Isaac Dixon 1865-1913
Isaac was the son of Alfred John Dixon (AJ) of Harrow on the Hill, cowkeeper and dairyman and his second wife, Hannah.
Hannah's maiden name was Kitson and she came from Huntingdonshire, where her father was a lay preacher for a nonconformist church. She married Marsham Withers Barnes born in 1824 in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. He was a master cabinet maker, just like his father William. He and Hannah lived in Great White, Ramsey in Huntingdonshire in 1851. They had a daughter Mary Edith Barnes.
Sometime after 1851 and 1858, the entire clan moved down to London, where the Portman Estate was being developed. There was an enormous amount of work, with wages significantly higher in the country, So Marsham, his bother Robert and his father William moved down to Islington.
Disaster struck when Marsham died. At the time they lived in Mintern Street, near the New North Road. . He was buried in Victoria Park cemetery in Bethnal Green 21 Nov 1858 (ref 34/3). Hannah didn't have money to put up a memorial to Marsham.
Victoria Park Cemetery was a private enterprise started by a limited company in 1845 to take advantage of the market for burials created by the inability of church graveyards to accept any more dead. It was open for non0conformists. The cemetery was never consecrated. The cemetery was never consecrated.However, the cemetery went bankrupt in 1853, unable to attract wealthy customers. The business was bought out by one of the directors and continued. The cemetery was not consecrated and closed in 1876. In 1885 it was turned into a recreation ground. (LMA). Bripumyarrimin, known as King Cole, a member of the historic Australian Aboriginal XI died on tour and was buried in this cemetery, now known as Meath Gardens. Little remains of this cemetery apart from a few gravestones and the entrance arch.
So Hannah, now aged 34 was widowed and with an 8 year old child. But family would have come in ti hemp. Marshams father ad brother weer living close by and she moved in with them.
Meanwhile, over in Harrow-on-the Hill, in 1861, Alfred John Dixon lost his wife Elizabeth in 1861. AJ was left with seven young children and he really needed help. His eldest daughter, Matilda did what she could, but she was only 16 years old. How AJ and Hannah met is a mystery, but perhaps AJ advertised for a housekeeper and Hannah accepted the position. Whatever the circumstance, they married in 1865 in Harrow.
Young Isaac on a pony at Herne Bay, Kent
Their first child was Isaac and is named for his grandfather - Old Isaac. So people called him Young Isaac. He was born 6 Dec 1865 at the family home (the Victoria Dairy off West Street in Harrow-on-the Hill, Middlesex, England). He followed in his father's footsteps and took over the role of cowkeeper and dairyman. He married Mary Ann Pendry on May 29 1888 at Denham in Buckinghamshire. Mary was the daughter of Edwin and Eliza Pendry. Edwin was a gamekeeper at Rush Green, in Denham. The M40 has concreted over the land that he would have looked after! By 1891 Isaac and Mary had taken over the Victoria Dairy in Victoria Terrace and were running the business. Their first child was born there in 1890.
At some stage Isaac and Mary decided that the pasture was greener in New Zealand, and they left England and settled in Napier that is located in Hawkes Bay on the North Island. I'm hoping that my NZ cousins can fill in the details. In 1907 he was a stockman in Pukehow.
L to R: Isaac Dixon, Sidney Isaac Dixon. Doris Dixon, Alfred Roy Dixon, Arthur Walter Dixon, Mary Dixon (Pendry) and Ethel Dixon. 1912, New Zealand. Supplied by NZ Dixon family.
Isaac and Mary had the following children:
Sydney Arthur Dixon born 5 Aug 1899 at the Victoria Dairy in Harrow. married Margery Hindmarsh. I'm hoping that my NZ cousins can fill in the details of his life. There is a page for Sid here.
Alfred Roy Dixon b 16 May 1896 Hastings, Hawkes Bay, NZ. Click on his name for more info
Arthur Walter Dixon b 8 May 1898 Hastings, Hawkes Bay, NZ; moved to NSW and worked for the railways. He enlisted into the Australian Army at Paddington for World War Two and his service number was NX78345. Reference no B883: Army, 2nd Al F. After the war he lived in Victoria Street. He married Dorothy Mary Adelaide Dixon. She died 23 Sep 1939 aged just 39 years. He died 29 May 1956 in Burwood and buried Rookwood cemetery. Their gravestone is at zone C Anglican Section 12 Grave 4339. They had a son Robert Dixon.
Ethel Emily Dixon born 31 Aug 1908 Pukehou, Cetral Hawke's Bay. She lived in St Andrews Road Havelock. She never married and died 18 Jul 1969 and is buried in the Te Aute Church Cemetery (the same grave as her father Isaac Dixon.
Doris Mary Dixon born 9 Sep 1904 Central Hawke's Bay. She returned to England because she married Frank A Rolfe in Berkshire in Oct 1927. Frank was born 15 Mar 1902. He was a school teacher. Doris, with some friends ran a bed and breakfast establishment called Apsley House in Bath. Frank and Doris were in England in 1939 living at 43 Gratwicke Road, Reading. Ay some stage se returned to NZ and died in 11987
The NZ Dixons have kept a wonderful collection of photos, reproduced below
Isaac and Mary and their growing family lived in this cottage at Te Aute Station. The picture was painted by a family member and described thus: "one of Vaughans cottages where we stayed in NZ after leaving Storm Terrace Road. It was between Hastings and SL Hotel. The house has 5 rooms and stands in a /4 acre - it has a verandah both back and front, when this was taken I was at work and Pollie was lost but out of signt. I think you can see her peeping out the window. Sidney looks like a BOSS of the show and he is so. Bless him. Isaac
The work gang Te Aute Station. Isaac Dixon pictured top right hand corner. He was a stud stock man. Founder Rev Samuel Williams, front row second from right
Isaac Dixon (blue dot)1910 Auckland Show Judges Committee
Isaac as a young man
Mary Ann
Isaac helped establish the tiny church at Te Aute Church and it is here that he is buried 9 Oct 1913.
Mary is not buried here as she returned to England. She died in Sep 1943 in Reading
Isaac was a keen member of the Oddfellows