History of Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, England

My father was born in Balderton in 1908 (William Leslie Dixon). His father was George Percy Dixon who was born in Newark in 1882. George Percy's father, also named George Dixon, lived at 15 Egglesston Yard in 1881 (according to the census). He was born in 1857 and is listed as a wood turner. Interestingly I have his apprenticeship papers dated 31st January 1870 showing him as apprenticed to a Mr Thomas Wilkinson as a brush maker (so he changed his profession). In the 1881 census George senior was listed as living with his father Joseph at 4 Eggleston yard with his profession stated as apprentice brush maker. In 1901 George Percy Dixon is living with his father (still listed as a wood turner) at 13 Appletongate; George Percy is 19 years old and listed as a shop assistant.

Apprenticeship paper - click to see larger image (1600 X 1200 pixels, 184kbytes)

I have an unused receipt (old business stationery which has no date other than the 19--- for the start of the year, so it was printed in the early 1900s ) for G. Dixon & Son of 34a Appletongate Newark and works at Albert street, Manufacturers and Wholesale Dealers in Blacking, Blacklead, Blue, Dry Soaps, Lamps, Chimneys, Brushes, and Galvanized Goods - Hearth Cleaners, Pipe-clay, Fire-lighters, Bath Brick Powder, Hosiery, Glass & China, Portable Coppers, Kitchen ranges &c. My assumption is that George Percy worked for his father (maybe in his shop). George Percy married Alice Maude Rice in 1905 and the family moved to number 2 Coronation Street Balderton in 1907. In the 1911 census George is still at Coronation street and now has two sons, George, William Leslie (my father) and a daughter Kathleen. George Percy is now listed as a general dealer working on his own account (I take this to mean he is neither employed or an employer}. My late father told me many stories about his childhood and I remember him telling me that his father marketed his products under the brand name Castle Brand; I have some packaging showing a printed image of Newark Castle on it. George Percy died in late 1918 (I think his death was related to the first world war although I can find no service records). However between 1911 and 1918 he had moved to Honey Hole farm on what is now Queen Street Balderton. My father told me stories about this house and that his father needed the farm fields to keep his horses which were used to pull delivery wagons including an open topped oil tanker (presumably for delivering paraffin for oil lamps). My father also told me that George Percy had either just bought or was in the process of buying Balderton Old Hall (the grounds of which I believe adjoined the farm fields at this time). My father also told me that one of his ancestors (I think on his mother Alice Maud Rice's side of the family) founded the Trent Navigation Company and put the first barge on the River Trent.

All of this, I would have thought would have made the Dixons and the Rices quite prominent names in the Newark/Balderton area. However so far I have not had much luck finding out very much more than the word of mouth recollections from my late father and a few dates and addresses from the census and BMD records. One mystery I have is why (according to my father) George Percy was buried in an unmarked grave in Balderton (I presume he would have been comparatively wealthy), my daughter tried to find out about this in the parish records but was unable to find any record of his burial.

Main links within this site: