David Dickson Dumfries

[GPD]

I am researching  the birthplace of my gt gt grandfather David Dickson / Dixon.
He was married in Manchester in 1826, occupation engine driver and remained in the area until he died in 1860.
The England 1851 Census shows that he was born in Dumfries in 1798 however his death cert gives his age as 64 when he died ie he was born in 1796.
All the records show that he spelt his name Dixon, however at various stages, all his descendants by the year 1939 had adopted Dickson as the correct spelling.
My searches in SP reveal only 2 births in Dumfriesshire for a David Dickson in the 1790s.The first was a birth in Mouswald in 1796, parents being Oswald Dickson and Mary Dinwoodie
and the other also at Mouswald in 1798, parents being Thomas Dickson and Agnes Heron.
Is anybody able to help in either discounting these possibilities or preferably confirming that one is my ancestor.
David Dickson

[JaneyJ]

Hi GPD

Welcome to Rootschat, you will find everyone really friendly and helpful here, I know I have.

I had a similar problem to yours, and one way to help narrow the parents down, is the naming tradition in Scotland.

Does David Dickson/Dixon's children or grandchildren have the same names as any of the suspect parents?

I have also found that the children some times have the Mother's or Grandmother's maiden name as a middle name, my own middle name is my Mothers maiden name and my cousin has our maternal Grandmother's maiden name, and my brothers middle names are from our GG Grandmothers.

Just a thought but it may narrow the search down a bit, especially if Oswald and Thomas were brothers or cousins, the wives name's would help to separate the two David's.

Yours Jane.

[GPD]

Hi Jane
Thanks for your welcome and advice.
There is no trace of either an Oswald or a Thomas in the family. I had thought of the names and it did concern me.
Also his two daughters were named after his wife and her sister. The three sons were named William, James and David.
There were also no middle names.
Once again many thanks for your reply and it was really good to hear from you.
Regards,  David

[csc]

my 6xgrandparents were david dickson/sussanah johnstone buried mouswald they were oswalds parents there are quite a few davids in the dickson/dixon families here do you have anything else about him   csc

[GPD]

I am afraid that there is very little to go on. The first record that I have is his marriage certificate which states that he was married at Manchester Parish Church in Nov 1826 to Mary Ann Henshall. It states that he was an Engineer and resided in the Parish. No info at all on his parents. The witnesses were R.A.Hilton and Thos Taylor.
The 1841 England Census states that he was born in Scotland and he was aged 40. They rounded down ages in this census by a factor of 5 years.
The 1851 England Census states that he was born in Scotland - Dumfries and he was aged 53. His occupation is given as an Engine Driver. They did not round down the ages in this census. The enumerator did make a habit of shortening everything and so could have easily missed the 'shire' off Dumfries.
His death certificate states that he died in November 1860 aged 64. It stated that he was a farmer.
It is more likely that the age on the death certificate is more accurate than that given on the 1861 Census, which puts the date of his birth as 1796.
SP says that the only David Dickson born in the area during 1796 was the son of Oswald Dickson and Mary Dinwoodie. If therefore you have any information on this David Dickson I would be very pleased to learn of it.  However there is the other alternative that he was born in 1798 and was the son of Thomas Dickson and Agnes Heron.
Against the two alternatives there always remains the probability that his birth has not been recorded in ScotlandsPeople at all and that he was born in Dumfries.
Any light that you can shed on my dilemma would be appreciated.
Regards  David Dickson

[777dixie]

Hi, was just surfing the site to-day and came on your post re David Dickson / Dixon engine driver way back! my comment is my father Thomas Dickson was a engine driver till he died in 1962 and I was a fitter at the depot, there was also a Davy Dickson / Driver who worked with my dad he was still there when I left to move on, he was ages with Dad he died at only 45 years my dad that is  in 1962 and they were of an age, it may be worth attacking your prob for the other end and go backwards.

                                                                Cheers 777Dixie

[dijaks]

My message is to GPD!  My GGG Grandfather was Thomas Dickson, baptised in 1814 in Ruthwell Parish, Dumfries, to a David Dickson and a Janet Dickson of Locharwoods Farm.  A sister Ann was baptised in 1816.  I can find Thomas, Ann and mother Janet in the 1841 Scottish Census, but David Dickson has disappeared.  I cannot find a marriage for David and Janet or his birth or death.  Might he be your David Dickson?  He would have been barely 20 when Thomas was born though.   Did his marriage certificate give the name of his father?  The Ruthwell/Cummertrees area was full of Dicksons.  Perhaps my David and Janet were never married?  Perhaps he was the Minister David Dickson who supposedly never married?  Diane

[dijaks]

Came across your message again about David Dickson of Dumfries, and I remembered when I was looking at the 1841 Scottish Census for my Dicksons, EastNetherTown, Priestside, Cummertrees, Dumfriesshire, there was an orphan boy named David Dickson at the end of the list.  His age matches your enquiry.  Could he be your long lost ancestor?  Someone must have been looking after him!  He may have eventually made his way to Lancashire?  If he isn't in the 1841 Census, he must have been in the 1851 census.  Good luck!  Diane