Charles Dickson (1746 - 1796)

Born 21 Oct 1746 in Middleton, Connecticut

Ancestors

Husband of Amelia Ann (Bishop) McLane — married 1772 (to 3 Sep 1796) in Horton, Nova Scotia

Descendants

Died 3 Sep 1796 at age 49 in Halifax, Nova Scotia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Carolyn Black [send private message]

Biography

Charles was born in 1746. Charles Dickson ... He passed away in 1796.

Charles Dickson (merchant)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Charles Dickson (1746 – September 3, 1796) was a merchant, shipbuilder, farmer and political figure in Nova Scotia. He represented Onslow township in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1785 to 1799.

He was born in New England and moved to King's County in Nova Scotia at a young age. In 1772, he married Amelia Bishop. Around the same time, Dickson settled in Onslow. He served as registrar of deeds for Colchester County from 1777 to 1796 and was also a justice of the peace. During a visit to the West Indies in 1796, he contracted yellow fever and died at Halifax on his return.

His sons Thomas, Robert and William became members of the provincial assembly. His daughter Elizabeth married Samuel George William Archibald. His daughter Eunice married John Chipman.^[1]

From The History of Kings County, Nova Scotia:

THE DICKSON FAMILY

Although the Dickson (or Dixson) family early disappeared from King's County, its starting point in the province was the township of Horton. Among the Horton grantees, May 29, 1761, were Major Charles, Thomas, and William Dickson, and Sept. 6, 1763, Charles Dickson, Jr., all from Connecticut and of a family that had migrated there from the North of Ireland. Of these grantees Major Charles Dickson, at least, had lived in Colchester, Conn., for according to the Ingersoll Genealogy, Charles Dickson, of Colchester, m. in Westfield, Hampden county, Mass., April 29, 1747, Miriam dau. of Thomas and Sarah (Dewey) Ingersoll, b. Nov. 4, 1723. The eldest child of this couple was Eunice, b. Aug. 30, 1747, in "Westfield, who was m. in Horton, or Cornwallis, Nov. 15, 1769, to John Chipman (Handley), to whom she bore fifteen children, among them a son, Daniel Chipman, named for her mother's brother, Daniel Ingersoll, and a son Jared Ingersoll Chipman, named for her first cousin, Capt. Jared Ingersoll, of Pittsfield, Mass. That Major Charles and Miriam Dickson had a son Daniel is probable, for a Daniel Dickson, Jr., was b. in Horton, March 28, 1783. Unless Major Charles had married before he married Miriam Ingersoll the other Horton Dickson grantees, Thomas and "William could not have been his sons, for if they were born after 1747 they would hardly have been considered old enough to receive grants of land. That Charles Dickson, Jr., was a son of Charles, Sr., seems almost sure, and we know that he was born in 1746, whereas Charles, Sr., and Miriam were not m. till August, 1747. Major Charles Dickson died before 1785, for May 28 of that year his widow became the third wife of Major Samuel Starr, founder of the older branch of the Cornwallis Starr family. In 1765 William Nesbitt memorialized Governor Wilmot for a free grant of land on the north side of Minas Basin, for Major Charles Dickson, in his memorial stating that Major Dickson had incurred expense in raising a company, which he had led under General Moncton at the capture of Fort Beausejour in 1755. That he died in Horton is most probable, and it is of course he who from 1770 to June 28, 1776, when his seat was declared vacant for nonattendance, represented the town of Horton in the Legislature. For further information concerning this important family the records of Colchester, and of Voluntown, Conn., need to be carefully searched.

In Onslow, Charles Dickson conducted an extensive mercantile business, farmed on a large scale, built vessels on each side of the bay, became an important land-owner in two townships, and was the most influential business man of his day. Some of his vessels were chartered by the government in 1792, in the deportation of the Maroons from Nova Scotia to Sierra Leone. His land in Onslow he is said to have bought from William McNutt. In 1796, he visited the West Indies in one of his vessels, and on his return died at Halifax, of yellow fever. He was buried in St. Paul's burying ground, Halifax, and the inscription on his tombstone is as follows : "Here lyeth the body of Charles Dickson, Esq., who died Sept. 3, 1796, in the 50th year of his age. He lived respected and died lamented." After his death, for a few years his four sons carried on his business, the firm being "John Dickson and Company."

Charles Dickson was long one of Colchester county's most important public men, he was Registrar of Deeds from 1777 to 1796, and from 1785 to 1799, a representative for the town of Onslow.

In 1791, Charles Dickson, Esq., paid a tax of 5 shillings in Onslow Township.^[2] In 1792, Chas. Dickson, Esq., paid a tax of 15 shillings 5 pence in Onslow Township.^[3] In 1794, Chas. Dickson, Esq., paid a tax of 16 shillings 10 1/2 pence in Onslow Township.^[4] In 1795, Chas. Dickson, Esq., paid a tax of 16 shillings 10 1/2 pence in Onslow Township.^[5]

Children:

1. John, b. 7 Jun 1773
2. Charles, 6 Apr 1775
3. Robert, b. 8 Jul 1777
4. William, b. 9 Sep 1779
5. Abigail, b. 5 Nov 1781, m(1) 27 Feb 1798, Andrew Wallace of Halifax, m(2) 1811 Robert Lowden of Scotland, d. 1868
6. Mary, b. 5 Feb 1783, m. 1803, Dr. John Murray Upham, d. 6 Dec 1872 in Tatamagouche. 8 ch
7. Olivia, b. 5 Feb 1783, m(1) 5 Feb 1891, Col. David Archibald, 7th, m(2) John Henderson
8. Elizabeth, b. 8 Aug 1786, m. 16 Mar 1892, Samuel George William Archibald
9. Sarah, b. 18 May 1787, d. 14 Feb 1791
10. Thomas, b. 1788, d. before 1791
11. Thomas, b. 8 Jul 1791
12. Lavinia, b. 13 Feb 1795, m. 27 Apr 1823, Rev. John Burnyeat of Lowerston, England

Research Notes

It appears that this profile confuses two different Charles Dickson's. One was the son of William who was a military and political leader who settled in Horton Township, Kings County, Nova Scotia. He's the one from the Wikipedia entry. The other was the son of Robert who settled in Onslow in Colchester County, Nova Scotia. Additional work is needed untangle the biography of the two men.

Charles Dickson's family history has been much discussed in the past, as several heated letters to the editor of the Halifax Herald in 1892-3 will attest. (I may have missed a few, but the ones I found were good reading, and may help in sorting this Charles Dickson)

1. "Historical Nova Scotia" (the article that started the problem) (First Part)
2. "Historical Nova Scotia," continued. (Second Part)
3. "Historical Nova Scotia," Part 2 (First Part)
4. "Historical Nova Scotia," Part 2, continued (Second Part)
5. Letter to the editor (The Dicksons)
6. Letter to the editor (Reply to "A Great Grand Son" of Thomas Dickson)
7. Letter to the editor (For Historical Accuracy)
8. Letter to the editor (About the Dicksons)
9. Letter to the editor (That Dickson Controversy)

Sources

1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Dickson_(merchant)
2. ↑ poll tax 1791
3. ↑ poll tax 1792
4. ↑ poll tax 1794
5. ↑ poll tax 1795

• The History of Kings County, Nova Scotia

• Tangled Roots: Descendants of John Bishop (1709-1785) of Horton, Nova Scotia, a New England Planter Family , (Wolfville, Nova Scotia: Bishop Family Association: 1990) Vol 1: "Colonel John Bishop," WorldCat, p 17.

• Ancestry

• Dewey, Emily McKay, Dickson, Scotch-Irish : Connecticut, 1717, Nova Scotia, 1761, California, 1865 : descendants of Charles and Amelia Bishop Dickson of Onslow, Nova Scotia : Dickson, Archibald, Campbell, Davison, Foss, Henderson, McKay, Mackenzie, Purvis, Patterson, Roach, (Boston: Spaulding-Moss Co., 1953) WorldCat, pp 15, 51-53, 58.

• A Chapter in the History of Township of Onslow by Israel Longworth, pages 21-22

See also:

• Elliott, Shirley B. (1984)The Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia 1758-1983: a biographical directory, (PDF) Halifax: Province of Nova Scotia, p. 56

• Wikidata: Item Q5076860