William Dickinson (1604-1677) of Streetgate: Children 2

There are seven children listed in the Lamplugh register for William and his second wife Elizabeth (John, Margaret, Agnes, William, Joseph, Nathaniel, and Rebecca). A youngest son George was born after the registers stop. Three of these appear to have died young (at least they don't appear again in documents): John, baptised 29-08-1641; William, baptised 16-06-1650; and Joseph, baptised 28-07-1654.

James Dickinson

James Dickinson does not exist. There has been for many years a catalogue reference to a James Dickinson, son of William, inheriting a Mockerkin tenement in 1677. I have recently checked this out, and the document gives the name Daniel. An error in transcription.

Admission of James Dickinson to 1 tenement in the Manor of Mockerkin lately occupied by William his father, rent 6s. 2d. p.a.

The name is clearly Daniel, though it is easy to see how James has been read. Note, however, that the 'D' at the beginning of the forename and surname are the same. Furthermore, there is a dot above 'i' in Daniel - 'ni' isn't 'm'.

The original document held in Whitehaven RO. Picture by Nev. Ramsden.

28 June 1688

Admission of Daniel Dickinson to 1 tenement in the Manor of Mockerkin, rent 6s. 2d. p.a.

Daniel was also admitted to a Mockerkin property in 1688. This is the second of the two properties held by his father William. At some point he appears to have sold a tenement, as his son, John, only had one.

In his 1677 will, William instructed that his widow Elizabeth (with her children) was to have whole possession of Mockerkin for ten years, and then the property was to go to son Nathaniel. But only with Daniel's agreement. It would appear that Elizabeth occupied the properties, as well as having Whillimoor Head. Again Daniel was only admitted there in 1688.

Margaret Clarke (1643- alive 1696) of Cockermouth

Margaret is the eldest daughter of the second marriage. She was baptised 7th December 1643 in Lamplugh. She was mentioned in the 1645 will of Isabel Pearson of Mockerkin. She married twice, being described as Margaret Harrison in the will and inventory of her father William (she was owed £15, an unpaid dowry presumably), and had a son; but as Margaret Clarke in the 1696 probate of her brother George. In the will she was described as 'my sister Margaret Clark', and in the bond described as 'Margaret Clarke of Cockermouth'. It is likely that her first husband was dead by 1677, as he wasn't mentioned by name.

I give unto my daughter Margaret Harryson ten shillings and to her son halfe a crowne

Agnes Wood (1646 - alive 1696) of Cockermouth

Agnes was baptised 2nd June 1646 in Lamplugh. She and her husband and son were mentioned in her father's will. William still owed her £15 dowry to her husband in 1677 (see above). She was described as 'my sister Anne Wood' in the will, and as 'Ann Wood of Cockermouth' in the bond, for her brother George in 1696.

It is possible that this William Wood was son of Henry Wood (1609-1676) of Redhow.

I give unto my son in law William Wood twenty shillings and to his wife ten shillings and to their son my grandchild halfe a crowne

Nathaniel Dickinson (1655-1731) of Middlegill

Nathaniel was baptised 8th July 1655. It is likely that his two elder brothers, William and Joseph, died young; and so he was favoured by his mother Elizabeth. His father's will gave him the Mockerkin tenement once his mother had held it for 10 years, but this didn't happen.

I give unto my son Nathaniell all my lands at Mockerkin in ye parish of Loweswater after ye expiration of ten years, my wife & other children enjoy all ye said lands till then, and afterwards my wife only to have one half there during her natural life and all that with the consent of my son Daniel

The reason that Nathaniel didn't get the property was because times had moved on. Daniel adjusted the inheritance to suit the needs of his siblings at the time. Nathaniel was already set up in Embleton with a family, possibly on a farm that he had married into, and presumably was compensated by Daniel for the loss of the Mockerkin property.

The Embleton register only starts in 1690. Nathaniel had three children baptised there after that date (Frances 1692, John 1694, Grace 1697) and then moved to Middlegill in Moresby and had a further three there (Nathaniel 1704, Elizabeth 1708 and Deborah died 1714). We can be sure that this is the same Nathaniel, because his daughter Grace was buried in Moresby in 1723. He was buried 19th January 1730/1 in Moresby. The wife at his death was named Elizabeth.

A William Dickinson inherited Middlegill, and William and Daniel were bondsmen at Nathaniel's death. So it's likely that they were his oldest sons, born in the late 1680s. If so, then this implies that Nathaniel purchased Middlegill, rather than marrying into it.

A Thomas Dickinson of Parton in Moresby was producing a family there in the 1720s. He was described as 'Mr' and 'gent' in the parish registers, and the Dickinson family of Streetgate were managers of the Lamplugh mine at Parton. He came from a Dickinson family in Tute Hill, part of the Manor of Lamplugh and Arlecdon, so was likely to be involved the Lamplugh coal trade.

Rebeccah Jackson (1658 - alive 1696) of Cockermouth

Rebecca was the youngest daughter. She was baptised 7th October 1658 in Lamplugh. She was unmarried in 1677, but promised £40 and some land in her father's will (see image below), By the time of George's 1696 will, when he described her as 'my sister Rebeccah Jackson', she was married to George Jackson of Cockermouth.

George Dickinson (1662-1696) of Cockermouth

George was born in 1662, according to family records. There is no baptismal date as the register in Lamplugh hasn't survived for the period 1660-1680. George was promised Stubscales in William's will.

He died young, described as of Cockermouth, and fortunately left a will that describes his siblings. He was clearly unmarried.

I give my lands at Stubscales to my wife during ye term also of her natural life, and [words crossed out] afterwards ye said lands I give to my son George forever provided that he pay twenty pounde due and some land to my daughter Rebecca.

William Dickinson (1604-1677): Children 2