Dickson (surname)

Dickson or, as is common in England, Dixon, is a patronymic surname, traditionally Scottish and thought to have originated upon the birth of the son of Richard Keith, son of Hervey de Keith, Earl Marischal of Scotland, and Margaret, daughter of the 3rd Lord of Douglas.

History

"Nisbet in his Heraldry (Edinburgh 1722) says 'The Dicksons are descendants from Richard Keith, said to be a son of the family of Keith, Earls Marischals of Scotland' and in proof thereof carry the chief of Keith Marischal. This Richard was commonly called Dick and the 'son' was styled after him. The affix of son in the Lowlands answering the prefix Mac in the Highlands." As a result, Clan Dickson is considered a sept of Clan Keith. Richard Keith's son, Thomas, took the surname "Dickson" (in the earliest record spelled Dicson), meaning "Dick's son" or "Richard's son".

Although long recognised as a Sept of Clan Keith through Thomas Dickson's paternal line, in July 2012 the Clan Douglas Society of North America also recognised the Dickson/Dixon name as a Sept and Allied Family to Clan Douglas.[1]. This recognition resulted from the direct connection through Thomas Dickson's mother, Margaret, daughter of William, the 3rd Lord Douglas and also Thomas' faithfulness to the Douglas Clan, notably to his second cousin William, 7th Lord Douglas and William's son the good Sir James, 8th Lord Douglas.

Thomas Dickson (1247–1307) himself has quite a history. He was associated in some way with William Wallace, and was killed by the English in 1307 in battle. Tradition states he was slashed across the abdomen but continued fight holding the abdominal wound closed with one hand until he finally dropped dead. He is buried in the churchyard of St Brides, Douglas, and his marker shows him with a sword in one hand holding his belly with the other. Robert the Bruce made him Castellan of Castle Douglas the year before he was killed.

The Dicksons/Dixons (and 30 other derivates) family name was first found in Scotland whilst the Dixons in England who are of Scottish descent from Thomas Dickson living in 1268 are of the same origin as the Scottish Dicksons. Early records show Thomas Dicson, a follower of the Douglas clan, at the re-capture of Douglas Castle in 1307.

The Dickson's coat of arms show the Keith "pallets gules" and the Douglas "mullets argent", this is to show their descent from these two ancient Scottish noble families. The family mottoes include "Fortes fortuna juvat", "Coelum versus", for Dickson: translated as "Fortune favours the brave", Heavenward"; whilst "Quod dixi dixi" Dixon, is translated as "What I have said I have said".

gollark: This is more <#645777807275851776>-y.
gollark: What are you on about? Are you talking about... actual clouds?
gollark: What does that MEAN? What does that have to do with anything?
gollark: Unrelatedly, I am running into some *incredibly* weird problems with my phone now.
gollark: > just tellin u that death is coming to all... nothing to be happy...

References
  1. "Clan Douglas - Dickson". clandouglassociety.org.

Notable Dicksons


Performers and entertainers

Politicians

Sportspeople

Writers

Others
  • Major General Sir Alexander Dickson (1777–1840), British Army officer
  • Alexander Dickson (1836–1887), Scottish botanist and botanical artist
  • Alexander Dickson (1857–1949), Scotland rosarian
  • Andrew David Dickson (1963 - 2018), Forestry Consultant, Aberdeenshire,
  • Andrew Dickson White (1832–1918), American diplomat, author and educator, co-founder of Cornell University
  • Bertram Dickson (1873–1913), British aviation pioneer
  • Brian Dickson (1916–1998), Canadian judge, and Chief Justice of Canada 1984–1990
  • Brice Dickson (living), Irish academic
  • Chris Dickson (disambiguation)
  • Colin Dickson (born 1956), British rosarian
  • General Sir Collingwood Dickson (1817–1904), British Army officer and Victoria Cross recipient
  • Sir David Dickson (1780–1850) senior British naval surgeon
  • Earle Dickson (1892–1961), American inventor of adhesive bandages
  • Emily Winifred Dickson (1866–1944), first woman Fellow of a College of Surgeons in Great Britain or Ireland
  • Eva Dickson (1905–1938), Swedish explorer
  • Lieutenant Commander Harlan Dickson (1920–1944), American naval officer
  • Harry Dickson, fictional detective
  • Henry Newton Dickson (1866–1922), oceanographer and meteorologist
  • James Dickson (disambiguation)
  • Jane Dickson (born 1952), American painter
  • John Dickson (disambiguation)
  • Kwesi Dickson (1929 – 2005, Ghanaian priest, theologian, author and academic.
  • Larry Dickson (born 1938), American racing driver
  • Leonard Eugene Dickson (1874–1954), American mathematician
  • Michael Dickson (Irish republican) (born 1964), IRA member
  • Michael Dickson (engineer) (born 1944), British structural engineer
  • Neil Dickson (living), British actor
  • Ngila Dickson (born 1958), New Zealand costume designer
  • Oscar Dickson, 1st Baron Dickson (1823–1897), Swedish Explorer and philanthropist
  • Renn Dickson Hampden (1793–1868), English bishop
  • Robert Dickson (disambiguation)
  • Thomas Dickson (disambiguation)
  • William Dickson (disambiguation)

See also


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