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Posted on this elsewhere without sucess so will try the good folks here!
I have traced my Dxon line back to three siblings who lived roughly as follows:
Thomas Dixon Born Circa.1743 - Died Dec 1828 Whetstone, Finchley
Jonathan Dixon Born Circa 1750 - Died Apr 1837 Whetstone, Finchley
Hephzibah Dixon Born Circa 1760 -Died Nov 1834 Battersea Fields, Wandsworth
I had hoped with such an unusual name as Hephzibah in the mix it may have been possible to trace the baptisms and parantage of the three, but so far I have been unsuccesful.
I have downloaded wills for both Thomas and Jonathan (plus Thomas's widow, & Jonathans son William). They were Carpenters, but seem to have had a lot of wealth for carpenters. The tale in our family, which goes back at very least a hundred years, is Thomas was a Lord. Although I don't think there is any truth to that, he did hold land and properties in Friern Barnet, in copyhold from the Lord of the Manor there, so might plausibly pass as 'proxy' Lord of the Manor, and that could be the source of the tale.
His will left 2,100 in Stocks, 50 pounds and 76 Guineas in cash bequests, his house, stable and garden with coachouses and land, two other parcels of Land, enclosure rights on part of Finchley Common, and 30 other properties, some large houses with gardens and coachouses, some small cottages, that he owned and rented out in the local neighbourhood, some freeholds, some leaseholds. His whole estate must have been well over a million by todays standards. This would appear fairly unusual for a Carpenter (Though he later also became a Timber Merchant after clearing the trees from his section of Finchley Common)
The only other clue to their possible parentage is the witnesses to Hephzibahs marriage in 1790, who were one Ebenezer and Elizabeth Dixon. This may though of course be another sibling to the three. Jonathan also christened a child Ebenezer in 1796, so likely he was a close relative of some sort.
I can't find any trace of baptism or marriage for Ebenezer either, but found a couple of references to possible burials in Clerkenwell on the new IGI search which don't seem too far out geographically?
Name: Ebenezer Dixon
Burial Date: 01 Nov 1779
Burial Place: Clerkenwell, Middlesex
Name: Ebenezer Dixon
Burial Date: 06 Oct 1780
Burial Place: Clerkenwell, Middlesex
These are both from a non conform chapel there (Jonathan also sometimes used a non conform chapel). If anyone can furnish further detail on them, much appreciated.
I am throwing this open, any efforts welcome, as it would be nice to get this family back one generation further. If I can prove Thomas's wealth was self earned rather than inherited from any supposed noble birth, it will at very least put to bed for good the century old tale of aristocratic links that has been passed down several lines of our family!
Thanks and regards
Richard
I have traced my Dxon line back to three siblings who lived roughly as follows:
Thomas Dixon Born Circa.1743 - Died Dec 1828 Whetstone, Finchley
Jonathan Dixon Born Circa 1750 - Died Apr 1837 Whetstone, Finchley
Hephzibah Dixon Born Circa 1760 -Died Nov 1834 Battersea Fields, Wandsworth
I had hoped with such an unusual name as Hephzibah in the mix it may have been possible to trace the baptisms and parantage of the three, but so far I have been unsuccesful.
I have downloaded wills for both Thomas and Jonathan (plus Thomas's widow, & Jonathans son William). They were Carpenters, but seem to have had a lot of wealth for carpenters. The tale in our family, which goes back at very least a hundred years, is Thomas was a Lord. Although I don't think there is any truth to that, he did hold land and properties in Friern Barnet, in copyhold from the Lord of the Manor there, so might plausibly pass as 'proxy' Lord of the Manor, and that could be the source of the tale.
His will left 2,100 in Stocks, 50 pounds and 76 Guineas in cash bequests, his house, stable and garden with coachouses and land, two other parcels of Land, enclosure rights on part of Finchley Common, and 30 other properties, some large houses with gardens and coachouses, some small cottages, that he owned and rented out in the local neighbourhood, some freeholds, some leaseholds. His whole estate must have been well over a million by todays standards. This would appear fairly unusual for a Carpenter (Though he later also became a Timber Merchant after clearing the trees from his section of Finchley Common)
The only other clue to their possible parentage is the witnesses to Hephzibahs marriage in 1790, who were one Ebenezer and Elizabeth Dixon. This may though of course be another sibling to the three. Jonathan also christened a child Ebenezer in 1796, so likely he was a close relative of some sort.
I can't find any trace of baptism or marriage for Ebenezer either, but found a couple of references to possible burials in Clerkenwell on the new IGI search which don't seem too far out geographically?
Name: Ebenezer Dixon
Burial Date: 01 Nov 1779
Burial Place: Clerkenwell, Middlesex
Name: Ebenezer Dixon
Burial Date: 06 Oct 1780
Burial Place: Clerkenwell, Middlesex
These are both from a non conform chapel there (Jonathan also sometimes used a non conform chapel). If anyone can furnish further detail on them, much appreciated.
I am throwing this open, any efforts welcome, as it would be nice to get this family back one generation further. If I can prove Thomas's wealth was self earned rather than inherited from any supposed noble birth, it will at very least put to bed for good the century old tale of aristocratic links that has been passed down several lines of our family!
Thanks and regards
Richard