Manors and Estates - Sir John Poynder Dickson-Poynder

Sir John Poynder Dickson-Poynder, 1st Baron Islington GCMG, GBE, DSO, PC (31 October 1866 – 6 December 1936), born John Poynder Dickson and known as Sir John Poynder Dickson(-Poynder) from 1884 to 1910, was a British politician. The only son of Rear Admiral John Bourmaster Dickson and his first wife, Sarah Matilda, third daughter of Thomas Poynder of Hilmanston Manor, Wiltshire. He was born at Ryde on the Isle of Wight and educated at Harrow School, Harrow on the Hill, London and Christ Church College, Oxford University, Oxford. In 1884 he succeeded his uncle as sixth baronet, and on succeeding to his maternal uncle's property he assumed by royal licence the additional surname of Poynder on the 12th January 1888. He held the office of High Sheriff of Wiltshire in 1890.

He married Anne Beauclerk Dundas, daughter of Henry Robert Duncan Dundas, on 30 September 1896. The married couple only had one child Hon. Joan Alice Katherine Dickson-Poynder who was born on the 11 September 1897, and died 1987

Elected Conservative Member of Parliament for the Chippenham Division of Wiltshire in 1892, he joined the Liberals in 1905. He was a member of London County Council from 1898 to 1904, and also served in the Second Boer War with the Wiltshire Yeomanry (having formerly been commissioned into the volunteer battalion of the Royal Scots) as aide-de-camp to Lord Methuen, winning the DSO in 1900.

In 1910 Dickson was appointed Governor-General of New Zealand, a post he held for two years, and that same year was created Baron Islington, of Islington in the County of London. He was made a KCMG and Privy Counsellor in 1911, and in 1912 was appointed President of the Royal Commission on the Public Services of India, on which he served with Lord Ronaldshay, Herbert Fisher, Mr Justice Abdur Rahim, and others.

Two years later he became Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, and in 1915 he became Under-Secretary of State for India. He also chaired the Imperial Institute for eight years, and was in charge of the National Savings Committee from 1920 until 1926, when he was appointed GBE, having become GCMG thirteen years before.
Lord Islington died aged 70 at Hyde Park Gardens, London, and was buried at Hilmarton, Wiltshire, his barony and baronetcy becoming extinct at his death.

Hilmarton
The village is situated on the A3102 between the towns of Calne and Wootton Bassett, and 3 km (2 miles) south of Lyneham. The village contains the beautiful 12th century church of St. Laurence a small Baptist Chapel and a Victorian inn called The Duke.
Although the village has a history dating back many hundreds of years it was greatly transformed in the 19th century by the Poynder family who owned Hartham Park at Corsham, the family included John Poynder Dickson, 1st Baron Islington. The Poynders built a number of estate houses and almshouses and also built a substantial school that is now a thriving and well-regarded primary school in the area. Some of the older buildings remain, including five thatched cottages dating back to, at least, the 17th century. There are also a number of buildings to the north of the A3102 two of which have, in the past, served as Vicarages but are now private houses.

There are two crests. The first, for Poynder, is issuant out of the battlements of a castle Argent, charged with a cross-flory Gules, a dexter cubit arm vested Sable, charged with a key as in the arms, cuff Or, the hand Proper, holding a cross patée fitchée in bend also Argent. The second crest, for Dickson, is, over an armed arm brandishing a falchion Proper, a trident and spear in saltire.

Poynder Origins
The name poynder finds its origins with the ancient Anglo-Saxons of England. It was given to one who worked as a maker of points, which are cords for fastening together doublet and hose; a maker of garter belts. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the Old English word poynte, which meant "a tagged lace or cord made of twisted yarn, silk, or leather." It is also possible that the name is derived from the construction term pointing, which is the practice of fastening and sealing roofing tiles with mortar. This practice gained currency in the 13th century and was called pointing.

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore, spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. poynder has been recorded under many different variations, including Pointer, Poynter, Pointier and others. First found in Berkshire, where they were recorded in the 13th century.

Dickson Origins
Origin Displayed: Scottish. The name dickson comes from son of Dick which is a derivative of the personal name Richard. Prior to the invention of the printing press in the last hundred years, documents were basically unique. Names were written according to sound, and often appeared differently each time they were recorded. Spelling variations of the name dickson include Dixon, Dickson, Dixoun, Dikson, Dyxson, Dyckson, Dicksoun, Dicson and many more.

First found in Kirkcudbrightshire, where they held a family seat from early times. They were descended from the ancient Pictish Clan Keith, and the first Dickson was son of Richard Keith, son of the great Marischal of Scotland, who died in 1249, and Margaret daughter of the third Lord Douglas. Hence the clan has always claimed to be followers of the Douglas clan. The freedom of the North American colonies was enticing, and many Scots left to make the great crossing. It was a long and hard journey, but its reward was a place where there was more land than people and tolerance was far easier to come by. Many of these people came together to fight for a new nation in the American War of Independence, while others remained loyal to the old order as United Empire Loyalists. The ancestors of Scots in North America have recovered much of this heritage in the 20th century through clan societies and other such organizations. A search of immigration and passenger lists revealed many important and early immigrants to North America bearing the name of dickson: Joan Dickson who settled in Pennsylvania in 1682; Stephen Dickson settled in Virginia in 1619; one year before the "Mayflower"; William Dickson settled in Maryland in 1719.

Motto Translated: Fortes Fortuna Juvat - Fortune favours the Bold.