Charles W and Mary Dicken
 

Kentucky:  A History of the State, Battle, Perrin, & Kniffin, 3rd ed., 1886.


Rev. Charles W Dicken is the ninth of four sons and six daughters of Charles and Mary (Cherry) Dicken, and was born November 24, 1842, in Campbell County, Ky.  His father Charles Dicken, was a native of Campbell County, and died in 1863, aged sixty-three years.  He was a son of Joseph Dicken, of Virginia.  Joseph was one of the patriots of the Revolution, and immigrated to Campbell County, Ky., about 1795.  He owned a good farm, and slave property, and married Mary Sutton, of Virginia.  He was of English and Welsh origin and died at the age of eighty-four years. 

Mrs. Mary Dicken was a daughter of Nicholas and Frances Cherry, who came from Pennsylvania to Kentucky in an early day.  Charles W Dicken was reared on a farm, and on the death of his father he was thrown upon his own resources for a livelihood.  At the age of eighteen he procured a license and taught school; later he attended Bethel College, and in 1864 went to Toronto, Canada, where he attended the Toronto University for some time.  He then entered Georgetown College, from which he graduated in 1868.  He engaged in teaching and preaching to contiguous churches (was ordained a Baptist minister July 12, 1868) for one year in Aspen Grove, Pendleton Co., Ky., and then entered the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, at Greenville, S. C., and remained two years.

He then took charges of churches in Kentucky-the first two years in Woodford County-then spent two years in Elizabethtown, teaching and preaching.  Later he became president of Murray Institute, Calloway County, after which he was for five years actively engaged in ministerial work.  In June, 1884, he located near Bowling Green, Ky., where he has charge of several churches. 

On March 26, 1871, he was united in marriage with Mary Williams, of Greenville, S. C.  She is a native of Montgomery, Ala., and a daughter of Fr. William and Ruth (Bell) Williams, who were born near Athens, Ga.  Dr. Williams was educated in Georgia University; received his law education in Boston, after which he practiced his profession four or five years in Montgomery, Ala.; established a good practice, and proved himself a shrewd and able advocate.  Believing he could accomplish greater good and be of more lasting benefit to his fellowmen, he entered the ministry, and, after twelve years of labor, accepted a professorship in the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, at Greenville, S. C., which position he filled with honor and ability, until his death, February 20, 1877, at the age of fifty-five years.  His father, William Williams, was a wealthy and influential planter of Georgia. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Dicken five children were born:  William Edward, Ruth Bell (deceased), Narcissa McCay (deceased), Charles Ernest and Hubert Alvin.  Mr. Dicken is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and politically is a Democrat.


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