His name

The middle name may derive from his mother Jane Steel in a way that was and is common; it may have been added in honour of Jane’s brother William Steel, who died in 1747; there may be some truth in both suggestions. At Glasgow it is recorded for his honorary D.D. in 1784 but not for his matriculation in 1763.

He usually signed himself William Steel Dickson: “Steel” not “Steele” or “Steell”, and “Dickson” not “Dixon”, though the variants appeared and still appear in print. “William Steel Dickson” is on the title pages of his Narrative, Retractations, and Sermons. Very often “Dr Dickson” was the honourable, sufficient identification in articles and letters.

Carnmoney and Carntall Dicksons; William Latimer and Alexander Hill

Robert Bonar (whose son Wesley has been until recently the excellent custodian at Sentry Hill) found some Dicksons and Dixons in the Carnmoney and Templepatrick church books:

April, 2, 1717, John, son to John Dickson, Jun. was baptised.

July, 27, 1718, Agnes daughter to John Dickson of Carntall was baptised.

February 13, 1721, Jenat, daughter to John Dickson of Carntall was baptised.

         December, 6 1743, John Dickson and Jane Steall married.

         February, 24, 1750, James Dickson and Agnes Dickson married.

and there are many more in the records of poor’s money, subscriptions, testimonials, rents and committees. On 14 April 1697 the minutes of the Kirk session of Carnmoney record Sam Guy to signify to the people of Ballyearle that John Dickson is to be their elder; and a fortnight later that appointment is confirmed. In 1730 James Dickson and John Dickson are two of the congregation who “call” Rev. John Thomson (senior), and in 1767 John Dickson is one of the congregation who call Rev. John Thomson (junior). The rent rolls c. 1750 show Richard Dickson in “Dunany” and John Dixon in “Ballycreagy”.

Few of these Dicksons are in the McKinney notebooks and family trees at PRONI and Sentry Hill, and I will not overspeculate here about placing them in families related to Rev. Dickson and my Hills. Instead I give some extracts from the 1880s and 1890s in chronological order, and then some explanations. I mention my cousin Alexander Hill (1856-1918), McKinney’s near neighbour, and some information he shared with these investigating historians. Other notes discuss Dickson’s children and siblings. I am expanding here a few items already noted in North Irish Roots – particularly two letters, from Rev. Dickson (in 1794 to his ex-Carntall nephew) and from Alexander (in 1896 to Rev. Latimer).

McKinney wrote as follows:

Rev. Alexander Gordon was cautious ("appears to", "seems to") in the 1888 Dictionary of National Biography: "He married in 1771 Isabella Gamble, who died at Smylodge, Mourne, co. Down, on 15 July 1819; she appears to have had some means, which died with her. Dickson's eldest son, a surgeon in the navy, died in 1798; his second son was in business; of the other two sons, one was an apothecary; Dickson had also two daughters, but seems to have survived all his children. A grandson was a struggling physician in Belfast".

In 1896, Rev. William Latimer of Eglish corresponded with Carnmoney contacts about the Church records and Dickson history. On 19 May he wrote to McKinney:

Dear Sir,

         I have to thank you much for your interesting letter duly recd. The "a" in Steel will I think explain all. On again examining your "tracing", I see that the third letter is the peculiar "ε" of that period...this proves you are right –

         Since I wrote the 1st. part of my sketch of Dr. Dickson I have found out that his wife was Isabella Gamble she died on 15th. July 1819.

         By the way there is a family named Hill, who live at or near Carnmoney, who claim to be descended from Dr. Dickson. Do you know how this comes? Do you know anything of Dr. Dickson's children or what became of them?

         I have corrected proofs of 2nd. part of biography for Witness. I have third part written & cannot insert much more matter, but perhaps I may republish some of these sketches, &, for that reason, desire to collect adl. information.

On 21 May 1896 Alexander Hill wrote to Latimer, with an earlier communication (not seen by me) implied:

Ballyearl,

Carnmoney,

21.5.96

Dear Mr Latimer,

         I made a mistake anent grandfather's age. It was Dr Dickson's grandnephew Robert Caruth who was nine. He was at the funeral also. My paternal grandfather Samuel Hill, then a young man of 22 or so, was also there. These two brought [?horses] home to Carnmoney. The latter told me so a few years before his death. The term poverty as applied to Dr Dickson is somewhat misleading. Compared with the abundance he had before his incarceration in Scotland, the term fully applies. His latter days were lived in seclusion. But he had a host of private friends who arranged to retain the house as a souvenir of him. Open friendship in those truthless times was practically out of the question.

         It was understood his imprisonment was to be a life one. His wife & children were ostracised in society and left for America. All trace was lost of them. There were two girls and three boys, one of the latter died in infancy.

         It was only a surmise on the part of Rev. Gordon that they had died before Dr Dickson.

         Robert Caruth pointed out the spot where he was buried as being about five yards to the right of entrance gate. But there is no official record of it. You are aware that his wife had a large amount of property. All was confiscated & lost.

         He resided in & was buried from a house in one of the streets abutting of Frederick St.

         If I can help you in anything else, it will afford me great pleasure to do so. Sincerely yrs,

         A R Hill

On 22 May 1896 Latimer published in the Witness what he had “found out”: Since writing last week’s sketch I have discovered that the name of Mrs. Dickson was Isabella Gamble.

He wrote again to McKinney on 3 August 1896:

When I got a letter from Mr. Hill claiming to be descended from Dr Dickson, I was some what perplexed. I felt sure he was astray, & as far as I recollect I asked you the question before I had re-consulted your letter – which was of course quite plain.

Later in 1896 Latimer made a personal inspection: McKinney added at the head of the May letter Mr Latimer called at Sunnyside on August 11th and saw old records. "Sunnyside" is the McKinney / McMeekin / Boyd family farm beside Sentry Hill in Carnmoney

McKinney's half of this correspondence may survive in the materials dispersed after Latimer's death, but I did not find it after asking in Sentry Hill, Belfast Central Library, the Linen Hall Library, the Presbyterian Historical Society, and Queen's University. I am unsure of McKinney's "quite plain" explanation, and of the exact family relations, but some of the background is clear.

What McKinney calls “the old family tombstone in Carnmoney graveyard” is a little weary now, but in fair condition just south of the site of the old church. It is so near other monuments that one asks whether all are originals or as originally placed. William Steel has companions: