|
|
|
NEWSLETTER |
|
Family
Association |
|
|
|
VOLUME XIV, NUMBER 2 |
|
April, 2017 |
A message
from the DFA Board Hello
Cousins, Plans for the 2017 reunion have
been progressing well. The Friday
evening events will take place at Black Rock Tavern in Thomaston, CT. Entre choices are: Sliced Sirloin, Fresh
Salmon Filet, Pork Normandy, and Pasta Primavera. Salad, vegetables, rolls,
coffee or tea, and dessert are included. The
Saturday events will be at the St. Thomas of Villanova Church in Goshen,
CT. We are excited to welcome our
speaker, Alexander Dubois (Litchfield Historical Society’s Curator of
Collections), who will tell us about the journey of Anson Dickinson, a
leading 19th century Minaturist Painter
from Litchfield whose work includes over 1500 portraits from South Carolina
to Montreal. We will also review
several Dickinson Families who had significant contributions to the
development of Litchfield and its surrounding communities. The
schedule for the reunion events appears below (Saturday details are subject
to change). Enclosed with this
newsletter is a reservation card and return envelope. Please observe the deadline of June 14
for returning this card. Directions
for getting to the venues will appear in the June newsletter as will the
final schedule. We invite anyone who
has something to add to our exhibit table to bring it on Saturday at
9:00am. We’re happy to report that the
January newsletter has elicited interest from some possible new board
members. We continue to invite any
interested DFA members to contact one of the current board members and come
join us at a board meeting. The next
one will be on Friday, June 23 at the Black Rock Tavern at 5:30pm, before
our annual dinner. That board
meeting is a less formal one, and is always open to any DFA member who
wishes to attend. 147th
ANNUAL REUNION SCHEDULE Friday, June 23 11am-5pm Display Table @ Litchfield Historical Society and various
tours (TBD) 5:30pm Open Informal Board Meeting 6:30pm Social Hour 7:30pm Annual Reunion Dinner Saturday, June 24 9:00am Gathering of cousins: registration,
exhibits, sales & refreshments 11:00am Dickinson Families of Litchfield and
Goshen Discussion 11:30pm Lunch 12:30pm Counting of the
cousins, prizes, group photo 1pm Annual meeting 1:30pm Main Speaker, Topic: 19th century Minaturist Painter “Anson Dickinson” 2:30pm Q&A Session and Concluding Cermony ending by 3:30 pm Ken Dickinson, Vice
President Please return your reservation card
as soon as possible.
|
|
|
WHO WERE ANSON DICKINSON’S ANCESTORS? Anson’s father was Rev. Oliver Jr. (1757-1847), a Revolutionary War Veteran, who was the master builder/architect for Milton’s Episcopal Church. Anson’s grandfather, Oliver Sr. (1724-1783), was a builder, joiner, and grist mill owner. Anson’s great-uncle, Reuben (1716-1818), a nail factory owner, was most likely the first Dickinson to settle in Milton Village, with his wife Sarah Gibbs (1727-1816). Sarah’s father Benjamin Gibbs (1675-1767), was one of the first surveyors and selectmen of Litchfield. Anson’s great-grandfather, Ebenezer (1690-1774), was a successful cordwainer (shoe & boot maker). Circa 1750, Ebenezer sold his lands in Hatfield, MA and purchased several lots in Litchfield, Goshen, and Cornwall. Ebenezer’s father, Nathaniel III (1663-1751), and grandfather, Nathaniel II (1643-1710), were both selectman in Hatfield. However, they kept strong ties with those in the Hartford region, as his wife, Sarah Denslow (1694-1775), and his grandmother, Hepzibah Gibbs (1665-1713), were from Windsor. Benjamin Gibbs (1675-1767) was Hepzibah’s brother and Sarah Denslow’s uncle. With assistance and encouragement from the Gibbs Family, Ebenezer’s family moved away from Hatfield. The French and Indian War had a severe impact on
Ebenezer’s immediate family and friends.
For example,
Ebenezer’s brother, Nathaniel IV (1698-1747), was viciously
scalped and murdered in Northfield.
Litchfield provided a new opportunity for his family to thrive. The Dickinson Family became
well-established and well-respected in Litchfield County for several
generations to follow. |
|
2017
SCHOLARSHIP – LAST CALL Application forms are now available for the 2017 DFA scholarship. Applicants must be descendants of Nathaniel Dickinson and must be accepted to a four-year college or university. The deadline for submission is April 30, 2017. Full information on requirements and an application form may be found on our website. For additional information you may contact our scholarship chair, Jean Whitten, 9 Shepherd Rd, Manchester, NH 03104, jwhitten128@gmail.com. |
A
MESSAGE FROM OUR GENEALOGIST Please send your births, marriages and death announcements to
Dickinson Genealogist Rebecca Passa at rlpassa99@gmail.com or 17 Pine St, Easthampton,
MA 01207. ADDRESS
& E-MAIL ADDRESS CHANGES REQUESTED Please send your address and e-mail address changes to
our membership clerk, Beth Landolina, at
Addendums
to the Newsletter that was mailed
|
The
Dickinson Family Association, PO Box 2, Whately, MA 01093 Dear Cousin, We hope you will join us for the 2017
Reunion to be held Saturday June 24th at St. Thomas of
Villanova Church, Goshen, CT. Please
complete and return this card as soon as possible. Our
deadline is June 14. On Friday
night June 23, we will be having
dinner at the Black Rock Tavern in Thomaston, CT. We will gather at 6:30 pm and dinner will
be served at 7:30 pm. An informal
board meeting at 5:30 pm is open to all. YES I would like to join you for
dinner at the Black Rock Tavern.
Number in party _____ @ $36
each Number for each
choice: ___ Sliced Sirloin; ___ Salmon; ___ Pork; ___ Vegetarian Total $_____ On Saturday
June 24 reunion activities will start at 9:00 am, with lunch served at 11:30
am. YES I will
be attending. ___ Adults @ $30; ___ Students @
$10; __ Children under 5 (free). Total $_____ NAME __________________________________________ Total enclosed: $ ______ Checks
should be made payable to The Dickinson Family Association and mailed to the
address above. Questions,
call Virginia Allis, treasurer: (413) 665-4584 |
Accommodations
for Litchfield/Torrington CT area
booking.com/windsorCT-accommodation
booking.com/hartford-accommodation
expedia.com
kayak.com
orbitz.com
priceline.com
travelocity.com
tripadvisor.com
trivago.com
Web site: www.dickinsonfamilyassociation.org
Newsletter
editor: Dale Williams