#England #Kent #Military #WWII
Edwin DIXON was the second eldest of 10 children born to George1 Robert DIXON (1879 – 1952), a Farm Labourer / Waggoner and Soldier, and Eliza Ann TUPPER (1886 – 1971).
George1’s family seem to have been around East Langdon for a few generations and he was born at Northbourne. Eliza was born in Swingfield and her family have been around South East Kent for a while as well. They married Q4 1904 Elham District when he was 25 and she just 18.
Edwin had four brothers – George2 DIXON (1911 – 1988), Robert DIXON (1924 – 1944), Geoffrey Thomas DIXON (1927 – 2002) and James Peter DIXON (1930 – 2020). Robert was killed in WWII but the others seem to have had long lives. Due to the spread of births some were born after the eldest have presumably moved out of the home.
He also had five sisters – Dorothy Alice DIXON (1905 – 1905), Fanny Edith DIXON (1909 – 1995), Hilda DIXON (1914 – 1971) and Constance K DIXON (1923 – 1923). Sadly, two of these died in infancy but the other two married and had families I believe.
Edwin’s father was in the military from circa 1900 so has a record for himself. In the 1901 Census he is a 20-year-old soldier at Woolwich Barracks. At this time Eliza, aged 15, is a servant for the Jones family at 56 Broadmead Road, Folkestone. Her birth location given as Everden which I think comes under Alkham.
Not sure how George1 and Eliza will have met but they must have done and got married towards end of 1904 whilst starting their family. Sadly, their first child Dorothy had her birth registered Q1 1905 and death Q2 1905.
Edwin came along a year later on 12 July 1906 registered Q3 1906 Elham District. He was christened on 12 August 1906 in Postling, Kent. Another sister came along 3 years later.
Per 1911 Census they are living in Water Farm Cottage, Sellindge and George1 is working as a Waggoner. Edwin is just 4 years old. They have a lad boarding with the four of them.
Based on where the other children’s births were registered it appears that they had moved from Water Farm Cottage in Sellindge, Kent over towards Chartham by the beginning of 1914. All the younger children were registered in the Bridge District. There is a noticeable gap between 1914 and 1920 covering the period that George1was away fighting in the First World War.
Sadly, their daughter Constance’s birth and death were registered in same quarter 1923. They then went on to have another three boys with the last being born 1930. Not sure where Edwin was during this period but quite possibly living with his parents still. All the younger children were registered in the Bridge District
The next record available is that on 23 January 1925 he joined the RAF. It seems that he was transferred to the RAF Reserve on 14 July 1934 and discharged fully on 22 January 1937.
[This information was originally provided courtesy of a closer relation (1960 – 2015), and so believe it would have been family knowledge rather than externally available resources].
It is not known if he served in World War II in any capacity. There are a number of Edwin DIXON’s who would have been right age and there are some military records but any RAF information is limited. Possibly his skills were better utilised elsewhere though.
Presumably with the RAF he had been posted to Nottinghamshire as there he met and married Edith Ann HODGMAN (1907 – 1994) at Hucknall on 12 April 1930. She was local to that area it seems. He is reported to have joined City of Nottingham Police on 03 June 1934.
They only seem to have had one daughter who was born in 1936. By the time left the RAF Reserve they were living at 22 Costock Avenue, Sherwood, Nottinghamshire. [Sadly she passed away soon after I originally started researching this branch in late 2020 1.]
The family then moved to Linton, Melton Road, Stanton-on-the-Wolds as this is where they are found in the 1939 Register. I think his role is possibly a Wireless Electrician working for the Home Office.
Sadly, his brother Robert was killed at the age of 20 in August 1944, see his record, from what seems to have been a plane crashing whilst being transported during the war.
Another bit of data provided was that on 26 January 1948 Edwin entered the Civil Service as Chief Wireless Technician.
His father died on Christmas Eve 1952 at 2 Nicklebank Cottages, Chartham where his parents had settled. It is likely that some of Edwin’s other siblings did remain in Kent and therefore able to look after his mother.
Edwin’s daughter married in 1957 and he, with his wife, at some point moved to Newmarket, Suffolk as died there on 21 December 1968 so at least he would have met all three grandchildren. His death was registered in Cambridge District Q4 1968 giving his age as 62. Probate was issued on 26 February 1969.
Edwin’s mother Eliza spent 19 years on her own until she died in 1971, aged 85, and his wife in 1994, at 86, having sadly lived through the death of one of her grandchildren in a Road Traffic Accident whilst serving abroad.
Edwin DIXON was a 3C 2R to me on his maternal line. I have several DNA matches on Ancestry with descendants of the family.
The nearest shared ancestors are my 4x Great Grandparents Jesse TUPPER (1811 – 1894) and Elizabeth Betsy DANIELS (1811 – 1893).
Footnotes –
Most research undertaken using Ancestry, FreeBMD and Google Maps. Additional resources listed below if utilised.
- Open Benches – https://openbenches.org/ ↩︎