of two legal works of high repute in the seventeenth century, was the son of Thomas Dalton of Hildersham, Cambridgeshire. In dedicating his first work, ‘The Countrey Justice’ (1618, fol.), to the masters of Lincoln's Inn, he describes himself as ‘a long yet an unprofitable member’ of this society. He also dates the epistle to the reader ‘from my chamber at Lincoln's Inn.’ His name, however, is not to be found in the Lincoln's Inn register, and as he never calls himself barrister-at-law, it is probable that though he had a room in the Inn he was never admitted to the society. He resided at West Wratting, Cambridgeshire, and was in the commission of the peace for that county. In 1631 he was fined 2,000l. for having permitted his daughter Dorothy to marry her maternal uncle, Sir Giles Allington of Horse-
