After graduating from Christs College Cambridge Dalton followed the usual early career path of short curacies but also spent some time teaching in Malta before taking on his own parish. He was vicar of St. Jude’s Chelsea from 1872 until 1888 and as the previous Stowupland vicar had moved to that parish in 1888 it seems that the Reverend Beaumont had exchanged livings with Dalton. However, his stay in the parish lasted only until the following year. A newspaper reported that-

“On Saturday last the grounds of the Vicarage were thrown open for an American auction a very pleasant time was spent by a large company. The sale realised £9, which will go towards making up the church path and fencing the churchyard. Credit is due to the Rev. W. H. and Mrs. Dalton and their family for making arrangements and contributing goods. Great regret is felt by all the parishioners that the vicar and his family are about to leave, as during their short stay they have endeared themselves to all classes of the community.”

The reason for this departure was that Dalton’s uncle who had been rector of Seagrave in Leicestershire had died and William Henry who had no doubt been promised the living took over from him there where he remained until his death in 1900.