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I think I'll just let you lot fill my thread with words and come back to it from time to time and check your progress.
To keep you on the straight and narrow.
George Dixon born c. 1808. Deal, Kent, UK
Arrested convicted resided on hulk at HMP and Left UK on boat for Oz 1828
Co habited Anne Mandeville northern NSW c1840 until death in 1844
Had daughter Mary Ann Dixon.
Died 1844 at age 35 occupation on burial cert carpenter.
I have been discounting any George Dixon with fancy middle names. And please don't let him be a sailor. I have had quite enough problems with my Hil and Carter maritime exploits.
I have asked for access to the Kent Historical Society so I can drive them gaga with stupid questions. Still waiting for the Archbishop of Canterbury to get back to me.
Thank you immensely for all of your work so far. Here are some bowls of soup to keep you warm. (Well that's what they look like to me).
:D :D :D :D
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No reason to discount middle names. My Hill bunch seemed to be ordinary miner types in Cornwall, but had loads of middle names. Mother's surname (or a maternal surname from father's line) isn't that uncommon all over.
Not a sailor? But you did read the details as I quoted from oldbailey? A witness who knew him and his knife well and lodged with him was a sailor, and George himself claimed to have had nowhere to lodge that night.
If he'd been a more permanent resident it might have given his address? It did give some witnesses'.
Just now wondered about being discharged military, but nothing here to fit:
http://www.findmypast.co.uk/chelsea-pensioners-service-records-collection-search-start.action
Sailor seems reasonable to me!
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We don't have any idea why he and Mandeville cohabited w/o benefit, do we?
A previous marriage would be one reason, although it didn't stop a lot of other people who left spouses back home. Hardly any cause for worry in those days.
What name did Anne die as, and where? Did she marry after his death? I'm trying to remember where her parents' names came from ... Can't see a marriage or death as Mandeville in NSW.
Anyhow, it looks like she didn't have a pre-existing marriage, given her age, and one wouldn't think he did, given his age and circumstances at the time of the conviction ...
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First post. Occupation millwright or labourer. And I can not find the source of that information.
Anne Mandeville married Henry James Wright after George Dixon's death. They had children including two girls who drowned in 1861. Their father Henry Wright drowned himself in 1862 about two weeks after their death.
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This is the newspaper report of the drowning. I have taken it from an electronically copied paper on line and corrected the text.
Following is an article taken from the Clarence and Richmond Examiner newspaper of 28th December 1861.
Drowning of two Sisters, while Bathing in the Clarence River.-On Saturday last, as some parties were bathing, a sad accident occurred, by which, two sisters, Susannah and Harriet Wright, lost their lives, The following is a report of the evidence taken at the magisterial enquiry held before Mr. A. Lardner, J.P., on Sunday last.-Mary Ann Cassidy being duly sworn, de- posed : On Saturday, about eight a.m., she was bathing in the river with a younger sister of the deceased girls, when they, with a woman named Sarah Smith, joined them ; they were all bathing on a sunken rock, with deep water around it ; Harriet Wright went out too far, and she went after her ; she walked off the rock into deep water, catching hold of her as she went over; she clung to her, and she succeeded in getting her against the rock, when Susannah also took hold of her round the neck; after a struggle she felt them both loose their hold of her, and she swam ashore ; she immediately gave an alarm to their parents, who were living near, but did not see them again until their bodies were recovered several hours afterwards; deceased girls could not swim ; she could have saved Harriett if Susannah had not caught hold of her. Sarah Smith was intoxicated, but did not interfere with the deceased girls. William John O'Neil deposed: He lived (?) with Mr. Henry Wright; on Saturday morning he was chipping corn near tho river; he heard Annie Wright calling for her mother, and saying, " O. Susan and Harriet "; he ran down to the river and dived several times, but could not find the bodies of the girls; Mary Cassidy gave the alarm as she ran towards Wnght's house ; Sarah Smith was intoxicated ; he asked her if she had done it, and sho denied it in most offensive terms ; he then got Mr. Bligh's boat, and assisted that gentleman to eearch for the bodies ; they found tho body of Harriett about three hours after the accident, and Susannah two hours later ; both bodies were found near the spot where they were bathing ; Susannah is aged fifteen years, and Harriett thirteen years, Richard Bligh deposed : He lived at Riverstone, about a mile from Wright's ; about eight a.m. on Saturday, the witness O'Neil came to his house, and told him that Wright's two daughters had just been drowned ; he got some drags made and proceeded to the spot with his boat; himself, O'Neil and a servant of his named Elsbach searched for the bodies; he saw O'Neil find the body of Harriet Wright, and about two hours afterwards he re- covered the body of Susannah Wright; there were no marks of violence on either of the bodies ; he had no doubt death was caused by drowning. The finding of the magistrate was, that the deceased girls, Susannah and Harriet Wright, died from drowning in the river Clarence, on the 28th December, and that the drowning was accidentally caused,-Clarence and Richmond Examiner, .
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Reply to my question on George Dixon's parents from a researcher who is also interested in George. This is the Australian side to the story .
No-one knows who George Dixon's parents were. I think I explained that years ago before I decided he was a convict I had a George Dixon's death which gave his mother's name as Ann Quinn. I was looking for someone who might have teamed up with Annn Mandevillle who of course was Irish. Since then having spent a great deal of time tracing George and Ann's progress from Sydney to Grafton via Tenterfield I came to the conclusion that both of them ended up employed by Thomas Hewitt or William Cowan ( Hewitt's father in law) at Glen Innes. Why I am so sure this is true is because I found at the Mitchell Library a questionnaire answered by William Cowan in his old age. In it, he named George Dixon as cutting timber at Rosewood and being one of the first persons buried in the old Grafton cemetery. As George had been dead for about 40years when this interview took place, one would have to assume that William Cowan had intimate knowledge of George Dixon. The Hewitts and Cowan were the people who found a way across to Grafton from Glen Innes and that was around the time Anne gave birth to Mary Ann at Tenterfield.
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To tie George Dixon and Anne Mandeville I have Mary Anne Dixon's baptism cert. Dob 4 Mar 1842, father George Dixon, mother Ann Mandrala (misspelt Mandeville) father's occupation carpenter. Baptism dated 16 Apr 1843. Might go back and do some more BDM searching.
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Registration Number Last Name Given Name(s) Father's Given Name(s) Mother's Given Name(s) District Purchase Certificate
V18431812 27A/1843 DIXON MARY A GEORGE ANN
V184327 31A/1843 DIXON ANN GEORGE F SARAH
I have the first cert V27A. Wonder who the second cert was. Hmmm.
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Hi AS,
I have received this from the chappie who searches the Deal records.....
Checked in the Library re George Dixon, there are no others apart from the one born in 1782 which I already mentioned. As I said, George was not a common name among the Dixons and this is the only one around that period.
Sorry can't be of more help
Alastair
I, too, am sorry I can't be of more help. Cx.
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Janey, I found your drowning thread and will post it there.
Thank you Cynthia I am wondering if I need to search further afield.
Here is a small snippet of info I need to look into and my reply.
" Did you realise that George had been tried the previous year for another larceny offence only that time he was acquitted? "
Oh heavens I am so dumb. I have forgotten the golden rule of family history research, never overlook a possibility. Yes I had found that acquittal but discounted it as not being him. Now I'll have to go back and look for it again as it might give additional clues to his background. Bother, bother, bother.
I also have George's Certificate of Freedom which adds nothing about his background. It does give a detailed physical description of him and says his occupation was "millwright".
Had a good look at the Certificate. Date of birth 1808. Native Place: Deal. Date of certificate of Freedom 19 Oct 1835. Place of trial Middlesex GD. (Goal Delivery??)
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