William Dick Bt (1580 - 1655)

Born 1580 in Braid, Morningside, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 19 Dec 1655 at about age 75 in Westminster,London, Middlesex, England

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Biography

William was born about 1581. (He was said in November 1655 to be aged 75 years.^[1])

OCCUPATION

Merchant and banker of Edinburgh.

OFFICE: Provost of Edinburgh 1638-1639^[2]. OFFICE: Committee of Estates 1644-1651.

HONORS: Knighted 1641.

PROPERTY: Together with spouse, Elizabeth MORRISON, was granted the lands of Braid, co. Midlothian {Braid, Morningside, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland}, 2 Aug 1631.

Family Elizabeth Morison, of, Prestongrange, Prestonpans, East Lothian, Married Bef 2 Aug 1631 Children

• 1. John Dick of Braid, Morningside, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland (d.1642)
• 2. Sir Andrew Dick of Craig House, St. Cuthbert's parish, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland
• 3. William Dick of The Grange, Newington, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland
• 4. Alexander Dick, of The Heugh, North Berwick, Haddingtonshire. (d. 1663)
• 5. Lewis Dick, (d.1646)
• 6. Catherine Dick, (d.13 May 1630)
• 7. Elizabeth Dick.

Sir William had supported and financed the armies of both the Covenanters; and the King to whom he advanced £20,000. For this support of the King Cromwell fined Sir William Dick £65,000 sterling. Now beggared and unable to meet his financial commitments he petitioned the government and the King to be repaid, and for pensions for himself and his family, to no avail, despite the promises. With her inherited wealth his daughter-in-law, Janet M'Math, redeemed the mortgages and bonds on The Grange estates for the sum of 35,000 merks (principal) and 1750 merks of the Sheriff's fee, and on 27th March 1654 the estate was apprised from Sir William's creditors and transferred into her name.^[3][4] The feudal barony of Braid and his other estates were swallowed up in heavy mortgages, some of them being sold at a five's years' purchase, and his whole family rendered destitute.^[5]

DEATH

Sir William Dick died in the debtor's prison at Westminster, London. His daughter-in-law, Janet M'Math transported his body ack to Edinburgh where he was laid to rest with his first-born child, close to the north wall in Greyfriars Churchyard.^[6]

Title

Baronet

Note

A diminutive of Richard, q.v. Anderson (Scot. Nat., II, p. 31) errs in saying that William de Dyck was first magistrate of Edinburgh (1296) the magistrate’s name was Deaeryk. John Dic, witness in Ayr, 1490 (Ayr, p. 94), Wille Dic was 'dekin of the bakstaris’ of Stirling, 1526 (SBR., p. 28), John Dyk or Dik was bailie of David, earl of Craufurd in Perthshire, 1547 (Gaw, 46), and Alexander Dik was archdean of Glasgow, 1555 (REG., p. 581—582). Sir William Dick of Braid, owner (for his time) of the vast fortune of £226,000 (equal to more than £2,000,000 at the present day), financier of the armies of the Covenant and upholder of the Stewart cause, had his reward by dying of starvation in a debtor’s prison in Westminster, 1658. Sir Charles Dick, lineal descendant of Sir William, acting as custodian of the Brighton Museum, renewed an application in 1873 for the meagre pension which had been continued under successive sovereigns till 1845.^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ Stewart-Smith. J., The Grange of St. Giles, Constable & Co., Edinburgh, 1898, p/.53.
2. ↑ Stewart-Smith, p.54.
3. ↑ General Register of Decreets of Apprisings, vol.viii, at HM Register House, Edinburgh.
4. ↑ Stewart-Smith, p.51-2 & notes.
5. ↑ Stewart-Smith, p.51.
6. ↑ Stewart-Smith, p.53 and notes.
7. ↑ Wilson, Memorials of Edinburgh, vol.ii, p.10.

• http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dick,_William_%28DNB00%29
• http://www.prestonfield.com/history.html
• http://www.laurenandtristan.net/4dec10update/p2146.htm
• Douglas, Bt., Sir Robert, The Baronage of Scotland: Containing an Historical and Genealogical Account of the Gentry of That Kingdom, Edinburgh: Bell & Bradfute, 1798.

• https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dick,_William_%28DNB00%29
• http://www.oldandnewedinburgh.co.uk/volume2/page41.html

See Also

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Dick_of_Braid

Source: #S32

Record ID Number: 5148

Source S32

Repository: #REPO6

Type: Ancestral File

Title: Ancestral File (TM)

Author: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Repository REPO6

Name: Family History Library