I am also descended from some Philip Haltons from Athboy (though not your Philip.) My guess is that we are related though as it seems all the Haltons in Athboy are related somehow as they show up over and over again as witnesses for each other's marriages and baptisms (and they all seem to have a Philip in the family!)
My first Philip is the father of John Halton (b. 1809). Philip (the 1st) had at least 2 other children with his wife Ann Kiernan -- one being Philip (again) and the other being a daughter named Ann. John married Jane Darby, also of Athboy, and had several children, including a son, Philip (whom I'm descended from), and about 1850 John, Jane, and all their children emigrated to the United States following Jane's family who had already moved there.
I had to laugh with all the prison records for the Halton's as my grandfather Halton used to say when asked about his ancestry that they were "all just a bunch of horse thieves." LOL
I will be making a trip to Athboy this spring to see my ancestral homeland. Hope to be inspired while I'm there (though I doubt I'll find anything of interest.)
Deb.
