Julie's Genealogy & More

 The Journey

 

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The black and white photographs below were just discovered in my grandparents'  family album - they were taken as Eleanor Barnes Walton and her children departed England in 1906 to join her husband William Guylott Walton in Battle Creek, Michigan USA.   (to enlarge a photo, please double click)

 

 

All Saint's Church in St. Ives -THEN

 "...The spire has suffered many vicissitudes; it was blown down by the great gale of 1741 and rebuilt in 1748; it was again rebuilt in 1879. Finally in 1918 a large part was knocked down onto the church roof when an aeroplane crashed into it. The rebuilding was completed in 1924...."

 

All Saint's Church - NOW

(the church was founded in 970 AD)

 

The St. Ives Bridge as seen today on their website

The St. Ives Bridge as seen in 1906

"...Over the river is a stone bridge of six arches, said to have been erected by the abbots of Ramsey; two of the arches were rebuilt in 1716 by William, Duke of Manchester, who also widened the wharf in 1724; near the centre, over one of the piers, is an ancient building the lower part of which was anciently a chapel, but is now used as a dwelling-house..." (for more on St. Ives click here)

"...The 15th century bridge with the chapel halfway across it. Around 1420, the original bridge was replaced with the stone one that still stands today. It has an unusual feature: a little stone chapel halfway across it, that once served as a tollhouse. When the St Ives priory was closed down in 1539, the last prior was allowed to live here. It was subsequently used as a shop, lock-up, disreputable inn, and house (for which two more storeys were added in the 18th century. These were removed in 1930)..." (from Phillip Grosset's St. Ive's website)

 

 

Eleanor during the transatlantic crossing

Shipboard scene 1906

Newspaper article run in the Battle Creek Enquirer & News, February 23, 1947

Mainly About Folks

After 55 years of steady application of his trade as a tailor, William G. "Bill" Walton is having a real vacation in California, where his granddaughter, a civil service employee at the United States Electronics Laboratory in San Diego, is seeing to it that he is shown the scenery and other sights of southern California. Mrs. Walton is with him but is considerably handicapped in some of the enjoyment of this belated vacation, owing to impaired vision.

The Waltons came to Battle Creek in 1906 with their family of four children, all born in England. The parents, neither of whom was robust, came here for their health, liked the community and have remained here some 41 years. They are coming back from California in the spring.

William G. Walton was born at St. Ives, Huntingdonshire, England, 73 years ago, to Guylott and Sarah Ann (Taylor) Walton. His father was a brick, tile and pipe manufacturer. The lad's grade school education was at All Saints Episcopal church school, and was followed by two years of high school at Dr. Kinder's preparatory school, both schools being located at St. Ives. His schooling was completed before he was 13 years old, due to the fact that he took two grades each year for several years.

Then came a four years' apprenticeship in tailoring, starting in 1887 and several years as a tailor in various English shops until he started his own business in 1894. He carried on this business until 1906.

Mr. Walton married early. his bride was Miss Eleanor E. Barnes, daughter of Thomas and Mary Ann (Johnson) Barnes, the ceremony taking place at All Saints church in Northampton.

Although not claiming to be of championship caliber, Walton nevertheless had considerable success competing in track events all over the English countryside, his athletic career beginning when he was 16 years old. He won numerous trophies, usually in handicap events, on the track. His best-recorded time in the quarter-mile was 52-4/5 seconds and in the 100-yard dash 10-2/5. He played soccer football for Willingboro Town, Northants, and Stroud Town in Gloucestershire, and he also loved long-distance walking. In 895, he walked from Wellingboro to St. Ives, a distance of 35 miles in seven hours and 15 minutes, stopping once for refreshments.

Walton was a member of the St. Ives Boat club and took part in sculling races, as well as being a member of the four-oar and eight-oar crews. Being located only 12 miles from Cambridge university, he often walked over to see the "varsity" crew practicing for the annual races on the Thames with Oxford. Speed skating and numerous fishing trips rounded out his program of athletics and sports.

But Walton had a musical side, too. As a boy he sang in All Saints Episcopal church choir in St. Ives for a period of nine years. Later he had a year in the famous choir at Ely cathedral, Cambridgeshire, and still later he sang in the choir of St. Luke's Episcopal church at Northampton. After coming to Battle Creek he sang at St. Thomas Episcopal church from 1910 to 1919.

Before leaving England for America four children were born to the Waltons; John B. Walton who is employed at the Battle Creek Cleaners and Dyers, his record there exceeding 25 years; Ethel A. the wife of John P. Huff who is a civil service executive in charge of publications and forms control in the 11th Naval district, San Diego; Richard G. a government civil service employee with the traffic and transportation offices at Fort Custer; and Annie E. wife of George Gilchrist, a farmer living near Augusta. Richard and Annie are twins.

Both sons are iceboat enthusiasts and Duane, the son of John, has won numerous cups in competition, including the Michigan state championship in 1944. His craft defeated "Running Wild," holder of the championship for many years, in races held at Gull Lake.

When Mr. Walton first came to Battle Creek, he associated himself with Will H. Spink, who was running a dry cleaning business in the old frame building that eventually gave way to the new Bromberg block in Monument square. Across the square was the old residence building that Niles Bryant owned and a soft drink shack - where the modern city hall stands. The Alden flats occupied part of the space where the present post office is located. Every spring, Division and Locusts streets, both unpaved, became a sea of mud when the frost went out of the ground.

Walton stayed with the Spink establishment four years, leaving to open his own tailor shop on West Main, over Will Eldred's candy store. Later he located in the old building where the Elizabeth block now stands, then next door to George Southerton's grocery. The next move was to the Halladay hotel building. In 1914 his lease expired and the Grand Leader moved in with the organization's first Battle Creek store. Walton accepted a "temporary" position with the Battle Creek Cleaning works, at Hamblin avenue and Jefferson (now Southwest Capital) and he liked the job so well that he remained there 17-1/2 years, having charge of the alteration and repair department. When the depression of 1932 came, Mr. Walton joined the forces of Roy Henry, tailor, then located over the Kresge Dollar store, and that association has continued, except for a comparatively short period, until the present year. He worked in Mr. Henry's place in the Stone (now Irving Farley) arcade up to the time of his departure for California.

During his years in Battle Creek township, Mr. Walton served as justice of the peace for four years, from 1917-1921; on the township board 1920-1921; and as township treasurer 1928-1930.

In fraternal circles, Mr. Walton is a member of the Battle Creek Lodge, No. 12, Free & Accepted masons and of Battle Creek Chapter No. 19, Royal Arch masons. He is also a past watchman of shepherds of Calhoun Shrine, No. 24, Order of the White Shrine of Jerusalem, and a life member. He once served as chief ranger of the Foresters of America.

Mrs. Walton is a past worthy high priestess, and life member, of the White Shrine, and both, as members of the Supreme Shrine, have attended most of the conventions held in the principal cities of the United States and Canada during the past 25 years. In fact, both have been greatly honored by that international organization. Mr. Walton was appointed deputy supreme watchman of shepherds for the state of Michigan (1939 and 1939) and Mrs. Walton served as supreme district deputy (1942-1943). The 1947 convention is to be held at Long Beach Calif., and the Waltons may decide to attend the sessions early in May before returning to Battle Creek.

One of Mr. Walton's few hobbies is the occasional writing of poems as well as newspaper and magazine articles. Some of the poems were first published in the Battle Creek Journal when the late George Willard was editor, and others in magazines. Mr. Walton never got around to publish his poems in book form, although he has sufficient material to fill a good-sized volume. His uncle, "Billy" Taylor, a Battle Creek "character" of years ago, was considered to be a poet of no mean ability. He lived on a truck farm at Waubascon lake and peddled his vegetables in Battle Creek singing his songs as he drove along the residential streets. Another uncle, Robert Taylor, was a shoemaker in the old Neale shoe store on North Jefferson. Both uncles located here in 1851 when Battle Creek was only a village.

For years the Waltons looked forward to their golden wedding anniversary, but when it came the event was not publicly celebrated because of a family bereavement. Only one shadow has marred the married life of "Bill" and Eleanor Walton - the fact that the latter has been gradually going blind since 1930 and now has little sight left.

The Walton family is noted for its longevity. One of "Bill's" aunts, Polly Burton, lived to be 103 years old; his mother lived to be 91, and his sisters and brothers, 82, 80, 76 and 69 respectively. The Waltons were in England on a visit in 1920 when "Bill's" mother celebrated her 89th birthday. At the time, the Waltons took a four months vacation.

Besides their four children, the Waltons have nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.