John Philip Dixon

John Philip Dixon was a Freemason, member of Lodge Temperance 2557 and one of our forgotten war heroes. He is not listed in the Lodge Temperance WW1 Roll of Honour although the Lodge registers show he was on war service.

At the Lodge Temperance 2557 meeting held at the Royal Assembly Rooms, Westgate Road, on the 18th March 1918 John was proposed by Bro Charles Lamb and seconded by Bro Robert Hindmarsh, Senior Steward as a fit and proper person to be made a Freemason. He was a 21 year old Engineer residing at 21, Alexandra Road, Heaton, Newcastle Upon Tyne.  A successful ballot was held on 21st October 1918 and he was initiated into the mysteries and privileges of Ancient Freemasonry at the same meeting. He was passed to the second or Fellowcraft degree on the 19th May 1919 and raised to the Sublime degree of a Master Mason on 16th February 1920. He signed his Grand Lodge certificate on 29th March 1920. His time with Lodge Temperance 2557 was limited as the records show he resigned on 13th October 1920.

Unfortunately the service and pension records for John’s time during the war can’t be found so are likely among the 60% of the Service Records irretrievably damaged or lost as a result of enemy bombing in 1940. There are many John P Dixon’s listed in the medal index cards and rolls but without an idea of his service it’s not possible to confidently identify him, although it’s possible he was with the 1/7th Northumberland Fusiliers as a Private with regimental service number 84020.

John was born on 18th September 1896 to John Joseph and Margaret Dixon in Newcastle Upon Tyne. John Senior, from Prestwich, Northumberland in 1901 was a waiter for Lockhart’s Cocoa Rooms in Newcastle upon Tyne, a chain of alcohol-free coffee places established in Victorian times as an alternative to pubs. In 1911 he was the owner and proprietor of his own café. He married Margaret Ann Fraser in 1895 in Newcastle Upon Tyne and they had two children:

  • Blanche Isabella (15/2/1895 – 8/2/1975)
  • John Philip (18/09/1896 – 25/05/1984)

John married Lily Davidson in Dinnington, Northumberland on 29th April 1923 and lived for several years in Walker but by 1939 they had relocated to Bristol, Gloucestershire where John was working as an aero engine inspector. It’s not known if they had any children.

John died age 87 on 25th May 1984 in Hythe, Kent and Lily in Jan 1990 aged 89 also in Kent.