Ezekiel Dickinson (1711–1788) Cherry Garden Great House
Ezekiel Dickinson represents the era of the "Absentee Grandees"—the wealthy heirs who consolidated Jamaican fortunes while living in the English countryside. As the heir to both the Dickinson and Gomersall empires, he controlled over 7,000 acres of land, including the Cherry Garden Estate and the famous Appleton Estate.
The Great Consolidation
Ezekiel Dickinson was born into a web of colonial power. He was the eldest son of Caleb Dickinson (brother of Jonathan Dickinson) and the nephew-in-law of Colonel Ezekiel Gomersall.
Upon the death of his father in 1728 and his uncle-in-law Gomersall in 1734, Ezekiel became the primary beneficiary of two massive fortunes. He inherited the Gomersall sugar plantations in St. Andrew (including Cherry Garden) and a significant share of the Dickinson family's vast holdings in St. Elizabeth (including Appleton, Pepper, and Barton Isles).
The Move to England: Bowden Park
Unlike his grandfather (Captain Francis) who conquered the land, or his uncle (Jonathan) who survived earthquakes and shipwrecks, Ezekiel Dickinson chose not to live in Jamaica. He used the immense profits from his sugar estates to establish himself within the English gentry.
He purchased Bowden Park, a manor house in Wiltshire, England. From this comfortable distance, he managed his Jamaican empire through a network of attorneys and overseers. This marked a significant shift in the history of Cherry Garden, transforming it from a residence of its owner into a commercial asset managed by third parties.
Family Feuds
The immense wealth generated by the Jamaican estates led to bitter internal conflict. Archives from the 18th century reveal a long-running legal and personal dispute between Ezekiel and his younger brother, Vickris Dickinson (aka Vicky).
The brothers fought over the division of the Jamaican profits and the management of the St. Elizabeth properties. Letters from the period describe an "unhappy difference in opinion" that became so severe that all direct correspondence between the brothers ceased, forcing them to communicate solely through lawyers for the remainder of their lives.
Legacy and Succession
Ezekiel Dickinson died in 1788. His passing signaled the slow fragmentation of the estate. The properties were passed down to his son, Barnard Dickinson, and subsequently to his nephews, the Harmans (Ezekiel and Jeremiah Harman).
The Cherry Garden Estate remained in the extended family's possession well into the 19th century. However, without a resident owner, the property eventually came under the administration of the Scottish attorney Joseph Gordon. This laid the groundwork for the next chapter of history, where Joseph's son—George William Gordon—would rise from the estate's soil to become a National Hero.