mtDNA Results 20080621

June 21st, 2008 by SR

Great excitement here when I saw my result was through this morning, over a month before the predicted date. This is the first completed mtDNA test under the umbrella of the Canton Surname Project (CSP) and I am hoping readers will find it interesting.

The results are now shown on the Project public website

www.familytreedna.com/public/CantonSurnameProject/

and scroll right down to the bottom. You’ll even see my location on a map, in unlabelled Cardiff. I’ll leave my earlier account here for reference and with some commentary: 

Kit No.: 121844 / Name: Sheila Rowlands / Haplogroup: H

/ HVR 1 Differences from CRS: 16304C [abbreviated to 304C on the chart.]

Letters of the alphabet are used to label haplogroups for both Y-DNA and mtDNA, but they have no connection or overlap with each other.

CRS stands for Cambridge Reference Sequence, from the earliest mitochondrial tests, used as the basis for comparison in all mtDNA tests. 

Haplogroup H is a very common one, making up about 40% of  mtDNA in Europe. As with the Y-DNA haplogroups, there are sub-divisions - I can have further tests on my existing sample, for an extra fee. I am very interested in knowing more and am considering doing this - I’ll let you know.  By the way, as I write there are already 954 matches for my result in the database so refinement seems wise.

Haplogroup H is the one named ‘Helina’ in Stephen Oppenheimer’s books, e.g., The Origins of the British, (London, 2007, paperback), which I can recommend highly.  

My maternal grandmother was Olive Emma Ann Canton born Lamphey 1895; her mother Eliza Ann Charles born Monkton 1863; her mother Ann Griffiths born Monkton 1836; and her mother Ann Williams born St Twynnells 1797. The St Twynnells documentary records are poor and allow me to know only that this last Ann was the daughter of William Williams and that there were two men of this name in the parish. One married Elizabeth Eynon of a Stackpole family and the other married yet another Ann Williams of St Twynnells. Who knows - perhaps my mtDNA test will one day provide the answer! 

I am not writing much more about this now, for two reasons, one of which is covered by the personal news below - the other is that it’s all fairly new to me and I don’t know enough to explain it all right now without copying out chunks of other people’s copyright material. Better then if I refer you to some FTDNA pages on mitochondrial DNA tests for now.

http://www.familytreedna.com/tr_mtDNA.pdf

http://www.familytreedna.com/hclade.html

FTDNA site has masses of information. Go to

http://www.familytreedna.com/

then click on the SiteMap link at the very bottom of that page.

========================

PERSONAL NOTE

Some of you know that I have been ill recently - it is a very painful spinal condition which I feared for a long time to be a variation on my long-term Churg-Strauss vasculitis. I have had a good many tests, scans, etc, and yesterday saw my consultant at St Thomas’s. He felt he could now exclude CSS as a cause and said he will recommend I see an orthopaedic surgeon. Any reader who has known me since the 1980s may just remember I had an op on my spine then (though on a different part) - I’m not very keen on the prospect but will be glad to get it all sorted out.   I shall carry on as I’ve done recently, writing this blog from time to time. On odd ‘good’ days I’ll be trying hard to move the Canton Surname Project forward. If you have any suggestions, please write to me at the one-name.org address.

[Blog updated on 3 July 2008.]

  

mtDNA Test

May 23rd, 2008 by SR

It has been interesting and good for me to take a test. As you will realise, as I’m female, it isn’t a Y-DNA test but, rather a test of my mitochondrial DNA, passed to me by my mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and so on through aeons.  

FTDNA received my request on 10 May and the kit arrived yesterday, 22 May, which is good going for the mail services involved. I fitted in the three separate scrapings of inside my cheek, each 3-4 hours apart, and the phials into which the brushes had to be put will be posted back today.  

So, obviously interesting, and good for the project administrator to go through the procedure - I can say from personal experience that it is quite painless, with good detailed instructions to be read before you start.

I am really looking forward to the results. As I have two daughters, one of whom also has a daughter, it will represent their mtDNA too, and the same applies to my sisters and nieces. Really I am taking the test for two main reasons: 1. because I believe that the more people who do so the better: there are many mysteries to be solved about our early ancestors. 2. time is flying and it is way of leaving something of oneself for descendants.

I am not really expecting to find a distant relation through this means, for when I work back through the generations on paper, my maternal line has mainly just one daughter (from whom I am descended) per generation. On the other hand, hope springs eternal …

CONTACTS WANTED

I wrote a few days ago about some of my latest emails bouncing, addresses clearly out of date. Thanks for the help offered - I’m glad to say I have heard from Jan now.

News20080515

May 15th, 2008 by SR

Apologies for the very long break in writing this blog. I have an illness which is dragging on. When the medication works well, I try to spend time at my laptop, doing family history-related things. So it has been very frustrating that this blog disappeared into thin air several weeks ago and it has taken until now for it to be resurrected. In an attempt to overcome the problem, I set up a different blog temporarily, so apologies also to those who feel confused by yet another change. If this one carries on working, I will be sticking with it. I am still working on how to allow known individuals to comment or ask questions. In the meantime, please contact me at the one-name.org address.

There are several items of news:

The latest resultswere received in April. The participant is a descendant of one of the two Canton brothers who left Reynalton, Pembs, for New Zealand. This is a large line nowadays. Please visit this site to see the results and to compare how close they are to others who have tested - I will write more about this later:

http://www.familytreedna.com/public/CantonSurnameProject/

We have two new members registered with the Canton Surname Project - both about 10 days ago, so there is still a wait for the kits to arrive and be returned.

One is a member of another large line of Cantons, descended (yet again) from Henry of Martletwy (d.1763), through Thomas (b. 1798 ) who went to Kent about 1830.

The other is ‘the present writer’, as I have ordered a mitochondrial (mt) DNA test. Not actually of any use to the Y-DNA Project, but if a few others do the same, we may have useful information about deep female ancestry. My own female line (mother’s mother’s mother’s mother, and so on) is deeply South Pembrokeshire. Anyway, I am looking forward to the results.

New Members are still needed! Do write and enquire if you are thinking about it but not quite sure.

Daily Mail article

I have just received the following, which seems worth publishing here in full, from Max Blankfeld, Vice-President, Operations and Marketing, http://www.FamilyTreeDNA.com “History Unearthed Daily” max@familytreedna.com 713-868-1438

‘This week an article was published in the UK newspaper Daily Mail, quoting Ancestors Magazine, under the title: ”£200-a-time ancestral DNA test kits are a rip off, say experts”, by Andrew Levy.‘The article was based on tests by the following companies: Oxford Ancestors, Ancestry DNA, and International Biosciences.‘Family Tree DNA was not contacted for testing purposes, nor mentioned in that article. Having tested over 350,000 individuals (over 100,000 of our direct customers and 250,000 participants in National Geographic’s Genographic Project) we could supply anyone who asks us with thousands of examples that prove the opposite of what the article stated. ‘Unfortunately, the journalist’s conclusion is based on opportunist companies who noted our success and jumped into Genetic Genealogy to get a piece of it, but who did not have the science or the database that would allow for a serious work. Again, note that Family Tree DNA was NOT one of the companies that the journalist approached.‘About 2 years ago, Oxford Ancestors announced to the world that they found a descendant of Genghis Khan living in Florida - a Caucasian accountant. Family Tree DNA proved that Oxford Ancestors was wrong. Tom Robinson, the person in question, recounts the entire story in his blog at http://trrobinson.com/2006/06/16/genghis-khan-or-not–that-is-the-question.aspx#comment-56635. The Associated Press later distributed the news: “Robinson, an associate accounting professor at the University of Miami, canceled a planned trip to Mongolia after learning of the new results. He said he never sought publicity on his ancestry. “The results that Family Tree DNA gave me are pretty conclusive,” he said. “I’m certainly not going to look for any more tests on Genghis Khan.” (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13467247/ )‘Family Tree DNA is proud to have the largest database of its kind in the world (more than all other companies combined), to adhere to the best science in the field, and to be the expert source for journalists from the New York Times and Los Angeles Times, among others. National Geographic would not tarnish their century-old reputation by partnering with us.‘That article, in the end, demonstrates the following:

- While Family Tree DNA prices are in line with other companies, price is not the only thing that matters when choosing a DNA testing company

- Science and database size are important factors when choosing a testing company.

‘You are welcome to share this e-mail with whomever you feel necessary, and we make ourselves available to anyone with questions about our work.

‘E-mail me anytime!

‘Max Blankfeld’

News 20080311

March 11th, 2008 by SR

This is partly to let people know that I have been ill, including while I was away from home, so am far behind with e-mails owed. Tomorrow I go on another family visit (and further rest!)and I hope to catch up next week. Unfortunately, I shall be without a computer while away, though I hope to pick up e-mails once or twice.

The next Y-DNA results seem slow coming through but no doubt will be here soon.

I thought this is a good time for those with results impending or through already to dig a bit more deeply. If you Google Haplogroup I1a (that’s capital I, numeral 1 and a)  it throws up a great deal of more specialised research, together with a few sites which aim to explain simply.

  • This is a page from Family Tree DNA but you may have missed it - it helps narrow down the sub-group (I have printed it off to study while away).     

          http://www.familytreedna.com/public/yDNA_I1a/ 

  • Notes on Y-Chromosome Haplogroup I  - this quotes widely from and gives references to the work of Ken Nordtvedt. To quote, “If [your haplogroup is] I1a and 22 at DYS390 then more likely [you have] Saxon origin.” All three with results published have DYS390 = 22. (My response is to keep reading more and more widely to see if others agree.)    

     http://home.comcast.net/~libpjr1/haplogroupI.htm 

  • This site focuses on Y-DNA results where DYS19 = 16. Two of our participants so far have this result, so should find it of real interest:    

 http://home.comcast.net/~philgoff/deepancestry.htm 

  • This is an interesting thread, with a down-to-earth, chatty story about Norse ancestry and which markers to watch out for:    

http://genforum.genealogy.com/dna/messages/1132.html

  • Wikipedia is strong on this sort of subject.

DNA Project: Links (Revised)

March 6th, 2008 by SR

USEFUL LINKS

We are looking forward to further DNA test results in the next couple of weeks. The first link shown below has been revised, so please make a note of it.

FTDNA Canton Profile Page

http://www.familytreedna.com/surname_det.aspx?group=Canton  

This is the one which enables you to apply to take a test under the aegis of the CSP.  Because of all the usual internet problems, it’s necessary to check that applications are bona fide. More about this below.

FTDNA Canton Surname Project Webpage

http://www.familytreedna.com/public/CantonSurnameProject/  

This is where you can read current results - I hope you will check it regularly as it is the most efficient way for me to communicate with you!

Canton One-Name Study Guild Profile 

http://www.one-name.org/profiles/canton.html  

Background information about the One-Name Study. 

Canton Blog

http://family-tree.co.uk/familyblogs/canton/

This one is for informal news about Canton research and DNA updates. 

FTDNA page with useful information, Power Point display, etc:

http://www.familytreedna.com/dna101.html  

APPLYING FOR A Y-DNA TEST   From now on, you will see on the application for purchasing a test kit a section in which you have to provide some details about your direct male ancestry. This is a precaution taken by many surname projects as, inevitably over time, there may be ’rogue’ applications - it has been known for people to join groups for the discount, then not share their results. Another factor is that, as time goes on, more people will be attracted at random and it’s important that the administrator should be able, say, to advise a brother (or other very close relation) of an existing participant that his prospective test is unnecessary.Please don’t let this put you off if you are genuinely interested. For many people who have been writing to me, it’s only necessary to put, e.g., ’see earlier correspondence’For new people, please complete what you can. For example: Father: Albert Canton; Grandfather: Bertram Canton; Great-grandfather: Cuthbert Canton; and so on, as far back as you can . Outline dates will help - post-1900 dates (and names) are not published, but I need them to sort lines out. Places of residence will also help but we need most for the project the place where your oldest known ancestor lived (a parish, a county, a country, in that order of preference). No need to provide wives’ names, unless you wish to do so.

DISCOUNTS  If you apply for a Family Tree DNA test outside the Project, it will cost you $259 for 37-markers. By joining the Project the price is immediately reduced to $189. At the time of writing, there are further $30 discounts available from the Project, meant chiefly for the first applicant from a new, previously untested line - that’s a total discount of $100. 

Discounts are not available for 12- or 25-markers, as these tests are not specific enough to help the Project.

COMMENTS  on this blog: I suppose it was only to be expected but I get large numbers of junk comments now, from people trying to sell everything under the sun. I get to see them first, so it’s just a nuisance more than anything (30 today alone). My concern is accidentally deleting a genuine contribution, as I zap most on sight. Genuine comments are very welcome. If you decide to write one, please make it clear you are a bona fide Canton descendant - I don’t mind nicknames or abbreviated names at all, but give some clue as to who you are in the text. A good example is the comment received on CSP: Progress So Far, posted originally on 9 Dec 2007. There, someone who had not been in touch for several years could be instantly recognised.

Later (after posting): Some very weird comments have been posted again by peddlers of various things. I’m tired of them so now, alas, no-one can comment unless I have registered them - in other words, I’ll set the page to accept comments from e-mail addresses I know.

EVEN MORE LINKS 

Clear information for the family historian, explaining technical terms in an accessible way:  

 http://blairdna.com/dna101.html

Chris Pomery’s DNA Portal

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~allpoms/genetics.html 

Worth reading for many reasons. Follow his link to the Mumma website to see some amazing results for Y DNA.

FURTHER READING

Family History in the Genes, by Chris Pomery* is aimed very much at newcomers to the field of genetic genealogy, with clearly written chapters on the background, how DNA tests work, the different types of test available, fascinating ’success stories’, how to find or run a project, and finally what the future holds. There is also a glossary of all those technical terms and useful lists of web links and further reading.

The subtitle is ‘Trace your DNA and grow your family tree’, which could be a motto for this or any other surname project! It’s a small book, pocket-sized, not much more than 6″x 4″, which I didn’t originally care for, but I have read and re-read the book so its convenience has been of great practical value. As TNA is publishing several titles in this chunky size, it must be popular. This book is to be thoroughly recommended for its content to everyone who has questions about genetic genealogy.

*The National Archives, 2007, 246pp, £7.99 ISBN 978-1-905615-12-4. Available from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk.

Results 20080221

February 21st, 2008 by SR

Our latest Y DNA results are in, which you can see and compare with earlier results at

http://www.familytreedna.com/public/CantonSurnameProject/   and click on Y Results.

Hoping to make interpretation easier for all who visit this page, I have started a system of ‘groups’ with obvious connections.  

The results show, even at this early stage of the project, that line PL (earliest known ancestor in Lampeter Velfrey in late 18C) has developed quite separately from lines PM/S and PR (who are themselves quite closely related).

It’s a minor blow to the idea that all Pembrokeshire Cantons might be related but, looked at positively, gives an impetus to further testing in the hope of building up family groups - we should be on the lookout for other families related to either of these groups. We don’t, of course, know at present if most Pembrokeshire lines are comparable with  PL or with PM/S and PR.

GENETIC DIFFERENCES

To quote Chris Pomery (DNA and Family History, 2004), ‘DNA results do not lie, and if the difference between two DNA signatures cannot be accounted for by mutational change then clearly something else has caused it’.

Reasons for Y-DNA change may be found in any of the following factors:

  1. An illegitimate male birth to a Canton female, with the child taking his mother’s name; this was more frequent than the case where the child’s father’s name was both known and taken by an illegitimate child (as in line PR). Often an unwed mother’s child would be brought up by, and known by, the grandparents’ name. As an extension of that, sometimes such a child was brought up as a late addition to the grandparents’ own children – if the family lives into the census era, it is possible to spot this sort of thing and seek documentary proof.
  2. A male birth within a Canton marriage where the child is fathered by another man than the husband – no documentation of such events is likely to exist except, at certain periods, in parochial records relating to bastardy.
  3. A woman marries a Canton male as her second husband and her male child from a previous marriage takes his stepfather’s surname.
  4. A surname change of a legitimate male child of a Canton daughter, taken for reasons of inheritance or to ensure the name survives. I know of no real Canton example of this in modern times.
  5. Canton in use as an alias, which becomes settled as surname in time – an example might be where a man took his employer’s last name at the end of his own patronymic name, to be distinguished from another man with the same personal name.
  6. The misspelling of a similar name so that it looks like or is mistaken for Canton. This is unlikely to apply to the Pembrokeshire families we are currently studying, but it is certainly known in some English families. For example, the Jewish surname usually spelled Cantor in Britain is often misread in indexes, etc, as Canton and one such family, at least, has taken Canton officially in this circumstance.

[Family preoccupations over the next few days means that the above may, when time permits, be edited and revised.] 

DNA: 37-marker Results

February 1st, 2008 by SR

The first two results at 37-markers have now appeared in the Canton Surname Project. These are viewable at the CSP public website:

http://www.familytreedna.com/public/CantonSurnameProject/

and click on the Y Results box.

As you will see there, the two men who were tested match in 36 out of 37 markers. Because they share the relatively uncommon surname of Canton, this indicates a highly probable link between the two - it’s too early, without further data, to say when, roughly, that link occurred. Nevertheless, these results are fascinating to view and compare and we look forward to seeing more.

Please remember to check this blog regularly.

ABOUT THE CURRENT RESULTS: 

Kit 107126 (line PM/S01) This is the line which was in Stackpole PEM and nearby parishes from about 1800. It is a very large line with numerous descendants, which is really a sub-division (for convenience) of line PM, the latter having been settled in Martletwy PEM from at least early 17C (tax lists, etc), with greater linkage documented in 18C. Thus, PM/S01 is partly a record of the genetic make-up of line PM.

Kit 107827(PR01) represents a line which descends from a George Canton alive in 1832 in Rhoscrowther PEM. ‘Which George Canton?’ has been the question for many years. There were two likely candidates (given that extensive searching of fairly complete 19C records failed to produce any more), one being my own 3x great-grandfather (born 1809) in line PM/P and the other being a man born 1815 in Manorbier (line PMn). The latter went to industrial Glamorgan in the 1830s and later disappeared from view (emigrated?). He had only daughters, as far as is known. However, there are collateral descendants of this line and a test involving one of them would (a) throw further, possibly confirmatory light on the origin of line PR and - for the wider good - (b) tell us whether PMn is related to other key Pembrokeshire lines.

HAPLOGROUPS

A brief word about the figures in red at the left of the DNA results, at present I1a (that is, capital i, numeral 1, a). As I am learning fast about this myself, I will simply give you some links - you will see that the two Cantons tested so far have their deep ancestry in Nordic Europe.

http://www.familytreedna.com/hap_explain.html 

http://www.familytreedna.com/public/yDNA_I1a/  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haplogroup_I1a

OTHER NEWS

Kit 108320 (PL01) will, we hope, show us whether this line, in Lampeter Velfrey PEM since the late 18C, is related to any other lines. The kit is at the testing laboratory (University of Arizona) and we can hope for results in a few weeks. The first two results, outlined above, had 16 February as their EDA but were complete by 28 January. Receiving these results is quite exciting as they are sent in three batches: 12-markers, 25-markers, then 37-markers, and the tension mounts.

Kit 113261 (PM/NZ) is a welcome new recruitwho represents the Martletwy descendants who went to Reynalton (or Reynaldston) PEM, then emigrated to New Zealand and set up a veritable dynasty there.  Having a test from this line will, we hope, help us to validate connections way back in the 18C - the common ancestor is, we believe, John Canton born about 1730.

PROGRESS

I am personally very satisfied with the progress of the project so far, bearing in mind that we are not researching a prolific surname. The four people who have either tested or will soon be tested represent some key branches of the name. All are descendants of Pembrokeshire lines and I appreciate that the results are of greatest interest to those researching ancestors in that county. The positive aspect of this is that published results may quite soon attract further tests of other Pembs lines, so that some conclusions may be drawn about connections between the various branches. My immediate wishlist is for tests relating to: one (or two) descendants of George born 1809 (PM/P); one (or two) descendants of the Manorbier line (PMn), for the two reasons outlined above; one (or two) members of line PF, which can be traced back, when I last counted, 10 generations and which appeared, as if out of the blue, in the parish of Freystrop in mid-18C. Most other Pembs lines are extinct in the main line. In most main divisions or groupings of lines, two people, not very closely related, are advised but a single test is still worthwhile.

I have been attempting to ‘recruit’ in other lines (outside Pembs) but without success to date. However, I shall wear away at this and feel that, in due course, our published results will attract non-Pembrokeshire Cantons (etc). My first target in this direction is to test GL lines (from Gloucestershire and London) to see if, in fact, they represent migration of a Pembrokeshire line, say in Tudor times. Or not - either way it will be interesting. And then there are the Irish Cantons, who should, logically, share Pembrokeshire genes, for the name was taken to Ireland by Pembrokeshire knights. This is a vast untapped area about which I hope to write when some recent non-genetic research is more complete.

USEFUL LINKS FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

Canton One-Name Study Guild Profile

 http://www.one-name.org/profiles/canton.html 

FTDNA page with useful information, Power Point display, etc:

http://www.familytreedna.com/dna101.html  

FTDNA Canton Surname Project Webpage

http://www.familytreedna.com/public/CantonSurnameProject/  

Canton Blog (for informal news about Canton research and DNA updates)

http://family-tree.co.uk/familyblogs/canton/  

Chris Pomery’s DNA Portal

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~allpoms/genetics.html 

Worth reading for many reasons. Follow his link to the Mumma website to see some amazing results for Y DNA.

DNA Tests - First Results

January 24th, 2008 by SR

‘No news to report yet’, I wrote yesterday, and overnight there was some!

The first two tests sent off have been tested for 12 markers - a week or two later will come their results at 25 markers, then 37 markers.

The tests are by PM/S01 and PR01, and the results at 12 markers are identical. Because the testers share a surname, it is considered that this indicates a 99% likelihood that they have common ancestor in the period when surnames have been used. Further markers should narrow this time-scale down.

It’s early days but an exciting start, as my hypothesis has always been that the constant appearance of the surname in Pembrokeshire documents from the middle ages reflected a single family. These results keep this possibility open. 

To keep up to date with all Canton results go to http://www.familytreedna.com/public/CantonSurnameProject/

This is an informal summary: Line PM/S goes back into early 18th century  Martletwy (where a Canton family had lived since at least the mid-17th century). Line PR descends from an illegitimate birth in Rhoscrowther PEM in 1832 where, fortunately, the Canton father was named, though we really had no idea which line he came from.  

To narrow down the possible candidates, but also to expand our knowledge of  all the various Canton lines throughout the centuries and to solve similar genealogical mysteries, we really do need more people to test. Please remember that there are further discounts available to group members  - please apply to me direct. It is very important we keep up the present rate of progress.

I have mentioned the very kind offers sent at Christmas - though they have not yet been followed up we hope very much that they will be soon.

Once again, grateful thanks to the pioneers who took tests to start this exciting project off.

Variant Surnames In the Canton Surname Project

In the Guild of One-Name Studies website, you will see that Canton, Cantan, Canten, Cantin and Cantons appear as registered variants. Members are restricted to five variants, so I chose real, not theoretical, variant spellings found in 19-20th century records, for which I could compile at least a small pedigree chart.

In the Canton Surname Project I have now added some other names, which may or may not turn out to be connected. I’m mentioning this here as it may be confusing to suddenly see them appear. Briefly, they are surnames from place-names with a resemblance to the very early forms of Canton (in records as Canteton, Cantington, Caunton). It is now thought by many authorities that surnames from place-names, where they can be traced back, frequently have a single source. DNA testing has reinforced this belief in many cases. I have no documentary evidence to suggest that the extra names I have listed (see below) have a common origin but, as none of them are already taken as projects, it seemed wise to take them under our wing. I shall not go looking for them at this stage - I want to pursue the basic surname more thoroughly first - but hope that some will come across our project as time goes on.

The names are: Cannington, Caunton, Kenton - others may yet be added.

Research Planned

January 23rd, 2008 by SR

We have had various distractions recently so this blog has been quiet, besides which there is no news to report on the DNA Project just now. I said I would write about Canton surname-variants but am in the middle of a particular line of research and want to finish that first.

We are soon to spend a few days at the National Library of Wales, chiefly for John’s research, so that my own programme is quite flexible. If anyone has some fairly specific wants in parish registers, wills, deeds, etc - in other words, anything which cannot be seen online - please let me know by Saturday, when I have a day to myself to plan my research (visitors after that, so this is a strict deadline). Cantons have priority, but I am happy to look for associated families.

Please write to me at the one-name.org address (at the Guild of One-Name Studies site).

John Canton FRS & Spital Square

January 23rd, 2008 by SR

British History Online has an excellent section about Spital Square in London, where John Canton ran his school. From this I have learned that he lived at No. 3 Spital Square - sadly, the house is long demolished but, by visiting this site, it is possible to reconstruct what life there was like.
http://www.british-history.acuk/report.aspx?compid=50153

Also worth reading is the (earlier) section on Norton Folgate, the extra-parochial area where members of the Canton family lived - for example, John Canton’s grandson, Nathaniel John Canton, also a schoolmaster.

http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=50148

The Royal Society, of which John Canton was a Fellow, has a good outline of his life and scientific work at

http://www.aim25.ac.uk/cgi-bin/search2?coll_id=5994&inst_id=18