©1996-2009

contributed by Linda R. F. Arnold


The Joseph Dickson Family

Also see Welsh, Chisholm and Killam Families


Joseph Dickson
b. 1784  (WPA)  
Kirkcudbrightshire or Dumfries, Scotland (LRA)
d. 26 Sept 1842, age 58 yrs. (WPA)  [TR gives d. 1842]
Buried Killam Cemetery  (WPA)  

m. abt 1825 Scotland

Margaret (Derby) Welsh (widow of William Welsh) (LRA) [TR gives Margaret Dickson]
b. Nov 1793 (LRA)
Scotland (LRA)
d. 17 Oct 1845, age 51y 11m (TR)
Buried Killam Cemetery (TR)

Child:
1.    Ellen Dickson b. c1825 Scotland “of Castle Douglas” Scotland (LRA)
m. 26 May 1844 Macoupin County, Illinois (LRA)
James Miller Lair (son Samuel W. Lair & Elizabeth Miller) (LRA)

Their children: (LRA)
1.    Margaret Lair b. 27 Oct 1846
2.    Joseph Dickson Lair b. 15 Dec 1848
3.    Samuel Thomas Lair b. 9 Mar 1851
4.    William Welsh Lair b. 5 June 1853
5.    Isabelle Susan Lair b. 31 Dec 1855
6.    Benjamin Franklin Lair b. 10 Apr 1858
7.    Serena Jane Lair b. 25 Jun 1861
8.    Lavinia Ann Lair b. 23 Mar 1866


1841 Census Parish of Urr, Village of Springholm, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland (June 6, 1841) (LRA)


Joseph Dickson
b. 1791
Kirkcudbrightshire (possibly Dumfries), Scotland
d. 25 Aug 1842, age 58 yrs.
(South Palmyra Twp., Macoupin County, Illinois)

Joseph Dickson, prob. born 1791 and was "of Knockwalloch, Durham (or Culshan) Scotland" according to one descendant. He was later of the parish of Kirk Patrick-Durham, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland.

He married sometime between 1815-1824, Margaret (Derby) widow of William Welsh. They were listed in the 1841 Census in Springholm, Parish of Urr, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland.

He died, according to "Tombstone Revelations of Macoupin County Illinois", in 1842. The record in the book, reads: "Oldest grave found was listed on the deed records made by the WPA in 1938. It was that of Joseph Dickson in 1842. A later listing of the cemetery made in 1979 says, "but we were unable to find the stone of Joseph."

His wife, Margaret was born September 1794 Scotland, died 17 October 1845 and her stone remains.

Margaret Dickson
Margaret Derby Welsh-Dickson
b. Nov 1793
Scotland
d. 17 Oct 1845, age 51y  11m
(South Palmyra Twp.) Macoupin County, Illinois

Margaret Derby Welsh-Dickson was born about November 1793 in Scotland. Her first husband, William Welsh died about 1815. They were either from Dumfries or Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland.

She married before 1825, Joseph Dickson. They were listed in the 1841 Census in Springholm, Parish of Urr, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland.

They came to America sometime after the 1841 Census (June 1841) and before September 1842 when her husband died.

(LRA) Earlier research by Linda R.F. Arnold; sources available upon request.

(M) Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1800

(PBR) Portrait & Biographical  Record. George M. Killam p.366, William Chisholm p.637-8.

(TR) Tombstone Revelation Macoupin County, Illinois (vol. 1)

(WPA)  WPA Listing of Killam Cemetery.  Macoupin County Archives, Carlinville.

2009 - My son and I are tentatively planning a trip to Scotland, and I thought it would be nice if I could locate some Dickson cousins who probably still live there.  Last week "stumbled" into RootsChat.com (UK area of England, Scotland, Ireland & Wales and lesser Isles) and posted an inquiry with what I knew of the Dicksons who were living 1900-1905.  They were supposed to be cousins to Ellen Dickson (she m. James Miller Lair, 1844).  Within five minutes I had two responses to my inquiry from a Scottish lady (not related, but extremely helpful).
 
After several postings and exchanges of email messages, she sent me two death certificates and the results of her looking up the MIs (I didn't know that MIs are Monument Inscriptions) she found the following:
Kirkpatrick Durham MIs
Joseph Dickson died 3 March 1827, aged 91
wife Hellen Kirkpatrick d. Knockwalloch 1 March 1819 aged 68
son Joseph died Macaupin Illinois N.America 19 Sept 1842 aged 59
  wife Margaret Derby died same place 17 October 1845
Elizabeth Dickson died 1 July 1854 aged 80
husband Robert Gregan died 19 Jan 1861 aged 81
Minnie Dickson died Burnside of Glenroan 4 Jan 1875 aged 78

Of the MIs she wrote,
"MIs are Monumental Inscriptions - tombstone inscriptions . In Scotland before Jan 1855, when official registration of BMDs started, burials/deaths were not recorded systematically in parish records (some are available for some parishes but are not yet online). The best source for burials is therefore MIs. This is limited, of course, because not all families could afford a headstone.
It seemed a fairly common habit to record deaths of ancestors/relatives who died away from the parish. In your case, your Joseph and Margaret are inscribed on the tombstone in Kirkpatrick Durham Kirkyard."

The date given for "son Joseph" differs slightly from that given in the WPA as 26 Sept 1842, age 58 yrs.  My guess is that Ellen (Dickson) Lair or William Welsh sent the information back to Scotland of Joseph and Margaret's deaths. The date for Margaret is the same as that given in Tombstone Revelations.

The only other confirmation of Margaret's maiden name was of Derby was given in the book, William Welsh of Scotland by Warren A. Welsh (written about 1994). Warren Welsh died about four years prior to my knowing anything about him or the book.

The place, Knockwalloch was mentioned in the book; Knockwalloch was a farm or estate.  Today it is a Quaker church.  I intend to write the church to see how far back the church at Knockwalloch dates.

I am pretty sure that Joseph Dickson (who came to Macoupin County) was born in Kirkpatrik Durham, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland. I know have the name of his parents which I didn't have a week ago.

The only descendants of Joseph Dickson and Margaret Derby, both of whom are buried in that elusive Killam Cemetery that I am dying to get to  (dying??? oops!) would be those who come through James Miller Lair, Civil War Soldier who served in Company A, 32nd Illinois Infantry.

There would be other descendants through Margaret Derby and her first husband through their son, William Welsh of Scotland.  William Welsh and his 2nd wife and family (from both wives) went to Schuyler County, Missouri.  William Welsh's first wife, Jane Chisholm of Scotland and two of their children are buried in Killam Cemetery.

This is a search of my Grandma's Scottish grandmother that has been a life-long goal.  When I was about 10 years old, she told me her grandmother was from Castle Douglas, Scotland.  I imagined her in a castle ... sort of like one of those towers in the Rumpelstiltskin fairytale.

Linda R F Arnold <LRFArnold@aol.com>

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