Dixon, Monmouthshire

Also called Dixton Newton, numerous Burghams lived here from the "MM" family tree. Also see Redbrook.

Taken from Kelly's Directory of Monmouthshire, 1901 DIXTON (or Dixton Newton) is a parish on the river Wye, on the road from Ross to Monmouth, and extending to the Gloucestershire border, 1 mile north-east from Monmouth railway station, in the Southern division of the county, hundred of Skenfrith, Monmouth and Skenfrith highway district, petty sessional division, union and county court district and partly in the parliamentary borough of Monmouth, rural deanery and archdeaconry of Monmouth, and diocese of Llandaff. It includes MAY HILL, REDBROOK, WYESHAM & 'THE KYMIN'

The church of St. Peter is an ancient building of stone, in the Early English.style, consisting of chancel, nave, north and south porches, and a western tower with low broach spire, containing 4 bells, the tenor being of pro-Reformation date, and inscribed "Sancta Margareta era pro nobis". There are 250 sittings. The register dates from the the year 1661. The living is a vicarage, net yearly value £150, with 9 acres of glebe and residence, in the gift of Charles Edward Machen esq., of Bicknor Court, Gloucestershire, and held since 1886 by the Rev. John Witherston Rickards B.A. of Caius College, Cambridge. The church of St. James, at Wyesham, a chapel of ease to the parish church, erected in 1875, at a cost of £1,500, is a stone building in the Early English style, and consists of chancel, nave, and a north western tower containing one bell, with a low wooden spire: the stained east window was a gift to the church: the west window is a memorial to the late Henry Gosling esq. Here is a steam saw mill, a brick and tile manufactory, and gas works.

In a field on the right hand side of the road leading to Monmouth is a tumulus, which some years ago was opened and found to contain Roman pottery. The Kymin Hill, about 1½ miles due east from Monmouth, rises to a height of 700 feet above the river Wye, and affords a fine and extensive prospect. On the top is a monument or temple, erected in August, 1800, to commemorate the victories achieved by English admirals in the 18th century, and dedicated to her Grace the Duchess of Beaufort, daughter of Admiral Boscawen; it was restored by the Duke of Beaufort in 1882: a circular pavilion, restored in 1889, has also been erected for the use of visitors; the view from the summit of this remarkable hill extends to a circumference of nearly three hundred miles, including parts of ten counties, namely, Salop, Montgomery, Radnor, Brecon, Hereford, Worcester, Gloucester, Somerset, Glamorgan, and Monmouth. A little distance to the south-east is a rocking stone, known as the "Buckstone"; it was mischievously displaced in 1885, by some trippers, but was replaced in the following year at an expenditure of £500.

Newton Court is the seat of George Griffin Griffin esq., M.A., D.L., J.P., The Garth is the residence of Lieut.Col. James Davies D.L., J.P., Leasbrook that of the Rev. Humphrey Farran Hall M.A.
Wyesham House, the seat of Mrs. Tudor, widow of the Rev. Thomas Owen Tudor, vicar of St. Thomas' , Monmouth, is an ancient building in the Tudor style, standing on an eminence overlooking the Wye and the Monnow.
The principal landowners are the Crown, the Duke of Beaufort A.D.C. who is lord of the manor, G. G. Griffin esq., J. M. Bannerman esq. of Wyaston Leys, and Mrs. Tudor, of Wyesham House. The soil is light loam; subsoil, red sandstone. The area is 3,385 acres of land and 82 of water; rateable value, £1,635; the population in 1891 was 642.

MAY HILL is a hamlet 1 mile south of the church.

REDBROOK is a hamlet 3 miles south.

WYESHAM is a hamlet half-a-mile south of May Hill.
Parish Clerk, James Ward.
Post, M.O., T.O., T. M.O., Express Delivery, Parcel Post, S. B. & Annuitv & Insurance office, Redbrook.
David Williams, sub-postmaster. Letters arrive from Monmouth at 6.55 a.m. dispatched at 6 p.m
National School, Wyesham, built in 1873, for 109 children. Average attendance, 109. Mrs. S. C. Bowen, mistress

DIXTON
PRIVATE RESIDENTS
Bannerman James Murray B.A., D.L, J.P., Wyaston Leys
Colls Col. Robert Stacy, Wyesham house.
Davies Lieut.Col. James D.L., J.P., The Garth
Griffin George Griffin, M.A., D.L., J.P., Newton court
Hall Rev. Humphrey Farran M.A., Leasbrook
Powell Charles Champney, The Elms
Powell Mrs. The Elms
Rickards Rev. John Witherston B.A., The Vicarage,
Sambrook William, "Gartref", Wyesham
Tippins Geo. Porter, Wye vale,Wyeshm
Tudor Mrs. Wyesham house

COMMERCIAL
Bellamy John, farmer, Buckholt house farm
Davis David, farmer, Duffields
Davison Samuel, Duke of York P.H
Edmunds David, farmer, Newton court farm
Edwards James, farmer, Beaulieu farm
Jones Amos, butcher, The Buckholt
Lewis Mrs., farmer, Chapel farm
Lloyd David, farmer, Cwm farm
Morgan David, farmer, Great Manson farm
Perkins Henry Francis, farmer, Hadnock court farm
Woodhouse George, (executors of), nurserymen, Dixton road

MAY HILL
PRIVATE RESIDENTS
Brace Isaac Madley
Brace Thomas, The Firs
Hall Hubert, Heatherdale
Hill Egerton Henry, May Hill villa
Owen Evan, May Hill house

COMMERCIAL
Hall James, building material dealer
Hutton James, George inn P.H
Monmouth Gas & Water Works Lim. (Thomas Brace, sec. & manager)
Monmouth Steam Saw Mills, Lime & Coal Co. Limited, office, Monk street, Monmouth
Morgan Charles, builder & contractor and Travellers' Rest P.H.
Powell Charles Thomas, hoop manufacturer & bender
Ticklepenny Wm. Jn., brick & tile maker
Watkins E., nurseryman, May Hill & Wyesham nurseries & at Monnow street, Monmouth
Wood Robert Lessel, monumental mason, Wyesham

REDBROOK
PRIVATE RESIDENTS
Burgham Arthur, Inglewood
Beard Edward, Redbrook house, Lower Redbrook
Courteen Thomas, Spring cottage
Courteen Tom Allen, Redbrook house, Upper Redbrook

COMMERCIAL
Beard Ann (Mrs.), Bell inn
Bennett & Co. grocers, Lower Redbrook
Burgham Arthur, brewer & maltster
Courteen Tom Allen, miller (steam & water), Wye valley roller mill
Foster Samuel, boot maker
Hawkins Thomas, Queen's Head P.H.
Moore Theophilus, baker
Morgan Jane, Founders' Arms P.H
Redbrook Tinplate Co. Lim., (Alexander Taylor, managing director)
Taylor Sarah Ann (Mrs.), King's head P.H Wheeler John, Bush inn
Williams David, boot maker and sub-postmaster, Post office.
Williams Wm., blacksmith & shopkeeper

Edwin Burgham, son of Thomas Burgham the Iron Founder at Redbrook, was living at Spring Cottage, Wyesham, Dixton in 1861 (CS1861-26). He was living with his wife Ann Caroline (Lewis) Burgham and their first two children Lewis Thomas Burgham (b. 1859) and Maurice (William Henley) Burgham (b. 1860). Another son Oliver Higgins Burgham was also born at Dixton in 1863. In the 1861 census Edwin was already described as being an iron founder, assisting his father at Redbrook, not far down the road. Shortly afterwards, Edwin and his family moved back to Upper Redbrook. In the 1871 census Edwin was still described as an iron founder (CS1871-45).

Edwin's brother William moved from Redbrook to May Hill, Dixton, before 1869. He had married Eliza and they had seven children all born in Dixon between 1869 and 1880. They were Eleanore Ann Burgham, Emily Burgham, Frederick Charles Burgham, Arthur William Burgham, Flora Maria Burgham, Beatrice Harriet Burgham and Alice Eugenie Burgham. In 1871 William and Eliza were living at May Hill, Dixton with their first born Eleanor (CS1871-48). worked as an accountant and in 1881 he was a brick and tile merchant, living at Mayhill Wharf House, Dixton (CS1881-39). By 1891 William had moved his family to Tranch, just outside Pontypool, in Wales.

Mayhill Wharf was very close to where the Monmouth Mayhill railway station was built, part of the Ross and Monmouth Railway which was opened in 1873 and closed in 1959. The line began as a tramway from Coleford to Mayhill, Monmouth. Later a railway was built over it. Later the line was extended across the River Wye to a station called Monmouth Troy in 1874. Mayhill was intended to be a temporary station, but soon became permanent. Originally May Hill Wharf was a site where goods were transhipped onto barges on the River Wye, but the more modern methods proved to be more efficient for a time. Sidings at Mayhill also served a timber yard and a gas works. The station building has since been demolished but the single platform may still exist.

More on the MM Family Tree here.
Create a link