If you have a history of the English Revolution or the American Revolution, you will recognize the name Yorkshire Virginia. Yorkshire Virginia is a county in England that has been called “the mother of the colonies.” Its ancestors came from England, specifically Yorkshire, and settled in America between 1685 and 1690. The first of these settlers, William Dalton, settled in Gloucester County, but later moved to Westmoreland and Goochland counties. Find out more here.

Dalton was born in 1541 in Of Myton, Yorkshire Co. England. His parents were Thomas Dalton and Ann Wyrill. Thomas Dalton died in 1642 in York Minster. His children included Ann Wyrill (born Abt. 1634 in England) and John Dalton (born 1675 in Bedale, Yorkshire, England). His daughter Anne Dalton was born in 1555 and died in 1701. Read more about Northern Virginia here.