373 



Obituary Notice of William Dickson, Esq., F.S.A., Clerk of 

 the Peace for the County of Northumberland. By the 

 Rev. William Procter, M.A. 



In the course of the year, the Club has lost one of its 

 most valued members in Mr. Dickson, who joined it in 1843, 

 and was President in 1857. He has left some very inter- 

 esting papers in our " Proceedings" on Antiquities and 

 Local History. The " Notes on Bamburgh" in the " Pro- 

 ceedings" for 1872, are an instance, (like many in his 

 unpublished papers) of his happy mode of correcting 

 popular errors by an accurate statement of facts. 



There is an old tombstone in Greenlaw churchyard, 

 bearing the following inscription : — 



" Here Lies Patrick Dickson 



of howlawrig, secretary to 



the Eight Honourable Patrick 



Earl of Marchmont, who died 



the 16th day of May, 1729, aged 



64 years. And Dorothy Campbel 



his Wife, who died the 29th day 



of April the said Year, aged 



36 Years." 



The above were the parents of Patrick Dickson, who be- 

 came proprietor of Whitecross, in Berwickshire, and of 

 Spittal Hall Estate in the parish of Tweedmouth. 



William Dickson, eldest son of Patrick, was born at 

 Berwick-upon-Tweed, on the 6th April, 1799. On the 7th 

 June, 1825, he married Sarah, a daughter of Mr. Thorp, (son 

 of Robert Thorp, Archdeacon of Northumberland,) whose 

 partner he became, and whom he succeeded in 1843, as 

 Clerk of the Peace for the County of Northumberland. 



Mr. Dickson was a freeman of Berwick, having been 

 admitted on the 7th April, 1 820. He was a Justice of the 

 Peace for Berwickshire ; in respect of the estate of White- 

 cross. He also held several offices relating to the County 

 of Northumberland ; and also the post of chairman of 

 various public bodies in the town of Alnwick. To him, the 

 town of Alnwick is indebted for Pottergate granite fountain ; 

 and other improvements made in that Street. After the 

 failure of the Northumberland and Durham District Bank, 

 he founded the Alnwick and County Bank, which with its 



