Frederick A. Dixon

Dixon, Frederick Augustus

Frederick Augustus Dixon, playwright, journalist, civil servant (b at London, Eng 7 May 1843; d at Ottawa 12 Jan 1919). Educated at King's School, Canterbury, he came to Canada in the 1870s and worked as a journalist in Toronto. During the time of the Dufferins at RIDEAU HALL (1872-78) Frederick Dixon was appointed tutor to their 4 sons. On their departure he joined the Department of Public Works; at the time of his death he was chief clerk of correspondence in the Department of Railways and Canals.

At Rideau Hall he wrote children's plays of wit and imagination for 4 of the Dufferins' New Year's Day festivities. He also wrote a libretto for the popular The Maire of St Brieux: An Operetta in One Act (1875) with music by Frederick W. Mills, performed at Rideau Hall in 1875, and A Masque entitled Canada's Welcome (1879) for the arrival of the next gov gen, the Marquess of Lorne, and his wife, Princess Louise, with music by Arthur A. Clappé. He continued to write plays, contributed articles to Canadian and British magazines, and collaborated on travel books on Canada. He was instrumental in the formation of the Royal Academy of Art in Canada.