Dickerman Ancestry, Additum for Thomas (___-1657) Part One - by David Allen Lower

Here is some excellent research on the Dickerman family produced by David Allen Lower of Baldwinsville, NY. The follwoing is copyrighted in his name and appears here by permission of the author. Part Two appears tomorrow.

Abstract

The "Dickerman Ancestry", published in 1897, is an excellent genealogical work chronicling many of the descendents of Thomas Dickerman (___-1657), immigrant to Dorchester, Massachusetts from England about 1635. Recently uncovered English archives add substantially to the birth, marriage and family record of Thomas.

This additum to the Dickerman Ancestry indicates two wives taken by Thomas in England prior to his known wife and immigrant companion Elenor or Ellen (Whittington). We find his first child, a daughter Hannah not previously connected with Thomas, born of his first wife Elizabeth Sims. We confirm his first son, Thomas (Jr.), was born of his second wife, Marie Eustaire. The last three sons, Abraham, Isaac and John, are then confirmed to be born of Elenor. Hannah, not mentioned in the Dickerman Ancestry, is first found at New Haven, CT, married 1st to William Ives and 2nd .to Dr. William Bassett. These revelations begin to untangle a multitude of improper notations in the greater genealogical database with respect to Thomas Dickerman and his immediate family.

Further evidence is put forth that while Thomas Dickerman was "of St. Georges Parish, Southwark, Surrey" (as stated by Banks), he was married (1st ) at St. Georges, married (2nd ) and son Thomas christened at Saint Clements Danes, London (across London Bridge from St. Georges), and married (3rd ) at Little Missendon, Buckinghamshire. He may have been the son of George Dickerman "of Marston Morteyne, Bedfordshire", and may have had a younger brother Abraham living in St. Georges, Southwark about 1620. He also may have been christened at the Mears Shelby School, Norwich, Norfolkshire, in 1605.

Accepted Genealogical Information

The Dickerman Ancestry of 1897 is the earliest and best-known assemblage of genealogical information on Thomas Dickerman (___-1657). The authors, E. D. and G. S. Dickerman, neither knew nor speculated on Thomas's birth or early life, and stated they had "……diligently searched, both in this country and in England, but without success." They did opine on the origin of the sirname Dickerman, suggesting it to be "German" , but offered no proof.

The earliest fact found and recorded by E. D. and G. S. Dickerman was dated January 1637, wherein Thomas is shown to be at Dorchester, one of one hundred and four names listed for apportioned lands. On the "Seaventh day of the Twelfth monthe in the yeare 1641" Thomas Dickerman's signature was entered among seventy-one signers conveying land to the town of Dorchester. It is interesting to note the replicated signature and the author's remark on its clarity and large size; this signature will later prove nearly the same as those which were found in signed documents with earlier dates.

At the time of the Dickerman Ancestry publication, 1897/Supl.1922, hard genealogical data for Thomas was slim . The time and place of Thomas's marriage was unknown, as was his parentage and that of his (as it turns out - 3rd) wife. No prior wives were known. No daughter (first child) was known. For his early named children, their birth, marriage and spousal information was lacking.

E. D. and G. S. Dickerman struggled most with Thomas (Jr.) son of Thomas Dickerman. They could find no direct link to Thomas and noted that Thomas (Jr.) was consistently identified with Malden, Massachusetts in the materials available to them. They do note, however, that the name of Dickerman is "too unusual, not only in the colonies, but in England, to think of……different families." They did find one deposition of 1658 which lists Thomas (Jr.) as "aged about 35" . This would suggest Thomas (Jr.) was born about 1623. As we will see below, this corresponds well with a record of Thomas (Jr.)'s christening on 27 Apr 1623 at St. Clement Danes, Westminster with Thomas recorded as his father.

Research by Col. Charles Edward Banks in the 1930's is of interest; Thomas Dickerman is cited in his table of 2885 emigrants along with some limited information. The listing contains only the name, Thomas Dickerman, the parish from which he emigrated - St. Georges, Southwark, the year in which he emigrated - 1620, and his destination - New York. The year and destination is of great interest to me in that Thomas could have first taken a voyage in 1620 as reported by Banks, and could have previewed New York for the later voyage that year of the Pilgrims, subsequently blown off course while set for New York and landing in Massachusetts.

This set of entries prompted my search in and around London for Thomas Dickerman, leading to the revelations detailed below. Sources for Bank's entries are not disclosed and I have yet to review directly his manuscripts and notes , which may yield other original documents.

Topographical Dictionary of 2885 English Emigrants, Banks, Charles Edward, reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore, 1957; the complete entry is-
From: SURREY
Passenger Name: Thomas DICKERMAN
Ships Name: none
English Parish Name: Southwark (S.George)
New England Town: Dorchester
Various Ref: Charles E. Banks Mss. in Library of Congress
[Note: this no longer refers to New York as destination, or the year 1620.]

Notes

(1) Dickerman, Edward Dwight and Dickerman, George Sherwood, FAMILIES OF DICKERMAN ANCESTRY Descendants of THOMAS DICKERMAN an early settler of Dorchester, Massachusetts, Hardcover, 650 pages, published New Haven, The Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Press, 1897
And (2) Supplement of same author and title, Papercover, 47 pages + charts, published New Haven, The Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Press, 1922.

2 Ibid Dickerman, page 4.

3 Ibid Dickerman, page 4, para 2.

4 Ibid Dickerman, page 5, para 4.

5 All dates are presented as recorded in the original, referenced document. No correction is made even when apparent.

6 Ibid Dickerman, page 6, para 6.

7 Ibid Dickerman, page 17, para 1.

8 Ibid Dickerman, page 13, para 2.

9 Ibid Dickerman, page 13, para 3.

Continued Tomorrow in Part Two.

Comments

[ED KILLINGBECK]

HAVE BOOK FROM 1897 SIGNED BY G.SHERWOOD DICKERMAN: IT READ AS FOLLOWS--
MR. ALBERT DICKERMAN,
AS A TOKEN OF THE FRIENDSHIP BEGUN IN CHILDHOOD AND CONTINUED TO ADVANCED YEARS,FROM
G.SHERWOOD DICKERMAN

[Jeff Dickerman]

Hi Bill,

Many thanks to you and David Allen Lower for his research and your excellent write-up. For many years I have hesitated to include internet sources in my genealogy reports, but with your source citation and original research, I am very confident with your findings. I would like to include links to your site and use your work as my source citation, with your permission.

Again, thank you for your efforts.

Jeff Dickerman - descendant of Thomas[1] and Thomas[2] Dickerman
Lowell, Michigan

[Bill Ives]

Jeff

Please use my site as a source. You can also find a long list of resources I used (se categories). Much (but not all) of my work comes from original sources like town records or the US Census. There is also much misinformation being spread through the Web. See my series on the wife of William Ives that was mistakenly claimed to be Hannah Dickerman (in my opinion). There has been some follow up to this my others in the comment section. Anything you want to add to that issuer anything else is very welcomed. That is the point of this blog.