In 1871, Benjamina was born to Alexander and Eliza Rob and grew up in a family with three brothers, Alberga, Caron and Alexander. Her mother, Eliza Rob, who was born in 1843, died of old age on October 27, 1936 at Bethany, St Ann. She was 93. Her father was born in 1840 and was baptized in the Anglican church on Jan 6,1848. While residing in southern St Ann, he died of cerebral apoplexy. He was only 56.
On March 25, 1895, when she was 24,
Benjamina Agatha Rob married John Thompson Dillon, who was four years her
senior, in a service at Spanish Town over which Rev. William A Tucker of
Spanish Town presided. At that time, she was a schoolmistress from the
community of Brown’s Town, which lies between Watermount and Point Hill, in the
parish of St Catherine.
Mrs. Dillon’s husband, J. T. Dillon, was from Bagnolds, near Dressikie in St
Mary. He grew up in the Mt Angus Baptist Church and was trained as a teacher at the Mico
institution. After working as a teacher for a few years, he resigned his job to
enter Calabar College for preparation to become a Baptist minister. After
graduation, Dillon served as pastor of churches in several Baptist circuits
consecutively – Old Harbour; Linstead; St Ann’s Bay; First (now, Burchell)
Baptist, Montego Bay; Balaclava and Hanover Street. His pastoral ministry
extended over 60 years.
Over all but seven of these 60 years, he enjoyed the partnership and support of
his wife, Benjamina.
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| Benjamina Dillon |
The Dillons spent several years in the
service of the St Ann’s Bay Baptist circuit. During this period, the St Ann’s
Bay church hosted the Jamaica Baptist Union’s general assembly.
The members of the St Ann’s Bay church were deeply appreciative of the Mrs. Dillon’s ministry among them. In the address that the church’s representative delivered in honour of their pastor and his wife, when they were about to leave to serve in Montego Bay, this is what they said about Mrs. Dillon:
This address would be incomplete if
we did not make special reference to Mrs. Dillon, whom we love and regard so
dearly. We cannot forget her work among us. Not only did she labour for some
time in the Sunday School, but also established a Young People’s Christian
Endeavour Society, where she was present during sunshine and rain and attended
to the youths with such loving tenderness that she won their affection.
When you (Rev Dillon) went off to
England for seven months’ holiday, and we were left without a shepherd, Mrs.
Dillon piloted the work of the church so effectively that she won the esteem of
all and you were to return and find the work prospering.
We trust that our loss of her will
be a gain to the Montego Bay Church.
During her time in Montego Bay, Mrs Dillon was one of the twelve women who met in the Baptist mission house at Bethel Town, Westmoreland, in December 1922 and formed the Jamaica Baptist Women’s Federation.
In
1948, at the age of 77, Mrs Dillon completed her allotted time on earth. She
died on Thursday, February 12, and her funeral service took place the following
day. The Revds. W. J. Thompson and F. Cowell Lloyd conducted a brief service at
the home of the Dillons. Then followed the main service at the Kingsgate Chapel
(now, Kingsgate United Church) when the Revds. M. E. W. Sawyers, Rev. Armon
Jones, a leader in the Methodist District, and Thomas Powell of the Baptist
Missionary Society, London, gave short addresses. Rev. Frederick Cowell Lloyd
of East Queen Street officiated at the internment in the King's Gate Christian Church
cemetery.
The large gathering attending the
funeral included Dr Oswald Anderson, the mayor of Kingston and Dr. A. H.
Stephenson, President of the JBU Men’s Movement. Also present were Miss Enid
Phillips, Mrs. Joyce Allen and Mrs Gillette- Chambers, who were leaders in the
JBU Women’s Movement. They bade farewell to a woman who extended herself in the
service of her Lord.
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