James Dalton

James Dalton was a well known thief in London in the days that John Whalebone lived. James was also transported to Virginia. There he met up with Whalebone and they marauded up and down the American coast....

I think this is the man (John Whalebone) that Grandpa Powell spoke of when he talked of the rich thief who had the golden statue hid in a keg of lard.

Here is some of the story written about James Dalton before he was hanged at Tyburn!

On their arrival here they fell to robbing with such fury that the streets were hardly safe when the sun was set; but Dalton apprehending that this trade would not lost long, resolved to make a country expedition, in order to get out of the way. Thereupon down he went again to his old city of refuge, Bristol. There he did not continue long before he was apprehended for breaking open a linen-draper's shop but the burglary not being clearly proved, the jury found him guilty of the felony only, whereupon he was once more transported to Virginia.

He did not continue long in that plantation before growing weary of labor, he thought fit to threaten his master, so that the man was glad to discharge him, and thought himself happy of getting rid of such a servant. Upon which Dalton soon found out one Whalebone, a fellow of a like disposition with himself; and they went about stealing boats and negroes, running away with them and selling them in other colonies. At last Dalton met with a ship which carried him for England. By the way he was pressed on board the Hampshire, man-of-war, in which he was a spectator of the last siege of Gibraltar.