British colonial civil servant
Sir John Frederick Dickson KCMG (17 September 1835 – 21 December 1891),[1] was a British colonial administrator in Singapore. He was also President of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society from 1886 to 1891.[2] He translated and edited the Upasampadā-kammavācā and the Patimokkha.[3]
Education
Dickson graduated from Westminster School and then Christ Church, Oxford with B.A. in 1859 and M.A. in 1873.[4][5]
Career
Dickson entered the Ceylon Civil Service as a writer on 28 February 1859 and served in Ceylon until 1885,[5][6][7] including a position as the Central Provincial Government Agent. He arrived in Singapore in 1885 to receive instruction on becoming the new Colonial Secretary in Singapore, which he served until 1891.[4][5]
In 1885 Dickson formally took office in Singapore as Colonial Secretary in the Straits Settlements, as the successor to Cecil Clementi Smith, who resigned as Colonial Secretary to accept a promotion to Governor of the Straits Settlements and High Commissioner to Malaya. For three separate occasions in 1887, 1889 and 1890, he performed administrative duties for governors during their absence.[4][5][8]
As Colonial Secretary, he instructed the Public Works Department to maintain the historical inscriptions, granite stones, and brick works in the cemetery on Government Hill.[9]
Death
Dickson died in 1891 in Paddington.
Family
J. Frederick Dickson was twice married.[5] He was married to his first wife from 1859 until her death in 1866. His second wife was Emily, Lady Dickson, née Emily Ayton Lee (christened on 2 September 1842, married in 1875 in Kensington and died on 10 October 1924).[10]
Honours
Dickson was made C.M.G. in 1883[4][5][6][11] and K.C.M.G. in 1888.[4][5][7][12] The resort town of Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia (locally known as PD) is named in his honour.
