Photo: Derek Haynes
In Sunderland Southwick cemetery was a family headstone which reads:
In loving memory
of
William
the dearly beloved
husband of
Christina Dickson
who died Dec. 29th 1911
aged 48 years.
Also L/Cpl. William Dickson
Tank Corps,
dearly beloved son of the above
who died of wounds received in action
April 20th 1918, aged 30 years.
Also Raymond
beloved son of
James and Elizabeth Dickson
died April 8th 1934 aged 10 months
Also Ronald grandson of the above
and son of Norman S. & Harriet
Brannagan
died Dec. 27th 1937 aged 4½ years.
Derek Haynes has provided the following:
William’s birth was registered in the June 1888 in Sunderland, the eldest child of eight to William & Christina Dickson (nee Distan). William‘s parents were married at All Saints Church, Monkwearmouth on the 19th May 1887. William (Sen.), originally from Liverpool, was employed as a shipyard joiner. At the time of her marriage Christina, from the parish of Southwick, Sunderland, was in service.
The other children from the marriage were: Mary Jane, born 11th January 1890, baptised 29th January 1890 at All Saints Church, Monkwearmouth; James, born December 1892; Albert, born September 1896; Harriet, born September 1900; Christina, born September 1900; Ethel, born December 1903; Ernest, born December 1903. All the above births were registered in Sunderland.
By 1891 William, Christina and their two eldest children William and Mary Jane were residing at Mulgrave Street, Monkwearmouth. Between the time of the 1891 census and the 1901 the family had moved to Christina's parish of Southwick and were residing at 7 Edward Burdis Street. With the birth of twins, Harriet and Christina in 1900, it would have been a little overcrowded with six children and their parents living in three rooms.
1911 finds the family having moved home again, staying in Southwick but moving the short distance to 28 Abbay Street which has five rooms. By this time another set of twins have been born, Ethel and Ernest, and with all the other children still at home the family of ten would still be living in cramped conditions. William (Sen.) was still employed as a joiner, while eldest son William was employed in the glass industry as a clerk.
Tragedy struck the family at the end of 1911 only four days after Christmas. On the 29th December William, aged only 48, years passed away. He was laid to rest on the 2nd January 1912 in Section P, Grave No. 6267 of Southwick Cemetery.
Though three of her sons were in employment they would not have been earning much, as mentioned earlier. William, now aged 23 years, was employed as a clerk; his younger brother James, aged 18, was employed as an apprentice in a shipyard and 14 year old Albert was working also in a shipyard but as a store room assistant. Things must have been really hard for Christina and the family.
As William’s service records have not survived it was not known where he served. He did enlist into the Yorkshire Regiment (No. 38413) and then transferred to the 5th Battalion Tank Corps (78367) where he attained the rank of Lance Corporal. On the 20th of April 1918 aged 30 years William died of his wounds. He was laid to rest in the Wimereux Communal Cemetery (X1 D 5A) Pas de Calais, France. Inscribed at the base of the stone were the words: Lead Kindly Light.
William was also remembered on the family headstone in Section P Grave no. 6267 of Southwick Cemetery.
William’s mother Christina lived till the age of 84; she died late April 1949 and was laid to rest on the 27th April 1949 in Section R. Grave no. 6615 of Southwick Cemetery.
William Dickson is remembered in Southwick on S130.04, in Sunderland on S140.048 and listed in Peter Gibson's Book
