A short history of Charles Dixon born 1730 in Kirklevington, Yorkshire, England and his wife Susannah Coates. This history has been compiled from many sources given to me over the years by other people.
Over forty years ago (1891) Mr. James D. Dixon, grandson of Charles Dixon, compiled a table of the posterity of Charles Dixon and his wife Susannah Coates, down to the eighth generation., He had this printed in book form. They numbered 2,805 persons of whom 740 had passed to their long home, leaving 2065 living. At the ordinary rate of increase they number today (about 1930) over three thousand persons -- so great a multitude could only have been produced by obeying the natural laws implied in the Scriptural injunction to increase and multiply.
Mr. James D. Dixon undertook a most laborious job, involving an immense amount of research and correspondence -- a work that has been faithfully performed for which he has earned the gratitude of the Dixon fraternity. The writer of these notes on Sackville has been greatly indebted to Mr. Dixon's labors, for many facts, otherwise not obtainable.
The Power of the press was exhibited a hundred and fifty years ago. Mr. Charles Dixon in a letter to Mr. Sproule of the Crown Land Department, said when the General-in-Command visited Westmorland, he expressed a wonder how all the English people came to be settled there. I told him that after my arrival, (from England in 1772) I wrote to a friend in England, giving an account of Nova Scotia, Canada. He had it published in a newspaper. The next spring seven vessels arrived from England, chiefly loaded with settlers.
The Yorkshire immigrants of whom Mr. Dixon was a sample were a vigorous and moral people possessing respect for the law and high ideals of duty. Their descendants became the backbone, the sinews and strength of the country.
Of another and different class were the Puritans, who composed largely of the riff raff of Britain, landed at Salem in 1629, established their autocratic government, and an infallible church with home made doctrines which were enforced by brutal persecution. All who would not subscribe to their tenets were their victims. The brutality of the Puritan government almost exceeds belief. It is recorded that two women , Mary Fisher and Anne Austin arrived from Barbados in July, 1656, They were arrested, stripped stark naked, ostensibly to find evidences of witch craft, imprisoned for five weeks, were refused communication with anyone and then shipped back to Barbados. Three Citizens of Rhode Island arrived at Lynn to pay a brief visit to an aged and infirm man. They were Baptists and therefore systematics to the Puritans. One of them, John Clark, was arrested and fined twenty pounds or in default, to be whipped. He refused to pay but a friend of his paid it, without his consent. Another one, Obediah Holmes, was fined thirty pounds. He would not pay or allow others to pay. He received thirty strikes with a three quartered whip. In 1691-92, nineteen were convicted and hanged for witch craft, including Rev. Mr. Burroughs, who had the temerity to declare "There neither are or were witches". Puritanism was the seedbed of the American Revolution. The studied vilification of Britain and her institutions, year after year was a virus which envenomed the people. The result was the creation of a volunteer force to repel any attempted enforcement of British law. It was in evidence sixteen years after the fall of Quebec, at Lexington.
Charles Dixon and Susannah Coates were married on the 24th of Jun, 1763. Their children were:--
(a) Mary Dixon and William Chapman had twelve children, seven boys and five girls. He was a joiner and carpenter. He was the master carpenter on the military buildings at Fort Cumberland. Their sons, Henry and John, were the pioneers who went into the Green Woods at Chapman Settlement, Cumberland. Captain J. H. Chapman, a well known shipmaster, and an official at the Court House, Amherst, for years,was the son of Henry Chapman, and a grandson of William.
Susan Jane, the second daughter of Henry Chapman, married Stephen Peacock, a farmer at Botsford. They left a numerous family. John Chapman, fourth son of William and Mary Dixon Chapman married Jane Jonah in the year 1817. They both died in 1883, he aged 90 and she 85. Richard Chapman, the fifth son of William and Mary Dixon Chapman, married Jane Wells, a daughter of William wells of Point de Bute. He moved to the Chapman settlement. Mary Dixon, who married William Chapman, had up to 1891, 854 of a progeny of whom 645 were still alive.
(b) Charles Dixon, eldest son of Charles and Susannah Coates Dixon, married in 1788, Rhoda Emmerson. there was another wedding at the same time, Martha Grace was married to Ebenezer Cole. He was the father of 'Squire Rufus Cole. He had first settled in Sackville, where he was a successful farmer. The Charles Dixon family was William, Charles, Hannah, and Benjamin. Mrs. Dixon died in 1799, in the 30th year of her age. Mr. Dixon then married Elizabeth Humphrey, eldest daughter of Mrs. William Himphrey. Their children were as follows: John, born 1800, Elizabeth, 1803; Sidney, 1805; Leonard 1808; Jane 1810; Ruth, 1813, Christopher Flintoff, 1816; Edward 1818; Alfred, 1821; Mary, 1823; Martha, 1825.
Mr. Charles Dixon went on a cruise in 1803, with a neighbor, Timothy Richardson. They travelled to Ohio and from thee down past the Mississippi to New Orleans. From there they secured a passage to New York. At that place Mr. Dixon got ill with fever and ague. They ran short of money, but his brother-in-law, George Bulmer being in the city, helped them. They took passage home in a vessel of which Capt. Burnham was master. He erected stone buildings on Bridge Street on the site o the Rainnie house, for the purpose of brewing ale, which was not a success. Apparently there was but little demand for ale. He then erected a wind mill at the same location. He abandoned that and built a larger mill. This was highly promising but was destroyed by fire. With his son-in-law, Mr. McKinlay, they started to build a vessel. When it was well advanced, the price of ships in England declined and they stopped work and afterwards sold out to other parties. In 1837, he removed to Ohio. It seems that he and some members of his family had been converted to the Communion of the Latter Day Saints, or Mormons. Mr. Dixon and his family arrived at Kirkland, Ohio, on the 14th of October after six weeks traveling in emmigrant wagons. He purchased a farm there. In 1854, when he was in his 89th year, he and his wife and members of his family, left for Salt Lake City. When they arrived at Rock Island, Mr. Dixon on account of his blindness, fell from the steps of a hotel which proved fatal. He was buried at Davenport, Iowa. The family then pursued their journey to Salt Lake. Mrs. Dixon survived her husband eleven years and died nearly ninety years of age.
Hannah, the only daughter of Charles and Rhoda Emmerson Dixon, married John Barnes in 1815. In 1836, he and his family, Rhoda's father, John Barnes and Hannah Dixon, except Rhoda, removed to Wisconsin, where they settled. Rhoda, the eldest daughter, married Cyrus Snell in 1832. Mr. Snell had been working the mills at Frosty Hollow. In 1853, they left Sackville and removed to Wisconsin. From Wisconsin they went to Spanish Fork, Utah. Mr. Snell died in 1873, age 64 years. His death largely resulted from injuries received at Salt Lake, when he was attacked on the street and robbed.
There is more to the Dixon family in this book but I have not put it here as it does not come into my branch of the family, (s) Alyn Olson 11/22/05.
This history was written by Rhoda Emily Snell Robertson, sometime in the 1930's
My line of ancestry from Charles Dixon who settled in Nova Scotia 1772 is this. He was born 8 Mar 1730 at Kirklevington, near Yarn in the East Riding of Yorkshire, Old England. At the age of 31 was married to Susannah Coates and their family consisted of four children when they arrived in Nova Scotia: Mary, Charles, Susanna and Elizabeth. Four more were born to them, Ruth, Martha, Edward and William. Mr. Dixon was a very prominent man in the early settlement of Nova Scotia, Canada. He owned a large tract of land, 2500 acres bought for about 1300 dollars. He owned herds of cattle and sheep. He was a member of the legislature, also Justice of the Peace. He was a Methodist and helped erect the first Methodist Church at that place. Also helped build a parsonage, furnishing 4 acres of ground for it and helping to furnish the house.
When the Revolutionary War broke out they removed to their mother country and suffered loss of property through the raiding and other hardships incident in times of war.
Following is a note written to his son Charles:
"New Brunswick, this my son Charles is written for thy and thy sisters instruction, that thou be not high minded, but remember the rock from which thou wast hewn, and in the future time when I and thy mother shall be called home and rest in the silent grave, you may remember for your sakes we crossed the ocean. See that you outstrip us in purity of heart and holiness of life and always let your words be the picture of your hearts. Study to adorn the doctrine and gospel of God your Savior and acquaint yourselves with God and be at peace. At peace with yourselves and all men and may the God of peace be with you evermore. Amen".
Charles Dixon died 21 Aug 1817, his wife 13 Jun 1826 each of them in the 88th year of their age. They are buried in the church yard near the building they helped erect and worshipped in.
2. Charles Dixon eldest son of Charles and Susannah Coates Dixon was six years old when he left England and came with his parents to Nova Scotia. At the age of sixteen he performed garrison duty at Fort Cumberland. He settled on a portion of his fathers land redeeming it from a wilderness into fruitful fields. In 1788 he married Miss Rhoda Emmerson. The names of their children are as follows: William, Charles, (who died in infancy), Charles, Hannah, (born 6 Sep 1795 and Benjamin. Rhoda Emmerson Dixon died 27 Jul 1799 in her 30th year. Mr. Dixon soon after married Miss Elizabeth Humphrey. They had a family of 10 children. Mr. Dixon had a strong desire to see the United States and with a neighbor they traveled much of the time on foot until they reached Ohio, near the place now called Cincinnati where they built a boat and journeyed to New Orleans, from thence they took passage to New York and in due time arrived at their home. In the year 1837 he sold his farm and moved with part of his family to Ohio having embraced the faith of the Latter-Day Saints and feeling that was the proper course for him to pursue. Mr. Dixon and family left Sackville 1 Sep 1837 with covered wagons arriving in Kirtland, Ohio 14 Oct 1837 where he purchased property and settled. The following year he with his daughter Jane and youngest son started for Missouri. Soon after they crossed the Missouri they met large numbers of Mormon people who were being driven from the state. They returned with these people to Quincy, Illinois and remained the winter using liberally of his means helping the poor and suffering. The following spring he returned to Ohio and pursued farming until the spring of 1854 when in his 89th year and almost blind, he and his wife with some of his family left for Salt Lake City. They stopped for a few days at Rock Island getting teams ready for the journey across the plains. Here Mr. Dixon fell from the steps of a hotel and sustained injuries which proved fatal and death occurred on the 22 of May 1854. He was buried at Davenport, Iowa. The family continued the journey and arrived safely. Mrs. Dixon lived eleven years after the death of her husband.
3. Hannah, daughter of Charles and Rhoda Emerson Dixon married John Barnes in 1815. They resided in Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada. Mr. Barnes followed farming and milling until the year 1836, when he and his family with the exception of the eldest daughter, Rhoda, moved to Wisconsin. Their family consisted of Rhoda, Rufus, Emily, Mary, John Wesley, Hannah Elizabeth, Charles William and two who died in infancy. Mr. Barnes died 25 Mar 1854 aged 73. Mrs. Barnes died 3 Jul 1862 aged 67 years.
4. Rhoda the eldest daughter of John and Hannah Dixon Barnes married Mr. Cyrus Snell in 1832. Mr. Snell was engaged in wool milling for a number of years, having bought the property from his wife's parents. they joined the Mormon Church being baptized in Sackville, New Brunswick in May 1836 by John Herrit and confirmed by Lyman Johnson. In 1853 they left their home and started for Utah, but remained in Wisconsin a year visiting the Barnes family who had previously settled there and had an outfit made for crossing the plains. In Aug 1854 they arrived in Salt Lake City. They received their endowments in the Salt Lake Endowment House in Apr 1857 by Heber C. Kimball. Their children were, George Washington (who died in infancy), John Wesley, George Dixon, Cyrus Alma, Rufus Phillips, William Smyrdus and Lucy Hannah, who died at the age of four. Cyrus Snell died in Spanish Fork, Utah, Utah on 5 Sep 1878. His death being hastened by injuries received when attacked by some toughs in Salt Lake City and choked and robbed of a considerable sum of money. His wife Rhoda Barnes Snell died in Spanish Fork, Utah, Utah on 26 Oct 1900.