I believe that Isabella Dixson and I could have been good
friends. I only have one photo of her,
and it was taken when she was an older woman, but she looks like a really nice
person. She was a supportive wife (expected for a Minister's wife) but she also attended many meetings and had her own interests. I suspect she was quite modern for the time!
Isabella Dixson was born at 8 o’clock in the morning on 11 January
1845 at 391 George Street, Sydney (across the road from the current Sydney Town
Hall; and next door to the current Woolworths store – neither of which were
there is 1845). At the time, it was not
a particularly salubrious address as it was across the street from the Old
Sydney Burial Ground, which was no longer in use and was somewhat of an eyesore
and a community health hazard!
Isabella was Helen Craig and Hugh Dixson’s first daughter; she had two
older brothers and two younger brothers – four other siblings died as
infants. Isabella was the earliest
direct descendant of Samantha, Natasha and Rachel to be born in Australia. She spent most of her childhood in Sydney,
except for two years when the family lived at Twofold Bay.
On 11 January 1866, when Isabella Dixson married Rev Frederick Hibberd
at her parent's home, she wore a veil made of Honiton lace. Her parents probably had the lace imported
from Honiton especially for her wedding - after all, she was their only
daughter. The veil has been used by a
number of women over 140 years – five generations of Isabella’s family –
including me!
Honiton lace has been made in and around the Honiton, Devon area for
over 400 years. How it came to be in
that area is a matter of conjecture. The
most likely theory is that the flemish brought their trade with them when
established themselves in the area.
Honiton lace was hand woven. It
was time consuming to make and expensive to buy. Members of the English Royal Family regularly
purchased Honiton lace. In the late 1700s, Queen Charlotte ordered a dress of
Honiton lace as did Queen Adelaide some years later. The crowning achievement
for Honiton lace-makers came in 1839, when the lace flounce for Queen
Victoria's wedding dress was ordered from Tuckers of Branscombe (a small
village near Honiton). 100 workers produced the lace at a cost of then
£1000. Queen Victoria was obviously
satisfied because she then commissioned the christening robe for her eldest
son, later King Edward VII. This christening robe is still used by the royal
family. Another royal order came in
1863, when Princess Alexandra married Edward, the Prince of Wales and ordered
Honiton wedding lace for the dress.
Making lace by hand was not financially rewarding. By hard work, often in cramped conditions in
primitive cottages, lace workers could earn a shilling (5p) a day. This was
just below the wage of a farm labourer.
However, as women predominantly produced Honiton lace, it was probably
one of the best career choices they could make in the circumstances.
It must have been some time shortly after this ‘Royal’ glory period
that the veil used by Isabella Dixson was made.
Why Honiton lace was chosen for the veil is not known. It may have been the ‘trend’ or perhaps
someone in the family knew about Honiton lace.
In any case, Isabella Dixson wore a beautiful veil. The veil has remained in the Dixson family -
passed down from the eldest daughter to the eldest daughter. To date six generations of the family have
worn the veil.
It would appear that Isabella and Frederick didn't have a big
wedding. The notice in the Newspaper on
12 January 1966 read:
Marriage
On the 11th
instant, by the Rev. Allan W. Webb, at the residence of the bride's father,
Isabella, Only daughter of Hugh Dixson, Esq,. of York-street, Sydney, to the
Rev. Frederick Hibberd, Baptist minister, Sydney. No cards.
(Sydney Morning Herald, Friday January 12, 1866)
Isabella’s family, particularly her father and brother, were involved
in the Baptist Church in New South Wales; Isabella and Frederick were very
close to her family.
Isabella Dixson and Frederick Hibberd had eight children. The children were:
·
Helen Mary
born 1 November 1866 in Sydney;
·
Isabella
Fredericka born 16 September 1868 in Launceston, Tasmania;
·
Frederick
Robert born 20 May 1871 in Sydney;
·
Evangeline
Alberta born in Sydney on 19 August 1873;
·
Beatrice
Elizabeth born in Sydney on 21 February 1876;
·
Emma
Elizabeth in Sydney on born 7 July 1878;
·
Ruth Avary
born in Sydney on 24 October 1879; and
·
Anne born
in Sydney in 1882.
Emma died on 3 December 1880 age 2, and was buried with her grandparents
(Isabella’s father had died the previous month). Only one, the third child, was a male. One wonders if Isabella ever thought it
ironic that she had been raised in a family predominantly of males and yet her
own family was predominantly female.
Having spent almost all her childhood in Sydney, Isabella lived in
Sydney for most of her adult life. From
1867 to 1870 she moved to Launceston, Tasmania followed by Sandhurst, Victoria for
Frederick’s various ministries. Frederick
was involved in a serious carriage accident in 1870 and the family returned to
Sydney to enable Frederick to convalesce.
Sometime after this, Frederick went to England – spending nearly 14
months away before returning in May 1875.
One wonders what Isabella felt to be “abandoned” with four young
children. I suspect her parents, particularly her mother, helped her a lot
during this time.
Sydney was still a growing city, and Isabella and Frederick moved to
the “new” suburb Ashfield, living in a house in Holden Street. They were instrumental in the establishment
of the Ashfield Baptist Church which was located in the same street. Isabella’s
brother had purchased this land! Considering
the time, Isabella was very active in the Church. She was often at meetings of Baptist
Committees and she organised fundraising events.
(One can only wonder at the extent of their pastoral care. In December 1884, 29-year-old Fredericka
Hilton was ill and dying in a home near the Hibberds in Holden Street. Whilst her stated religion was Church of
England, it is possible that either of the Hibberd's could have visited
Fredericka before her death. Nearly 110
years later Fredericka's great-great-granddaughter would marry Isabella’s
great-great-grandson.)
It is very likely the Dixson family assisted the Hibberd family
financially and family folklore would support this. Isabella’s brother, Hugh
Dixson, was managing director of a successful company, a devout Baptist and a
known philanthropist, donating large sums of money to the Baptist Union. Rev. Hibberd often gave his services
gratuitously, particularly in the establishment of the Ashfield Baptist
Church. The only logical way Rev.
Hibberd could do this was if the Dixson family funded him. In addition, Isabella’s mother, Helen Craig,
came to live with the family after her husband died in late 1880 and she may
have had access to money or at least was supported by her sons. The Hibberd family lived comfortably at a
time when Baptist Minister did not get paid particularly highly and certainly
did not have superannuation plans.
Frederick might have been instrumental in the development of the
Baptist Union of New South Wales, but it was money from Isabella’s family that
supported them.
Only three of Isabella’s seven adult children married and had children. Isabella Frederika was first to marry: in
1890 age 18. She had two children and
was pregnant with her third at the time that her older sister, Helen Mary,
married in 1893. Evangeline Alberta was
the only other daughter to marry: although she married twice, firstly to the
brother of her brother-in-law in 1898 and then again (after a divorce) in
1912. Isabella had 16 grandchildren:
although two died as infants: Helen had six children; Isabella Fredericka had
eight; and Evangeline had two (one in each marriage).
Isabella and Frederick moved to Carlingford around the turn of the
century. This house was also owned by
Hugh Dixson and was available for Isabella and Frederick’s use until their
deaths: Hugh Dixson’s Will outlined this arrangement. They named their home Sarum, which was the
old name of the city of Wiltshire – Frederick’s birthplace. Naming one's Australian home after one's
English hometown was very common! One of
their granddaughters, Gwenyth Harry, fondly told her own children about the
holidays spent in their home. This
residence is now a Nunnery.
Rev. Frederick Hibberd died on 28 October 1908, aged 73 – less than
two weeks after preaching a sermon. One
can imagine that after 42 years of marriage Isabella was sad at his passing
but, typical of the time, Frederick’s obituary merely mentioned Isabella’s
name. She didn’t even get listed as one
of the chief mourners – although her brothers did!
Isabella Hibberd, nee Dixson, died on 21 August 1920 in Sydney, at the
age of 75. She is buried with her
husband at Rookwood Cemetery, Sydney.
