Reminiscences of a Canadian Pioneer for the last Fifty Years: An AutobiographyThompson, Samuel
History
Reminiscences of a Canadian Pioneer for the last Fifty Years: An Autobiography
Thompson, Samuel
Frontier and pioneer life -- Ontario; Thompson, Samuel, 1810-1886; Toronto (Ont.) -- Biography; Toronto (Ont.) -- History
Nor were his literary acquirements limited to such subjects. The works
of Jeremy Taylor and the other great divines of the Stewart period, he
was very familiar with, and esteemed highly. He was also a great
authority in Irish history and antiquities; enquiries often came to him
from persons in the United States and elsewhere, respecting disputed and
doubtful questions, which he was generally competent to solve.
Mr. Dixon was long an active member of the committee of the Church
Society; and the first delegate of St. James's Church to the first
Diocesan Synod. In these and all other good works, he was untiring and
disinterested. Whenever there was any gathering of clergy he received as
many as possible in his house, treating them with warm-hearted
hospitality.
Mr. Dixon died in the year 1855, leaving a large family of sons and
daughters, of whom several have acquired distinction in various ways.
His eldest son, Alexander, graduated in King's College, at the time when
Adam Crooks, Judge Boyd, Christopher Robinson, Judge Kingsmill, D.
McMichael, the Rev. W. Stennett, and others well known in public life,
were connected with that university. Mr. Dixon was university prizeman
in History and Belles-Lettres in his third year; took the prize for
English oration; and wrote the prize poem two years in succession. He is
now Rector of Guelph, and Archdeacon of the northern half of the Niagara
diocese. He was also one of the contributors to the "Maple Leaf."
William, second son of Alderman Dixon, was Dominion Emigration Agent in
London, England, where he died in 1873. Concerning him, the Hon. J. H.
Pope, Minister of Agriculture, stated that he "was the most correct and
conscientious administrator he had ever met." He said further in
Parliament:--
"The Premier had gone so far as to state that the present Agent
General was a person of wonderful ability, and had done more
than his predecessors to promote emigration to Canada. He (Mr.
Pope) regretted more than he could express the death of Mr.
Dixon, the late agent. He was held in high esteem both here and
in the old country, and was a gentleman who never identified
himself with any political party, but fairly and honestly
represented Canada."
Another son, Major Fred. E. Dixon, is well known in connection with the
Queen's Own, of Toronto.
[Footnote 12: Father of the lamented Lieut.-Col. A. R. Dunn, who won the
Victoria Cross at Balaklava, and died as is believed, by the accidental
discharge of a gun in Abyssinia.]
[Footnote 13: The Building Committee of Trinity Church comprised,
besides Alderman Dixon, Messrs. William Gooderham, Enoch Turner, and
Joseph Shuter, all since deceased.]
CHAPTER XXXII.
MORE TORIES OF REBELLION TIMES.
EDWARD G. O'BRIEN.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account