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Sydenham was born about 1735, the son of Joseph Dixon and Mary Brookes, at Stamford, Lincolnshire.
He began his apprenticeship as a wheelwright to his elder brother Thomas Dixon in Stamford in 1749. By 1756, after he had become qualified, he worked for his brother for some years in Stamford. But he didn't want this life. He wanted adventure. He wanted to join the East India Company, as an Army officer. Thomas was dying, and using the resources of his two very influential London brothers Richard and Joe, Sydenham obtained a cadetship with the Company. Thomas finally died, on November 30, 1761, aged 35, leaving 10 pounds in his will to Sydenham. Sydenham wasted no time. He couldn't afford to. He was almost 27. With his money in his pocket he took the fast coach down the Great Northern Road to London, stayed |
with Richard for a few days, then on December 14, 1761 boarded the "Hardwicke" bound for Fort St George (Madras).
The "Hardwicke", under the command of Capt. Brooke Sampson, finally left Portsmouth on March 26, 1762, arriving in Madras on Aug. 8, 1762. Sydenham was promoted to ensign on December 29, 1762, and to lieutenant on Oct. 15, 1764, by which time he had been transferred to the fledgling Marines, serving off the Coromandel Coast and also inland with Capt. John Clark's Artillery Company at Vellore. The 1764-65 garrison at Vellore comprised Capt. Clark, Lt. Dixon, two ensigns (one of them an invalid ), seven sergeants, two corporals, three drummers, 13 privates, and 25 topasses. Sydenham fell with Clark near Vellore in early 1766, but his body was never recovered |
| Sydenham Dixon |
b: abt 1735 c: 23 Mar 1735 All Saints, Stamford, Lincolnshire son of Joseph Dixon and Mary Brookes |
| Sydenham Dixon | Missing in action, 1766 |