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Research in Other Countries => South Africa => Topic started by: Magistra on Tuesday 03 January 06 06:52 GMT (UK)
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Hi,
I am looking for information about my great grand father, whose name was John Nixon. I know that he was a General in command in Turkish Arabia, Mesopotamia, and Basara. Later he served in India, where he had at least one child, and finally settled in South Africa, where he was possibly involved in the Boer war. In 1916 he had to leave the army, both due to ill health, and to military invalidation.
I know that he was born in England, and that he died in South Africa (possibly in 1921).
I would like to find out why and when he was knighted, how many children he had, if he had any siblings, etc. (Basically, I am interested in everything other than his military career in the Arabic countries). I am also interested in knowing about his predecessors.
This person is of particular interest to everyone in our family, and is known as "the old General," and is both mysterious, and revered. Years ago I saw photographs of him in my uncle's photo album. I have also found a picture of him online.
Any ideas? Anyone?
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Hi Magistra,
From biographies on the web, it seems your John Nixon was John Eccles Nixon, born 1857.
If you go to familysearch.org and type in the full name and check 'exact spelling' you will see that he was born in Dumcrow, Fermanagh Ireland, to parents John Piggott Nixon and Ellen Sophia Cooper. He married Amy Wilson in the Sept quarter of 1884 (Steyning). I've lost the reference number but you will find it on freebmd.
Ancestry has a family tree for him going back to 1600 (up to you to check it out for accuracy!), which includes the origin of the Eccles name. If you don't have access to Ancestry you can access this through worldconnect at Rootsweb.
In the meantime I'll see if I can find him on any of the UK censuses.
Cheers,
Ros
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Hi Again,
No luck with the censuses - but I see there was a daughter (Cecil Amy Nixon) born in India in 1885, so I suppose they must have left Britain after the marriage.
In the 1871 census there is a possible candidate in a John Nixon, born Ireland 1857, who was a band boy at a military camp in Colchester - but who knows ...
Hope this gives you something to play round with.
Ros
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Ros, you're a STAR!!! You've made my day! Thanks :)
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Hi there,
i have checked the archives and there does not seem to be any info on him in South Africa or his wife or daughter - did he not die in India?
Ruth
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Hi again,
This one is good fun!
John Eccles Nixon was born 16 August 1857 and was awarded the Order of the Bath - Military Knights Commanders (K. C. B.) on 19 June 1911.
See PM.
Cheers,
Ros
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This is great information! Thanks :)
I am still trying to figure out what happened after John Eccles Nixon had his daughter, Cecil Amy in 1885. I know that he must have had at least one son, too, whose initials are possibly C.P. (likely a Charles Piggot Nixon), though I can't find much on him. This person is known to have been able to speak 26 different languages, and had two sons (John, born in 1903, and Plattern [approximate spelling]), and one daughter (unknown identity).
With your help, I've been able to track seven generations of my family, then there's this gap for one generation with an unknown Nixon, then it's solid again.
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OK now I have found a south African connection but it may not be linked! Charles Pigott Nixon divorced his wife in the Transvaal in 1960. Her name was Glenda Maureen Dixon.
Also - a Charles Edwin Pigott Nixon b 25 DEC 1936 so not his son - perhaps grandson died in 1993. There are a number of references in the archives to John Pigott Nixon and an Anthony Pigott Nixon. There is also a marriage in the 1870's for a Charles Eugene Nixon
If you look at the NAAIRS site ( archives) you will see there are references to Charles Eugene Nixon and a death notice for a john Nixon in 1922. Please read all the info at the heading of this list to see hoe the archives work - it is just a reference tool.
I think your best bet is to join the South Africa British mailing list for a short time post your query with ALL the detail you know, no matter how trivial it may seem. There are wonderful folk that are so helpful and I am sure that they will help you.
in the meantime I will carry on digging.
Ruth
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Thanks, Ruth!
Those ones you mentioned are related to me: Charles is one of my late uncles. John Pigott and Anthony Pigott are also uncles.
Charles Eugene isn't related. I'm not so sure about Charles Edwin... I'll look into him, though. Thanks for the heads-up on that one.
The John Nixon who died in 1922 is a relative, yes.
Thanks again!
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A potted history of General Sir John Eccles Nixon K.C.B., G.C.M.G.
16 Aug 1857 born at Brentford, Middlesex, England
1875 Enlisted into the British Army
10 Sep 1857 Sub Lt. Kings Own Scottish Borderers
02 Sep 1878 Lt. Bengal Staff Corps
1879 Served in the Afghan War 1878-80
1881 Zaimusht Expedition and capture of Zawa
1881 Mentioned in despatches and medal
1881 Mahsud Waziri Expedition
18 Aug 1884 Married Amy Louise Wilson
1885 Daughter Cecil Amy Nixon b.
10 Sep 1886 Capt. Indian Staff Corps
24 Apr 1889 Son Adrian Leonard Nixon b.
1895 Chitral Relief Force
1895 Deputy Assistant-Quarter-Master-General Intelligence Branch
1895 Storming of the Malakand Pass
1895 Action near Khar at the descent into the Swat Valley
10 Sep 1895 Major
15 Nov 1895 Mentioned in despatches. Medal with clasp
22 Jan 1896 Lt. Col.
1897 North West Frontier 1897-8
11 Feb 1898 Mentioned in despatches, clasp
12 Mar 1899 Col.
1901 South African War 1901-2. Commanded a Calvary Brigade
26 Jun 1902 Companion of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath
01 May 1903 Brigadier
01 May 1903 Assistant-Quarter-Master-General, India
12 Jan 1904 Major-General
1906 Inspector-General of Cavalry, India
1909 Lieutenant-General
19 jun 1911 Knight of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath
1914 General
1919 Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George
15 Dec 1921 Died at St. Raphaël, France
The above information has been collated from "The Families of French of Belturbet and Nixon of Fermanagh" written by The Rev. Henry Biddal Swanzy 1908, Birth Register, family information and from a project run by Stanford University, U.S.A.
He was my 3C3R
There is an article in Wikipedia (if you trust the source) and a biography at http://www.firstworldwar.com/bio/nixon.htm
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Cecil Amy Nixon was the daughter of Maj.-Gen. John Piggot Nixon, not John Eccles Nixon.
Charles Piggot Nixon had 2 sons and 1 daughter - john Piggot Nixon b. 17 Mar 1903, Platon Piggot Nixon 14 Feb 1907 - 23 May 1985, Norah Piggot Nixon b. 21 Jan 1904.
I have more info on John Piggot Nixon and Ellen Sophia Cooper.
I can trace the Nixons back to 1600 with over 10,000 names on my database. Let me know if you want to know anything else.
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Hi Nick Nick, In your posting, you refer to Charles Piggott Nixon who had two sons: John Piggot Nixon and Platon Piggott Nixon and a daughter Norah. Platon Piggott Nixon was my father. He passed away in Witbank South Africa in May 1985. My mother (his wife) Eileen Mary (nee Maher) lived with us for 9 years and passed away on the 16th June 2003, at the age of almost 91 years. I am still searching for information on my grandfather Charles Piggott Nixon. I have been given to understand that he left his wife, Nellie, in India with the children (John, Platon and Norah) and possibly returned to England, where he practiced as a barrister. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. :)
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Thanks for the message. I'm out of country at the moment and so can't get into my database until 13th January. I am trying to get details about Charles Nixon to. I wonder if we know each other as the name Vincent is familiar.
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My grandfather was Charles Nixon and my eldest brother was also Charles (Edward) Piggott Nixon (born 25 December). I live in South Africa and my name is Vincent John. Through George Page I have had a DNA test done to determine my position in the Eccles Nixon line. I have a lot of General John Piggott Nixon (my great-grandfather)'s memoirs of his service in India.
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I come to this debate a little late in the day. But I noticed in SEDLESCOMBE in East Sussex, in the parish church of St John the Baptist ang some family details. brass plate in his memory and giving some family details. I can check it out further at the end of July if you wish
monarch