But what of Dixon, why Dixons? To find out we must firstly wind back the clock. Standing on lead, copper, iron, coal, and a goodly supply of timber from Sherwood Forest at Stave'ly (as it was ) all good base materials for the manufacture of glass. After the departure of the Romans, who had put these materials to good use (apparently they were so sick of humping their materials from Cestrafelt to Lincoln by road, tired of waiting for James Brindley to finish his 'By-Pass', they uped and went).

After lengthy discussions between various government and trade unions it was agreed to re-start the industrial revolution in the Eighteenth century as it was planned to have a re-match with France later that centuary.

The new rich industrialists became so annoyed about losing so many serfs through "taking the waters of the Rhother" that they urgently sought an alternative - wine or claret was far to good to waste on them. But ale was cheap and plentiful - that will do ( fortunately for the peasants keg beer had not been invented otherwise they would have stuck to the Rother ). "Right lads, we've got the beer - ere' but we've no glasses!". "Leave that to me" murmured a young Richard Dixon - "I'll make a few bottles as well once I've finished this stained glass window for St. Marys in town".

Somewhat a recluse was Richard Dixon, who appears to have commenced glass making at Glass House Common at New Whittington around 1710. Very little is known about him. Window glass, bottles and drinking glasses of the finest quality were his particular skills. Most often beautifully engraved, whatever the old coaching road to Sheffield added to them. But as his superb craftsmanship for fine glass blowing became better known, he became anxious to find a better means of transportation.

On hearing of Mr Brindleys ambitious plan for a canal to join the river Trent, the Dixon thought that they must stay at the forefront of technology and invest in an expensive rope way to self propel his goods from the Glass Houses ( although his new found prosperity transformed the Glass House into Whittington Hall ) - at the base of the decent, at Bilby Lane the Dixons had their own wharf constructed only fifty yards from where the victims of the previous centurys' Black Death epidemic were buried en mass. 200 yards from his fine stone wharf was the lock, built originally of mostly local stone. One can imagine what a little hive of industry it was; there was Dixons' glass coming down the ropeway from one direction and from the opposite, George Stephenson bringing coal from his Brimington Collierydown the new, superbly constructed wagonway, Bilby Lane.

Another of Dixons' riding, shooting and boozing mates was Sir Richard Barrow ( Should have been Burrow ) who was sinking shafts all over the place, iron ore at near by Inkersall and "nutty slack" at Norbriggs. Apart from having the cheek to burrow beneath Dixons' Lock, he built his own house on top of his own canal at Ringwood Hall. One thing is certain - his mole like activities meant Dixons Lock had, like a ritual dace, to be rebuilt every twenty years or so, and the laden Cuckoos slid along the mud as often as floating.

Richard Dixon claimed the home brewed ale at the Cock & Pynot (now the Revolution House ) at Whittington, was the best in town. He invited George S. and his business like son Robert, and also Sir Richard ( No doubt via Barrow Hill, for a jug of ale and a hot game pie. "Now then George, about your new fangled steam trains, could we get to Rotherham?" and thereby lies another tale...

Originally published in April - May 1990

Author - Doug Leeming