West Row 8 – 1 – Smith/Dickins

Transcription

.  In memory of JANE SMITH for many years the valued and faithful servant to Major DICKINS who died 18th April 1896 aged 46 years.

Commentary

Jane Smith was born in England; she was a General Domestic Servant and lived at 21 New Road. Major Dickins was born in England in 1821 and was a Retired Major and Spt Agent. He is mentioned in ‘Second to None: A History of Coldstream’ when Beatrix Potter, author, illustrator, mycologist and conservationist visited Coldstream and particularly Lennel House in the summer and early Autumn of 1894. Beatrix met Major Dickins on Coldstream Bridge and the Lennel gamekeeper described him as ‘an old gentleman in knickerbockers, rather a bore, in fact an awful man’. It is recorded that Beatrix Potter wasn’t very impressed with Coldstream and district and clearly Major Dickins didn’t impress her either. Major Dickins could have taken part in several wars during his period in the army. He sounds like an affable chap and, as Beatrix Potter didn’t take to our area, the tendency is to take a liking to the Major. 

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