Dixon Family History
The Dixon Family - where did they come from?
The current state of our family history indicates that our Dixon family originated from the North-West of England, in northern Northumberland. Following are the names we know in our Dixon line, together with links to names associated with the family.
Because of a family disagreement we are searching both backwards into our ancestry and also trying to piece together where the family went to in the period post 1911. Possibilites in both directions are discussed further down this page.
George Dixon
- This George Dixon is the author's Great-Great-Grandfather.
- George Dixon is referred to on his son marriage certificate in 1898.
- George was a farm labourer in 1898.
- George's wife's name is unknown to us at this time.
- We have no further details about George but some possibilites are discussed further down this page.
George Dixon
(son of the above George Dixon)
- This George Dixon is the author's Great Grandfather.
- According to the Census records of 1901 and 1911 George Dixon was born in the Parish of Longhoughton, Alnwick District, Northumberland around 1873.
- George married Mary Ann ROBSON on 9th April 1898 in the United Presbyterian Chapel, Embleton in Alnwick District, County of Northumberland.
- Their marriage certificate was witnessed by John Robson and A R Dixon - we have yet to determine where these two witnesses fit into the family tree.
- George's father is recorded as George Dixon, Farm Labourer
- George's address at the time of his marriage is recorded as 4 Prospect Terrace, Scotswood on Tyne - so George had already flown the nest, presumably for work purposes.
- George's occupation at the time of his marriage is stated as a Railway Porter.
- Note - George and Mary's Marriage Certificate is the only place we have found Mary names as "Mary Ann" - all other references so far identified have simply referred to her as "Mary".
- George and Mary's children were George Thomas, John, Isabella and Mary. Harry is another name mentioned in the family but was this a family name used for John or was it another child - something we do not know at this time.
- George and Mary moved around quite a bit:-
- In 1899 they lived in 25 Tyne Street, Benwell, near Newcastle upon Tyne, where George Thomas was born. At this time George was still a railway porter.
- In the 1901 Census the family appear at 79 Bank Street, Gateshead, which is where John was born later that year on 29th August. George is still a railway porter.
- In 1903 the family was living at 22 Trevethick Street, Gateshead, where Isabella was born on 13th September 1903. Now George;s occupation is stated to be a railway parcels porter.
- By 1909 George was a ticket inspector with the railways and the famiy was living at 79 Dunsmuir Grove, Gateshead, County Durham where Mary was born on 7th January 1909. At this same address George's wife Mary died on 12th January 1909, a direct consequence of giving birth to baby Mary.
- In the 1911 census George and the four children are living at Wood Hill Farm near Dissington and Ponteland in Northumberland where George is stated to be a farm labourer.
1911 Onwards
After 1911 we know nothing of what happened to the family, other than the author's grandfather George Thomas Dixon. So where did George and the family go after that? Could George have remarried? What happened to John, Isabella and Mary?
Despite the family's location at Wood Hill Farm, Northumberland, in 1911, they are believed to have been living in Gateshead around 1920. But so far we have been unable to trace them.
George Thomas Dixon - m. Lillian Evelyn Blackb. Benwell, England 1899 - d. Limerick, Ireland 1972
George Thomas Dixon ran away from home, lied about his age, and joined the Army - serving at the Somme and subsequently being posted to Ireland. Having upset his family once, he did it again by becoming engaged to an Irish colleen. His family tried to drag him away from his army posting in Ireland but failed and the marriage went ahead - he then lost all contact with his family, a situation which continued, despite searching by his son and daughter, until his death. The search for this missing family link continues!
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George Thomas Dixon - m. Elizabeth (Betty) Rockell Melville
b. Limerick, Ireland 1920 - alive and kicking in Glasgow!
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Robert Alexander Dixon - m. Marion (Mari) Margaret Palmer
b. Glasgow, Scotland 1951 - alive and kicking in East Kilbride!
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Melville Thomas Dixon - m Julie Ann Hunter ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Robin Dixon
born 1977, Glasgow, Scotland ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~born 1981, Glasgow, Scotland
Where did Great Great Grandfather George Dixon come from?
Where did the author's Great Great Grandfather George Dixon come from. And who was the A R Dixon who witnessed Great Grandfather George Dixon's marriage? We have nothing conclusive on either of these questions yet.
The nearest possibility we have at present is the following Dixon family living at Ratcheugh Farm Cottage, Longhoughton in the 1881 Census.
Name Age Birthplace Occupation George Dixon 36 Wark, Northumberland Farm Steward (Bailiff) Euphemia Dixon 37 Spy Lair, Scotland Spy Lair might be Spylaw in Roxburghshire George Dixon 6 Katchealigh, Northumberland Scholar William Dixon 3 Katchealigh, Northumberland Agnes Dixon 3 weeks Katchealigh, Northumberland George and Euphemia were married on 8th February 1873 at the United Presbyterian Church, Lisburn Street, Alnwick. Their marriage certificate indicates that both were "Farm Servants", George at Ratcheugh and Euphemia at Greensfield.
George and Euphemia's son, also named George, according to his birth certificate was born at Ratcheugh, Longhoughton on 3rd September 1874. George Dixon, the author's Great Grandfather, is recorded in the 1901 and 1911 Census as having been born in the Parish of Longhoughton, Alnwick District - in 1901 he is recorded as being 26 years old, giving him a birth year around 1874/1875.
This Dixon family also appear in the 1891 Census but this time at 59 West Street, Belford.
Name Age Birthplace Occupation Approx Year of Birth George Dixon 46 Wark, Northumberland Agricultural Labourer Euphemia Dixon 47 Spylaw, Scotland George Dixon 16 Ratcheugh, Northumberland Agricultural Labourer William Dixon 13 Cramlington, Northumberland Agnes Dixon 10 Ratcheugh, Northumberland Scholar John Dixon 7 Ratcheugh, Northumberland Scholar The John Dixon shown as age 7 in the 1891 Census and living with his parents in Belford, appears in the 1911 Census as follows:-
in the 1911 CensusName Age Birthplace Occupation Estimated Birth Year John Dixon 27 Racheugh, Longhoughton, Northumberland Gardener Domestic 1884 Lily Dixon 28 Powburn, Glanton, Northumberland Married 4 years 1883 George Dixon 3 Louth,Broomford, Ellingham, Northumberland 1908 William Dixon 1 Belford, Northumberland 1910
Some of the places our family came from
Embleton Presbyterian Chapel
where George Dixon and Mary Robson
were married in 1898
22 Trevethick Street in Gateshead
was the residence of the Dixon family in 1903
and the birthplace of Isabella Dixon
at 79 Dunsmuir Grove, Gateshead, baby Mary Dixon was born
and mum Mary Dixon (nee Robson) died in 1909
Woodhill Farm was the residence of
George Dixon and his four children
as shown in the 1911 census