Fonds MS-4-63 - James E. Dickie and Company fonds

James Edward Dickie, Esq., was a prominent businessman in Stewiake Village (Upper Stewiake), Colchester County, Nova Scotia. The second son of Isaac Patton Dickie and Rebecca Barnhill, he was born in 1832 in Onslow, Colchester County, and was sometimes referred to as Edward. Dickie briefly owned a store in Onslow with his older brother John Barnhill Dickie. The partnership dissolved around 1855 and James Dickie moved to Stewiacke Village in 1856, where he bought a general store from J.L. Walker. With his brothers-in-law, Frederick Tupper and George Fulton, he established J.E. Dickie and Company. Fulton left the company in the mid-1870s to purchase his own store.

James Dickie was active in his community. He was an elder in the Presbyterian Church, held a number of professional appointments and shares in local communities, and served as the Justice of the Peace for Colchester County. He married Harriet Tupper in 1859, with whom he had six children who lived to adulthood: Alfred, Alice, Henry, Edwin, Bessie and Laura. At one time or another all of the children assisted with the operation of the store, working as clerks and communicating with suppliers, customers and employees. Edwin, in particular, was very involved with the business and in 1890 the company was reformed as Messrs J.E. Dickie and Son to reflect this. James Dickie’s health declined shortly after and Edwin took over the business. James Dickie died in August of 1891.

Edwin Dickie began dealing under his own name as a wholesale and retail dealer and direct importer. A branch store at Brookfield, managed by Elijah Leard, was in operation by 1901. Edwin sold the business in 1907 to his cousin Hedley Fulton and settled in Vancouver. In 1924 James R. Fulton was operating the Dickies’ former store in Stewiacke.