John Dickinson (1681-1780) of Woodend
John was remarkable in that, as the Lamplugh register notes, he lived to the age of 99. His sister Mary lived to be 97. Her husband managed a respectable 92. Their son managed 101. These aren't crazy ages from bad research, but actual ages noted and supported in the records. Maybe they were just competing with each other?
John's first wife was Deborah Dickinson of Streetgate. They had four children together, the birth of the last killing her. Their first child, Anne, baptised in 1703 was alive in 1712 but not by 1765. The survivors were Thomas (1706-1780) and Abigail (1708-), both of whom outlived their father.
The second marriage was to Isabel Hodgson, some months after Deborah's death, their only child Deborah named in memory. The marriage lasted some years, and she would have been the emotional mother for the whole family.
The third marriage would seem a big mistake on John's part. At the age of 84, John married a pregnant Elizabeth Johnson. The child Anne was born two months later. Maybe the child actually was his, or perhaps he saw the marriage as a way to save a damsel in distress - whatever, the trade-off between companionship and security worked for both parties. I haven't seen the marriage settlement, which is archived.
John became Steward to Lamplugh Hall, so appears to have had savvy, but possibly lived beyond an age that was comfortable for his only son, Thomas. John's will gave Thomas the ownership of Woodend, but ringfenced the rights of his widow Elizabeth and her child (requiring Thomas to make an immediate £55 to his stepmother, and £60 to the child when she reached her majority, or to lose some land), and gave her occupation of Woodend. That must have been a bitter blow for Thomas, but there is an oddity about the will. Elizabeth was only given occupation for four years. There doesn't seem to be any attempt to safeguard her interests after that.
John's greatest achievement was to purchase the neighbouring Redhow. This had been owned by John Wood (-1703). The estate went to his granddaughter Ann, wife of John Wilkinson, and in 1752 to Henry Wilkinson of Dumfries. After remortgaging, he finally placed the estate on public auction at the Black Bull in Cockermouth in 1758. The sale particulars described the Redhow estate as a 'house, 60 acres of 'improveable land', grassing for 2 head of cattle on Woodmoor stinted pasture; all very convenient for Cockermouth, Egremont, Whitehaven, and Workington Markets; rights on "two good Commons called Lamplugh Fell and Whillymoor"; now let for £24 a year.' The 'fine' [view it as a land transfer tax] described it as '1 house, 15 acres land, 15 acres meadow, 30 acres pasture, and common of pasture for cattle'. John Dickinson got the lot for £900. He mortgaged twice, in 1761 and 1773, but his son Thomas was certainly occupying between 1761 and 1765, and probably into the 1780s.
Thomas Dickinson of Redhow (1706-1788)
I feel rather sorry for Thomas - a life that never quite seemed to get anywhere. Even the baptismal entry in the Lamplugh register was bungled. His mother is listed as 'Jane' rather than 'Deborah' - an evident confusion in the clerk's mind between 'John and Deborah Dickinson of Woodend' and 'John and Jane Dickinson of Streetgate'.
The register notes that he was born on the 6th January 1706 at two o'clock in the afternoon, and baptised on the 10th. He was a beneficiary in the 1712 will of Mary Dickinson as her grandson. He may have been the Thomas Dickinson of Lamplugh who married Mary Jenkinson 19-10-1734 in Arlecdon, but in that case their marriage was childless until 1761. He was at Redhow when his son, John, was baptised in 23-12-1761 and died two days later on Christmas Day.
The next that I have of him is in a letter written in 1765, which mentions 'John Dickinson of Woodend and his son Thomas Dickinson of Redhow'.
He was given Woodend in his father's 1778 will, but there was serious provision for his stepmother and her infant daughter. Elizabeth got full occupation of Woodend for four years - and, moreover, was made executrix. In 1780, after his father's death, Thomas withdrew from a legal case. He was buried 08-05-1788. His probate (which I haven't seen) is dated 20-06-1788. His widow, Mary, was buried, as of Redhow 06-02-1799. This all suggests that Thomas remained at Redhow until his death (Woodend would appear to have been occupied by David Dickinson of Lackerton Wood). I haven't seen the 1817 sale documents, which recite the history of the estate, and maybe these can clarify.
Abigail Wilson of Workington (1708-1799)
Abigail was baptised 07-03-1708. She married 23-12-1732 to John Wilson of Southfield in Winscales in Workington. She wrote her will in 1790 with a codicil in 1797. I haven't seen these.
She became the sole heir of Woodend and Redhow. I haven't researched the family, but what I take to be their grandchildren or great-grandchildren, Joseph and John Wilson, were producing baptismal entries, as of Redhow, from 1800 to 1812.
The Wilsons remortgaged Woodend and Redhow during this period. They sold a two acre plot of land in 1806 to Isaac Dickinson of Workington (who was beginning to create a house at Havercroft). and the rest to his brother Joseph in 1817 for £3,700. The fine described the estate as '2 houses, 100 acres of arable meadow and pasture, common of pasture and turbary'. This created the modern Red How Estate.
Deborah Laboran of Cockermouth (1713-)
Deborah was born 25-02-1713 and baptised 15-03-1713 on Lamplugh. She married 25-10-1714 to Richard Laboran of Cockermouth, a hatter. She was still alive when her father wrote his will.
The IGI lists at least two children, Thomas and Elizabeth, but I haven't done any research.
Anne Dickinson of Lund in Lamplugh (1765-1793)
Anne was baptised 26-05-1765 in Lamplugh. She was buried, unmarried, 29-12-1793, when she was described as of Lund in Lamplugh.