Derek Johnstone has provided the following:
Thomas Dixon was born at Choppington, Northumberland in 1895 to parents William Dixon from Choppington and Isabella Dixon from Bedlington in the same county.
In 1901, when Thomas was 6 years old, he was living at 5, Fosters Buildings, Choppington, in his parents’ house where his father was a hewer in the coal mines. The following siblings, William 8, George 4 and Elizabeth aged 2 were in the house at this time.
Records indicate Thomas’s father William died about 1902 and his mother married Thomas Smith in 1903.
The 1911 Census shows Thomas living in his step father’s house at North Front Row, Choppington Colliery. His mother had two children after remarrying, Harry and Sidney. Thomas’s step father Thomas Smith was born at Choppington and was employed as a Colliery Overman. Thomas Dixon at this time was 16 years old, single and working in the coal mines as pony driver underground.
Military records show Thomas enlisted at Bedlington and on his death his effects went to mother Isabella Smith indicating it was unlikely he was married.
Thomas Dixon is remembered in Choppington on C36.01 and C36.04
