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Thread: Dicks

  1. #1
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    This is the biggest mystery I have come across.It starts with William Dicks marrying a widow Emma Williams nee Clarke in Bristol in 1874.Their son William Edward was born in 1886 in Anderston Glasgow.On the birth entry it says that the father was a tramcar driver.He and his wife don't appear on any census,so where were they? In 1903 The son,William Edward,married Mary Thomson in Glasgow,they are on the 1911 census with 2 children,living in Glasgow.In 1912 Mary died,shortly afterwards William Edward went to Australia,leaving the children in the care of a relative.(By this time there was a son,William Dicks)William Edward never came back from Australia,he died in Kirri Kirri in 1916 leaving his children orphans.
    I can't find the entry for the marriage in Bristol,I have contacted Bristol,but they say they have no record, of the marriage in spite of me giving the exact date.How is it,that if William Dicks was a tramcar driver(it would be in the times of horse drawn trams)how come he and his wife are not on any census for Scotland?
    It seems probable that these Dicks came from the area around Glocestershire as Dicks is not a Scottish name both William and Emma died before 1903 as on the marriage entry for their son it has deceased.
    If anyone can throw any light on this mystery,I would be over the moon.

  2. #2
    Super Moderator christanel's Avatar
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    Hi
    where did you get the exact date of their marriage from?

    I have used both FreeBMD and ancestry and can find no trace of an Emma Williams or Clark(e) etc marrying a William Dick(s).

    The info people give can be way off beam. It may be they didn't marry at all.

    Added;- Did William Edward die in Kirri Kirri or do you mean Kurri Kurri NSW (not that far from me)

    Christanel
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    William Burroughs

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    Super Moderator christanel's Avatar
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    I answered my own question, it is Kurri Kurri and here is the death reg with no parents names listed.

    17504/1918 William E Dicks age 34 KURRI KURRI
    Sometimes paranoia is just having all the facts.
    William Burroughs

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    Yes you found William Edward,thank you,no-one seems to know what or why he was there.I have checked WW1 records but it doesn't look as though he was in the forces.I think I'm right in saying that conscription was brought in until later,maybe he thought he could make a better life there for himself and his children but had an accident and died.
    I got the info about his birth from Scotland's People,the birth entry says he was born on 31st October !884 at 8 Whitehall St in the district of Anderson,Glasgow.His parents were William Dicks and Emma formerly Williams,nee Clark,they married on the 18th June 1874 in Bristol.Scottish records give more info than English ones. For father's occupation it has tramcar driver.In 1906,got that wrong before,have so many dates in my head I get confused!)William Edward married Mary Howitt Thomson on the 18th Sept at Bankier St,according the Banns and form of the Church of Scotland.William Edward was an Engineer aged 22,Mary was 19.His father was William Dicks deceased,mother Emma Dicks,nee Clark,deceased.
    As I said before Dicks is an English name,in Scotland it's Dick.It seems it was quite common around the Gloucestershire area but trying to find a birh for Wm Dicks,is like looking for a needle in a haystack!I think I found the previous marriage for Emma,theres an entry for an Emma Clark marrying a William Williams in 1869,I think he died in 1872,I also found a birth entry for a William Edward Williams ,then a death for a William Edward Williams aged 0.This made me think that perhaps Emma had had this child who died then when she had a son in 1884 she gave him the same name.This was very common in those times.I have no proof that this is right it's just a guess.I have tried everything I can think of to track these folk but I can't find anything,I've tried Dix,still nothing so ANY help is very welcome.

  5. #5

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    The spelling of surnames in Scotland before WW1 was not consistent. I'm afraid that the presence of a "s" says nothing about the nationality. You gave your name, verbally, and the clerk wrote what he heard. Everyone was happy.
    I've actually got the family surname spelled differently in a single baptismal entry - Baldie for the child and Baldy for the grandfather after whom he was named!

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    Yes I understand what you are saying,which is why I have looked at Dix,I have tried putting in Dick for Scottish censuses but still doesn't bring any results that could relate to this family.I've also tried any other possible spellings,like Decks but still nothing that fits.Any other suggestions most welcome.

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    A few thoughts.
    Can't see the Bristol marriage - poss fictional? But as she gives date of 1874 it suggests that Emma is prob over 30 in 1886.

    There is a death of an Emma Williams other surname Clark in 1898 age 51 in Camlachie Glasgow. This Emma would have been 39 in 1886. May be worth looking at.

    There is an Emma Williams age 30 in Anderston in 1881. From index seems to be in same household as a William williams age 44 born England. Again may be worth looking at.

    Will have another think...

    A William Williams b 1839 England is in Camlachie in 1891. Sorry can't view the actual record for you.

    And the Emma Williams in Anderston in 1881 was also born England.

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    I am wondering if William Williams and Emma met in Bristol and moved to Glasgow living as man and wife and that Emma then met Mr Dicks and had William Edward. Registered as William Edward Dicks but could possibly have been brought up as a Williams?

    On a separate note, regarding son William Edward - and you may have this - there is a William Dicks b 1886 travelling from London to Sydney in 1914 on the FMP passenger index. And on the Australian War Memorial site First World War Embarkation Rolls www.
    awm.gov.au there are embarkation details for a private william edward Dicks of 54 Infantry battalion embarking in 1916. Gives daughter Agnes in Glasgow as next of kin.

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    William Edward's military records have been digitised at the National archives of Australia and can be seen here (click on digitised item icon opposite his name).
    http:
    //recordsearch.naa.gov.au/NameSearch/Interface/ItemsListing.aspx

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by grisel View Post

    On a separate note, regarding son William Edward - and you may have this - there is a William Dicks b 1886 travelling from London to Sydney in 1914 on the FMP passenger index.
    This William Edward is travelling with his wife Ettie age 26, dau Lena age 7 and son William H age 1/4 (meaning 3months?)

    That is a big gap in ages between the children.

    There is also this one of the right age but on his way to Canada. May have gone to Canada, back to UK, then to OZ?
    Wm Dicks
    Age: 26 born about 1886
    Departed 20 Sep 1912
    From Liverpool, England
    Destination Quebec, Canada
    Ship Corsican
    Master - E Cook

    Christanel
    Sometimes paranoia is just having all the facts.
    William Burroughs

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