Elijah Dalton (c1786) and Mary Grant (c1790) of Rutherford, Henderson and Polk Co, NC

Mary "Polly" Grant was born ca 1789/90 (per 1850 and 1860 census) in Rutherford County, North Carolina.

Mary Grant is daughter of Clementine Grant, and like her siblings, born out of wedlock. Her father is William Musick as proven by a 1791 Court record. The proof of Mary's relationship to Clementine is twofold. First she was named in an October 1791 court case as Clementine's daughter, and secondly, she and her siblings were all named in an 1841 estate record as siblings of James Grant, deceased. James was also a proven child of Clementine as named in court records, so by extrapolation, the others all belong to Clementine as well. Clementine was often in court for bastardy.

Clementine Grant never appeared on a census record, so presumably, she was always residing with other family members, and was never the head of her own household (or at least she wasn't during census years), even though she raised 6 children.

Mary Grant would have been about 1 year old or under by the time of the 1790 census (if she was actually born yet when the census taker came around). However, Clementine's location that year is unproven, but I strongly feel she was living with her parents. However, it does not appear that Mary was born yet when the census taker came around.

In Rutherford County Court, in October 1791, Clementine and daughter Mary were mentioned:

In 1800, Mary would have been about 10 years old, and probably home with her mother. I think that her mother Clementine was home with her mother Mary that year. Mary was probably one of the two girls age "under 10", born ca 1790/1800 or possibly the girl age 10-15 (born ca 1784/90).

In April 1805 in Rutherford County Court, Alexander Grant and James Boyle made a bond (a bastardy bond) assuring the county "that the following children of Clemmy Grant, Viz, Mary and James Washington shall not become chargeable to the County". (Thanks to Frank Block for finding and sharing this record)

On 4 Jan 1809, Elijah Dalton obtained a marriage bond in Rutherford County to marry "P. Grant". James Morris was the bondsman. There were several James Morris' of age that year, but I'd wager this was James Morris who married Elizabeth Grant, and therfore probably an Uncle to Mary Grant.

Elijah Dalton was born ca 1785/86 (per 1850 and 1860 census), probably in Rutherford County. Frank Block's research shows him to be a son of William Dalton (c1755) and Charlotte Johnson. I don't know what the proof for that is.

Two years before his marriage to Mary Grant, Elijah Dalton was the bondsman for the marriage of John Pearson and Margaret "Peggy" Grant (bond dated 24 Apr 1807). Some have concluded (based on this) that Peggy was a sister to Mary, but I don't think that is true, I'm fairly sure she was only a 1st cousin, being a likely (but unproven) daughter of Andrew Grant and Martha Mackey. The Grants and Daltons all lived near each other, and seem to all be related to each other.

Elijah Dalton was listed on the 1810 census in Rutherford County with a full household. Since he had only been married 1 year at that point, it seems that most of these people were not children, but other sorts of relatives, perhaps siblings or nieces and nephews, etc. It is also possible that the entire entry is erroneous, and a product of the census taker getting data from a neighbor or something. For example, there are four women in the household, all aged 45 and up. That leaves no room for his wife Mary, who would only have been 20 years old.

It should be noted that around this time (ca 1810), "Elisha Dalton" came of age, and began appearing in the Rutherford County records. Although "Elijah" and "Elisha" are not the same name, they are easily confused. I'm sure the two are related somehow, but I have no details.

I was unable to locate Elijah Dalton on the 1820 census. I read the entire census several times and did not find him. He was probably still there in Rutherford, but just missed that year (as were several other members of the Grant family).

Elijah Dalton was listed on the 1830 census in Rutherford County. He was next door to Churchwell Morris and two houses from Thomas Edwards, suggesting they were in present Green Hill Township area (Mountain Creek). No Daltons or Grants were nearby.

Elijah Dalton was listed on the 1840 census in Rutherford County. He was not near any known relatives. Some other Daltons were on the previous page, and several Grants were two pages away. Mary's sister Frances Pearson was on the same page, several houses away from the Daltons. Elijah's neighbors in 1840 were not the same as those in 1830, but some of the same surnames, so probably in the same general area.

On 6 Nov 1841, Mary Grant Dalton and her siblings were named as heirs in the estate of their brother James Grant, deceased. The estate record gave his heirs as: "Thomas Grant, Susan Grant, Miry Head, Polly Dalton and Franky Pearson, brothers and sisters of the deceased...". (Rutherford Co, NC Estates Book B page 167).

In the 1840's, the Daltons moved west into neighboring Henderson County, North Carolina, and were listed there on the 1850 census. They were next door to a Caggle family, and the Thornton and Angelina Bradley family.

In 1855, Polk County was formed from part of Henderson and Rutherford Counties, including the section of Henderson where the Daltons lived.

Elijah and Mary were listed on the 1870 census in Polk County in District 4 (Columbus Post Office).

Elijah and Mary were still in Polk County for the 1880 census, in Tryon Township. ** I don't have this entry typed up yet.

Children

Elijah and Mary had numerous children per the various census records. I don't know if a definitive list exists proving them all. Several were still home as of the 1850 census. Frank Block and other descendants of Elijah and Mary have provided me with lists of children, but so far I have seen no proof for most of them, so I'm not sure what ties them together. They also seem to have several grandchildren that lived with them for various census entries. If anyone can provide documentation proving these children (or even strong circumstantial evidence) please let me know.

Unknown Son (1815/20). Elijah and Mary (Grant) Dalton had an apparent son this age. He was home in 1830 (age 10-14, born ca 1815/20), and still home in 1840 (age 20-29, born ca 1810/20). This son was not home in 1850, so probably married or dead by then.

Other researchers show James Morris Dalton born 1818 as a son of Elijah and Mary. I don't know what the proof is to connect him to Elijah. He does fit age-wise, and he did live in the same general area, but otherwise how do we know he belongs here?

Unknown Daughter (1815/20). Elijah and Mary (Grant) Dalton had an apparent daughter this age. She was home in 1830 (age 10-14, born ca 1815/20), but gone by 1840, so probably married or dead by then.

Other researchers show a child named Charlotte Dalton born ca 1815 as a child of Elijah. She fits age-wise, but I have no data on her, so I don't know what proof there is she belongs here.

Unknown Daughter (1815/20). Elijah and Mary (Grant) Dalton had an apparent daughter this age. She was home in 1830 (age 10-14, born ca 1815/20), and still home in 1840 (age 20-29, born ca 1810/20), but gone by 1850, so probably married or dead by then.

Other researchers show a child named Ann Dalton born ca 1819 as a child of Elijah. She fits age-wise, but I have no data on her, so I don't know what proof there is she belongs here.

Matilda Dalton was born ca 1821/22 (per 1850 census) in Rutherford Co, NC. She was home with Elijah and Mary in 1850 and 1870 (but not in 1860). Strangely, no one her age was home with Elijah in 1830 or 1840. I'm not sure how to reconcile this, unless her ca 1822 birth year is off slightly, and she should actually be in the ca 1815/20 category. If so, Elijah had two daughters of that age group with him in 1830, one still home in 1840 (see above). If she isn't indeed one of the ca 1815/20 daughters, then I can not explain why she did not seem to be home in 1830 and 1840, unless she is not really their daughter. Perhaps she is an orphaned niece or something like that instead. All just speculation of course.

As mentioned, Matilda did not seem to be with her parents in 1830 and 1840. However, in 1850 she was with them in Henderson Co, NC ("Matilda" age 28, born NC). She was not home in 1860, but she was back with her parents in 1870 ("Matilda" age 48, born NC), but gone again by 1880.

She was not with her parents in 1860 or 1880, nor did I locate her elsewhere those years. When with her parents she still seemed to have the "Dalton" surname, though other researchers show she was married to a Leonard Johnson in 1839. If this is true, then it would seem that she and Leonard were separated by 1850, or that he was dead.

There is a marriage bond dated 5 Sep 1839 in Rutherford County for Leonard D. Johnson and Mary M. Dalton with James L. Wilkin as bondsman. If this is the same Matilda, then her name is "Mary Matilda Dalton". This marriage date would explain her absence from her parents household in 1840, and might also explain that she was one of the girls born ca 1815/20, home in 1830.

I did not find Leonard D. Johnson on the 1840 or 1850 census, at least not in Rutherford Co, NC or anywhere nearby.

If that is the same couple (and other evidence seems to indicate it may be), then where was he in 1840 and in 1850? The young children living with Elijah Dalton in 1850 were probably Johnsons, though listed as Bradleys. One of them was still home in 1860, and listed as Johnson that time. This seems to show the validity of the argument that Mary M. Dalton Johnson and Matilda Dalton are the same person. Now, this means that Leonard was either dead, or absent for the 1850 census, and Matilda was living with her parents, and three of her own young children (Mary Ann Johnson-c1840, Elizabeth-c1842 and Rebecca Johnson-c1844). In 1860, Mary Ann Johnson (c1840) was with Elijah Dalton as was a young John Johnson (c1854), who must be a part of the same family, so apparently born to Matilda Dalton after 1850 (did Leonard come home briefly, or what?).

Unknown Son (1825/30) or (1820/25). Elijah and Mary (Grant) Dalton had an apparent son this age. He was home in 1830 (age "under 5", born ca 1825/30), and still home in 1840 (age 15-19, born ca 1820/25), but gone by 1850, so probably married or dead by then.

Other researchers show Lewis Harrison Dalton born 1823 as part of this family, and he certainly fits age-wise, but I don't know what proof there is that he is part of this family.

Other researchers show John T. Dalton born 1823 as part of this family, and he certainly fits age-wise, but I don't know what proof there is that he is part of this family.

J. O. Dalton was born ca 1828/29 in Rutherford Co, NC. He was apparently home in 1830 (age "under 5", born ca 1825/30), and still home in 1840 (age 10-14, born ca 1825/30), and still home in 1850 ("J. O." age 21). He was gone by 1860, so probably married or dead by then.

Researcher List

Persons researching this family (click here for data on how to get on or off of this list:

1. Elijah¹ Dalton , born 1785/86 in Rutherford Co, NC; died 1880/1900 in Polk Co, NC, son of William Dalton Pvt and Charlotte Johnson . He married on 4 Jan 1809 in Rutherford Co, NC Mary "Polly" Grant , born 1789/90 in Rutherford Co, NC; died 1880/1900 in Polk Co, NC, daughter of (---) ? and Clementine "Clemy" Grant .

Children of Elijah Dalton and Mary "Polly" Grant were as follows:

+ 2 i Mary Matilda² Dalton , born 1821/22 in Rutherford Co, NC; died aft 1870 in Polk Co, NC. She married Leonard D Johnson .

3 ii J O² Dalton , born 1828/29 in Rutherford Co, NC.

Generation 2

2. Mary Matilda² Dalton (Elijah¹), born 1821/22 in Rutherford Co, NC; died aft 1870 in Polk Co, NC. She married on 5 Sep 1839 in Rutherford Co, NC Leonard D Johnson .

Children of Mary Matilda Dalton and Leonard D Johnson were as follows:

4 i Mary A³ Johnson , born 1839/40 in Rutherford Co, NC; died aft 1860 in Polk Co, NC.

5 ii Elizabeth³ Johnson , born 1841/42 in Rutherford Co, NC.

6 iii Rebecca³ Johnson , born 1843/44 in Rutherford Co, NC.

7 iv John³ Johnson , born 1853/54 in Polk Co, NC.