John Dickins, b 1776

John Dickins was born in 1776, calculated by working back from his age of 65 at the 1841 census. He served as a Captain in the 90th Regiment of Foot. He also worked as a farmer.

In the History of Church Preen, the author says that John Dickins was a captain RN and born 1772, which makes me wary of accepting the rest of the information there published. he also says he was married twice and had a great many children.

The children I have established are his, were either baptised at St John's Deritend, Birmingham, or at Trysull, which is near Woodford Grange, just outside Wolverhampton. There are some puzzles though.

John and Ann Dickins appear to have had
Henry Fowler, bapt 1807 and 1815, (according to the LDS records, but I would think must either be different families or one died and the other was named for him) St John's Deritend
Robert Archibald, bapt 24 Nov 1813, St John's Deritend, later the tenant at Woodford Grange
Sarah Elizabeth Dickins, bap 18 Feb 1816 St John's Deritend, Birmingham
Charles John Dickins, b 1818 and emigrated to Australia about 1847. I will give him his own page, as he has a complicated set of connections.
Frances Dickins b 1820
Harriet Dickins b 1822
George Dickins bap 11 May 1824

By 1841 John, Ann, Robert, Sarah, Frances and Harriet are at Woodford Grange.

By 1848, when I believe he died, John Dickins had moved to Meretown, Forton, Newport with Ann, Sarah Elizabeth, Fanny (I am assuming that's Frances) and Harriet. They were farming tghere as well, and had left Robert Archibald, his wife and later son to Woodford Grange.

In 1851 census, Ann, born in Stafford, Sarah, Fanny and Harriet have been joined by Christianna H, a granddaughter born in Lambeth, Surrey, aged 8.

I wondered for some time why Ann Dickins would be on her own with the children, but have now assumed that the obvious solution if the History of Church Preen is right, and John Dickins married twice, it would make sense that she was Robert Archibald's stepmother, and therefore would have to make her home elsewhere, maybe.