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Family
Marriage: Children:
  1. Middleton Woods Dickenson: Birth: 11 JUL 1827 in Franklin Co., Virginia. Death: 14 AUG 1851 in Paris, Edgar Co., Illinois

  2. Joseph Rives Dickenson: Birth: 17 SEP 1828 in Franklin Co., Virginia. Death: 7 AUG 1912 in Lemons Beach, Pierce Co., Washington

  3. Frances Rives Dickenson: Birth: 17 SEP 1828 in Franklin Co., Virginia. Death: 4 JUL 1903 in Paris, Edgar Co., Illinois

  4. John Edwin Dickenson: Birth: 3 NOV 1830 in Franklin Co., Virginia. Death: 8 MAR 1914 in Haskell, Haskell Co., Texas

  5. Isabella Woods Dickenson: Birth: 8 JAN 1832 in Franklin Co., Virginia. Death: 8 FEB 1832 in Franklin Co., Virginia

  6. Mary Ann Dickenson: Birth: 3 MAR 1833 in Franklin Co., Virginia. Death: 7 JUL 1834 in Franklin Co., Virginia

  7. James Alexander Dickenson: Birth: 18 NOV 1834 in Franklin Co., Virginia. Death: 25 NOV 1910 in San Diego, California

  8. Robert Henry Dickenson: Birth: 7 SEP 1838 in Edgar Co., Illinois. Death: 24 FEB 1849 in Edgar Co., Illinois

  9. William Wiley Dickenson: Birth: 19 DEC 1840 in Edgar Co., Illinois. Death: 2 JUN 1918 in Paris, Edgar Co., Illinois

  10. Samuel Noten Dickenson: Birth: 22 JUL 1845 in Edgar Co., Illinois. Death: 26 JUL 1919 in Grandville, Kent Co., Michigan


Sources
1. Title:   1850 United States Federal Census
Page:   Year: 1850; Census Place: District 19, Edgar, Illinois; Roll: M432_105; Page: 114B; Image: 234
Author:   Ancestry.com
Publication:   Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2009;

Notes
a. Note:   Robert was the son of John Dickenson and his wife, Isabella (Woods) Dickenson. He was born about six months after his fathe had died. He was named for his grandfathers, Robert Woods and Nathaniel Dickenson. Cynthia was the daughter of Joseph Rives and either a possible his first wife, Cynthia (Arnold) Rives or Mary Frances Prunty. She was educated at a girl's school in North Carolina, and was married to Robert at the family home, in Franklin County, on September 21, 1826. In 1834, discontent with the economic conditions then existing in Virginia and the lure of new and undeveloped land on the frontier led Robert to consider relocating his family. While on a journey to investigate the possibilities of settling in western Virginia, he received the following letter from his wife in Franklin County, dated November 15, 1834, and addressed to him "At Kanhawa Saline, Virginia":
  "Dear Husband:
  Father returned home the next day after leaving you in Fincastle, and told me that you did not get a situation to your liking; perhaps it is all right. The land in that country is very high and to get land unimproved would not suit us. I have heard since I saw you that Mr. Shrewsbury [husband of Sally Dickenson] intended to make you a very liberal offer and take you as a pardner in the store if you would except same, this news came from William Dickenson of Bedford. If this is the truth and we could have health would it not be the best for you to except of it and for me to have some person to help me to teach our own children and keep them as much under our own eye as we can (that is for a year or two) but if you think other plans best act the way you think best. I will be satisfied with whatever arrangements you make. If you accept of that offer and you think best I will go with you back when you come in and if it seems best I will stay here and teach school. George is going out tomorrow to see how many scholars he can get for me and I will teach school till Christmas or longer if we remain here, it will help the family here and be good for our children. I hope to commence tomorrow week. The family will move in to the new house this week. I will do the best I can on help to make some compensation for our board. I have been in right good spirits ever since we saw each other, feeling assured you would do what seemed best for us all. My health I hope is improving, the children with all the family are all well. Little James is now sitting by me eating potatoes and is a play thing for all the family. In all our ups and downs in this life let us not forget our home in heaven. We will soon be done with the things of this world even if we live out allotted time and what is all the world when compared to our immortal souls in all our toilings and cares let us be faithful and help each other in our own way to heaven. I feel much comforted while writing that we will ere long be settled and enjoy each others society again.
  Husband I feel a great solicitude for the welfare of our children & that they may take a right course in this world for when I think of my children taking a wrong course it is so hurtful to me and I know it is equally so with you; we have the scripture on our side that we should train up our children in the way they should go & that I could have the right spirit to govern my children. I pray that we may have the spirit of Christ and that we may be taught by that how to do right in all things and toward every person and as we grow in years we may ripen for eternity. You have a good chance to attend on the means of grace, go often to preaching and also to prayer meetings and take up your crosses daily and whenever you feel like exorting to do so if it seems to be right, you know not what good it might do. The Lord can bless the weakest means to the conversions of souls. I am trying to be more faithful and prayerful than I ever have been. Mrs Achords died a few days ago in the triumph of faith she left her infant child to Mrs. Nowlins. When you write me let me know what you think would be the best to do with the carryall. Mr. Eubank, I believe wants to buy it. I have applied to to no one or taken care to lend it and shall be very often pestered to lend it. If we stay here til Spring and I can get $60 for it would it not be the best to sell it? You must write to me often try to keep in good spirits and if you come in at christmas bring my flannel coat and the children's books, I write again when I get a letter from you. See to our things and try to keep my beds clean. It is getting late and I have got to send this letter to the office this evening. Tell aunt Stratton [Edna Dickenson Stratton] I saw her brother Pleasant [Pleasant Dickenson] yesterday and part of his family they were all well. Farewell.
  Cynthia A. Dickenson"
  [Note: Edna Dickenson Stratton, born September 15, 1770; William Dickenson, born January 7, 1772; Sally Dickenson Shrewsbury, born September 15, 1776 and Pleasant Dickenson born April 15, 1785 were the children of Joseph Dickenson of Bedford County who was born April 11, 1742 and died in 1818. Joseph married on March 6, 1769, in Buckingham County, Elizabeth Wooldridge who was born on January 11, 1744 and died on November 7, 1818. In addition to the references in the above letter, Joel Shrewsbury was an administrator of the estate of John Dickenson and a guardian of Robert Nathaniel Dickenson. Robert Nathaniel Dickenson was also the surety at the November 2, 1814 Franklin County wedding of Pleasant Dickenson and Martha C. Brown. There is obviously some connection between John Dickenson of Franklin County and Joseph Dickenson of Bedford County, however their relationship is not clear.]
  A little later, in 1835, despite Cynthia's disinclination to settle upon unimproved land, she and her husband moved from Virginia to the north arm of the Illinois prairie in what is now Edgar County, following the footsteps of the pioneers of 1817 and 1818. Mrs. Dickenson was one of the first, if not the first, female teachers in Edgar County, Illinois. She was said to be a woman of fine intellect, and of a personality which drew many friends to her. Her first dwelling place in Illinois Territory was a log cabin, built by Robert near the present site of Paris, in which they lived for fifteen years. They then moved into a more spacious two-story frame dwelling.
  Robert served in the Indian wars in the west, and was one of the first Recorders of Edgar County. He was elected to this office on August 17, 1838 and was reelected on August 15, 1843 and August 19, 1847. On November 21, 1849 he was named Clerk of the Edgar County Court. He held this office until his death in 1851. During this period, Abraham Lincoln was one of the judges of the old 8th Judicial District in Illinois, which included Edgar County, and family tradition has it that a warm friendship developed between the two men which was only terminated by Robert's death in 1851.
  When Robert and Cynthia arrived in Edgar County they purchased land in the extreme southwest corner of what is now Hunter township. Through this and subsequent purchases, they accumulated approximately 350 acres of land in what is known as the North Arm Community. Robert and Cynthia were the parents of 10 children, all of whom were successful in their chosen fields; farming, real estate, abstract business, etc. One daughter, Frances Rives, married a neighbor, David Shelby Curtis, who was the son of Joseph Curtis, a pioneer Methodist minister and nurseryman, and his wife, Hannah Shelby. David Curtis served as a captain in the 79th Illinois Volunteers and later took over his father's nursery business.
  One son, John Edwin, took part in the gold rush to California in 1849 and afterwards settled in Texas where he developed an extensive stock farm. Another son, James Alexander, founded the Edgar County Abstract Company, and served as deputy clerk of Edgar County under his uncle, George Washington Rives who in turn had followed Robert Nathaniel Dickenson in the position of County Clerk, following his death. Still another son, William Wiley, enlisted in the Union Army at the time of the Civil War and served with Company E, Illinois 12th Infantry from 1861-1865. He served in the Tennessee campaign and was in Sherman's notorious march to the sea. He engaged in farming on a portion of his parent's land near Paris and was also a member of the Board of Education of the Paris Schools.
  Robert and Cynthia are both buried in Blackburn Cemetery, Stratton Township, east of Paris; as are their sons, Middleton Woods who died in 1861 at the age of 24, and Robert Henry who died in 1849 at the age of 10. _____
  1850 U S CENSUS - Edgar Co., Illinois: Dickerson, Robert J. 57 b. VA, Franklin Co. Clerk Co. Ct. Dickerson, Cynthia A 45 b. VA, Franklin Co. Dickerson, Middleton W 22 b. VA, Franklin Co. lab. Dickerson, Joseph R 21 b. VA, Franklin Co. lab. Dickerson, John E 19 b. VA, Franklin Co. lab. Dickerson, James A 15 b. VA, Kanawah Co. lab. Dickerson, William W 9 b. IL, Edgar Co. Dickerson, Samuel 4 b. IL, Edgar Co. Quiett, Rizpa f 30 TN _____
  1850 United States Census:
  Name: Robert F Dickerson Residence: Edgar, Edgar, Illinois Age: 57 years Calculated Birth Year: 1793 Birthplace: Virginia Gender: Male Race (original): Race (expanded): Death Month: Death Year: Film Number: 7678 Digital GS Number: 4193354 Image Number: 00234 Line Number: 13 Dwelling House Number: 13 Family Number: 13 Marital Status: Free or Slave: Household Gender Age Robert F Dickerson M 57y Cynthia A Dickerson F 45y Middleton W Dickerson M 22y Joseph R Dickerson M 21y John E Dickerson M 19y James A Dickerson M 15y William W Dickerson M 9y Samuel Dickerson M 4y Rizpa Quiett F 30y _____
  1860 U S CENSUS - Town of Paris, Edgar Co., Illinois - page 4: Cynthia Dickenson 54 f b. VA James A. Dickenson 25 m b. VA William Dickenson 19 m b. IL Saml. N. Dickenson 14 m b. IL


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