Dixon Heraldry

(Purported Dixon Arms on a coaster sold in Edinburgh, Scotland)

isbet in his Heraldry (Edinburgh, 1722) says the Dicksons are descended from one Richard Keith, said to be a son of the family of Keiths Earls Marshall of Scotland, and in proof thereof carry in their arms the chief of Keith Marischal.

This Richard was commonly called Dick, and his sons were styled after him, the affix of son in the Lowlands answering to the prefix of Mac in the Highlands.

It is probable that he was the son of  the Great Marshal Hervey de Keith who died in 1249, by his wife Margaret, daughter of William, third Lord Douglas, because it was customary in Scotland in those days before the introduction of quartering for cadets to compose their Arms by adding to their paternal bearings a part or the whole of their mother's Arms to show their maternal descent, and to difference themselves from other descendants of the family, and the Arms of Keith are Argent on a Chief gules three pallets or ( but Nisbet says in several paintings the chief is paly of six or and gules, which agrees with their traditional origin...and also agrees with the Chief of Dickson of Bughtrig ), while the House of Douglas, before the death of the Bruce in 1329, bore simply Azure three mullets argent.

Some of the Dicksons seem to have preferred the Douglas mullets alone, for Thomas of Hazelside, who succeeded his father in 1307, bore a sword between two mullets, and other bore mullets only.

The Dicksons of Buhtrig, however, bore the Chief of Keith with the Douglas mullets in base, a perfect specimen of composed Arms."      

- B. Homer Dixon, The Clan Dickson

Examples of Dickson Arms

Dickson that Ilk

Dikesoun of that Ilk, taken from illustration in Workman, displays a figure described as "a lion (wehr wolf?) passant". Charles Decksoune, 1481, carried the same, but substituting the crescent for the middle star. In 1527, Isabel Dyxcoun arms show merely the three stars on a shield with no chief. These and other arms from as early as 1388 (in names of Dicson and Dyxcoun), particularly around Peebles, Smithfield, and Winkstone, bear the star figure common to most all Dickson arms, but no indication of connection with Clan Keith.

Dickson of Ormiston

The 'werewolf' on the arms of Dickson of Ormiston from David Lindsay of the Mount's Armorial of 1542.  

 

Dickson of Ormiston

 

The 'werewolf' on the arms of Dickson of Ormiston from the Slains Armorial of 1565.  

Dicsoun - also from the Slains Armorial.

 

Dicisone of Armstrang (Dickson in Liddesdale)

 

Nisbet, A System of Heraldry, vol 1, p. 335, Nisbet discusses werewolves:

"I shall, therefore, end here with four-footed beasts, only mentioning one of a monstrous form, carried with us; its body is like a wolf, having four feet with long toes, and a tail ; it is headed like a man, called in our books a warwolf, carried by Dickison of Winkleston, azure, a warwolf passant, and three stars in chief argent : so blazoned by Mr. Thomas Crawfurd, and illuminated in several books ; which are also to be seen cut upon a stone above an old entry of a house in the Cowgate in Edinburgh, above the foot of Libberton's wynd, which belonged formerly to the name of Dickison, which name seems to be from the Dicksons by the stars which they carry."

Nisbet does not contain any other indication of other families using this charge.

"The Border or Riding Clans followed by a History of the Clan Dixon", B. Homer Dixon, K.N.L. (Albany NY Joel Munsell's Sons, 1889) gives the discussion of some arms of the family. Some, but not all, use the "wehr-wolf." 

 

Dickson of Inneresk

Dickson of Inneresk. The Lyon's register as early as 1672 acknowledges Dickson descendancy from Keith Marischal and continue in most cases, with the star figures seen earlier. Notably we see here a chief common to Keith arms. With some Dickson's difference is achieved by color reversals (object and background colors switched) and by other color changes, whiles figures and their placement remain the same as in Inneresk.  Motto: Cubo sed curo

Dickson of Bughtrig

Dickson of Bughtrig carries a chief the same as Keith and with stars as here but colored blue.  Motto: Fortes fortuna juvat

Dickson of Bughtrig. Motto: Memor esto

Possibly Dickson of Sydenham		Dickson of Huntlaw
Dickson of Clonleharde		Dickson (Dublin)
(Limerick)
	Swedish Dicksons

 Additional Information on Dickson Armory

A System of Heraldry
Alexander Nisbet, Gent. Vol. I. p. 74

They of the surname of Dickson, as descended of one Richard Keith, said to be a son of the family of Keith Marischal, took their name from Richard, (called in the south country Dick), and to show themselves to be descended of Keith Earl Marischal, they carry the chief of Keith. There are several families of the name of Dickson, of a good old standing, in the shire of Berwick.

(Please note: the illustrations of the following coats of arms are copyrighted to Anthony Maxwell and are used with permission.)

Dickson of Bughtrig there, azure, three mullets argent, on a chief or, as many pallets gules; crest, a hand holding a sword in bend, proper: with the motto, Fortes fortuna juvat. L.R.

Bughtrig

Dickson of Belchester, now the only old family of that name since Bughtrig has failed, carries the same as Bughtrig. The next to it is Dickson of Newbigging, who carries the same also, with additional figures for his difference.

Mr Alexander Dickson of Wester-Binning, descended of Bughtrig, carries as Bughtrig, within a bordure engrailed gules; crest, a man's heart, proper, winged argent: motto, Coelum versus.

Wester-Binning

Sir Robert Dickson of Sornbegg, now designed of Inneresk, argent, three stars gules, on a chief of the last, as many pallets or; crest, a hart couchant and gardant proper, attired or, within two branches of laurel disposed orle-ways. L.R.
 

Sornbegg

Roll of Scottish Arms Part 1 Volume 1 A-G
Edited by Lt. Colonel Gayre of Gayre and Nigg p. 96-97

Dickson of Bughtrig, Mr Robert, Advocat
Arms: azur three mollets argent On a chief Or alse many pallets gules. Crest: a dexter hand grasping a Sword in bend proper. Motto: Fortes Fortuna Juvat
Vo.I, p.284. 1672-1680

Dickson of Sornbeg, Captain Robert
Arms: argent three mollets gules on a chief of the second as many pales or. Crest: within two branches of Laurel disposed in orle an hart couchant and guardant proper attyred or. Motto: Cubo Sed Cuvo.
Nota: Sirname was originally Keith.
Vol. I, p.290. 14.9.1694

Dicksone of Westerbinning, Mr Alexander
Arms: azur three mollets argent on a chiefe Or, alse many pallets gules a bordur engrailed of ye third. Crest: a mans heart volant proper with wings argent. Motto: Coelum
Vol. I, p.284. 1672-1680


The Clan Dickson by B. Homer Dixon, 1889
Arms P. 172

Belchester. Az. three mullets ar. on a chief or, as many pallets gu. Crest - A dexter hand holding a sword in bend ppr. Motto - Fortes fortuna juvat.

Blackbeck, etc. Quarterly, first and fourth az. three mullets ar. on a chief or, as many pallets gu. for Dickson. Second and third, ar. on a chevron between three goat's heads erased sa. as many escallops of the field for Benson. Crest - First Dickson. A dexter hand holding a sword in bend ppr. Second Benson. A goat's head as in the Arms.

Buhtrig. The same as afterwards borne by Belchester.

Chatto, etc. Same Arms as Dickson of Huntlaw, with the bar engrailed. Same Crest and Motto.

Clockbriggs. Per fess az. and arg. in chief a martlet or, between two mullets of the second and in base a ship in full sail with sea, between a garb and thistle all ppr., on a chief of the third three pallets gu. On a canton the Decoration of the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour. Crest - A dexter hand holding a sword in bend ppr. Motto - Fortes fortuna juvat.

Clonleharde. Az. a crescent between three mullets ar. on a chief or, as many pallets gu. Crest - Out of battlements a naked arm embowed holding a sword all ppr. Motto - Fortes fortuna juvat. 
(Note: Samuel Auchmuty Dickson, Esq. of Clonleharde, county Limerick, had a Dickson arms confirmed to him by the English Herald's College, with a mark of Cadency. p.170 Clan Dickson Families)

Glenham Hall, vide Alexander G. Dickson (Major)

Huntlaw Az. a bar or, between three mullets ar. ON a chief of the second two pallets gu. Crest - A dexter hand holding a sword in bend ppr. Motto - Fortes fortuna juvat

Ilk. Of that, vide Ormiston.

Inveresk. Ar. three mullets gu. on a chief of the second as many pallets or. Crest - A hart couchant and guardant ppr. attired or, within two branches of laurel disposed orleways. Motto - Cubo sed curo.

Newbigging. The same as Buhtrig, with additional figures for difference as Nisbet says, but he does not blazon these marks of cadency.

Ormiston. Ar. a wehr wolf sa., on a chief az. three mullets of the first. This coat of arms marked "Dikesoun of yat Ilk," and attributed to Ormeston, is emblazoned in the MS. of Sir David Lyndsay of the Mount, Lord Lyon King at Arms, A.D. 1542. A wehr wolf is a human -faced one, a heraldic animal, the French loup-garou.

Panbride. The same as Clockbriggs within a bordure gu., but without the canton. Same Crest and Motto.

Smithfield. Ar. three mullets, a chief gu. From a Funeral Escutcheon of the Hay Family.

Sydenham. Az. an anchor erect or, encircled with an oak wreath vert, between three mullets pierced of the second. On a chief of the last three pallets gu., the centre one surmounted by a mural crown ar. Crest - An armed arm embowed brandishing a falchion ppr. surmounted of a trident and spear in saltire or. Motto - Fortes fortuna juvat.

Westerbinning. Az. three mullets ar. on a chief, or, as many pallets gu., the whole within a bordure engrailed of the third. Crest - A man's heart ppr. winged ar. Motto - Coelum versus.

Winkston. Ar. a werewolf passant ppr. on a chief az. three mullets of the first. Crest - A pelican in her piety. A branch of this house as already mentioned quartered a bull's head sa. langued gu. armed or, on a chief of the third an armory sword ppr.
Note: A scion of this house went to Ireland and on the 4th March, 1646, Roberts, Ulster Herald, registered to "John Dixon, Sergeant Major in Colonel Arthur Fox's Regiment of foot, descended from a very ancient and noble family of Dixon in the Marches of Scotland," the following Arms - First and fourth, ar. a war-wolf passant ppr. on a chief az., three mullets of the first. Second and third, a bull's head couped sa. langed gu. armed or. On a chief of
the third an armory sword ppr. Crest - A pelican in her next feeding her young. The quarterings show that one of the family married an heiress of the Turnbulls.

Woodville. The same as Clockbriggs within a bordure ar. but without the canton. Same Crest and Motto.

Major Alexander G. Dickson, M.P., of Glenham Hall, co. Suffolk. The Arms of Belchester.

B. Homer Dixon, K.N.L., Toronto. Ar. three mullets gu. on a chief or, as many pallets of the second. Crest - A hand holding a sword in bend ppr. Motto - Fortes fortuna juvat.

Charles Descksoune, A.D. 1481. A lion passant. On a chief a crescent between two mullets. "s. Charles Decksoune." Dalhousie Charters. This seal of the year 1481, is from Laing's Descriptive Catalogue of Scottish Seals. Not being very legible a wehr wolf has probably been mistaken for a lion. "S." is the abbreviation of the Latin for "Seal of." The name generally accompanied the arms on old seals.

Sir Collingwood Dickson, G.C.B., V.C., Officer of the Order of the Legion of Honour, General in the Army. (Son of the late Admiral Sir Alexander Dickson, G.C.B., K.C. H. and A.D.C. to King William IV). Same Arms and Motto as Dickson of Sydenham, Bart. Crest - The same also, a crescent on the arm for difference.

Isabella Dyxcoun, wife of W. Nicolson. Three mullets. "s. Isabel Dyxcoun." Appended to Reversion of one husband-land in the town of Yester, A.D. 1527. Tweeddale Charters.

Sir Jeremiah Dickson, K.C.B., Major General. Ar. chevron between three estoiles of six points wavy gu. on a chief of the last as many pallets or. Crest - On a mural crown or a stag couchant guardant ppr. attired or.

Baron Oscar Dickson, of Gothenburg. Quarterly, first and fourth ar. a rose gu. Second and third upon a bend an estoile ar. on an inescutcheon az. a man's heart ppr. winged ar. Crest - Over a baronial coronet, two coronetted helmets, on the first a man's heart as in the arms, and over the other a laurel wreath vert. Motto - Coelum versus.

Richard Dickson, Esq. Stocton-upon-Tees. Ar. three mullets gu. within a bordure engrailed az. bezantee, on a chief of the second three pallets or. Crest - On a mount vert between two branches of palm a buck lodged in front of a tree all ppr.

The Werewolf in Medieval Literature

As far as I can determine, the Dicksons are the only Scottish family to bear a werewolf as a charge in their arms.  It is possible that the werewolf refers to Dickson service as mercenaries in Ireland as the werewolf was an emblem of the predatory and ferocious nature of foreign soldiers in that war torn country.

Whatever the reason for their choice, the werewolf was a familiar medieval symbol at a time when the culture had highly regulated social and religious rules; rules which were often only a veneer masking more elemental behavior. We can only speculate on the meaning of the Dickson werewolf, but we can also examine medieval thinking regarding this imagery.

 Two medieval lays associated with the transformation of knights into werewolves and back again popular in 12th and 13th century Europe were Bisclavret by Marie de France, written between 1190 and 1204, and Melion, an anonymous story thought to have been composed by a professional Picard jongleur (storyteller).

The first two websites listed below translate the lays while the third website compares and contrasts the stories. Not only interesting reading, Bisclavret and Melion  may also give an insight into the meaning of the Dickson werewolf.

1. BISCLAVRET
Marie de France, translated Judith P. Shoaf

2. MELION
Unknown, translated by Dr. Helen Nicholson

3. Metamorphosis and Return in the Lays of Bisclavret and Melion
by Robyn A. Holman

FhaoilGeal

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