THE MALTBY ASSOCIATION

OFFICERS

 

Mr. Frank Bierce Maltby                                                 President

Mr. William Henry Maltbie                                              1st. Vice President

Mrs. John P. Victory                                                       2nd Vice President

Mrs. James Willey Todd                                                  Treasurer

Mrs. Clarence Verrill                                                       Secretary and Genealogist

 

STATE SECRETARIES

Mrs. A. M. Beckwith                                                      Colorado

Mrs. William Austin                                                         Connecticut

Miss Maude Townshend Maltby                                      Idaho

Mrs. John P. Cushman                                                     Maine

Mrs. Arthur Bliss Seymour                                               Massachusetts

Mrs. Frederick Crum                                                       New Jersey

Mrs. John P. Victory                                                       New Mexico

Miss Clara E. McGeer                                                     New York

Mr. Ubric Z. Maltby                                                        New York

Miss Martha J. Maltby                                                     Ohio

Miss Achsah Maltbie                                                       Washington

 

In February, 1906, a few Maltby descendants formed a Maltby Association, and as it was not intended to confine it to any particular country, but to truly make it a Maltby Association of Maltbys wherever found, there was only one rule adopted as to eligibility, namely that the applicant must descend from a Maltby; the one exception being that widows of Maltbys should be entitled to join providing it was distinctly stated on all membership rolls that they “represented their husband.”

In order that no cousin should be deterred from joining owing to prohibitive dues, these were made as low as possible, and the purely nominal sum of $1.00 a year for each member is asked.  The fact that the dues are so low makes it absolutely necessary for the success of the Association that descendants will do all in their power to interest other Maltbys and be as prompt as possible in the payment of dues.  It must be thoroughly understood that all money received from members is applied to work on the particular branch of the family from which they descend – to try and establish a more complete line of descent.

In the case of the American Maltbys the money paid by them is used for various purposes; some being – the care and restoration of our early ancestors; tombstones; the photographing of ancient Maltby tombstones, portraits, homesteads and heirlooms; the copying of old wills, inventories, family letters and documents of special interest, -- these being fees to Town Clerks – the search of early records to prove the connection with our emigrant ancestors to some heretofore unplaced Maltby family; and also to cover the regular running expenses, such as stamps, stationery, letter heads, printed receipt cards for dues, etc.; these in themselves making quite an item.  And last, but perhaps most important of all, when we can get sufficient suplus to cove current expenses, we have employed Mr. Gerald Fothergill, the eminent genealogist, of London, England, to work upon establishing the link with our English ancestors.  In this work we were materially aided by contributions from individuals, twenty-four members contributing sums ranging from fifty cents to five dollars, giving a total of $51.10.  That this money was well invested and that Mr. Fothergill more than gave us full value, must be evident to all those who have read Part I of this book.

Mr. Fothergill visited York in July, 1910, and read all the wills ‘round Retford for about fifteen years – no matter what the testator’s name, in the hope of getting a mention of Maltby, but only obtained one.  This used one ten pound note.  The second ten pounds he used in going around Retford.  He personally saw the record of William Maltby’s baptism – “16 March 1644-45.”  Mr. Fothergill wrote: “This corresponds with the age on his tomb.  I also found the baptism of Robert Maltby in 1647.  I hope you will be pleased with this evidence.  I had to visit Retford and Springthorpe twice as the Vicar had gone away and had the keys with him.  I suspect John: (i.e., brother of William the emigrant) “to have been born at Bawtry.  The Bawtry registers ought to be searched as well as Kexbie.”

There is every reason to believe that our ancestry is established back to John Maltby of Kexby Hall, Kexby, who made his will in 1557, but this should not satisfy us, and it seems such a very short step from here to a connection with an old English pedigree, such a one as Pedigree No. II – also such a descent would give us a right to use a coat-of-arms, and certainly there is a just satisfaction in knowing that one is entitled to coat-armour, long since justly won by some ancestor.

We need money to carry on this work, £10 ($50.00) is about the smallest sum one can send, and if some of the members who have not already contributed to this good work would care to assist in subscribing to this fund it would be greatly appreciated.

The Association has another object to accomplish, namely to promote a feeling of good-will and kinship to all of our kind wherever found, and to further this end it was planned to hold a Family Reunion at least once every five years.  The first reunion was held at Branford in September, 1910 (see account which follows), and this year of 1915 should find a second reunion planned, but owing to an unfortunate chain of circumstances it was not deemed practicable this year.

The Maltby Association have expected to publish annually the reports of the secretary and treasurer, and to date we have issued four publications, viz.; in 1907, a short report, afterwards included in Booklet I, issued in 1908 through the courtesy of Mr. Jay Hayes Maltby of Forman, North Dakota.  In February, 1909, Mr. Jay H. Maltby, at his own expense, issued Booklet II, a volume of 150 pages very nicely got up, the sale of which we understand just covered the actual cost of the illustrations and printing.  In February, 1910, the Fourth Annual Report of the Secretary and Treasurer was published and sent, gratis, to all members.  The autumn following the First Reunion was held which stimulated an interest in the association, many new members joined, and all seemed anxious to procure copies of the next Maltby book which was promised for the spring of 1911.  The Secretary fulfilled her contract and had the MS. Ready the last of February.  The book was to have been printed at private expense by a Maltby who expected to cover the costs from the sale of the publication.  Then came the hitch – it is too long a story and far too unfortunate an incident to go into at length.  The printing stopped, all communication ceased, it was impossible to obtain the manuscript; meanwhile members wrote asking when they would receive their books; as time wore on the interest taken in the Association began to lag, due did not come in and the Secretary, who had labored untiringly since the founding of our little clan, saw the work of years undone, and only the few dying embers left of what had been a well built house.

However, before the last spark was extinguished, one to whom we are greatly indebted, was that the manuscript reached us, and Fate was indeed kind, when she led Mr. Birdsey L. Maltbie to make his fine offer to print our book at his own expense, trusting to the Maltby descendants’ interest in such a production to subscribe sufficiently to cover the very high costs of producing such a book.  We earnestly request all those owning copies to tell their relatives of the book, as only in this way can Mr. Maltbie be reimbursed for the great expense to which he has been put.  The entire book of near nine hundred pages has been rewritten, revised and added to by the secretary in the last few months.  There is room for much improvement as to literary style, arrangement and so forth, but it has been work done as a “rush order’ and with all the imperfections it must seek its own place among you.  We hope it will be a successful venture, for if so we shall hope later to publish the large Maltby Genealogy upon which the genealogist has worked for years, and which will include a very complete record of the descendants of the emigrant ancestors, John and William Maltby.  Again we urge all those who have not already done so, to send in as full a record as possible of their own family as far as known, also old portraits of ancestors, giving when possible military and official records, names of universities attended, full dates of births, marriages and deaths – in fact any items of particular interest n your family and which you should like to have preserved to posterity, so that when you receive a printed copy you will feel satisfied with the accounts given and find the book says “just what I wanted said.”

As the present book is intended for a permanent publication, much of a personal nature was cut out, and all that was stable in our previous publications was included in order that descendants might have the complete printed records in one substantial book.

 

The list of members which completes this book is made from the last roll taken, and we sincerely hope that all will remain with us for many years, giving us courage to work on, by their help and co-operation.

 

It may interest the Maltby descendants of William Maltby to know that the head of our house of Maltby is Mr. Charles Eli Maltby.  This is the oldest son of an oldest son to have male issue and his line is: William (1), Daniel (2), the third son, but oldest having male issue: Capt. Joseph (3), Joseph (4), Rev. Joseph (5) Milo (6), Chauncy (7), Charles Eli (8), and his oldest son is Chauncy H. (9) Maltby, b. July 29, 1886.