Elizabeth Rigmaiden was married to James Dickson on the 19th June 1837 (source FamilySearch website). They married by licence, a copy of which I have obtained from the Cheshire Record Office. It is probable that she is a grand-daughter of Thomas Rigmaiden mentioned elsewhere on these pages, by one of his sons, probably Edward from her birth date. She would almost certainly have been born in Liverpool but it is just possible that she was born abroad as her father and grandfather were both merchants. I have found the couple in the census records for 1841 and 1851. In 1841 they lived on Gloucester Street, Liverpool, James being a wine merchant. They had two daughters Catherine Jane (b1838) and Elizabeth Hannah (b1840). They had one servant. In 1851 they lived at Severs Street, Everton and had now three more children: Edward Rees (b1842); James Ensor (b1843) and Margaret (b 1844), all born in Liverpool. This census records that James Dickson senior was born in Ambleside in the Lake District and was now a master mariner (shipping clerk).
By 1861 eldest daughter Catherine has married George Rushton Woods and they were living at 14 Havelock Street, Everton. George was a mariner born in 1830 in Liverpool. They had at this time one son, Edward R Woods, one year old. Also living there are Catherine's mother, Elizabeth (as above) and three brothers: Edward Rees, now a cook, James Ensor, clerk, and new addition John Boardman Dickson, aged 10. There is an entry for Elizabeth's husband James as a patient at Liverpool Royal Infirmary, Brownlow Hill, occupation warehouse porter.
There is no obvious record for Elizabeth's daughters, Elizabeth Hannah and Margaret, in the 1861 census but there are several possibilities.
An Elizabeth Dixon, aged 20 is working as a servant for the family of William Reid, a ship broker from Scotland, living at Higher Bebington on the Wirral, but it is a common name.
There is no obvious trace of Elizabeth or James in the 1871 census, perhaps James was the James Dickson who died in 1861 in Liverpool according to the GRO indexes.
Of James and Elizabeth's children the second daughter, Elizabeth Hannah, dies unmarried in 1913 in Liverpool, after acting as housekeeper for her sister Catherine and family (1881 census) and brother-in-law George after Catherine's death (1891 census). In 1901 and 1911 she was living with Catherine's married daughter Margaret (her niece) at 11 Rickman Street, Kirkdale.
Of the eldest son Edward Rees there is no further mention in the censuses or other sources checked so far. Next son, James Ensor, dies in 1866 at the age of 22.
Third son, James Boardman, is also elusive but there are census records for a John Benson Dickson - could he have changed his name? There is a christening record on FamilySearch for John Benson Dixon, parents James & Elizabeth Dixon, 15 May 1862 at St Peter's Liverpool, but this would mean that John was baptised, many years after his birth, as young boy. There is no record of the birth of a John Benson Dickson in the GRO indexes. This individual married Alice and they had many children according to the censuses.
Youngest daughter Margaret Dickson/Dixon is difficult to trace, as her name was not uncommon, and there are a number of possibilities.
Elizabeth and James's eldest daughter Catherine and her husband George Rushton Woods had at least seven children of whom at least two died young: Ensor Rushton Woods (1886-1881) and Frank Rushton Woods (1881-1881). Of the surviving children, the eldest Edward George Rushton Woods married Mary Ellen Blackler in 1892 in Newton Abbott in Devon. He became a pawnbroker and jeweller, moving to Devon later in life where he died in 1933. In his will his effects were worth nearly £11,000. They do not appear to have had any children. The eldest daughter, Elizabeth Amy Rushton Woods married Richard Lloyd, a commercial traveller, in 1898 but had died by 1911. They do not appear to have had any children. The second daughter Margaret Rushton Woods married Thomas Sweeney but by 1911 she was a widow.They do not appear to have had any children. The youngest surviving son Walter followed his father in the pawnbroking business and by 1911 he was living at 11 Rickman Street, Kirkdale with his widowed sister Margaret and spinster aunt Elizabeth. Daughter May Woods was christened on the 17th October 1864 at St Peter's but there is no further mention of her in the censuses, but no burial record so far.
I will obtain a copy of Edward George Rushton Wood's will which may shed some light on survivng members.
