The
DIXON/DICKSONs of SOUTH CAROLINA
As might be suspected the origin of the name "Dickson" was simply "Dick's son". As there were many Richards in both Scotland and in England, persons bearing that surname may or may not share a common heritage. "The Border or Riding Clans" by B. Homer Dixon (1889; reprinted as a Heritage Classic) gives us some background on the Scottish border clan from which many of them descended. According to that source "Dickson is now the usual form in Scotland, but in England where the similar name is not a clan name and where there are numerous different families who do not pretend to claim a common origin, but all derive their surname from being sons of various Dicks, it is almost inevitably written Dixon.
Let's back into what we know about the SC Dixons. .
Adam McKEE (my ancestor) married Jean/Jenny/Jane DIXON/DICKSON in Abbeville District of South Carolina some time between 1763 and 1774. South Carolina land records gave us the first clue, identifying "JENNY" as a DIXON/DICKSON:
Lessor
Lessee
What deeds Time Per.
Book & Page
JOHN
DIXON
ADAM McKEE
Rel.
1774 K4,
129
When we look at a copy of this record, we find much more than a "lease" - on 12 Dec 1773 [recorded Feb 1774], JOHN & PRUDENCE DICKSON transferred 200 acres on the waters of Long Canes [Boonsborough Twp; Memorial entered Feb. 1763; Bk.X, pg.223] to ADAM & JENNY McKEY in consideration of "natural love and affection" and a token payment of 15 Pounds. The specific mention of JENNY on the indenture [at that time women were generally named only when dower rights were involved] is reasonably conclusive evidence that JOHN & PRUDENCE were her parents, particularly when coupled with the "naming tradition" by which the DIXON/DICKSON name was handed down for at least a couple generations. The preceeding entry was a transaction between WILLIAM & MICHAEL DICKSON [one or both brothers of JEAN?] which was also in Boonsborough Twp. and the following entry was a sale by Samuel McKEYS of Craven County. JOHN DICKSON & ADAM McKEE are both shown as "yeomen", which is the English classification for small farmers [freeholders below the gentry]. While JOHN DIXON's estate papers (Bx.27, Pk.620; 1 Dec 1785) didn't include a listing of his heirs, ADAM McKEE was one of the bondsmen and also helped with the inventory. WILLIAM DIXON was the administrator and was presumably JOHN's son. JOHN had already "passed along" his major property so his estate just consisted of two horses, unspecified plantation tools/furniture and non-itemized debts owed to/by the estate.
Information given to census enumerators over a century later reflect that ADAM's oldest son(s) were born in Scotland/Ireland so there is a possibility of an earlier marriage for him, although I am inclined to discount the accuracy of the "father's place of birth" data.
The Charleston Council Journal for 19 Feb 1763 (precisely matching the entry date for the land John & Prudence transferred to Adam & Jenny) has an entry of land granted to passengers who "arrived on Boat from Ireland" including:
JOHN DICKSON 100 acres - Boonsborough
MICHAEL DICKSON 100 acres - Boonsborough
JEAN DIXON 100 acres - Boonsborough
GRIZEL DIXON 100 acres - Boonsborough
From an map showing early landmarks, Boonsborough was situated in what became Abbeville District (with a locater number almost precisely on Long Cane where Adam & Jean are buried. We can be quite certain that two of these entries reflect the arrival of Jean and her father with siblings Michael & Grizel, In accordance with customary "headrights" the granting of 100 acres reflects adult males and unmarried adult females (50 acres for children or married females added to grants for heads of household). The Dickson/Dixon spelling variation probably occurred due to their coming before the official separately -- recorders weren't known for consistency in spelling and the ladies of that day (or even a century later) seldom were coached in penmanship.
This is a precise match with the entry date of the 200 acres conveyed to ADAM McKEE so there is zero doubt we have a match. These would represent headrights of adults without accompanying spouse/young children entering the colony. It tells us that JEAN was over age 16 in 1763 (born in or before 1747) which is consistent with identification of Adam's future bride (squashing a "theory" that Adam and Jean married in Ireland).
It should be noted that JOHN DIXON owned land bordering the 1791 land grant to ADAM McKEE's son MICHAEL (the 1763 Memorial had showed all adjoining land was unoccupied). In The MACKEYs and Allied Families [see the Archibald McKEE & WITHERSPOON segments], ADAM's plantation is identified as being about a mile from Greenville Churchyard and the author [Beatrice Mackey DOUGHTIE] said Adam Jr "and many others" are buried in a family grave-yard on the plantation [pg.680]. Following some initial frustration with "less than cooperative" public officials I was fortunate enough to be referred by a Chamber of Commerce representative to Howard Nichols, who not only displayed an intimate knowledge of the cemeteries/locations, but also turned out to be a McKEE descendent (Adam Junior branch).
Reviewing what we already knew:
1. On 12 Dec 1773, John & Prudence DICKSON transferred 200 acres on Long Cane (orig. entered Feb 1763) to Adam & Jenny McKEY in consideration of "natural love and affection" and a token payment. This is the property where I found initialed tombstones which I identified as Adam & Jane/Jean's plus an inscribed stone for Adam Jr. The preceding entry was a land transfer between William & Michael DICKSON (for consideration). I speculated that one or both may have been brothers to Jean and/or to her father. (The following entry involved "Samuel McKEYs of Craven County" who can be identified as the brother of the Adam McKee named on Archibald Sr's will but that's getting ahead of the story).
2. JOHN DIXON apparantly died without a will prior to 1 Dec 1785. The estate file doesn't list his heirs but Adam McKEE was one of the bondsmen and helped with the inventory (2 horses and personal property). WILLIAM DIXON administered the estate. (We do not know whether Prudence was still alive).
3. In 1793, when Michael McKEE received a land grant on Job Creek (all his brothers signed the document), land on one side of him had been surveyed for JOHN DICKSON. Job Creek is a branch of Long Cane situated a few miles west of Adam's "homeplace".
4. HUGH DICKSON was the pastor of Greenville Presbyterian Church from 1800-1846 (Adam McKEE became a charter member in 1787 and Hugh would have been pastor when he died). John Leith's history of the church devotes a chapter to Hugh ("A Half Century of Building") and tells us that Hugh was a son of Michael DICKSON, a native of County Down, Ireland. Michael was a major during the Revolution and was a Presbyterian elder for 60 years. (Getting ahead again, "When he died, the works of John WITHERSPOON, the Scottish-born president of Princeton, were listed in his possession. John WITHERSPOON's brother was the nucleus of the Witherspoon settlement in Kingstree/Williamsburg Co; both Archibald McKEE and Joseph McKEE married into that family). HUGH DICKSON was born in 1772 in Chester County (northwest of Williamsburg at the NC line) but they moved to Pendleton County where MICHAEL was one of the elders of the Old Stone Church. "Hear them bells" -- originally from the only Ireland counnty with an Archibald McKEE on the IGI; followed a path across SC which would have been very similar to one Adam might have taken if he was indeed the son of Archibald; involvement with both the Pendleton/Anderson County & Abbeville/Greenville churches where we have been pondering the interrelationship between McKEEs with intriguing name similarities.
Now proceeding to what the Andrea papers add to the picture:
2. Arthur DICKSON arrived 31 Mar 1766 (at age 21) and settled in Abbeville where he maried a Sarah (nee ?). He died without children some time between 1780-82. He left everything to his sister's son and a friend so presumably there were no close DICKSON/DIXON relatives.
3. The 1851-52 affidavits in support of the Revolutionary War Service claim by the widow of WILLIAM DICKSON seemed like "old home week". Four of the 29 charter members of Greenville Presbyterian Church are specifically mentioned as well as Hugh DICKSON, who was pastor at the time Adam died and one person whose surname matched that of a charter member (sibling or child). James SEAWRIGHT signed the bond on JOHN DIXON's estate (along with ADAM McKEE and William DICKSON) The veteran, William DICKSON almost certainly was the one from the Michael/William DIXON land transaction. He married Sarah FRANKS 8 Jul 1877. William's age isn't shown but Sarah was born ca.1748. The affidavits tell us that he went to Tennessee, where he died 18 Jul 1824. Rev. Hugh DICKSON, as mentioned among the things we "already knew", was a son of Michael DICKSON. On his affidavit he merely states that he knew William & Sarah. From the Robert Sharpe affidavit we learn that John and William DICKSON were "relatives" and that John married Betsy FRANKS, a relative of William's widow (so we can conclude that Prudence died before John). If John and William were father/son the affidavit would almost certainly have said so. Grizelle nee DIXON's mother was named Margaret and Grizelle was William's niece. Mention of hiding from the British implies that her father was away at war, which would fit Michael Dickson (father of Rev. Hugh). With the exception of John & Jean, there are loose ends in matching names to households but there is reason to believe that John, William and Michael DICKSON/DIXON, if not brothers, were at least close kin.
In a nutshell, the Andrea Papers firmly establish the DIXON family's arrival; link JOHN, JEAN, MICHAEL and GRIZELLA DIXON (although not fully defining precise relationship) and direct us to the DIXON Family (rather than McKEE's) for the names given to four of ADAM & JEAN's children. It establishes that JEAN was still a DIXON when she arrived in 1762, scrapping scenarios by which Adam & Jean married in Ireland. Identification of the accompanying MICHAEL DIXON/DICKSON as the father of Rev. HUGH DICKSON makes some sense but isn't conclusive. We learn more about the WILLIAM DIXON who administered JOHN's estate -- that he was old enough to have "earned" at least a 50 acre land grant if he arrived in 1762 but isn't accounted for; that he was "a relative" of John (according to William's niece, Grizella nee DICKSON) and that he went from Abbeville Co, SC to Monroe Co, TN where he died.