From the Gregg History of Hancock County, Illinois, 1880
Fountain Green Township, page 820

"David Alton was born in Connecticut about the year 1786, and was married to Lucy Farwell, a native of Vermont.  Mr. A. died at Fountain Green about 1850, aged 64 years.  Mrs. Alton survived him till the month of May, 1880, when she passed away, at the advanced age of 92."

From the Gregg History of Hancock County, Illinois, 1880
Fountain Green Township, biographical sketch of William Allton, pp. 822 & 825

"[William Allton] is of a family of 11 children, 7 of whom are living.  The father, David Allton, was of English descent; was a farmer by occupation; emigrated to Western N. Y. in 1820, and in 1836, to this State, settling in Fountain Green tp.  He died in 1848, 65 years of age.  The mother, who died recently, at the advanced age of 91, was also of English descent and a native of the same State."
[Fountain Green Township wasn't named as such until 1850.  At the time the Allton family arrived in Hancock County, it was Township Six North of the Beardstown Baseline, and Five West of the 4th Principal Meridian.]

From the Scofield History of Hancock County, Illinois, 1921
biography of Charles Leonard Alton, page 1122

"The paternal grandparents, David and Lucy (Farwell) Alton, were natives of New York and Vermont, respectively, who drove their own teams to Hancock County in 1836, and settled at Fountain Green, where they entered government land."

 
In the fall of 1840, the land office at Quincy issued certificates for the 160 acres David Allton purchased from the government.  View a representation of where these properties were located.

Household of David Allton
Males 5 thru 9 - 1
Males 10 thru 14 - 1
Males 15 thru 19 - 1
Males 20 thru 29 - 1
Males 50 thru 59 - 1
Females 15 thru 19 - 1
Females 50 thru 59 - 1
Total - 7
Persons employed in agriculture - 3

 
When David Allton died, he was buried at the Alton Cemetery in Fountain Green Township.  His tombstone was inscribed with the dates September 25, 1782, and July 20, 1850.  Other sources indicate he died July 20, 1848, which agrees with the date given in William Allton's biography. Support for this is found in the 1850 Federal Census.  The base date for that census was June 1, so as long as the enumerator received and recorded accurate information, David should have been included in that census.  He was not.

Lucy Alton, 62, female, value of real estate 600, born VT
Carter E, 20, male, farmer, born NY

The family surname was originally spelled Allton, as shown on the 1840 census and the land certificates for the properties David purchased in Hancock County.  Many of his descendents opted to use Alton, but both spellings are found in various documents and on their tombstones.

The children of David Allton and Lucy Farwell were:

i.	David Farwell Allton, the eldest son, was born in New York.  The inscription on his tombstone at the Alton Cemetery is said to read Jan. 1, 1809, but there is an apparent conflict between that date and the reported birth date of his sister, Celona.  David died May 4, 1871, and is buried at the Alton Cemetery.
ii.	Celona Allton died February 20, 1861, burial at Alton Cemetery.  The birth date on her tombstone has been read as July 28, 1809.  See David F., above.  It's possible, but it does stretch our faith that both of these birth dates are correct, that a baby born two months premature in 1809 would have survived.
iii.	William Allton, born March 17, 1811, at Lewis County, New York.  He died October 6, 1884, and was buried at Fountain Green Cemetery in Fountain Green Township.
iv.	Lucy Allton, born about 1813 in New York.
v.	Elisabeth (Betsey) Allton, born about 1815 in New York.
xi.	Walter S. Allton, born November 5, 1818, in Lewis County, New York.  He died February 11, 1900, burial at Fountain Green Cemetery.
xii.	Nathan Alva Alton, born April 13, 1820, in New York.  He died February 24, 1898, and was buried at the Alton Cemetery.
xiii.	Elliott Charles Allton, born August 1, 1822, in New York, died August 27, 1906, in Fountain Green Township, burial at the Alton Cemetery.  He is also found as Charles Elliott.
ix.	Miles Allton, born August 26, 1824, in New York.  He died just days short of his 77th birthday, on August 20, 1901, and was buried at Fountain Green Cemetery.
xi.	Marcus Allton, born September 25, 1826, in Freedom, Cattaraugus County, New York. He died at Island No. 10, Milliken's Bend, Louisana, on June 5, 1863.
x.	Carter E. Allton, born about 1831 in Freedom, Cattaraugus County, New York.

 
Lucy Farwell Allton remarried on June 24, 1852.  Her second husband was Honestus Sherman, born about 1795 in New York.  Lucy and Honestus were living together as of 1860, but in the 1870 census, Honestus was in the home of his son, Urial Sherman, and Lucy was counted with her son, Elliott.

Honestus Sherman, 66, male, farmer, value of real estate 2500, value of personal estate 500,
born NY
Louisa, 71, female, born VA
Carter Alton, 30, male, farmer, born NY
Sarah, 25, female, born OH
Darius, 5, male, born IL
Eliza, 3, female, born IL

Alton, Elliott C, 47, male, white, farmer, value of real estate 3500, value of personal estate 1000, born NY, male citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more
Elisabeth, 37, female, white, keeping house, born PA
Leonard, 19, male, white, born IL, attended school within the year
Mary V, 17, female, white, born IL, attended school within the year
Jane E, 13, female, white, born IL, attended school within the year
Katie, 10, female, white, born IL, attended school within the year
Marcus, 7, male, white, born IL
Lucy, 83, female, white, born VT

 
Lucy died May 8, 1880, in Fountain Green Township at the home of William Allton.  The cause of death was recorded as general debility.  See the 1880 Mortality Schedule for Fountain Green Township, scroll to family #87.  She was laid to rest at the Alton Cemetery.