According to the United States census there were fifty-four Tarltons in New Castle in 1850, forty-two in 1860, seventeen in 1870, and fifteen in 1880. There are about a dozen living there now and a half dozen in Portsmouth, but there is only one boy under twenty-one in both places to keep up the name. Members of the family are now living in other parts of New Hampshire, and in Massachusetts, Vermont, New York, Alabama, Michigan, Colorado, Nebraska, California, Washington, and the Sandwich Islands.

OCCUPATION.

The Tarleton family seems to have been of the middle class from the first. The early parish records of London show that they were of some social standing, yet not wealthy, nor holding important office. The Tarletons of Liverpool seem to have been rather more prominent. In this country, too, most of the family have been of the common people. Few have been found in office and none in jail; few have been wealthy, and only three are known to have been in the almshouse, and these were old people, with no children to care for them. Many of those who lived in New Castle or Portsmouth have followed the sea at least a part of their lives, and often had command of vessels. Many have been farmers, and several have been in trade, from the small country store to the large cotton commission merchant. A dozen have been connected with railroads, and half as many have been bookkeepers. There has been no lawyer nor doctor among the New Hampshire Tarletons, and only one minister. Four have been college graduates, and several have been school teachers, though no one has made teaching a life work. No man, and only three women, are known to have signed their name with a X, which is unusual for a history of two hundred years. Many have been members of some church, but more have not. A few have been strong temperance men, but many followed the customs of early times, and drank more or less New England rum; several injured, and some ruined themselves by strong drink. Qn the whole, it is perhaps an average family of the early New Hampshire settlers and their descendants.

MILITARY HISTORY.

COLONIAL WARS.

The only record of our name that we find at this time is that of Elias Tarlton. If others were engaged their names have not

been kept.

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ASSOCIATION TEST.

In March, 1776, Congress passed a resolution advising the colonies to disarm all who were 66 notoriously disaffected to the cause of America," and who "refused to associate to defend by arms the United Colonies against the hostile attempts of the British Fleets and Armies." Accordingly, the New Hampshire Committee of Safety sent the following pledge to all the towns for signatures. It was in fact, if not in name, a declaration of independence by the people of New Hampshire similar to, but earlier than the National Declaration of July 4, 1776: We, the Subscribers, do hereby solemnly engage, and promise, that we will to the utmost of our power, at the Risque of our Lives and Fortunes, with Arms oppose the Hostile Proceedings of the British Fleets and Armies against the United American Colonies." Among the fifty-seven signers in New Castle were Elias Tarlton and John Tarlton. Only four on the island refused to sign. Among the five hundred and nine signers in Portsmouth were Richard Tarlton, James Tarlton, Jr., and Elias Tarlton. Fifteen refused to sign. In the state there were eight thousand one hundred and ninety-nine signers, and seven hundred and seventy-three refusals. The descendant of a signer of the Association Test is eligible to membership in the Sons of the Revolution, or in the Daughters of the Revolution. So the first four branches of the family are eligible by both the signing of the Test and the military service of Elias3, the fifth branch is uncertain, and the sixth branch is eligible through John3.

REVOLUTIONARY WAR.

Among those who rendered military service during the Revolutionary War are:

Elias Tarlton, William Tarlton, Elias Tarlton, Jr., George Tarlton, Isaac Tarlton, Mary Tarlton's husband.

IN THE WAR OF 1812 the following served at the forts in New Castle and vicinity: Jonathan Tarlton, William Tarlton, Joseph Tarlton, Elias Tarlton, Elias Tarlton (navy), Nathaniel Tarlton.

IN THE MEXICAN WAR were B. Frank Tarlton and perhaps Stileman Tarlton.

IN THE CIVIL WAR, on the Confederate side, was Lieut. Robert Tarleton ; on the Union side, William B. Tarleton (navy), Stephen B. Tarlton, Charles W. Tarleton, Mary J. Tarleton's husband, Cornelia Tarleton's husband, Frances A. Tarleton's husband, Catherine R. Tarleton's son, Betsey Tarlton's son, Lucretia Tarlton's son, and Mercy Tarlton's two sons. This list does not include the Maryland Tarletons.

IN THE CUBAN WAR it is not known that any New Hampshire Tarleton was in the military service.

ENGLISH ESTATES.

Rumors of great wealth in England that belonged to heirs in America have disturbed our family as they have others. In 1872, Rev. J. W. Tarleton was notified by an agent for foreign claims that there was an advertisement for the heirs to a Tarleton estate in England, and that if he could prove his relation, he would doubtless receive the money. Old letters show that he at once began the collection of the family records, but how long he continued, and what results he obtained, is not known, for none of his records can be found. As he seems to have accepted the erroneous statement made in the "" History of Rockingham and Strafford Counties," 1882, that Elias Tarlton (father of William, Stileman, and Joseph) was the emigrant, he certainly did not trace our ancestry back to England.

William A. Tarlton, of New Castle, is said to have undertaken the same work for the same purpose, but at what time is not stated. The extent of his work is not known, as his written records cannot be found. The writer of this has found it difficult to convince some that he was not engaged in this work for the same purpose as the others. It might be thought that these rumors originated with the claim agents, if Amos Tarleton had not himself seen the notice "Wanted, the heirs of William Tarleton" posted on a door in Liverpool, Eng.

If any of our family in this country have great expectations of becoming rich in this way, let them remember that there are Tarletons in England more nearly related than we are; that it is very doubtful if all our ancestry can ever be proved by the evidence required by law; that the administrator of the estate could not divide the property till he knew the exact number of heirs; and that the endless lawsuits required to prove heirship and disprove false claimants would give the lawyers a chance to take the whole estate.