John DIX, son of Alice COXALL & Joseph DIX was born in Knapwell, Cambridgeshire, England, according to his son, Rev. Joseph Dix. John married Mary BLAND 23 Dec 1801 in Easton, Huntingdonshire, England, daughter of Joseph BLAND and Mary BROWN. She was born 13 Dec 1783 in Easton, Huntingdonshire, England, and died 02 Jun 1841 in Mariposa Township, Victoria County, Ontario, Canada.
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Mary Bland's parents:
Father: Joseph Bland (widower, at time of 1782 marriage)
Mother: Mary Brown (widow, at time of 1782 marriage)
Marriage: 1782 in Easton, Huntingdonshire, England
Mary Brown Bland died 26 Dec 1788 in Easton
Joseph Bland died 24 Feb 1807
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John Dix' parents:
Father: Joseph Dix
Burial: 04 Jan 1820
Age: 88
Birth year: 1732
Residence: of Royston - Parish: Litlington, Cambridgeshire, England
Church: St Catherine, Anglican, Litlington, Cambridgeshire, England
Mother: Alice Coxall, daughter of Alice & Samuel Coxall
Birth: 1742, Sheperheath, Cambridgeshire, England
Baptism: 15 Jun 1742, Elsworth, Cambridgeshire, England
Marriage to John Dix: 1757 in Guilden Morden, Cambridgeshire, England
Burial: 09 Jul 1790, Litlington, Cambridgeshire, England
Burial Notes: wife of Joseph
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Excerpt from Joseph Dix' Family History (son of Mary Bland & John Dix), written in 1897:
Respecting the ancestry of the Dix family, but little is known, and but little can be said. It has been thought our name originated in France, and if so, our forefathers may have lived under the flag of the old Gauls and traced their shadowy lineage back even to old Galatia where they sat at the feet of the venerable apostle, the great teacher of the Gentiles. Could we believe this to be real we might be lifted up above measure. But the farthest we can trace back is to my grandparents. We have no record of grand-father Dix. I think my father has told us he lived and died (4) Rollins ancient history Vol 3, page 549. (2) in Cambridge Shire, England, and was a blacksmith by trade, and a member of the established Church of England. Of grand-mother Dix we have no record.
My father had a great uncle as I understand it, whose name was Samuel Coxall, who was born in Royston in Cambridge Shire, and at one time he was a jeweler in London. I think he never was married. Date of birth is to us unknown, but he died Oct. 7th, 1815…
My father's name was John Dix. He was born July 18th, 1771, in the parish of Napwell, [There is a parish "Knapwell" in Cambridgeshire, however, the family's baptismal records were found in Litlington Parish. They could have been born in Knapwell and moved to Litlington. None of the children were baptized at birth.] Cambridge Shire, England. We have heard father talk about his uncle John Dix in Cambridge Shire, as a farmer, but we have no record of him. Father had a brother whose name was Isaac, but before we left England he moved to a distant part and father did not know where he was for many years. We have no record of his birth or death. We do not know that father had another brother, but I believe he had, whose name was Samuel, but he died in early life. Father had two sisters, Mary and Susan. I think that he had another whose name was Alice, but she died in early life. We have no record of Mary's birth, but according to some records I have found Susan was born in 1777.
...I think father and mother were married in the year 1801. He being about 30 and she 18. This in England was regarded young for her. Neither were of the wealthy class, but she had a legacy of about 400 pounds left her by a relative, but his she could not draw until she was 21 years of age.
My father followed farming all his life, although he gave considerable thought on perpetual motion, and quite a little on poetical composition; he never achieved much in either. As in his early day he lived in the fens of Huntingdon, England, where the land was often flooded, and they dug large ditches to carry the water off, throwing up a bank on each side they drew the water off the land to a sort of reservoir, and then by horse-power pumped the water over the bank into the large ditch. In this case father labored hard to invent a device, which, by the falling of the water on some part of its works as it went into the ditch, would lift the water on the other side and thus run itself when once started. But he never made it work. He well understood the plough. His great leading thought was farming.
Soon after mother was 21 years of age she obtained the legacy left her, and they went into the grocery business, but did not succeed well. America was just then attracting much attention – much heard and much said about it – and many were going to try their fortunes in the New World, as it was called. And at that time the
(5)
Crown of England was giving a grant of 100 acres of land to each emigrant over twenty-one years of age (as I understood), who settled in Canada. My parents thought of going to Canada, but I understand that at that time England would not allow any of her subjects to leave her shores without a permit. She did not intend to let the best mechanics, artists and tradesmen leave her shores without permission. Neither would she send those of poor character.
About that time father became acquainted with a Mr. Adam Currie, a rich Scotchman travelling in England buying lace, who had bought 10,000 acres of land in the Wabash country in Illinois, and persuaded his brother John, a farmer in Scotland, to emigrate to that part and become his agent in looking after and selling his lands. Mr. and Mrs. Currie had several daughters, and one son. They were fine people and enjoyed much of the world's comforts. Through Mr. Adam Currie's influence father became acquainted with them ,and I understood that Mr. Adam Currie made father very fair offers in selling him land, which as quite an inducement to go to the rich prairies. Yet I think father was undecided about going there, as the Crown of England granted 100 acres of land to emigrants to Canada. This was a great inducement. However, he sailed with Mr. J. Currie, who came from Scotland, leaving Liverpool in April, A.D. 1819. It was in this year 1819 that the first steamship crossed the Atlantic Ocean. In that early day people in England had great fears about crossing the ocean, for they would very likely go to
(6)
The bottom before they go to New York. Some would not risk it for all America.
...No steamers on the ocean in those days. Ours was a sail vessel, and we were nearly seven weeks in crossing the ocean. I have understood that on the voyage father concluded to go with Mr. Currie to the Wabash country in Illinois, and when we arrived in New York, Mr. Currie went directly on his journey. Sister Elizabeth was then a fine blooming girl, and they became attached to her and took her with them, she fully expecting father would follow in a day or two. But resting there a short time he heard so much about Illinois being sickly and I believe just at that time there were current reports about the milk sickness and the wheat sickness being prevalent near the Little Wabash River, Illinois, where Mr. Currie was going. Those reports with the attraction of one hundred acres granted turned father to Canada and to Canada he came. Respecting the milk and wheat sickness; the milk and butter would make the people vomit and the bread would do the same. The same trouble has
(7)
been known in Indiana and other parts. Before father left New York he went to the Hon. James Buchanan, who was British Consul General for New York and East New Jersey and obtained some papers needed addressed to the governor in Canada, and soon after we rested in Kingston. This was a sad disappointment to poor Elizabeth, and dear mother felt sad over it, and it was years of sorrow that she was separated so far from us.
I think Sir F. Maitland was governor of Upper Canada at that time. We remained in Kingston a few years and father worked in the engineer yard. Father and mother were members of the regular Baptist Church in England, but as there was not a Baptist Church in Kingston they united with the British Methodist. Here Mercy was born October 15th, 1821.
But father wanted a farm and he and his grant for land and learned the government at that time was giving land grants in the township of Marmora, he went to see it, but found it so very stony he would not accept it, and the result was he never got any land by his grant. About that time the Marmora iron ore and iron works were attracting considerable attention. I think one Hayes had the lead of them. On father's disappointment in Marmora he rented a farm on the north shore of Bay of Quinte and on the east side of Parrot Bay, then known as "Floating Bay, in Earnest Town" some twelve miles west of Kingston, for a term of eight years, and we moved to it. I think this was in the Spring of 1824.
This was a
(8)
large farm but very sandy and stony of little worth. Parrot or "Floating Bay" was short and flowed into the Bay of Quinte. The great highway from Kingston to Bath was called the front road and it crossed our farm and the bay. The bay might have been twenty rods wide where the road crossed it. And if my memory is correct, the bridge over it was made as follows; the logs were cut out a certain length and rolled into the water close together all the way across the bay. Then a large pole placed across the ends on each side of the road and was pinned with two-inch pins to the logs. It was necessary the team should keep the center of the bridge. With much of a lead the logs would sink quite a little. This I suppose gave it the name of "Floating Bay." They got a better bridge before we left.
The broken front of the farm was called "Phillip's Point." Here broether (sic) John and I reveled many a day; perhaps the most sunny spot of all our life; bathing, berrying ad (sic) romping in the woods when we should have been seeking the cattle.
This pint of land was rather a time honored resort in the minds of some good people by two comp-meetings being held there and many redeemed souls have looked back to it as the most precious spot in all their lives, fir (sic) their chains fell off and their happy souls could sing,
"How happy every child of grace
Who knows his sins forgiven."
____________________________________________________________
CHILDREN OF MARY BLAND & JOHN DIX:
1. Elizabeth Dix SMALE
Born: 03 Aug 1803 Easton, Huntingdonshire, England
Died: 26 Jan 1887 Mariposa Township, Victoria County, Ontario, Canada
2. Bland DIX
Born: 30 Nov 1805 Easton, Huntingdonshire, England
Died: 25 Dec 1874 Mariposa Township, Victoria County, Ontario, Canada
3. Samuel DIX
Born: 29 Feb 1808 Easton, Huntingdonshire, England
Died: 22 Oct 1883 Mariposa Township, Victoria County, Ontario, Canada
Find A Grave Memorial# 103597757
4. Mary DIX
Born: 31 Jul 1813 Easton, Huntingdonshire, England
Died: 14 Sep 1852 Darlington, Durham County, Ontario, Canada
5. John DIX
Born: Easton, Huntingdonshire, England
Died: in infancy bef. 1816 Easton, Huntingdonshire, England.
6. John DIX
Born: 04 May 1816 Easton, Huntingdonshire, England
Died: 22 Sep 1901 Mariposa Township, Victoria County, Ontario, Canada
7. Sarah DIX
Born: Easton, Huntingdonshire, England
Died: in before Apr 1818 Easton, Huntingdonshire, England
8. Joseph DIX
Born: 13 Nov 1818 Easton, Huntingdonshire, England
Died: 03 Sep 1906 Otterville, South Norwich, Oxford County, Ontario, Canada
(grave site unknown at this time)
9. Mercy Dix JULIAN
Born: 15 Oct 1821 Kingston, Frontenac County, Ontario, Canada
Died: 13 Oct 1905 Little Britain, Mariposa Township, Victoria County, Ontario, Canada
10. Hannah Susana Dix TINNEY
Born: 04 Oct 1825 Parrot Bay (near Kingston), Frontenac County, Ontario, Canada
Died: 26 Aug 1896 Little Britain, Mariposa Township, Victoria County, Ontario, Canada
John DIX, son of Alice COXALL & Joseph DIX was born in Knapwell, Cambridgeshire, England, according to his son, Rev. Joseph Dix. John married Mary BLAND 23 Dec 1801 in Easton, Huntingdonshire, England, daughter of Joseph BLAND and Mary BROWN. She was born 13 Dec 1783 in Easton, Huntingdonshire, England, and died 02 Jun 1841 in Mariposa Township, Victoria County, Ontario, Canada.
_________________________________________________________
Mary Bland's parents:
Father: Joseph Bland (widower, at time of 1782 marriage)
Mother: Mary Brown (widow, at time of 1782 marriage)
Marriage: 1782 in Easton, Huntingdonshire, England
Mary Brown Bland died 26 Dec 1788 in Easton
Joseph Bland died 24 Feb 1807
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John Dix' parents:
Father: Joseph Dix
Burial: 04 Jan 1820
Age: 88
Birth year: 1732
Residence: of Royston - Parish: Litlington, Cambridgeshire, England
Church: St Catherine, Anglican, Litlington, Cambridgeshire, England
Mother: Alice Coxall, daughter of Alice & Samuel Coxall
Birth: 1742, Sheperheath, Cambridgeshire, England
Baptism: 15 Jun 1742, Elsworth, Cambridgeshire, England
Marriage to John Dix: 1757 in Guilden Morden, Cambridgeshire, England
Burial: 09 Jul 1790, Litlington, Cambridgeshire, England
Burial Notes: wife of Joseph
_________________________________________________________
Excerpt from Joseph Dix' Family History (son of Mary Bland & John Dix), written in 1897:
Respecting the ancestry of the Dix family, but little is known, and but little can be said. It has been thought our name originated in France, and if so, our forefathers may have lived under the flag of the old Gauls and traced their shadowy lineage back even to old Galatia where they sat at the feet of the venerable apostle, the great teacher of the Gentiles. Could we believe this to be real we might be lifted up above measure. But the farthest we can trace back is to my grandparents. We have no record of grand-father Dix. I think my father has told us he lived and died (4) Rollins ancient history Vol 3, page 549. (2) in Cambridge Shire, England, and was a blacksmith by trade, and a member of the established Church of England. Of grand-mother Dix we have no record.
My father had a great uncle as I understand it, whose name was Samuel Coxall, who was born in Royston in Cambridge Shire, and at one time he was a jeweler in London. I think he never was married. Date of birth is to us unknown, but he died Oct. 7th, 1815…
My father's name was John Dix. He was born July 18th, 1771, in the parish of Napwell, [There is a parish "Knapwell" in Cambridgeshire, however, the family's baptismal records were found in Litlington Parish. They could have been born in Knapwell and moved to Litlington. None of the children were baptized at birth.] Cambridge Shire, England. We have heard father talk about his uncle John Dix in Cambridge Shire, as a farmer, but we have no record of him. Father had a brother whose name was Isaac, but before we left England he moved to a distant part and father did not know where he was for many years. We have no record of his birth or death. We do not know that father had another brother, but I believe he had, whose name was Samuel, but he died in early life. Father had two sisters, Mary and Susan. I think that he had another whose name was Alice, but she died in early life. We have no record of Mary's birth, but according to some records I have found Susan was born in 1777.
...I think father and mother were married in the year 1801. He being about 30 and she 18. This in England was regarded young for her. Neither were of the wealthy class, but she had a legacy of about 400 pounds left her by a relative, but his she could not draw until she was 21 years of age.
My father followed farming all his life, although he gave considerable thought on perpetual motion, and quite a little on poetical composition; he never achieved much in either. As in his early day he lived in the fens of Huntingdon, England, where the land was often flooded, and they dug large ditches to carry the water off, throwing up a bank on each side they drew the water off the land to a sort of reservoir, and then by horse-power pumped the water over the bank into the large ditch. In this case father labored hard to invent a device, which, by the falling of the water on some part of its works as it went into the ditch, would lift the water on the other side and thus run itself when once started. But he never made it work. He well understood the plough. His great leading thought was farming.
Soon after mother was 21 years of age she obtained the legacy left her, and they went into the grocery business, but did not succeed well. America was just then attracting much attention – much heard and much said about it – and many were going to try their fortunes in the New World, as it was called. And at that time the
(5)
Crown of England was giving a grant of 100 acres of land to each emigrant over twenty-one years of age (as I understood), who settled in Canada. My parents thought of going to Canada, but I understand that at that time England would not allow any of her subjects to leave her shores without a permit. She did not intend to let the best mechanics, artists and tradesmen leave her shores without permission. Neither would she send those of poor character.
About that time father became acquainted with a Mr. Adam Currie, a rich Scotchman travelling in England buying lace, who had bought 10,000 acres of land in the Wabash country in Illinois, and persuaded his brother John, a farmer in Scotland, to emigrate to that part and become his agent in looking after and selling his lands. Mr. and Mrs. Currie had several daughters, and one son. They were fine people and enjoyed much of the world's comforts. Through Mr. Adam Currie's influence father became acquainted with them ,and I understood that Mr. Adam Currie made father very fair offers in selling him land, which as quite an inducement to go to the rich prairies. Yet I think father was undecided about going there, as the Crown of England granted 100 acres of land to emigrants to Canada. This was a great inducement. However, he sailed with Mr. J. Currie, who came from Scotland, leaving Liverpool in April, A.D. 1819. It was in this year 1819 that the first steamship crossed the Atlantic Ocean. In that early day people in England had great fears about crossing the ocean, for they would very likely go to
(6)
The bottom before they go to New York. Some would not risk it for all America.
...No steamers on the ocean in those days. Ours was a sail vessel, and we were nearly seven weeks in crossing the ocean. I have understood that on the voyage father concluded to go with Mr. Currie to the Wabash country in Illinois, and when we arrived in New York, Mr. Currie went directly on his journey. Sister Elizabeth was then a fine blooming girl, and they became attached to her and took her with them, she fully expecting father would follow in a day or two. But resting there a short time he heard so much about Illinois being sickly and I believe just at that time there were current reports about the milk sickness and the wheat sickness being prevalent near the Little Wabash River, Illinois, where Mr. Currie was going. Those reports with the attraction of one hundred acres granted turned father to Canada and to Canada he came. Respecting the milk and wheat sickness; the milk and butter would make the people vomit and the bread would do the same. The same trouble has
(7)
been known in Indiana and other parts. Before father left New York he went to the Hon. James Buchanan, who was British Consul General for New York and East New Jersey and obtained some papers needed addressed to the governor in Canada, and soon after we rested in Kingston. This was a sad disappointment to poor Elizabeth, and dear mother felt sad over it, and it was years of sorrow that she was separated so far from us.
I think Sir F. Maitland was governor of Upper Canada at that time. We remained in Kingston a few years and father worked in the engineer yard. Father and mother were members of the regular Baptist Church in England, but as there was not a Baptist Church in Kingston they united with the British Methodist. Here Mercy was born October 15th, 1821.
But father wanted a farm and he and his grant for land and learned the government at that time was giving land grants in the township of Marmora, he went to see it, but found it so very stony he would not accept it, and the result was he never got any land by his grant. About that time the Marmora iron ore and iron works were attracting considerable attention. I think one Hayes had the lead of them. On father's disappointment in Marmora he rented a farm on the north shore of Bay of Quinte and on the east side of Parrot Bay, then known as "Floating Bay, in Earnest Town" some twelve miles west of Kingston, for a term of eight years, and we moved to it. I think this was in the Spring of 1824.
This was a
(8)
large farm but very sandy and stony of little worth. Parrot or "Floating Bay" was short and flowed into the Bay of Quinte. The great highway from Kingston to Bath was called the front road and it crossed our farm and the bay. The bay might have been twenty rods wide where the road crossed it. And if my memory is correct, the bridge over it was made as follows; the logs were cut out a certain length and rolled into the water close together all the way across the bay. Then a large pole placed across the ends on each side of the road and was pinned with two-inch pins to the logs. It was necessary the team should keep the center of the bridge. With much of a lead the logs would sink quite a little. This I suppose gave it the name of "Floating Bay." They got a better bridge before we left.
The broken front of the farm was called "Phillip's Point." Here broether (sic) John and I reveled many a day; perhaps the most sunny spot of all our life; bathing, berrying ad (sic) romping in the woods when we should have been seeking the cattle.
This pint of land was rather a time honored resort in the minds of some good people by two comp-meetings being held there and many redeemed souls have looked back to it as the most precious spot in all their lives, fir (sic) their chains fell off and their happy souls could sing,
"How happy every child of grace
Who knows his sins forgiven."
____________________________________________________________
CHILDREN OF MARY BLAND & JOHN DIX:
1. Elizabeth Dix SMALE
Born: 03 Aug 1803 Easton, Huntingdonshire, England
Died: 26 Jan 1887 Mariposa Township, Victoria County, Ontario, Canada
2. Bland DIX
Born: 30 Nov 1805 Easton, Huntingdonshire, England
Died: 25 Dec 1874 Mariposa Township, Victoria County, Ontario, Canada
3. Samuel DIX
Born: 29 Feb 1808 Easton, Huntingdonshire, England
Died: 22 Oct 1883 Mariposa Township, Victoria County, Ontario, Canada
Find A Grave Memorial# 103597757
4. Mary DIX
Born: 31 Jul 1813 Easton, Huntingdonshire, England
Died: 14 Sep 1852 Darlington, Durham County, Ontario, Canada
5. John DIX
Born: Easton, Huntingdonshire, England
Died: in infancy bef. 1816 Easton, Huntingdonshire, England.
6. John DIX
Born: 04 May 1816 Easton, Huntingdonshire, England
Died: 22 Sep 1901 Mariposa Township, Victoria County, Ontario, Canada
7. Sarah DIX
Born: Easton, Huntingdonshire, England
Died: in before Apr 1818 Easton, Huntingdonshire, England
8. Joseph DIX
Born: 13 Nov 1818 Easton, Huntingdonshire, England
Died: 03 Sep 1906 Otterville, South Norwich, Oxford County, Ontario, Canada
(grave site unknown at this time)
9. Mercy Dix JULIAN
Born: 15 Oct 1821 Kingston, Frontenac County, Ontario, Canada
Died: 13 Oct 1905 Little Britain, Mariposa Township, Victoria County, Ontario, Canada
10. Hannah Susana Dix TINNEY
Born: 04 Oct 1825 Parrot Bay (near Kingston), Frontenac County, Ontario, Canada
Died: 26 Aug 1896 Little Britain, Mariposa Township, Victoria County, Ontario, Canada
Inscription
In memory of / John DIX / who died June 8, 1856 / aged 84 years / & also his beloved wife / Mary / died June 2, 1841 / aged 57 years / also / Mary / wife of Dennis GENNINGS / DIED Sept 14, 1852 / aged 39 YEARS (JENNINGS)
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