DESCENDANTS OF ROBERT DICKEY (1463-1538)
GENERATION 1 - ROBERT DICKEY
BORN IN GLASGOW, SCOTLAND (1463)
DIED IN GLASGOW, SCOTLAND (1538)
MARRIED ELIZABETH AUCHINCLOSS IN 1500
HAD 8 CHILDREN
GENERATION 2 - JOHN DICKEY
BORN IN GLASGOW, SCOTLAND (1501)
DIED IN GLASGOW, SCOTLAND (1567)
MARRIED JANET GAYNE GARDNER
HAD 4 CHILDREN
GENERATION 3 - JOHN DICKEY JR.
BORN IN GLASGOW, SCOTLAND (1542)
DIED IN GLASGOW, SCOTLAND (1606)
MARRIED JANET SPROUL
HAD 3 CHILDREN
GENERATION 4 - JOHN DICKEY III
BORN IN GLASGOW, SCOTLAND (1584)
DIED IN BALLYMENA, CTY., ANTRIM, NORTH IRELAND (1641)
MARRIED AGNES McILVAINE
HAD 3 CHILDREN
GENERATION 5 - WILLIAM DICKEY
BORN IN DUNBOY, CO. DONEGAL, NORTH IRELAND (1619)
DIED IN BELFAST, NORTH IRELAND (1693)
MARRIED SARAH McMURTRY (1649)
HAD 6 CHILDREN
GENERATION 6 - THOMAS DICKEY
BORN IN MUCKAMORE, CO. ANTRIM, NORTH IRELAND (1658)
DIED IN ANTRIM, NORTH IRELAND (1728)
MARRIED JANE AWL (1680)
HAD 5 CHILDREN
GENERATION 7 - GEORGE DICKEY
BORN IN MUCKAMORE, CO. ANTRIM, NORTH IRELAND (1691)
DIED IN SADSBURY, LANCASTER CO., PA (1748)
MARRIED MARGARET WALKER OR MACKEY IN NORTH IRELAND (1711)
HAD 8 CHILDREN
GENERATION 8 - JAMES DICKEY
BORN IN MUCKAMORE, CO. ANTRIM, NORTH IRELAND (1712)
DIED IN RUTHERFORD CO., NC (1792)
MARRIED CATHERINE HUET (1737)
HAD 7 CHILDREN BORN IN PA, VA, SC, & NC
GENERATION 9 - GEORGE DICKEY
BORN IN RUTHERFORD CO., NC (1743)
DIED IN HONOR CREEK, RUTHERFORD CO., NC (1780)
MARRIED MARTHA JOHNSON (1768)
HAD 3 CHILDREN
GENERATION 10 - MOSES DICKEY
BORN IN RUTHERFORD CO., NC (1780)
DIED IN WALKER CO., GA (1840)
MARRIED SUSANNAH BALLARD (1802)
HAD 11 CHILDREN
GENERATION 11 - REV. DAVID BALLARD DICKEY
BORN IN WALKER CO., GA (1814)
DIED IN WAYNE CO., IL (1867)
MARRIED NANCY ANN CATHERINE PAGE
MINISTER & FOUNDER OF DICKEYVILLE BAPTIST CHURCH & CEMETERY
IN ARRINGTON TOWNSHIP NEAR WAYNE CITY, IL. -- BURIED THERE
HAD 9 CHILDREN
- WILLIAM NEWTON - B.1837 ~ D.1916
- SUSANNAH JANE - B.1839 ~ D.1896
- NANCY ANN CATHERINE - B. 1841 ~ D. 1928
- SELINA EMMALINE - B. 1844 ~ D. 1925
- MARY ELIZABETH - B. 1846 ~ D. 1928
- MARTHA E. - B. 1848 ~ D. 1848
- DAVID DARIEN - B. 1851 ~ D. 1894
- VIRGINIA CAROLYN - B. 1855 ~ D. ?
- SARAH MALINDA - B. 1858 ~ D. 1946
GENERATION 12 - DAVID DARIEN DICKEY
BORN IN WALKER CO., GA (1851)
DIED IN WAYNE CO., IL (1894)
BURIED IN DICKEYVILLE CEMETERY
HAD 3 CHILDREN WITH HIS FIRST WIFE WHO LATER DIED
- THOMAS HENRY DICKEY (UNCLE TOM) - B. 1880 ~ D.1978
- LIZZIE DICKEY - B. 1875 - D. 1881
- ASHFORD DICKEY - B. 1878 - D. 1939
HE THEN MARRIED SARAH FRANCE KEEN (B. 1863 ~ D. 1950)
THEY HAD 5 CHILDREN
- ANNA C. (DICKEY) THOMASON (AUNT ANNIE) - B. 1883 ~ D. ?
- WILLIAM DICKEY (UNCLE WILLY) - B. 1885 ~ D. 1947
- JOSEPH EDGAR PAGE DICKEY (POP) - B. 1888 ~ D. 1969
- NETTIE DICKEY - B. 1894 ~ D. 1905
- WALTER DICKEY - B. 1895 ~ D. 1951
GENERATION 13 - JOSEPH EDGAR PAGE DICKEY
BORN WAYNE CO., IL N. OF KEENS (1888)
MARRIED MYRTLE HESTER COLVIN (2-14-1909)
MYRTLE WAS BORN NEAR ORCHARDVILLE, IL (1890)
BOTH DIED IN DIVERNON, IL (1969) - 3 DAYS APART
HAD 10 CHILDREN
- EDGAR ARLO - B. 2-1-1910 ~ D.3-30-1993
NARY & ARLO HAD 7 CHILDREN - FLOSSIE OTHA (DICKEY) McGINNIS - B. 10-31-1912 ~ D. 9-14-1999
OTHA & LEE HAD 4 CHILDREN - GERALDINE MARIE (DICKEY) WALL - B. 7-9-1914 ~ D. 9- 28-1988
GERALDINE & BILL HAD 3 CHILDREN - DAVID WARNER - B. 9-7-1915 ~ D. 3-2-2002
DAVE & CLARIS HAD 6 CHILDREN - ANNA LOUISE (DICKEY) TYLER - B. 4-29-1917
LOU & CHUCK HAD 4 CHILDREN - NELLIE ADELAIDE DICKEY - B. 8-20-1920 ~ D. 3-7-1923
SHE HAD MEASLES & WENT INTO PNEUMONIA - DOROTHY FRANCES (DICKEY) SEPPI B. 8-4-1924
BABE & ART HAD 3 CHILDREN - ROBERT ERNEST - B. 5-5-1928
BOB & JENNY HAD 4 CHILDREN - BLANCHE CORRINE (DICKEY) MONAHAN - B. 3-19-1930
BLANCHE & JIM HAD 4 CHILDREN
13 Generations
Dickey Family History
"Faith of Our Fathers"
To Joseph Edgar Page Dickey of Illinois, USA (1888-1969)
Compiled by John Weston Dickey
16th generation grandson of Robert Dickey
Chapter 1 - Dickey Sept of Douglas Clan
Chapter 2 - Dickeys in Scotland
Chapter 3 - Dickeys become Scotch-Irish
Chapter 4 - Dickeys Come to America
Rev. David Ballard Dickey (1814-1867)
David Darian Dickey (1851-1894)
Joseph Edgar Page Dickey (1888-1969)
Compiler's Introduction
I am from the 16th generation of the Dickey family. I have not always known this, but I hope my future children will be able to know their heritage of faith and freedom much sooner than I was able to know it.
My quest to learn about my ancestors can be traced back to a fireplace in Pawnee, Illinois where my grandfather, Edgar Arlo Dickey, sat me down as a young boy and told me tails of the people who had gone before me and had left a genetic mark and heritage upon me. He told me how I was related to Jesse James, and how our ancestors wore kilts and played lively music. I heard stories of an Indian princess and a mad stone. I heard tales of romantic love, preachers, and wild covered wagon journeys. These stories helped shape who I am today, and they help me better understand who I am as a man.
But these stories are largely gone. I cannot today prove I am related to Jesse James. My uncle on my mother's side boasted of how his wife's family could trace their family back to medieval times. He asked me how far I could trace my heritage. I quipped, "Well I don't know if we go back to then, but we go back to Moses." We all laughed, but I decided then that I wanted to try and record my family's history.
I have found over the years that there are so many others who are on this same quest. We want to know how we got here. Why did our parent's parents live in this place? Why do we attend this church? Why is my sister's hair red? Why do I like haggis and bagpipes? Why do we do what we do? Why are we who we are?
I provide this research, not to prove or document the Dickey ancestry without error. This is not an academic study. I have tried to provide a narrative insight into the lives of our forefathers and mothers. I hope you get a taste of their triumphs, joys, and struggles.
I am reminded of the principle, we stand upon the shoulders of giants who have gone before us. I am thankful to God for the rich heritage that He has predestined for me. I do not look back at my ancestors and see villains and charlatans (though I am still looking for Jesse James). I look back and see a rich, resourceful, and godly heritage.
I hope my grand children will look back and see the same.
John Weston Dickeyback to Index
Preface
Douglas Clan of Lowland Scotland
Jamais Arriere! "NEVER BEHIND" "It is said that if the name of Douglas were removed from Scottish history there would be few stories left for the telling. They belong to legend as much as to history. Whatever they did was dramatic and usually memorable and were Scotland's outstanding representatives in the Age of Chivalry. Obviously, if the Douglases had not existed it would have been necessary for Sir Walter Scott to invent them." -Scotland Magazine |
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Badge Douglas
All members of a clan are allowed to wear the crest of the Chief as a badge of membership. In the clan badge, the Chief's crest is always surrounded by a belt inscribed with the clan motto. |
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Clan Douglas Society of North America Badge
The Clan Douglas Society of North America has chosen a belted, winged heart ensigned with an imperial crown and the motto "Forward" as their official emblem. The heart represents the heart of King Robert I, which was carried on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land by Bruce's most beloved lieutenant, Sir James "The Good". |
Significant Douglases
William "le Hardi", Lord of Douglas
William "le Hardi", third from his namesake William de Duglas, was a prominent baron at the time of William Wallace. He is most notable for being the first Lord to join Wallace in his revolt against English rule. Ronald McNair Scott, in his book "Robert the Bruce: King of Scots", writes about William "le Hardi's" eager alliance with Wallace,
"The gesture of Sir William (Douglas) was typical of the man. Crusader, warrior, egoist, he had gone his own throughout life with very little regard for anyone else. He had flouted the guardians of the interregnum and insulted the authority of King Edward by abducting and forcibly marrying Eleanor de Ferrers, an English widow, while she was staying with relatives in Scotland."
He was captured by the English and executed. He had three sons; Sir James "The Good", Hugh "The Dull", and Archibald, who became the first Regent of Scotland.
Sir James "The Good" or "The Black Douglas", Lord of Douglas
Sir James, son of William "le Hardi", continued his father's fight for Scottish independence at the side of Robert the Bruce. He fought with Bruce at Methven in 1306 then led a raid on Douglas Castle, his Douglasdale Estate, which had been confiscated by the English. Disguised as peasants, Sir James and his men surprised and defeated the English garrison in the battle which has become known as the "Douglas Larder". Once again disguising his men, this time as oxen, he attacked and captured Roxburgh Castle. His stealthy and effective means of combat are remembered in a children's bedtime song,
Hush ye, hush ye, little pet ye,
Hush ye, hush ye, do not fret ye,
The Black Douglas shall no get ye.
Sir James also played a major role in the defeat of the English Army at the Battle of Bannockburn and was one of the signatories of the Declaration of Arbroath, at Arbroath Abbey, in 1320. On the death of Bruce in 1329, Sir James was entrusted with the Monarch's heart in order to carry it on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. He was killed fighting the Moors in Spain while on this pilgrimage in 1330.
The 'Good Sir James' throws Bruce's heart at the Moors
during the Battle of Teba, Spain, 1330
Image courtesy of Andrew Spratt
Sir James' body and Bruce's heart were returned to Scotland and laid to rest at St. Bride's Church and Melrose Abbey, respectively.
James, 9th Earl of Douglas
Upon the murder of his brother, William, the 8th Earl of Douglas, James left his duties as Bishop of Aberdeen to assume the Earldom and avenge his brother. He rode, with a column of several hundred, to Stirling and burned the town. King James II gave chase with an army of thirty thousand. The 9th Earl recognized the futility of his situation and surrendered to the King. He was obliged to formally forgive James II, but nursed his animosity until 1455 when he again marched on Stirling with an army of forty thousand. The King's army, ironically led by George, 4th Earl of Angus, a Douglas kinsmen from the Red Douglas line, took the field against him with a numerically equal force. On the eve of the battle the Lord Hamilton defected with his troops to the King's cause, tilting the advantage away from Douglas. In the resultant Battle of Arkinholm the power of the Black Douglases was broken. The Earl escaped capture and fled to England with one brother, Balveny. His other brothers did not fare as well. Moray fell in the battle, and Ormond was captured and executed. All Douglas holdings were declared forfeit and Douglas strongholds were besieged with heavy gun and ultimately taken. Tradition holds that King James II employed his most prized weapon, Mons Meg, to reduce the Douglas strongholds at Albecorn and Threave. The defeat of the Black Douglases by the Red Douglases at Arkinholm gave rise to the following verse,
"Pompey by Caesar only was undone,
None but a Roman soldier conquered Rome;
A Douglas could not have been brought so low,
Had not a Douglas wrought his overthrow."
The 9th Earl made a futile attempt to regain his power a number of years later, but he was captured and banished to Lindores Abbey where he died in 1488. With the passing of the 9th Earl, the line of the Black Earls of Douglas failed. Douglases, however, continued to be influential in Scottish history in the lines of the Red Douglases, Douglases of Morton, and the Douglases of Queensberry.
George, 4th Earl of Angus defeating the Black Douglases
at the Battle of Arkinholm, 1455
Image courtesy of Andrew Spratt
Further Douglas Clan research is available at www.clandouglassociety.org and www.douglashistory.com.
back to IndexDickey Sept of the Douglas Clan
The Dickey family was a Sept of the Douglas clan in Scotland. Other families, known as Septs, are related to the house of Douglas by kinship or by being close neighbors historically. Other names are added as Septs when persons from other families present reasonable evidence to support a historic relationship to the Douglas family. These recognitions and relationships make no pretense to establish a line of peerage or confirm any genealogical relationship.
The Douglas clan held lands in the Glasgow area where the Dickey ancestors lived. Further evidence that the Dickey's were Septs of the Douglas clan can be found in the heraldry of the Dickeys and the Douglases. One will notice that the shield of the Douglas knight has 2 stars across the top and a red heart. The Dickey family crest is black with a silver chevron, at the top, three five leafed flowers.
This similarity seems to suggest that the Dickey's sided with the Black Douglases, which is the senior branch of the Douglas Family. The Black Douglases trace descent from the early Douglases through their progenitor, William," le Hardi".
The author includes the chapter on the Douglas clan to make some suggestions about the Dickey family. The station and place of our ancestors suggest that some of our fathers could and may have fought with the Douglas clan and taken part in the glory and bravery they displayed.
At the publishing of this book, the ancestral research stops at 1463 with our father Robert Dickey of Glasgow, Scotland. We find that he is a man of means and a business owner. Further research also shows family connections to the Kennedy and Auchincloss families, both of significant nobility. In the midst of a class society and feudal system, we can reasonability assume that the Dickey's played a part in the military and political affairs of this Scottish lowland clan.
At the time of Robert's birth we find the end of the Black Douglases and their power. Once James II had defeated the Black Douglases, with the aid of the Red Douglases, their political and military power was no more. The Red Douglases continued in power beyond the departure of our line of Dickey's near 1600.
back to IndexDickey's in Scotland
I. Robert Dickey (1463-1536)
Robert Dickey was born in 1463 in Glasgow, Scotland. Robert married Elizabeth Auchincloss (1480-??) in 1500 at the age of around 38 when she was likely 20 years old. Some have speculated that the Auchincloss are the Scottish bloodline of the Illuminati (Illuminati). Relationships between the Auchincloss, Kennedy, and Dickey families will continue through a couple generations.
As "Robert Dik," he leased j. bovata land (a measurement of land in Danish counties equaling 15-30 acres) belonging to the crown, in Bonyntowne, Linlithgowshire, in 1502. This area seems to be located in the rural country between Glasgow and Edinburgh. While here in Bonyntowne, Elizabeth gives birth to Robert Jr. (birth unsure) and our father, John, in about 1501.
He released the land on September 19, 1503; but in 1504, he is found at Glasgow. He was apprenticed to a "master skinner and furrier," Patrick Letrick of Glasgow.
In Glasgow, he lived in a house on St. Thenew Street (today it is called Argyle Street) where the skinners' shops were located. This street is even today a center for merchants and craftsmen. The location of Robert and Elizabeth Dickey's dwellings could suggest what level of status he held.
Robert and Elizabeth would have a total of 7 children, with five boys followed by 2 girls.
He also owned two rods of land in the Gallowgait, beyond the Molendinar, near the Little St. Mungo's Chapel. The picture to the left may give you a glimpse of what used to be Dickey land. The Chapel, built in 1503, it bears the name of the patron saint of Glasgow.
It is believed that he died in 1536, and evidence suggests he was dead before May 3, 1539, when his widow asked to be awarded his license as "skynner and schaw" of Glasgow.
back to IndexII. John Dickey I (1501- 1567)
John Dickey, Sr. was born in 1501 in Bonyntowne, Linlithgowshire, Scotland.
In 1528, John Dickey went to sea and became a mariner when he was 27 years of age. He dwelt in the new town of Are. Research by this author has not been able to locate the town or island of Are.
But he later returned to Glasgow, lived in his father's house, and took over the skinner business. He did not become a master skinner; but he instead became a cordiner, making footwear from Spanish leather.
He bought land with a house on Nedder Barresszet, a tenement with yards and appurtenances. This land was located adjacent to property owned by Thomas Gayner or Gadner, his future father-in-law.
John married Janet Gayne Gayner at an unknown date. Between 1525 and 1543 they had 4 boys. Their youngest born, our grand-father, was John Jr. born in 1543.
His shop and yards were on Stockwell Street, near the bridge over the Clyde, nearly opposite the church and near the Merchants' House. Stockwell Street is one of the oldest thoroughfares in Glasgow and was for long the welcome to strangers entering the City and the River Clyde's oldest bridge. Seeking refuge from famine and landlord's brutality, folk from the Borders, the Highlands and Ireland came to their journeys end among the burgeoning industries on Clydeside. Despite the horrifying living conditions that often had to be endured, many laid down their cultural baggage helping to settle an industrial community rich in social diversity.
John, Sr. died in 1567 at the age of 66.
back to IndexIII. John II (1542-1601)
John Dickey, Jr. was born in 1542 in Glasgow, Scotland.
He inherited his father's tenements with yard and appurtenances on Stockwell Street in Glasgow. He and his brother, David Dickey, were merchants of Glasgow and members of the Merchants' Guild.
John married Janet Sproul (1525-?) in July of 1583. John was 41 when they married and Janet was perhaps 58. Janet's father, John, owner 25 acres of land and is recorded as being an ale tester in Glasgow.
John and Janet had three sons and their youngest, our grand-father John III, was born in 1584.
During this time is a lot of political unrest, which revolves around the historic fight between the Catholics and the Protestant Reformers in Scotland.
The Scots Confession was written by John Knox and five other "Johns" (Willock, Winram, Spottiswood, Row and Douglas), in 1560, at the conclusion of the Scottish civil war in response to medieval Catholicism and at the behest of the Scottish Parliament in five days. Its central doctrines are those of election and the Church. It was approved by the Reformation Parliament and Church of Scotland, attaining full legal status with the departure of Mary, Queen of Scots in 1567. The 1-year-old James VI becomes King of Scotland.
Three years later, Earl of Moray, regent of Scotland, is assassinated and civil war beaks out with the conclusion of a Catholic coup in Scotland. Ten years later in 1580, at the age of 15, James VI signs the 2nd Confession of Faith in Scotland. It is recorded that John Dickey supported King James VI and the reformation when he subscribed to the Confession of Faith in 1581.
It is claimed, though not yet confirmed that John Dickey was burgess (likely a member of the Lower House of the English Parliament, House of Commons, who once represented a town, borough, or university) on September 15, 1569, having given his oath and paid his fee as eldest son of his deceased father.
John Dickey II died in 1606 in Glasgow, Scotland.
back to IndexThe Dickeys become Scotch-Irish
IV. John Dickey III (1584- Oct 1, 1641)
(Pedigree Chart #4, No. 1)
John Dickey III was born in 1584 in Glasgow, Scotland. He inherited his father's tenement on Bridge Street and became a merchant of Glasgow. He later sold the property, and was apparently wiped out by the "Great Fire" of June 22, 1601 when he was 17 years old. At a seemingly young age, John was soon to take part in a great historical movement we call the Scotch-Irish immigration.
For five centuries, the English had tried constantly to subdue the island of Ireland; however, the Irish people were persistent resisters to subjection. It had become usual practice for the English King to give land to their Anglo-Norman families following a successful campaign in Ireland. In return the King hoped that these "loyal" families would, by living in this new land, maintain and spread English influence and custom, thereby "domesticate" the wild Irish. The problem was that these families almost always intermarried with the Irish, adopted some of their language, implemented some of the Irish customs and patriotism; therefore, joining the native Irish in their resistance to English domination. The Dickey family was not different in their experience.
The English viewed the Irish with the same distain as they did the highland Scots (the Dickeys were lowland Scots and often warred with the highland raiders) as little better than savages. Some of the 20th century discord between Northern Ireland and the rest of Ireland began in these significant years around the rule of Queen Elizabeth (1558-1603). England had gone through the Reformation, yet the Reformation had not come to Ireland. On the contrary, the Jesuits, with their usual influence, zeal, and organization, chose Ireland as one of their main centers for their missionary work of the Counter Reformation.
Seeing no solution to the "Irish Problem" through force, Queen Elizabeth adopted the new colonization method. Early attempts to colonize Ireland were met with such resistance by the sheer numbers of Irish in the hills and bogs that the English could not be convinced to stay in Ireland. A more ambitious attempt at colonization was conducted under the rule of King James I (of England; VI of Scotland) was made in about 1610 and stated, "that the lands should be planted with British Protestants, and that no grant of fee farm should be made to any person of meer Irish extraction" (The Scotch-Irish: A Social History, James G. Leyburn, 1962, p. 88).
In 1619, John Dickey is found with other Scottish tenants at Dunboy, in the precinct of Portlaugh, County Donegal, Ireland. He was a tenant of John Cunningham, who had received a patent to 1,000 acres at Dunboy. This patent was given pursuant to the British Government's deliberate policy of colonization of Ulster (Northern Ireland) by Scots. The better part of Ulster was assigned to British "undertakers," and the native Irish driven off their lands. The lowland Scots were brought to Ulster as tenants of the undertakers. They soon built fortified towns and developed farms in the Irish countryside.
1619 is also the year that John (35 years old) and Agnes (McIlvaine) had their first born, William, in Dunboy, Ireland. The couple would later have 2 other sons. The date of John and Agnes' marriage is unknown.
It is known that Agnes was the great-grand-daughter of Isabella Kennedy and a McIlvaine. The McIlvaines were staunch supporters of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. Her father John succeeded his grandfather Sir McIlvaine to the lands in Scotland which had been in the family since the time of Nigel (a Scottish hero during the Wallace and Robert the Bruce era). Because of religious persecution, many families lost their estates in Scotland and were forced to flee for safety.
John Dickey is listed as able bodied with arms, in the muster roll for Dunboy in 1627. He was on a jury at Dunboy, September 19, 1629. He is shown as being of Ballykelly, County Londonderry (August 11, 1637) when he rented two townlands from John Hamilton. He was on a jury there September 7, 1637. He soon was a freeholder of 60 acres at Ballymena, which acreage he purchased from Sir William Stewart on July 6, 1640. On this manor, he built a house in 1640, which existed until it was burned in 1713.
In 1641, the native Irish rose against the British Government and colonists. The Irish in County Antrim, on the west side of the Bann, killed every Englishman and Scotsman on whom they could lay their hands. John Dickey may have been killed in this massacre, although it is likely that he died shortly before the rebellion began. John Dickey died October 1, 1641 at a premature age of 57.
1641 is a famous year in English history. The plantation of Ireland under James I and Charles I had not proved popular with the indigenous Irish population and with the generations of 'Old English' - families who had been in the country for generations. Unlike Scotland and England, those who rose against the King's authority in Ireland tended to be Catholic.
News reached Charles I of the Irish rebellion late in 1641 - at a period of high tension in England (where the populace was already worried concerning Popish conspiracies). The rebellion continued throughout the period of the English Civil War - causing the rebellion to be considered as part of 'The War in Three Kingdoms'. It was only finally subdued during Cromwell's oppressive campaigns in Ireland, which hurled the Scots into a precarious position between the Irish and the English. It is reported that Cromwell's campaign was the reason for the destruction of the Dickey property which resulted in the family moving to Belfast, Ireland.
It is unclear at this time the details of the Dickey political involvement with these historic events; however, the author wishes to note to the reader that John III's father, John Jr., may have been a member of Parliament and in the "thick of things." Future editions of the Dickey family history may provide better insight.
back to IndexV. William Dickey (1619- Oct 7, 1693)
At the age of 22, William Dickey removed to Belfast after the death of his father in 1641, likely because of the Irish rebellion. He petitioned for and was granted relief for losses suffered during the rebellion. This petition, made in 1665, requested 10 shillings per week (about 2 British pounds), the farm at Ballymena having been destroyed.
William Dickey was born in 1619 in Dunboy, Ireland. At the age of 30, he married Sarah McMurtry in 1649 in Belfast, and they had six children. In 1650, they had their first born, Thomas.
On June 11, 1667, William Dickey had a lease of a house and tenement at Castle Street, adjoining the tenement of John Awl or Auld. He rented quarters on High Lane in Belfast, where he was a linen draper (August 3, 1689). Both streets still exist today.
This period of time corresponds with a large boon in the linen industry of which Ireland is still popular today. Initially, English merchants were concerned about the wool industry of Ireland and limited their exports to places like the new American colonies with laws called the Wool Acts. The resourceful Scotch-Irish Protestants learned the skill of using flax to make linens from the newly immigrated French Huguenots. Export of linens was not restricted by English law; however, the Irish success caused English merchants and politicians to become jealous. England attempted trade embargos, but Ulster was increasingly prosperous.
France's evocation of the Edict of Nantes, which assured religious liberty to the Huguenots, caused as many as ½ million Protestant French to immigrate to Northern Ireland. Since they too were Calvinists, for the most part they joined the Presbyterian Church and became part of the Scottish communities. With them they also brought an improvement of the methods of manufacturing linen. Ulster's trade thereafter took another forward leap. William, no doubt, was very much a part of this history.
King James II of England was, however, an avowed Roman Catholic. The King appointed Lord-Lieutenant Tyrconnel to drive all English and Scottish colonists out of Ireland, to destroy Protestantism in the country, and to restore the old Roman Catholic faith. In response we can study how William of Orange came to protect the Protestant interests and brought with his victory over the Roman Catholic English in 1690 an era of democratic liberty and religious freedom.
William died on October 7, 1693 at the age of 74.
back to IndexVI. Thomas Dickey (1650-1728)
Little is know about Thomas Dickey. He was born in 1650 in Belfast, Ireland and must have moved to Muckamore, Ireland (a village between Antrim and Belfast) where he was buried in 1728 at the age of 78.
He married Jane Awl on March 2, 1680 at the age of 30 in Belfast. It is interesting to notice that Thomas seemed to marry the "girl next door" as in 1667 his father William moved the family into a leased house and conveniently the landlord became Thomas' father-in-law.
Thomas and Jane had 5 children. Of these children, George is the first of our Dickey ancestors to immigrate to America. Thomas' first son, William, is also recorded as immigrating to America and settling in Pennsylvania, USA.
Thomas died in 1728 in Muckamore, Ireland.
back to IndexDickeys Come to America
The author finds that three brothers play the main role in the Dickey's coming to America during the turn of the 18th century. William, the oldest son of Thomas from Ireland, George, William's 10 year younger brother, and Thomas Jr. all immigrated to America. It seems that there was a sort of split in the family as William and his families moved west and are the ancestors of many Dickey families Many Dickey graves can be found in central and southern Illinois which likely bear the ancestry of William Dickey. In fact the original settlers of Macon County in Illinois had some Dickeys in it.
The line of ancestry from Robert Dickey to Joseph Edgar Page Dickey requires that we follow the George Dickey line, which after George travels from PA to NC. There is some speculation that the cause of this split may have been over the War Between the State. Our family line travels south while the others seem to travel west.
back to IndexVII. George Dickey (1690-1748)
Not a lot of details are known by the author about George Dickey. He was born on 1690 in Muckamore, County Antrim, Ireland. He married Margaret Walker (1690-1759) in 1711 while still in Ireland, but they then immigrated to the United States and settled in Sadsbury, Chester County, Pennsylvania
Between the years of 1712-1724, they had 8 children, with 4 boys and 4 girls. Our father was their first child James.
History teaches us that in Ireland there was much going on concerning land during this period of time. The Scotch-Irish immigrants to Ireland were facing a significant problem with leases that were coming to completion. The years of success and proliferation had caused Ireland to flourish and the population began to swell. As a response to the increased demand for property, landlords began to increase the leases for land by as much as doubling the lease amounts. This practice was called rack-rent to suggest that the landlords were placing their tenants on a rack and stretching them for every penny.
This practice antagonized the Scotch-Irish whose ancestral families had taken land that was little more than wasteland and turned it into fine farms and prosperous industrial property. When the property lease came up for bid, many Catholic families would band together and pool enough money to outbid the Scotch-Irish Protestants. Though this practice today may seem common in our capitalist economic society, it was hellish for the Scotch-Irish who were only a short time out of feudal society where loyalty to King or Baron assured property rights. What had been a dream land for Scotch farmers generations prior was now a depressing plight for many.
Unexpected results came to landlords from this rack-renting practice. Farmers, feeling a sense of injury and stubbornly refusing to accept what they regarded as an outrageous departure from just and traditional practices, resisted the rack-rent. Their alternative was to return to Scotland or to seek another "promise land."
There was a land that began to call these industrious and frugal people. Today this author and many other Dickey's call this land home. The American colonies were a promise of a future that disenfranchised farmers and trades folk were seeking, and a large migration of Scotch-Irish to the Americas began in 1717.
Extensive immigrations from the northern counties of Ireland, by the Scots who had been established there, were principally made at 2 distinct periods of time; the first, from about 1718 to the middle of the century; the second, from about 1771 to 1773. These Scots-Irish emigrants landed principally at New Castle and Philadelphia, and found their way northward and westward into the eastern and middle counties of PA. The 1st settlement of Scots-Irish within the present bounds of Chester County was made about the year 1718. They "planted" Presbyterian churches at Upper Octorara, Fagg's Manor, Brandywine Manor, New London and Oxford. It seems that at least some Dickey's attended Upper Octorara Church, in Sadsbury twp, one mile north of Parkersburg, which was organized in 1720. The Dickey name is included in their roles and a famous Rev. John Miller Dickey (founder of Lincoln University) can be found from this county. The prefix Upper was subsequently given to distinguish it from Middle Octorara, in Lancaster Co.
It is known that George began the process of obtaining land near Buck Run in Sadsbury Twp, Chester Co., PA, where his brother William, a miller and millwright, had settled in early 1720s.
George may have stayed in Ireland until after his father's death in 1728. It has been said that in about 1740 George moved somewhat west into land that fell into Lancaster Co, PA. Research from an old map finds that George Dickey held land around the Old Kennet Meeting House in Chester Co, Pa. in a record prepared by Gilbert Cope in 1910 (BX77800 .K4A5 1910) www.pa-roots.com/~chester/ landholders_around_old _kennet_me.htm.
George died between September 15 and November 10, 1748.
back to IndexVIII. James Dickey (1712-1792)
James Dickey was the first born of George and Margaret Dickey in Muckanore, County Antrim, Ireland. He immigrated to America with his family likely following the death of his grandfather in 1728. This 16-year-old immigrant would be the first of our line of Dickeys to move south from PA.
In 1737, James married Catherine Huet (1715-1755?) in Ireland, a documented fact. There is some confusion as to when this family actually came to America, but it is known that they moved from PA to Virginia, as their 6th born, David was born in Augusta, VA in August of 1747.
This author speculates that there may have been a church split that helped initiate the Dickey's move south. Below is an excerpt from "Presbyterian Churches in Chester Co" (www.pa-roots.com/~chester/presbyterian_churches_ in_chester.htm):
"The Upper Octorara Church, in Sadsbury Township, one mile north of Parksburg was organized in 1720. The prefix "Upper" was subsequently given to distinguish it from Middle Octorara, in Lancaster County, and Lower Octorara, now lower West Nottingham. Prior to 1724 it was supplied by Rev. David Evans and Rev. David Magill.One item of note is the grave of a Martha Dickey (1714-1762) at the Upper Octorara Graveyard (ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/pa/chester/cemeteries /uoctorara.txt)
The first regular pastor was Rev. Adam Boyd, a native of County Antrim, Ireland, who was installed Oct. 13,1724. Previous to this date a log church building had been erected. Mr. Boyd was at that time thirty-two years of age, and ten days after his ordination was married to Jane, daughter of Rev. Thomas Craighead. His original field of labor was quite extensive, and embraced that now occupied by several congregations.
In 1741 the church was rent in twain by the "Old Side" and "New Side" controversy, and a new church organized by these of the "New Side," bearing the name of "The Second Congregation of Upper Octorara," over which the Rev. Andrew Sterling was pastor from 1747 to 1765. They worshiped in church edifice which they erected on the farm lately of Cyrus Cooper, now belonging to David Parke, overlooking the Great Valley. During the division Mr. Boyd continued his relations to the old church, and also ministered to the "Old Side" portion of the Brandywine Manor Church."
James and Catherine would have a total of 7 children with 5 boys and 2 girls. Our line of ancestors follows their 3rd child George born in Rutherford Co. NC in 1743. Catherine died in about 1755, leaving James and the children.
James married his second wife, Mary Kilpatrick, in 1757 in NC.
He was laid to rest on October 1792 in Rutherford Co., NC. Though the grave is yet to be found by this author, there is a Dickey/Lynch cemetery in Rutherford Co., NC., Pleasant Hill Community. It is located on road #1159 between Broad River and Maple Creek Road, and it is now known as the Lynch Cemetery. This cemetery is quite large and contains a large number of unmarked graves and a large number marked with field stone. It would seem that this cemetery would hold the graves of James and Mary Dickey, as there are several Dickeys and Kilpatricks reported to be buried in this cemetery.
back to IndexIX. George Dickey II (1743-1780)
George Dickey II was born of James and Catherine Dickey in Rutherford Co., NC in 1743 (documented fact). George married Martha Johnson (1745-1804) in 1768, and together they had 3 boys. Their youngest, Moses, is our line of Dickey ancestry.
It is claimed that George was killed by Indians after the Revolutionary War. He may be buried in the Dickey/Lynch Cemetery in Rutherford Co., NC as well.
back to IndexX. Moses Dickey (1780-1840)
Moses Dickey was born of George II and Martha Dickey in Rutherford Co., NC in 1780. He married Susanah Ballard (1783-1870) on October 14, 1802 while in NC. Together they had 5 boys and 4 girls for a total of 9 children. Our ancestor David Dickey would be their 4th born by 1814.
By 1819 and their 7th child, we find this family has moved to Walker Co., GA.
Moses died in 1840 and is said to be buried in Walker Co., GA.
back to IndexXI. Rev. David Ballard Dickey (1814-1867)
Rev. David Ballard Dickey was born of Moses and Susanah Dickey on November 5, 1814 in Rutherford Co., NC (according to 1850 Walker Co. GA census). At the age of 4 or 5 his family moved to GA. He married Nancy Ann Catherine Page (1815-1893), and together they had 2 boys and 7 girls. Their 7th child David Darian is our ancestor.
It seems that Rev. David Dickey was a charter member and the first preacher of the Lookout Baptist Church, near High Point in Walker County, Georgia and Chattanooga, TN. The Lookout Baptist Church was organized in 1849 on property belonging to the Widow Dickey. Whose widow she was, is not known. Lookout Baptist Church is still in existence today (LOOKOUT BAPTIST CHURCH, 8645 HIGHWAY 193, FLINTSTONE, GA 30725 (706) 931-2356).
It is likely that the Civil War (see "cousin story" below) caused David and his family to move to Illinois, as we find them in Wayne Co., IL where David was a minister for Arrington Prairie "Dickeyville" Southern Missionary Baptist Church & Cemetery in Wayne Co., IL. Perhaps the Dickeys knew that many of their cousins had traveled across the continent from PA to Illinois, and they felt that opportunity could be found by reuniting old family ties.
The Arrington Prairie Southern Missionary Baptist Church was organized in 1849. It is one of the oldest continuously organized churches in the Greater Wabash Baptist Association. The area around the church was known as "Dickeyville" because of the large number of Dickey families that settled there. The Dickey families immigrated to Wayne County, Illinois from Walker County, Georgia during the 1860's.
The early history of the church is brief because the records were lost in a fire in 1877. The names of charter members are not known; however, tradition has handed down surnames of early members including Cates, Dalton, Dawson, Denton, Harris, Jones, Linder, Manahan, Mahan, Richards and Talbert. The first place of worship was a log structure that had been the Catesville schoolhouse. It was located somewhere south of Glen Talbert's home.
When this building burned about 1866 it became necessary to build a new one. William R. Dickey provided the land for the new church building and a cemetery. William's brother, David Ballard Dickey, provided the lumber for the new church building and had it prepared and stacked by April 1867.
David Ballard Dickey would never see the new church built. He was an ordained Baptist preacher and had gone to preach at the Blue Mound church where he was holding a revival meeting. After the meeting he rode home on his horse through the drizzling rain because wanted to help start the construction of the new building the next day. When he awoke the in the morning he had a severe cold. It grew worse, possibly developing into pneumonia, resulting in his death. David Ballard Dickey became the first person to be buried in the new cemetery. The building was erected soon after his death. The building would remain in use for 100 years.
David died on January 25, 1867 and is buried in Arrington Prairie "Dickeyville" cemetery in Wayne Co., IL.
More research can be done at: www.rootsweb.com/~ilwayne/cem/arrington/
The Arrington Prairie Southern Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery, also known as the Dickeyville Cemetery, is located at 38.25.36N 088.32.37W. This is about 15 miles west of the Wayne County Courthouse in Fairfield and 7.5 miles north of Sims.
Directions: Starting at the Wayne County Court House in Fairfield, take Illinois 15 west about 15 miles to the Sims road. Take this road north about five miles to a four way intersection. Turn west for about one and a quarter miles to a road intersecting from the north. Take this road north for about a mile. The church and cemetery will be on the east side of the road.
Warning: Do not approach the cemetery from the north! There is a dangerous bridge over the Dry Fork Creek just north of the cemetery. When approaching from the north it is difficult to see the creek and the bridge because of a wooded area and a dip and jog in the road just before the creek.
back to IndexCousin’s Story
Though the author could not find further specific information concerning Rev. David Dickey, there is a story provided by Mr. Harry Bryan in 2002 from Arrington Baptist Church about some Dickey cousins at the church and also from GA.
"Thomas West Dickey was born on 12 Feb 1832 in Rabun County, Georgia. He was the only child of Joshua Taylor Dickey and Lucinda Dickey, nee Queen. Joshua Taylor Dickey was born on 17 May 1807 in Macon County, North Carolina. He died on 26 Feb 1854 in Walker County, Georgia. Lucinda Queen was born between 1810 and 1815 in North Carolina. She died on 1 Mar 1832 in Rabun County, Georgia, 18 days after Thomas West was born, possibly of complications of the birth. After his mother's death, Thomas West lived with his grandparents, George Dickey and Hannah Dickey, nee Taylor, in North Carolina. When Thomas West was ten years old, he ran away with his playmate, a young black slave boy. He then lived with an uncle, Burton Kimsey Dickey, until he was 16 years old. In 1848 he went to live with his father in Walker County, Georgia.back to Index
Thomas West was a charter member of the Lookout Baptist Church, near High Point in Walker County, Georgia. The Lookout Baptist Church was organized in 1849 on property belonging to the Widow Dickey. Whose widow she was, is not known. The first preacher was the Rev. David Dickey, probably a descendant of Moses Dickey, one of the three original Dickey sons in America.
Thomas West married Anna Eliza Vernon on 9 Aug 1849. Anna Eliza Vernon was born on 12 Feb 1830 in North Carolina. She died on 17 Sep 1895 in Wayne County, Illinois. Thomas West's father, Joshua Taylor Dickey, offered him slaves as a wedding gift. However Thomas West refused them, as he did not believe in slavery.
Anna Eliza Vernon was born on 12 Feb 1830 in North Carolina. She was a daughter of Josiah Vernon and Levina Vernon, nee Simon. Josiah Vernon was born on 28 Dec 1791. He died on 5 Jan 1870. Anna married Thomas West Dickey on 9 Aug 1849. Thomas West Dickey was born on 12 Feb 1832. He died on 2 Jul 1915. Anna and Thomas were the parents of five children.
John Lonadas Dickey was born on 2 Jan 1851 in Georgia, died on 12 Mar 1912. Joshua Taylor Dickey was born on 2 Jan 1853 in Georgia, died on 27 Mar 1926. Josiah Vernon Dickey was born on 27 Jan 1855 in Georgia, died 3 Mar 1936. Lucinda Bethenia Dickey was born on 17 Jul 1857 in Georgia, died on 17 Dec 1939. Mary Jane Catherine Dickey was born on 30 Sep 1859 in Georgia, died on 8 Aug 1941.
Thomas West and Anna Eliza did well and by 1860 owned a beautiful colonial home in Walker County, Georgia. In 1860 Thomas West traveled to Wayne County, Illinois to inspect the land. He was happy with what he saw and returned to Georgia to make arrangements to move his family to Illinois. However, before he could complete the arrangements the War Between the States broke out and the family was unable to move to the north.
Thomas West and some of his neighbors were northern sympathizers. They lived just south of Chattanooga, Tennessee, near Lookout Mountain. In the summer and autumn of 1863 this area became the site of a series of major battles which culminated with the retreat of the Confederate troops to Dalton, Georgia. There are a couple of versions of a family story about a battle out in the Dickey cow pasture. In one version, Anna Eliza had her children lay down on the floor in case a cannon ball came through the window. In another she had them climb into a cold iron stove to protect them from bullets. It is likely that Anna Eliza had the children get behind something solid to protect them from stray bullets. Family lore has it that Thomas West was a spy for the Union Army. While the true nature of his assistance to the Union will probably never be known, it is likely that at the very least he provided information about the geography of the area to the Union troops. His grandchildren said "he kept horses hidden in the woods, ready for his escape if the Confederates should come to capture him." One of his friends, James Hollingsworth, was captured by Confederate troops but was able to escape during the night. It was during this time that the home of Thomas West and Anna Eliza was burned. It is not known if the house was burned by Union troops or neighbors who did not appreciate the help that Thomas West gave the Union troops.
With northwestern Georgia in Union hands, the house gone and many of his neighbors hostile to him, Thomas West, his family and friends soon began their journey to Wayne County, Illinois. The woman and children accompanied by Anna Eliza's father, Joshua Taylor Dickey, traveled by wagon during the day while the men, not far behind, traveled by night.
The Thomas West family's first home in Illinois was a log cabin with portholes and a barn back of it. They joined the congregation of the Arrington Prairie Baptist Church soon after their arrival in Illinois. Later a frame house was built, white with green shutters. The house was built just west of the present site of the Arrington Baptist Church.
Thomas West Dickey was ordained to the Southern Missionary Baptist ministry in 1872. He devoted most of the rest of his active years to preaching the gospel. By 1880 only two of the children were still at home, Josiah Vernon and Mary Jane Catherine. The others were married by this time and established on their own farms. Thomas West gave his children part of his land to help establish their farms. Because of this the children lived near their parent's home. John Lonadas lived 1/4 mile from Thomas West, Lucinda was across the field from John Lonadas and Joshua Taylor was a mile away. Later Josiah Vernon would live a 1/4 mile away, as did Mary Jane Catherine.
Anna died on 17 Sep 1895 in Illinois. She was buried at Arrington Prairie Church Cemetery in Wayne County, Illinois." (www.rootsweb.com/~ilwayne/cem/arrington/apcnote1.html?NOTE=0004 )
XII. David Darian Dickey (1851-1894)
Information to be added by the Dickey Family Reunion.
back to IndexXIII. Joseph Edgar Page Dickey (1888-1969)
Information to be added by the Dickey Family Reunion.
back to Index