Current Status

In 2020, we engaged Mark Wholihan, a Forensic Genetic Genealogist, to further refine and gather more Dalton DNA information. Mark has taken the advances in DNA research and matching and applied it to our database of Dalton testees. Mark is pushing connections further back and incorporating information from the Y-DNA tests to create a more-complete Dalton History and extended family connections through female Daltons.

Mark's 2020 Gathering Report report can be viewed here.

If you would like to join the Dalton Genealogical Society and participate in our Dalton International DNA Project, please consider becoming a DGS Member. Also consider joining Dalton (D*lton) Surname DNA and Genealogy our Private Facebook Group, which is open to all.

Project History

The DIDP (Dalton International DNA Project) was established by the DGS (Dalton Genealogical Society) in May 2003. At the end of 2005, the Society appointed Chris Pomery, an authority on genetic genealogy, as consultant to the project, to advise on interpretation of results and lines for future research. In October 2006 a preliminary presentation of the project findings was made at the DGS American Gathering in Hampton, New Hampshire, USA. This first report included 71 testees and appeared in November 2006. In July 2007, Chris spoke at the DGS Gathering in Worcester, UK. There were 99 participants included in Issue 2 of the report published in January 2008 and Issue 3 was published in October 2009 and had 126 sets of markers recorded and analysed. Many participants extended their number of markers and this added considerably to the value of the database as a whole to our Dalton family history researches. This is a link to the information from our 2011 Gathering in Salt Lake City.

Our DNA consultant, Chris Pomery made a video presentation on Saturday 31st July at our 2010 Gathering. Entitled “Getting the best from traditional and genetic genealogy – the future for the Dalton surname project”, it stressed the importance of undertaking traditional genealogical research alongside the DNA results in order to extend and maximise our knowledge of the family history associated with each identified genetic family.

During 2011 we published six reports providing updates for each individual genetic family, as follows:

- Genetic Family A - the Virginia Daltons

- Genetic Family B - the Eireann Daltons

- Genetic Family C - the Carmarthenshire Daltons

- Genetic Family D - the Golden Vale Daltons

- Genetic Families E, F, G, H, J and K and R1b singletons

- Genetic Families Q, W, X, Y and Z and non-R1b singletons

There have been a number of innovations in this series of six reports and one of the most important of these is the inclusion of details of the oldest documented Dalton ancestor where known. The importance of sharing this information as part of our quest to reconstruct and establish all our Dalton family trees, and to identify the links between them is undeniable. Where this data is incomplete, we have asked project participants to supply details of their oldest documented Dalton ancestor if known, so that it can be recorded in the next update of the report.

The first four reports were available in time for the Salt Lake City Gathering, with each of these groups well represented by delegates, and much useful discussion took place, both formally and informally. On the formal side, Chris Pomery gave a video presentation updating us all on the project, and then participated in a discussion and question time via a live link up from his home in Yorkshire, UK. Also Melanie Crain, Rodney Dalton and Cathy Negrycz gave presentations about groups A, C and D respectively.

This all helped us to take forward both the details of the project by identifying specific further research for these groups, and also the project as a whole by demonstrating its breadth and depth, and the ways in which it will help other delegates in due course. Links to all the presentations and the supporting slides will be found here.

We thank Chris for the superb work that he has done in preparing these reports for us. They are truly excellent pieces of work and set a formidable standard for all those engaged in one name Y-DNA studies. We are indeed fortunate to have Chris as our consultant and eagerly anticipate further reports focusing more on the geographical origins of the earliest known ancestors of each DIDP participant.

Meet Chris Pomery in the video of an interview given by him at "Who Do You Think You Are? Live!” in London in February 2009.

We host a private Dalton DNA Group on Facebook and a Dalton GEDMatch Ancestry Project  (registration required for both services).

In October 2006 a preliminary presentation of the project findings was made at the DGS Annual Gathering in Hampton, New Hampshire, USA. In July 2007, our Genetic consultant spoke at the DGS Gathering in Worcester, UK and his DIDP Progress Report in December 2007 provided a state of the art analysis of the DNA results of 99 testees in the project at that time. This included some testees in the Dalton America and other projects, whose DNA results matched testees in DIDP.

Our DNA consultant presented updated information at our 2011 Gathering in Salt Lake City, Utah. The most recent edition of the DIDP Progress Report was published in November 2013. The report is available to all DIDP project members who are also Dalton Genealogical Society members in good standing.

We want to thank Chris Pomery for the superb work that he has done in preparing these reports for us in the past.

DNA And Family History, Ten Years On by Chris Pomery