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Dame Edith Stewart Dixon, Lady Dixon DBE was a philanthropist largely based in Northern Ireland.

She is perhaps best remembered for Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park, which she bequeathed to the city of Belfast. She also donated several buildings and a park to the town of Larne, County Antrim, along with her husband, Sir Thomas Dixon.

Early life and family
Edith Stewart Clark was born in Scotland. She had one brother and three other sisters.

Her father, Stewart Clark (1830-1907) was a native of Paisley in Renfrewshire. He inherited a sewing thread business, along with his brothers, at Anchor Mills, which had been developed into a hugely profitable textile concern by their father, John Clark. In 1896, two years after John Clark's death, the Clark Thread Company amalgamated with their largest competitor, Coats to form the largest thread firm in the world.

In 1899, Stewart Clark bought the castle and farmland at Dundas Castle in Linlithgowshire.

In 1860, Stewart Clark had married Annie Smiley (1836-1910) of Larne, Northern Ireland. They were already distantly related by marriage. When their daughter Edith was nine, in 1880, the Stewart Clarks purchased a small house and large estate near Ballygally Head, Larne, the present-day location of Cairndhu Golf Course.

The Stewart Clarks changed the name of the house from Seaview to Cairndhu and enlarged it considerably. Although their main base was to remain Scotland, they summered at Cairndhu. The young Edith Stewart Clark sailed across the North Channel each summer on the family steam yacht Vanduara.

Move to Ireland
In 1906, when Edith was 35, she married Thomas Dixon, the eldest son of Daniel Dixon, the first Lord Mayor of Belfast. The wedding took place at Dalmeny Church, near her home at Dundas Castle.

After marriage, the couple lived in various places, including Hillsborough Castle, when it was still a private home and not the official residence of the governor of Northern Ireland, as well as in Doagh, Graymount in Belfast, and in Dublin, Luttrellstown Castle and Lucan.

In 1918, they settled in Larne. Four years previously, the east wing of Cairndhu had been damaged by fire. Thomas Dixon bought the house and land from the surviving members of the Clark family still living there.

Thomas and Edith Dixon renovated the house and increased the staff. They increased the size of the estate by buying the additional land of Doagh and Carnfunnock, bought extensive herds of sheep and beef cattle (mostly Shorthorns and Galloway), and knocked down hedges, the extended grazing fields for these which can still be seen today around Carnfunnock Park.

Lady Dixon was responsible for the gardens. These she developed into six tiers, and the remains of which are open to the public today as part of Carnfunnock Country Park.

World War I

Philanthropy in Larne

 * 1918 - Served on Cairncastle Prisoners of War Fund
 * 1921 - made Dame of the British Empire, in recognition of her work during WWI
 * 1939 - Served on Central Committee for War Hospital Supply Depots
 * 1939 - President, Ulster Gift Fund and War Hospital Supply Depot for Serving Forces (Larne Depot)
 * 1939 - President, Larne St John's Ambulance Brigade
 * 1939-1941 First ever Lady Mayoress of Larne when her husband was elected
 * Committee of Management - Maternity Hospital Building Fund
 * President - Annie Clark Trust Fund (set up by her mother)
 * President - Larne District Nursing Society
 * Appointed Freeman - Borough of Larne
 * Vice President - Ulster Women's Unionist Council
 * Committee of Management - Maternity Hospital Building Fund
 * President - Annie Clark Trust Fund (set up by her mother)
 * President - Larne District Nursing Society
 * Appointed Freeman - Borough of Larne
 * Vice President - Ulster Women's Unionist Council

She is buried in Dundonald cemetary in a mausoleum, along with her husband who predecesed her.

She married Belfast shipowner, Sir Thomas Dixon, 2nd Baronet on 7 February 1906. The couple would donate more than £100,000 to good causes. For this philanthropy, she was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the Honours List for the opening of the Parliament of Northern Ireland in July 1921. Lady Dixon died on 20 January 1964, aged 92.

Dixon park larne http://www.larne.gov.uk/template1.asp?pid=1144&area=6&parent=1117

File:Ice House, Carnfunnock Country Park - geograph.org.uk - 797983.jpg

in 1919 they bought the Wilmont estate

Sir Thomas and Lady Edith Dixon photo

Dixon park larne Carnfunnock country park Smiley Park in Larne. Her father was Mr Stewart-Clark,


 * Obituary, The Times, 21 January 1964

Philanthropy in Larne
including the Cairndhu Convalescent Home, Dixon Park and Dixon Hall. The Larne Borough Council offices are known as the Sir Thomas Dixon Buildings in recognition of donations by Edith Dixon.



Belfast
as a 'home for old people'

died Malone Park, Belfast