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...."
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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)
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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. |
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