Dr. Robert Dickinson was born on 12 April 1903 at Ulverston where he was educated at the Victoria Grammar School. He graduated with First Class Honours in Chemistry at the University of Liverpool in 1924, obtaining a Ph.D. in 1926. After a period of research for the Liverpool Medical Research Organisation, he joined the Research Department of Imperial Chemical Industries in the Central Laboratory, Widnes in 1929. In 1933 he was plant manager of the Formic and Oxalic Acid plants at the Gaskell-Marsh Works, Widnes and from 1937 of the Contact Sulphuric Acid plant at the Marsh Works, Widnes. He spent a few months in the Operations Department, Cunard Building, Liverpool in 1946 and then joined the Development Department first housed at Widnes but later in the Cunard Building where it moved 24 December 1951. In 1957 he acted as Works Liaison between Works and Research at Widnes and in August 1961 he was appointed librarian of General Chemical Division. In January 1964 he became the archivist for the newly formed Mond Division, a post after his own heart for it combined his early hobby of the documentation of original material with his work and he produced several reports on the history of the Division's chemical processes. He undertook his own research into the Holbrook Gaskell family. The founder member was once an employee of Richard Vaughan Yates of Yates and Cox, Ironmongers, of Liverpool. Several of his articles of historical interest were published in the magazine Chemistry and Industry. It is understood unpublished papers arising out of his main interest, genealogy, are to be deposited in the Lancashire Record Office. He retired on age limit at the end of April 1965.

From an early age Robert Dickinson was a keen genealogist. He also transcribed and edited 16 volumes of Lancashire parish registers, many of which have been published by the Lancashire Parish Register Society; he also transcribed Wills and Marriage Bonds for the Record Society of Lancashire and Cheshire. He was a member of Council of both of these Societies and of the Lancashire and Cheshire Historic Society. He was treasurer of the Lancashire Parish Register Society for thirty years. After retirement from I.C.I. he collaborated with his wife on the collection of material for a history of their parish, Rainhill, some of which work has been published by the Rainhill Civic Society.

He died 12 September 1977 leaving a widow, Florence also a Liverpool University Chemistry graduate, two married daughters, Ann B. Cole B.Sc. (London), Betty Underwood M.B., Ch.B. (Liverpool) and six grandsons.

Mrs. Florence Dickinson also graduated in chemistry as Florence O'Brien B.Sc. 1926,, Dip. Ed. 1927, M.Sc. 1928. She taught at Holly Lodge and Belvedere girls schools in Liverpool until the second world war when she joined I.C.I. at Widnes as a chemist. She worked for them for 25 years.

Her interests are also in Parish registers and local history where she has researched the history of some local Schools.

(the above details have mainly been provided by Dr. and Mrs. Dickinson)