Gravestones at Dalton Cemetery
In memory of Thomas Slater of Newton who died September 1st 1868 aged 58 years.  Jane Slater who died May 21st 1871 aged 82.  Abraham who died January 6th 1872 aged 84.  James Slater who died May  26th 1879 aged 50 years.  Jane widow of James Slater born January 3rd 1836 died February 21st 1917.  Robert son of James Slater who died January 12th 1882 aged 13 years.  Resting.

The 1851 census for 53 Newton                  1861 census for 42 Newton
Abraham     Head unmarried  aged 64             Abraham   Head unmarried  aged 74
Jane            Sister           aged 62                Jane          Sister                  aged 72
Thomas       Nephew          aged 40                Thomas    Nephew              aged 50
Robert        Nephew          aged 30
James         Nephew          aged 22

The 1871 census for 29 Newton
Abraham Head unmarried aged 84
Jane        Sister                 aged 82
James     Nephew             aged 42
Jane  (2nd) Wife               aged 35
Abraham Son (my g grandfather) aged 14
James Son                        aged 11
Jane  Daugter                    aged 6
John T. Son                      aged 4
Robert Son                       aged 2

Parish Records of Baptisms (St. Mary’s Church)

James illegitimate son of Jane Slater of Newton 20 July 1829.
Robert natural son of Jane Slater of Newton 12 November 1820.
Thomas natural son of Jane Slater of Newton Born 3 Nov. 1810 Baptized 13 Nov. 1810.
Jane to James & Isabel of Newton 25 December 1788.

** The gravestone and Will conflict with the actual day of May that Jane died i.e. 21st or 24th, however there can be no doubt that both the Will and gravestone are both about the same Jane.  We have already proved by the Gravestone, 1851 census and Parish records that Jane had 3 illegitimate sons and all three sons are also mentioned in her Will.  The Will also confirms Jane was a Spinster.

I know very little about Jane other than that she had 3 illigitamate sons, the third of which (James) is my great great grandfather.  To have 3 sons out of wed lock was very unusual in the early 1800’s and I think that she must have been very strong willed to survive, this maybe where the ‘Slater stubbornness’ comes from?  I think that I admire Jane quite a bit as she obviously did not ‘conform’ to the period that she lived in.

The Parish records indicate that Jane’s mother and father are James and Isabel, also of Newton, this is beyond doubt because of the information contained in her fathers will, where he mentions Jane’s ‘******* children’ Thomas and Robert (James was not born when James (Jane’s father) died in 1827).  ******** is a crossed out word in the Will but obviously it must originally have been ‘illegitimate’ or something similar.  So James and Isabel are my great great great great grandparents. Yes I know there are too many James’s and Jane’s, but just imagine how difficult it was to piece all the relationships together in the first place?