William Dixon (abt. 1662 - bef. 1708)

Born about 1662 in Seagoe, County Armagh, Ireland

Husband of Isabella (Rea) Dixon — married 4 Mar 1683 in Armagh, Ireland

Husband of Ann (Gregg) Houghton — married 1690 in New Castle, Delaware

Descendants

Died before 20 Sep 1708 before about age 46 in Christiana Hundred, New Castle County, Delaware

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Biography

William was a Friend (Quaker)

William Dixon, weaver and farmer, was born about 1662 in County Armagh, Ireland.

As unlikely as it may seem for a boy of fourteen, the memoir of his brother-in-law Thomas Pearson (Pierson) can be read to state they both first came to the colonies in 1676: “on ye 14th day of ye 7th month in ye Yeare 1676 I sailed froom the Downes intending for mary land in company w’th: Wm Dixon...on ye 9th day of the 9th month in ye Yeare 1676 I arrived in Great Wicka Comma Coe River in ye Ship Called the Joseph and Benjamin Mathew Pain Commander of ye Same. T. P."^[1] There are obvious questions as to whether the William Dixon mentioned by Thomas Perason is the same person (such as, why would an Irish Quaker lad go to England, land of Quaker persecution, to then go to Maryland) nor does Thomas make any mention of the familial relatioship. When William would have returned to Ireland from this potential first adventure abroad is unknown.

William first married Isabella Rea on 4 Jun 1683 at the house of Roger Webb, Parish of Sego, Armagh.^[2] Myers states "Among those signed to the marriage certificate were Henry Dixson, Rose Dixson, Thomas Harlan and Isabelle Lorgan."^[3] Myers goes on to give William as the son of Henry Dixson but this parental relationship has been vigorously disputed by others. There is an extensive examination of the question in WikiTree's G2G forum here which ends with the statement that some Irish marriages records were copied into the Newark Meeting Minutes but no link was provided. The transcription of the data is archived here. The date of Isabella's death is unknown but prior to his emigration to America by 1687, perhaps earlier.

By 1687,^[3] William came to America, whether for the first or second time is uncertain, to Penn's Colony in what is now Delaware. Whether Rose, Rose and Dinah who traveled with him are mother and sisters or extended family remains the subject of debate among some researchers and descendants. Dinah would marry Michael Harlan and the younger Rose would marry Thomas Pearson (Pierson) whose journal is quoted above in this profile.

Between the years 1684 and 1686 the Newark (New Work) Monthly Meeting of the Society of Friends was established in New Castle County. In 1687 the first meetings for worship of the Center Meeting were authorized by the Newark Monthly Meeting. These were originally held in private homes, until a log meeting house was built on land donated by Valentine Hollingsworth. This was presumably the same Valentine Hollingsworth shown in the 1672 Irish wedding records, or a close relative of his. William Dixon was apparently active in the Center Meeting. McCracken’s “Welcome Claimants, vol. 2” (1970) shows that William signed a certificate dated December 18, 1688 on behalf of the Quarterly Meeting of the Friends in the area which recorded the intention of William Rodney to marry Mary Hollyman at Philadelphia.

About 1687 William Dixon, George and Michael Harlan, Thomas Hollingsworth, Alphonsus Kirk and William Gregg settled on the west side of Brandywine Creek in Christiana Hundred, New Castle County, near the present town of Centerville. They became the founders of what later was known as Center Meeting.^[4][5] Volume 5 of “The Literary Era”, 1894, states that at that time Frederick Klair owned “that portion of the tract (formerly owned by Dixon) upon which William Dixson’s children were born.”^[6] Their adjoining neighbors there included William Gregg, Henry Hollingsworth, Thomas Woolasten, George Hoge, William Hoge, and John Hussy, most of who were also Quakers.

Around the year 1690 William married Ann Gregg, a daughter of his neighbor William Gregg.

The exact date of William’s death is unknown, but was between March 31, 1708, when he executed his will, and September 20th of that year when it was admitted to probate.

Children

• Henry Dixon m. April 4, 1715 to Ruth Jones
• William Dixon m. Feb. 5, 1718 to Hannah Hollingsworth
• Dinah Dixon m. April 3, 1721 to William Hicklin
• John Dixon m. August 28, 1724 to Sarah Hollingsworth
• Thomas Dixon m. August 25, 1727 to Hannah Hadley
• George Dixon m. October 29, 1725 to Ann Chandler
• Ann Dixon m. 1730 to Robert Cane

Will and Legacy

I William Dickson of Red Clay Creek in the County of New Castle Weaver, being sick and weak in body but in sound and perfect mind and memory thanks be to the Lord for the same and calling to mind the frailty of this life have thought good to dispose of what worldly estate it hath pleased God to bestow upon me. I. Impris I give and bequeath unto my deare and well beloved wife Anne all my estate reall and personall during her age of widowhood and my Childrens Minority she paying out of my said estate all just debts by me contracted. Item I appoint authorize and ordaine my trusty & well beloved brothers Michaell Harlan and John Grigg to be trustees advisors and Guardians to my said wife and Children during her widowhood and theire minority, and if my said wife happen to marry during my said Childrens minority or ____ that ______ ___ ___ person soo marrying my said wife shall give good and sufficient securities for my ____ estate on behalf of my Children. Item I too appoint my said wife to be my sole Executrix of this my last Will and testament revoking and making null and void all former wills and testaments by me made and doe by these ratify and confirm this to be my last Will and testament in witness whereof I have here unto set my hand and seal this 31st day of the first month in the year 1708.

William Dickson

Signed sealed and delivered
In presence of
Tho: Pierson
John Day
His mark
George Gregg
^[7]

Interestingly, in the will the family name is spelled “Dickson”. The recorded copy does not note that William made “his mark”, as it did for example with one of the witnesses, so apparently he was literate, and signed as shown. Elsewhere his name is spelled Dixon and Dixson. His son Henry is shown occasionally with the spelling Dickson, but after him, the name appears to have been generally spelled Dixon. After William’s death, his widow Ann married John Houghton of New Castle County. John died between March 10, 1720, the date of his will, and May 27, 1720, when the will was admitted to probate. This will names his Dixon stepchildren, and appears in the New Castle County records as follows:

In the name of God Amen the Last Will and testimony of John Houghton of the County of New Castle upon Delaware ____ being _____ ___ ____ in perfect sence and memory I give to my Daughter Martha Houghton my mare called _____. I give to my Daughter Mary one horse colt ____ to Martha’s mare. I give to my Daughter Rebekah Houghton one three year old Mare, with a bold face, and one horse colt three years old. I give to my Daughter Dina, and Ann Dixon, three pounds apiece and if either of the two aforesd happen to dye, that the other shall have the whole sum aforesd. I give to my son George Dixon, Two hundred acres of Land upon this tract I now live on the said land to be laid out joining unto Roger Kirks land & Joshua Baker’s land, the sd George Dixon paying for the land Twelve pounds per hundred and half of all charges that shall accrue concerning the sd land. I give unto my three Daughter Martha, Mary & Rebekah Houghton the Three hundred acres of Land I now live on after their Mother’s decease, the sd Land to be equally divided amongst them. I order my four sons, Henry, William, John & Thomas Dixon to Clear and pay all the by Gone Rents that did accrue upon this three hundred acres of Land, before I was married to their mother. I give all the remaining part of my estate to my Wife Ann Houghton towards the upbringing of my Children. I leave and Constitute my well beloved wife Ann Houghton to be my Executrix and also my brother in Law John Gregg to be my Executor, to whom I leave five pounds, Leaving them in full authority to act and perform all and in every cause of this my abovesaid Will, either in law or Equity. As witnesses and _______ _____ this Tenth day of the first month March, in the year one thousand seven hundred and Twenty.

John Houghton Signed sealed and delivered In the presence of Thomas Hollinsworth Joshua Baker Nathaniel Maddock

Several years later on May 15, 1727 William and Ann’s children deeded the 307 acres originally surveyed to William in 1691 back to their mother Ann. This appears in New Castle County records, and the body of the deed mentions “Whereas William Dixon the late father of Henry, William, John, George, Dinah & Thomas . . .”

Land Records

A survey was made for William of 307 acres of land in Christiana Hundred of New Castle County on March 1, 1691. This is, no doubt, the tract described in a 1729 deed involving his widow Ann, as follows: A certain Tract or parcel of land Situate lying and being in the sd County of New Castle Beginning at a corner marked black Oak at a corner of Thomas Grace’s land, thence west north west by the same land Three hundred perches to a red Oak thence North and by East one hundred and forty five perches to a White Oak thence East South East sixty six perches to a Hickory tree thence South West to the land of Thomas Childe one hundred and fifty Eight perches to the place of beginning containing three hundred and seven acres.

When William Penn settled his Quaker colony of Pennsylvania he desired to retain for his own family some property in the event of his death, and conveyed 50,000 acres of land in trust for his wife Gulielma Penn and her children. This was finally surveyed in the year 1700, and a patent signed by William Penn at Philadelphia on October 23, 1701, was described commencing as: Whereas, there is a certain tract of land situate on the south side of Brandywine creek, in the province of Pennsylvania: beginning at a bounded hickory tree standing by a branch of Red Clay Creek, called Burrow’s run, being a corner tree of William Dickson’s land, thence by a line of marked trees south and by west over Red Clay Creek at the fork thereof . . . “

Sources

1. ↑ The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 1897: Vol 21 Iss 4, p 506
2. ↑ Religious Society Of Friends In Ireland Archives, Lurgan Monthly Meeting Minutes, Archive Ref: ROM-LURGAN-1859
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Myers, Albert Cook, Immigration of the Irish Quakers into Pennsylvania, Swarthmore, 1902, p 319 citing Marriage Book for Lurgan Mo Mtg, Ireland
4. ↑ Futhey & Cope, History of Chester County, Everts, Philadelphia, 1881
5. ↑ Harlan, Alpheus, History and genealogy of the Harlan family, and particularly of the descendants of George and Michael Harlan, who settled in Chester County, Pa., 1687, Baltimore, Lord Baltimore Press, 1914
6. ↑ The Literary Era, a monthly magazine, Vol 5, Issue 11, p331
7. ↑ Book B of New Castle County Delaware wills