My wife's ancestors - Dicey - Contents

Cluer Dicey

• Sources yet to be consulted:
  • Will (and here) of Cluer Dicey, [PRO.UK] PROB 11/1012.

St. Peter's Church, Claybrooke Parva (opposite Claybrooke Hall), burial place of Cluer Dicey.
Photo 2007 by Mat Fascione. See terms of use.
See more photos of the church on Geograph and Flickr.

Cluer Dicey, born 28 Jan 1714,
printer and bookseller, partner in his father's publishing business,
in 1736 he was sent by his father to run John Cluer's printing business in Bow Church Yard, London,
mar 7 Oct 1738 to Maria Nutshawe [or Mary, of Cheshire],
he printed a catalogue with his father 1754,
ran the business after his father's death 1756, continued in both printing and patent medicines,
Maria died Tue 3 Feb 1761, at Northampton [Daily Advertiser, Fri 6 Feb 1761],
the young James Boswell visited in July 1763 to: "the old printing-office in Bow Church-yard kept by Dicey, whose family have kept it four score years. There are ushered into the world of literature "Jack and the Giants", "The Seven Wise Men of Gotham", and other story-books which in my dawning years amused me as much as "Rasselas" does now",

he printed a catalogue with Richard Marshall 1764,
it shows they printed a range of maps, prints, music and chapbooks, "Printed and sold by Cluer Dicey, and Richard Marshall at the printing office, in Aldermary Churchyard, London",
Aldermary was the Marshall premises, Aldermary Churchyard, a bit SE of the Bow church yard premises (see map and map and street view), also listed as "no.4, Aldermary Church Yard, Bow Lane",
[Simmons, 2000] says: "The 1764 catalogue .. was probably larger than any catalogue categorising and listing cheap maps, images and texts that had up to then appeared in the British Isles or probably in any European country.",
note says the 1764 catalogue "is an important source for the study of the lower end of the eighteenth-century book and publishing trade.",

his company were the first printers of the nursery rhyme Simple Simon (1764),
still owned the Northampton Mercury,
in 1765 he purchased Claybrooke Hall, Leicestershire (some distance NW of Northampton),
the conveyance of Claybrooke Hall and lands from George Byrd to Cluer Dicey is dated 11 Oct 1767,
will dated 17 Sept 1772, refers to Dicey business still at Bow Church Yard,
he died 3 October 1775, age 61 yrs,
bur in St. Peter's Church, Claybrooke Parva (opposite Claybrooke Hall),
the religious writer Hannah More wrote an epitaph to him, which was inscribed on his memorial tablet, (todo) see,
had issue:

1. William Dicey, born 16 July 1739,
   died 3 Sept 1739, age 2 months.

   
   

2. Charlotte Dicey, born 17 Feb 1740,
   mar 1764 to Dr. William Kerr [born 1738] and had issue.

   
   

3. Thomas Dicey, born 26 Mar 1742,
   of Claybrooke Hall, Leicestershire,
   ran the Northampton Mercury,
   mar 4 Mar 1766 to Ann Ward [dau of Rev. William Ward],
   see note on their family in [Archives of the Frewen Family, East Sussex Record Office],
   heir of his father in 1775,
   an ad of 1777 shows Dicey business still at Bow Church Yard, still selling Dr. Bateman's Pectoral Drops,
   in 1779 he is described as "of Stocks Hall near Jarington", Buckinghamshire (unidentified), as well as the owner of Claybrooke Hall,
   they were resident at Upper Tooting, Surrey, 1798-1800,
   he was a vestryman of Bow church until c.1800 when he may have retired from business in London,
   he died 21 Oct 1807, age 65 yrs,
   she fl 1807, possibly fl 1813, see note in [Hannah More papers, Harvard University],
   had issue:
   1. Anna Dicey, died young, 3 Oct 1801.

   2. Emma Dicey,
      died young, 28 Apr 1805, funeral in Claybrooke,
      Hannah More also wrote an epitaph to her.

   3. Clara Dicey, born 3 September 1784.

   4. Thomas Edward Dicey,
      born at Claybrooke Hall on 11 October 1789, NOT 1798.

   
   

4. Sarah Ann Dicey, born 1746,
   or Sarah Anne,
   spelt "Sarah Ann" in father's will,
   mar George Rigby [of London],
   she died pre-1779,
   had issue:
   1. Sarah Ann Rigby (or Sarah Anne).

5. Elizabeth Dicey,
   died pre-1772,
   referred to in father's will of 1772.

Epitaph to Cluer Dicey (died 1775), by Hannah More, on Dicey's tomb, St. Peter's Church, Claybrooke.
From The works of Hannah More, with a memoir and notes, Hannah More, 1834, vol.6, p.12.
Also in The Works of Hannah More: Including Several Pieces Never Before Published, Hannah More, 1818, vol.1, p.148.
Also in The Works of Hannah More, Hannah More, 1835, vol.6, p.415.

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Simple Simon met a pieman Going to the fair; Says Simple Simon to the pieman, "Let me taste your ware." Says the pieman to Simple Simon, "Show me first your penny." Says Simple Simon to the pieman, "Indeed I have not any."

- Simple Simon (1764).
Cluer Dicey was the first printer of this nursery rhyme.

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