Mann/Dalton/Adams/Swift family Web Site

My name is User Graham Adams and I started this site.A small family bible owned by Florence Mann (nee Dalton) was the inspiration behind starting this family tree. Florence Mann (nee Dalton), my wife’s grandmother, was born in Southern India in 1899 before returning to the UK in 1961. This small bible was originally a gift given to Edward Mann by his father the Rev. Robert Mann of Long Whatton, Leicestershire. When Edward left Long Whatton in 1872 , I believe he left England to work on the Mann’s coffee plantation which was located in the Coorg area of Southern India. This coffee plantation was owned by his uncle Henry Mann and I believe was being managed by his cousin William Mann. Edward unfortunately died of jaundice after only living and working in India for two years. The small bible remained with William Mann and was eventually handed down to his son and daughter in law William John Mann and Florence Mann (nee Dalton). This family tree mainly traces two families. The Mann’s, a very wealthy family of merchants who owned water mills,maltings,property and land in and around Bungay Suffolk England and the Dalton’s, a family steeped in history. The Dalton paternal line can be traced right back to the time of William the Conqueror. Florence Mann’s (nee Dalton) father was Thomas Lawrence Dalton, the youngest son of Thomas Masters Dalton an eminent solicitor of Cardiff, South Wales who held the position of deputy sheriff of South Glamorgan. After completing his education at Harrow, Thomas Lawrence Dalton emigrated to India and the Coorg region in Southern India to manage a coffee plantation. The Mann’s had several family members working for the East India Company and serving in the Madras army. Henry Mann was the youngest son of the wealthy merchant and Town Reeve Richard Mann of Bungay Suffolk. Henry went out to India as a young man and served as a Master Mariner for the East India Company based out of Calcutta. We found Henry sailing the high seas to Malaysia and China. He later married Rebecca Barton Campbell and moved south to Coonoor in the Coorg region as one of the original European pioneers to start both coffee and tea plantations in and around the Niligris Hills and Mercara Coorg,Southern India in 1855/1856. To this day Henry Mann is widley credited as being the first to manufacture the black Nilgiris Tea. When Henry returned back to Hedenham Hall,Hedenham,Norfolk,England around 1871,I believe he left his eldest surviving son William Mann out in India to manage his affairs . Florence Dalton was born in Tellicherry,India, a main coffee processing town on the west coast of Southern India. Florence was the eldest daughter of Thomas Lawrence Dalton, and she eventually married William Mann’s son William John Mann i.e. Henry Mann’s grandson and they lived on the family coffee plantation called St Edmunds in Pollibetta,South Coorg, Southern India. They also owned a large property named Emerald Lodge sited on Osborne Road, Bangalore where they had four children. Emerald lodge ,Bangalore was the family home inherited from William Mann snr who died of cancer in 1898.  My family, the Adams/Swift family tree`s are also shown on this site and are being extended.  My wonderful husband Graham Adams the writer of this website died on 8th June 2013.