He was involved in unsuccessful court cases that accused his company of sawing up timber belonging to the crown at Baggböle in northern Sweden.

James Robertson Dickson was involved in establishing timber sawing and loading stations in many of the rivers of Norrland.

[1] Dickson was in charge of the largest water powered sawmill in Sweden on the Ume River at Baggböle.

Dickson awarded 50 Kroner to the local minister for his design work at the opening ceremony of, Baggböle manor, the manager's impressive residence in 1847.

The case was circumstantial but the accusation was that Dickson had encouraged his suppliers upstream to supply him with logs that did not belong to them.

The case was complicated because the crown was well aware that various people were felling their trees and the local population was very grateful for the wealth that the sawmill was creating for its suppliers.