Dixon Family History
The Dixon Family - where did they come from?
The current state of our family history shows that our Dixon family origins are from border country, with the Dixons coming from northern Northumberland, with imports of Scottish blood on some maternal lines!.
Following are some of the names we know in our Dixon line, together with links to maternal family 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.
Robert Alexander Dixon
Robert is the author of these pages, born in the City of Glasgow, Scotland, in 1951 to George Thomas Dixon and Elizabeth Rockell Dixon nee Melville. Robert married Marion (Mari) Margaret Palmer in 1972 and they have two sons, Melville Thomas and Robin Alan.
George Thomas Dixon (junior)
George is the author's father, born in Limerick, Ireland, in 1920 to George Thomas Dixon and Lillian Evelyn Dixon nee Black.
George Married Elizabeth Rockell Melville in 1947 in Kingskettle, Fife, and set up home in Glasgow where they raised their family..
George Thomas Dixon (senior)
George Thomas Dixon is the author's Grandfather, born in Benwell, Northumberland (now part of the City of Newcastle) in 1899 to George Dixon and Mary Robson.
George ran away from home, lied about his age, and joined the Army - serving at the Somme in WW1 and subsequently being posted to Ireland. Unfortunatley George's service records are part of those which were lost during WW2.
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.
George married Lillian Evelyn Black in Limerick, Ireland, in 1920 when still serving with the British Army. Limerick was to be their home for the remainder of their life. George died in 1972 and is buried in the cemetary at St Mary's Cathedral in Limerick.
The search to reconnect with any decendant of George's siblings continues.
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 still to establish exactly who John Robson was, although we suspect is may have been Mary's brother. A R Dixon we believe was George's sister Agnes Ramsay Dixon.
On the marriage certificate, George's father is recorded as being George Dixon, a Farm Labourer
George's address at the time of his marriage is recorded as 4 Prospect Terrace, Scotswood on Tyne showing that George had already flown the nest, presumably for work purposes since he is recorded on the marriage certificate as being employed as a Railway Porter.
George and Mary went on to have four children - George Thomas, John, Isabella and Mary.
George and Mary lived at a number of addressed during their married life
- 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.
Mary's death appears to have changed the family situation substantially since the 1911 census reveals 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.
Harry is another name mentioned in the family and, indeed, a name which was given to one of my grandparent's children. There is no evidence that George and Mary ever had a child named harry. It is not clear if this might have perhaps been a family name used for John or whether it might have been another child, perhaps from a second marriage.
Our search to establish what happened to George and the rest of the family and to reconnect with our Dixon line continues.
George Dixon
This George Dixon is the author's Great-Great-Grandfather. George Dixon is referred to on his son marriage certificate in 1898 as a farm labourer.
We believe that the Dixon family living at Ratcheugh Farm Cottage, Longhoughton in the 1881 Census shows George and his family living at Ratcheigh, Longhoughton.
Name Age Birthplace Occupation George Dixon 36 Wark, Northumberland Farm Steward (Bailiff) Euphemia Dixon 37 Spy Lair, Scotland George Dixon 6 Ratcheugh, Northumberland Scholar William Dixon 3 Ratcheugh, Northumberland Agnes Dixon 3 weeks Ratcheugh, Northumberland George married Euphemia Bell 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 had three children while living at Ratcheugh. First was George, the author's Great Grandfather, born on 3rd September 1874. Next, around 1878, was William, who appears to have been named after his Uncle William (who had been a witness at George and Euphemia's wedding). Then, in 1881 came Agnes, who we believe was the A R Dixon (Agnes Ramsay) who was witness at her brother George's wedding.
The family next appear in the 1891 Census but this time at 59 West Street, Belford, the family by now having been augmented with the arrival of John.
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 3rd Sept 1874 William Dixon 13 Cramlington, Northumberland 1878 Agnes Dixon 10 Ratcheugh, Northumberland Scholar March 1881 John Dixon 7 Ratcheugh, Northumberland Scholar 1884 By the 1901 Census we see that Euphemia had died, George junior and William had flown the nest and George senior with Agnes and John were living in Wooler.
1 Newtown, Wooler, NorthumberlandName Status Age Birthplace Occupation George Dixon Widower 56 Wark, Northumberland Hind A Hind is a farm labourer, possibly skilled John Dixon Single 17 Ratcheugh, Northumberland Agnes Dixon Single 20 Ratcheugh, Northumberland Hind
John Dixon (born c1884 at Ratcheugh)
John Dixon appears in the 1911 Census as a married man living with his family near Christon Bank
in the 1911 CensusName Age Birthplace Occupation Estimated Birth Year John Dixon 27 Ratcheugh, 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
Longhoughton looking south
thought to be around 1925