Nat Gould

Lydia Gould 1823-1865

St Mark's church

Lydia Gould was born in 1823 at Cardington in Bedfordshire, the daughter of Joseph Gould 1797-1866 and his wife née Lydia Gould.

On 22 February 1853 she was married at Burwash to Henry Dixon of Frankham Park (1) near Tunbridge Wells in Kent. He was born at Hackney in London in 1824. The ceremony was conducted by the bride's uncle the Reverend William Gould (2).

A ceremonial welcome of the newly married couple was held by the inhabitants of Mark Cross, a parish that Henry Dixon did much to have created and where he was a major benefactor (3). The school that he had built became the parish church of St Mark's in Mark Cross when a larger school was built elsewhere in the village in 1873 (4).

They had the following children, all born at Frankham, Wadhurst:

Lydia Dixon. She was born on 21 October 1855 (5). She died on 2 July 1936 at Strood House, Mark Cross aged 80 years. She was unmarried. Her Will was proved on 4 August 1936 (6).

Elizabeth Augusta Dixon. She was born on 9 October 1856 (7). She became a missionary at Ningpo in China. On 9 October 1899 she died at sea, and was buried in Gwulo Cemetery, Hong Kong (8). She was unmarried. Her Will was proved on 10 February 1900 (9).

Mary Ellen Dixon. She was born in 1857. She died on 9 May 1931 at Strood House, Mark Cross aged 74 years. She was unmarried. Her Will was proved on 23 July 1931 (10).

Henry Gould Dixon. He was born on 8 March 1860 (11). When the Census was taken in 1871 he and his brother Alexander Nathaniel Gould were attending school at Brenchley Parsonage in Kent. He was educated at Christ Church in Oxford where he matriculated on 24 January 1879 aged eighteen and graduated Bachelor of Arts in 1883 (12). He married Anna Harper Lowry 1861-1939 (13). He became a county magistrate for Sussex (14), and died on 25 April 1921 at Little Frankham. His Will was proved on 14 June 1921 (15).

Alexander Nathaniel Dixon. He was born in 1861. In 1871 he and his brother Henry Gould Dixon were attending school at Brenchley Parsonage in Kent. He was educated at Christ Church in Oxford where he matriculated on 15 October 1880 aged nineteen and graduated Bachelor of Arts in 1887 (16). In 1897 he married Katherine Mary Louisa Fry 1848-1934 at Chelsea in London. He became a clergyman, being ordained deacon in 1887 in Chichester cathedral, and was appointed Curate of St John's, Hollington near Hastings in Sussex (17). He died of pneumonia on 5 December 1899 aged 38 years at Brockfield, Wadhurst in Sussex (18). His widow died on 20 August 1934 at Buntingford in Hertfordshire, and her Will was proved on 1 October 1934 (19).

Ellen Dixon. She was born on 8 June 1862 (20), and died on 21 May 1939 (21).

There was also a stillborn daughter born on 25 January 1865 (22).

Their mother Lydia Dixon née Gould died on 2 November 1865 at Frankham (23).

Her husband died on 21 December 1883 aged 59 years (24).

(1) Frankham Park was bought by Henry Dixon, when the house was built. He built Littler Frankham for his son and Strood House for his daughters. The Story of Wadhurst A A Wace (1923) page 71; www.markcross.org.uk Kitty Dixon there mentioned as being a daughter of Henry Dixon was his daughter-in-law Katherine Dixon née Fry, the wife of Alexander Nathaniel Dixon.
(2) Hampshire Telegraph 26 November 1853.
(3) Sussex Advertiser 6 December 1853.
(4) www.stdenysrotherfield.org.uk Since 1984 the parish has been combined with that of Rotherfield in Sussex.
(5) Morning Post 5 November 1855.
(6) "DIXON Lydia of Strood House Mark Cross Sussex spinster died 2 July 1936 Probate London 4 August to Ellen Dixon spinster and John Beddome Snell solicitor. Effects £28219 10s. 7d." England and Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations) 1858-1966 (1936) page 136.
(7) Cheshire Observer 1 November 1856.
(8) Gwulo Cemetery, Old Hong Kong gwulo.com
(9) "DIXON Elizabeth Augusta of the Christian Mission Ningpo China spinster died 9 October 1899 at sea Probate London 10 February to Lydia Dixon and Mary Ellen Dixon spinsters. Effects £10792 14s. 1d." England and Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations) 1858-1966 (1900) page 331.
(10) "DIXON Mary Ellen of Strood House Mark Cross Sussex spinster died 9 May 1931 Probate London 23 July to Lydia Dixon and Ellen Dixon spinsters. Effects £13874 14s. 11d." England and Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations) 1858-1966 (1931) page 121.
(11) Maidstone Telegraph 24 March 1860.
(12) Alumni Oxonienses 1715-1886 Later Series (1883) page 373.
(13) "Mrs. Dixon, who was 78 years of age, had lived for the past eight years with her niece, Mrs. Whitten, at Cranleigh, Wadhurst." Kent & Sussex Courier 11 August 1939. The funeral took place on 11 August 1939 at Wadhurst church.
(14) Sussex Agricultural Express 5 November 1909.
(15) "DIXON Henry Gould of Little Frankham Mark Cross Wadhurst Sussex died 25 April 1921 Probate London 24 June to Anna Harper Dixon widow and Lydia Dixon spinster. Effects £27240 19s. 6d." England and Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations) 1858-1966 (1921) page 94.
(16) Alumni Oxonienses 1715-1886 Later Series (1883) page 372.
(17) The Clergy List, with which is incorporated the Clerical Guide and Ecclesiastical Directory, 1897 page 262.
(18) London Standard 7 December 1899.
(19) "DIXON Katherine Mary Louisa of The Market Hill Buntingford Hertfordshire widow died 20 August 1934 Probate London 1 October to Vincent Sydney Woods company director and Annie Isobel Fry spinster. Effects £4285 14s. Resworn £4380 1s. 11d."
England and Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations) 1858-1966 (1934) page 128.
(20) London Daily News 12 June 1862.
(21) Kent & Sussex Courier 26 May 1939. She was there said to be the last surviving member of the family, although she was survived by her sister-in-law Anna Harper Dixon nee Lowry who died in the following August.
(22) Morning Post 28 January 1865.
(23) Sussex Advertiser 14 November 1865.
(24) Morning Post 29 December 1883.