Dennis Williams
Gone but not forgotten
George Dixon 1820-1898 (and Sir Robert Dowling en passant)
George Dixon, educational reformer, was born on the 1 July 1820 at Gomersal, near Bradford in Yorkshire. He was the son of Abraham Dixon of Whitehaven. Soon after his birth his father moved to Leeds and on the 26 January 1829 George entered Leeds Grammar School. In 1838 he moved to Birmingham and began working for Raybone Brothers and Company, Foreign Merchants. In 1844 he was made a partner and ultimately on the retirement of his brother Abraham he became head of the firm. In connection with the business he also spent three years in Australia.
After his return he became involved with municipal affairs. He was an active member of the Birmingham and Edgbaston Debating Society, in which almost all local politicians learned and practised the art of speaking. He embarked on several undertakings with a view to improving the condition of the people. Mainly owing to his efforts, Aston Hall and Park was secured for the town and he was also one of the original promoters of the Rifle Volunteer Movement in Birmingham, which was inaugurated at a meeting held in a Committee Room of the town Hall in December 1859.
In 1863 he was elected Councillor for Edgbaston Ward and on the 9 November 1866 he was elected Mayor. His year of office was memorable for the riots in June 1867 occasioned by the anti-popery propaganda of the zealots named William Murphy and of George Hammond Whalley. It was necessary to call out a squadron of hussars to disperse the mob, and Dixon, who had previously refused Murphy the use of the town Hall, rode boldly among the enraged crowd in the Bull Ring and read the Riot Act.
Dixon, who was an advanced liberal in politics, took an active interest in the question of popular education. Early in 1867 he initiated a series of conferences on the state of education in Birmingham, which were attended by representatives of all political parties and of various shades of religious thought. The conference passed a resolution that it was desirable to promote an act of parliament 'empowering municipal corporations to levy a rate for educational purposes', and another deprecating the employment of children of young age, unless due provision was made for their instruction at school. A third resolution advocating compulsory education, in which Dixon was supported by Joseph Chamberlain, found the Society divided in opinion. These conferences led to the formation of the Birmingham Education Aid Society, to provide additional schools and to pay fees of poor children.
In 1868, with the co-operation of Chamberlain, John Sandford, George Dawson and Robert William Dale, the national Education League was founded at a private meeting at Dixon's residence. It had for its object 'the establishment of the system which should secure the education of every child in England and Wales', and carried out active propaganda throughout the country. The first conference of the League was held in Birmingham on the 12 and 13 October 1869 when Dixon filled the office of President.
On the death of William Scholefield, Dixon was elected to Parliament for Birmingham on the 23 July 1867. On the introduction of the Elementary Education Bill by William Edward Forster in 1870, George took a leading part in endeavouring to amend it in accordance with the views of the advanced liberals. He moved an amendment to the second reading, opposing the proposal to leave the question of religious instruction to be determined by local authorities. The amendment was rejected after a long debate.
On 5 March 1872 he unsuccessfully moved a resolution in condemnation of the Elementary Education Act, chiefly because it omitted to provide for the general establishment of School Boards, and in 1874 he assisted with bringing in a Bill to make compulsory attendance general, which was supported by Forster, but not passed. Dixon was elected to the first Birmingham School Board on 28 November 1870 and was re-elected in 1873 and 1876 when he retired from Parliament due to the ill health of his wife.
In 1885 when the boundaries of the parliamentary borough of Birmingham were extended Dixon was elected for the Edgbaston division, a seat that he retained until his death in 1898. On 4 January 1898 Dixon received the honorary freedom of Birmingham from the City Council and just twenty days later he died at his residence, 'The Dales', at Edgbaston. He was buried in Witton Cemetery on 28 January.
He married in 1855, Mary, youngest daughter of James Stansfeld, Judge of the Halifax County Court, and sister of Sir James Stansfeld, She died on 25 March 1885, leaving three sons and three daughters.
Now my personal interest in the School, apart from the fact that they always beat us at Rugby and Cricket in the late 50s. was that when I joined the Edgbaston Golf Club circa 1990. One of the first blokes I befriended was an Irish character called Bob Dowling, who used ‘to teach a bit. Now apart from his legendary Celtic irreverence, with a vocabulary to match, and an almost zero tolerance for cant and hypocrisy, especially from the so called ‘establishment’, who outnumbered almost all of us ‘ordinary mortals at Edgbaston; he was an excellent opponent who allowed me to beat him regularly, and had a super son who became my Solicitor. So two out of two ain’t bad, but after I left after 7 or 8 years there, and we sort of lost contact….so imagine my surprise when I read this:
Head 'bowled over' by top honour
The latest head teacher to be knighted is expecting "a ragging" from his students when they find out.
Robert Dowling, head of George Dixon International School and Sixth Form College in Birmingham, is one of only a handful of people in education made a knight in the Queen's birthday honours.
Twelve years ago, Robert Dowling also founded Selly Oak Special School in Birmingham, and it is for "services to special needs education" that his award has been made. That school is now a leading centre for teaching children with dyslexia, and a "beacon" school praised by Ofsted for its excellence.
He has also gained a reputation for rescuing struggling schools - first Uffculme School in Birmingham, then George Dixon, where he has been head since 1999. He said he was "bowled over" when he got the letter about his knighthood. "My mouth just fell open, and my wife asked me what was wrong." He still hadn't come to terms with it.
But there won't be any "Sir Robert Dowling" on the head teacher's door - he says he calls himself Bob and will continue to do so.
'Ordinary bloke'
"You can't be head of a school and become a different person," he said. "I'm just an ordinary bloke just doing a job. I'm just doing what hundreds of other people do just as well. "You feel almost ashamed that other people haven't got it as well. I know some superb people in this job." He had not decided how to tell his students.
"I don't know how I'll face them because I'll get such a ragging," he said. "But they're a lovely bunch of kids and I think they'll be pleased and so will their parents. "This is a close-knit community in a deprived area."
Mr Dowling, 59, is from Co Kerry in south-west Ireland and he came to England in 1963. He has three children and two grandchildren.
https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4206239.stm
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=12510&highlight=George+Dixon
George Dixon, educational reformer, was born on the 1 July 1820 at Gomersal, near Bradford in Yorkshire. He was the son of Abraham Dixon of Whitehaven. Soon after his birth his father moved to Leeds and on the 26 January 1829 George entered Leeds Grammar School. In 1838 he moved to Birmingham and began working for Raybone Brothers and Company, Foreign Merchants. In 1844 he was made a partner and ultimately on the retirement of his brother Abraham he became head of the firm. In connection with the business he also spent three years in Australia.
After his return he became involved with municipal affairs. He was an active member of the Birmingham and Edgbaston Debating Society, in which almost all local politicians learned and practised the art of speaking. He embarked on several undertakings with a view to improving the condition of the people. Mainly owing to his efforts, Aston Hall and Park was secured for the town and he was also one of the original promoters of the Rifle Volunteer Movement in Birmingham, which was inaugurated at a meeting held in a Committee Room of the town Hall in December 1859.
In 1863 he was elected Councillor for Edgbaston Ward and on the 9 November 1866 he was elected Mayor. His year of office was memorable for the riots in June 1867 occasioned by the anti-popery propaganda of the zealots named William Murphy and of George Hammond Whalley. It was necessary to call out a squadron of hussars to disperse the mob, and Dixon, who had previously refused Murphy the use of the town Hall, rode boldly among the enraged crowd in the Bull Ring and read the Riot Act.
Dixon, who was an advanced liberal in politics, took an active interest in the question of popular education. Early in 1867 he initiated a series of conferences on the state of education in Birmingham, which were attended by representatives of all political parties and of various shades of religious thought. The conference passed a resolution that it was desirable to promote an act of parliament 'empowering municipal corporations to levy a rate for educational purposes', and another deprecating the employment of children of young age, unless due provision was made for their instruction at school. A third resolution advocating compulsory education, in which Dixon was supported by Joseph Chamberlain, found the Society divided in opinion. These conferences led to the formation of the Birmingham Education Aid Society, to provide additional schools and to pay fees of poor children.
In 1868, with the co-operation of Chamberlain, John Sandford, George Dawson and Robert William Dale, the national Education League was founded at a private meeting at Dixon's residence. It had for its object 'the establishment of the system which should secure the education of every child in England and Wales', and carried out active propaganda throughout the country. The first conference of the League was held in Birmingham on the 12 and 13 October 1869 when Dixon filled the office of President.
On the death of William Scholefield, Dixon was elected to Parliament for Birmingham on the 23 July 1867. On the introduction of the Elementary Education Bill by William Edward Forster in 1870, George took a leading part in endeavouring to amend it in accordance with the views of the advanced liberals. He moved an amendment to the second reading, opposing the proposal to leave the question of religious instruction to be determined by local authorities. The amendment was rejected after a long debate.
On 5 March 1872 he unsuccessfully moved a resolution in condemnation of the Elementary Education Act, chiefly because it omitted to provide for the general establishment of School Boards, and in 1874 he assisted with bringing in a Bill to make compulsory attendance general, which was supported by Forster, but not passed. Dixon was elected to the first Birmingham School Board on 28 November 1870 and was re-elected in 1873 and 1876 when he retired from Parliament due to the ill health of his wife.
In 1885 when the boundaries of the parliamentary borough of Birmingham were extended Dixon was elected for the Edgbaston division, a seat that he retained until his death in 1898. On 4 January 1898 Dixon received the honorary freedom of Birmingham from the City Council and just twenty days later he died at his residence, 'The Dales', at Edgbaston. He was buried in Witton Cemetery on 28 January.
He married in 1855, Mary, youngest daughter of James Stansfeld, Judge of the Halifax County Court, and sister of Sir James Stansfeld, She died on 25 March 1885, leaving three sons and three daughters.
Now my personal interest in the School, apart from the fact that they always beat us at Rugby and Cricket in the late 50s. was that when I joined the Edgbaston Golf Club circa 1990. One of the first blokes I befriended was an Irish character called Bob Dowling, who used ‘to teach a bit. Now apart from his legendary Celtic irreverence, with a vocabulary to match, and an almost zero tolerance for cant and hypocrisy, especially from the so called ‘establishment’, who outnumbered almost all of us ‘ordinary mortals at Edgbaston; he was an excellent opponent who allowed me to beat him regularly, and had a super son who became my Solicitor. So two out of two ain’t bad, but after I left after 7 or 8 years there, and we sort of lost contact….so imagine my surprise when I read this:
Head 'bowled over' by top honour
The latest head teacher to be knighted is expecting "a ragging" from his students when they find out.
Robert Dowling, head of George Dixon International School and Sixth Form College in Birmingham, is one of only a handful of people in education made a knight in the Queen's birthday honours.
Twelve years ago, Robert Dowling also founded Selly Oak Special School in Birmingham, and it is for "services to special needs education" that his award has been made. That school is now a leading centre for teaching children with dyslexia, and a "beacon" school praised by Ofsted for its excellence.
He has also gained a reputation for rescuing struggling schools - first Uffculme School in Birmingham, then George Dixon, where he has been head since 1999. He said he was "bowled over" when he got the letter about his knighthood. "My mouth just fell open, and my wife asked me what was wrong." He still hadn't come to terms with it.
But there won't be any "Sir Robert Dowling" on the head teacher's door - he says he calls himself Bob and will continue to do so.
'Ordinary bloke'
"You can't be head of a school and become a different person," he said. "I'm just an ordinary bloke just doing a job. I'm just doing what hundreds of other people do just as well. "You feel almost ashamed that other people haven't got it as well. I know some superb people in this job." He had not decided how to tell his students.
"I don't know how I'll face them because I'll get such a ragging," he said. "But they're a lovely bunch of kids and I think they'll be pleased and so will their parents. "This is a close-knit community in a deprived area."
Mr Dowling, 59, is from Co Kerry in south-west Ireland and he came to England in 1963. He has three children and two grandchildren.
https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4206239.stm
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=12510&highlight=George+Dixon
