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I thought I was starting to get my head around all of this. Then along comes another complicated family.

That local magazine article provide a little detail on the Dickinson/Dickenson family:
"The Formby Brewery in Brewery Lane was run by the Dickenson family. They are shown as Thomas and William Rimmer Dickinson in the late 19th century and they provided the beer for the Railway Hotel in Duke Street, the Grapes in Thornton and the Liver at the top of South Road, Waterloo. They both appear in the 1885 Voters List. An Edward Dickenson can also be found as a publican at the Grapes. "
Formby Civic News, Spring 2016, page 6.
I assumed that I'd be able to easily find a death notice for William Rimmer Dickinson, given the unusual middle name. But a search of the newspaper archives retuned zero hits. Which meant I had to go with just "William Dickinson". Not an uncommon name.

I did manage to find some relevant stuff. Like this:
"Ball it the Railway Hotel, Formby.
A BALL will held Mr. THOMAS FORMBY’S, Railway Hotel, FORMBY, the 2nd February, 1869.

A Quadrille Band will be attendance. Gentlemen's Tickets, 3s. each; Ladies’ do., 2s. each; refreshments included. Tickets to be had from the following Stewards:
WILLIAM BALL, Formby.
JOHN WRIGHT, Formby.
THOMAS FAZAKERLEY, Formby.
GILBERT TYRER, Altcar.
WILLIAM DICKINSON, Waterloo. Or at the Railway Hotel, Formby."
Ormskirk Advertiser - Thursday 28 January 1869, page 1.

The Railway Hotel, you will recall, was one of the brewery's three tied houses. This is too early to be the same Dickinson, but he seems to have some involvement with the pub trade. Was he related to the later owners of the brewery? Note also the presence of someone called Tyrer. A Mr. Tyrer had been the owner of the brewery until his death in 1864. It's not exactly a common surname. I can't remember coming across it before.

I'm pretty sure this is William Rimmer Dickinson:
"Serious Trap Accident at Formby.—
Shortly after eight o’clock last evening a serious accident happened at Formby to a hourse and trap owned by Mr. E. Dickinson, of the Railway Station Hotel. It appears that Mr. William Dickinson, accompanied by two men named Mercer and Eccless, was driving home from the brewery at Freshfield along Liverpool-road to the station, and in turning a part of the road known as the Cross, to get into Duke-street, the trap came into collision with a large heap of frozen gravel lying on the side of the road. The vehicle was overturned, the horse fell, and the occupants were thrown out. Mercer and his companions were slightly injured about the knees, but Dickinson was more seriously cut about the head and face. He was conveyed to the residence of Mr. Sykes. and it was found that he had received a serious wound on the forehead. This was stitched up and he was taken home to his father's residence. The horse received several cuts about the legs, and the trap was very much damaged."
Liverpool Mercury - Saturday 25 February 1888, page 6.
E. Dickinson is surely Edward Dickinson. Though it looks like he had moved between the Grapes and the Railway Hotel. William definitely seems to have been involved with the brewery by this point. He must have been fairly young as he seems to have been living with his father.

When did the Dickinson's come into possession of the brewery. Did they buy it at the 1866 auction? More digging is required.



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