Dickinson, the eldest son of Hon. Samuel Fowler Dickinson and Lucretia (Gunn) Dickinson, was born in
Amherst, Massachusetts, where he attended public schools and the
Amherst Academy. He graduated from
Yale College in 1823 and studied at
Northampton Law School in
Northampton, Massachusetts. He was admitted to the bar and commenced law practice in Amherst in 1826. On May 6, 1828, he married
Emily Norcross Dickinson (1804–1882); they had three children:
William Austin,
Emily Elizabeth, and
Lavinia Norcross. He is buried in Amherst's West Cemetery. ==See also==