Breaking Through, Brick by Brick

Richard Dobson, my seventh great grandfather, first appeared in the church registers for Marske-in-Cleveland (Yorkshire, England), when he married Margaret Watson on 19 January 1700/01. There’s no indication, in any known record, where he came from or who his parents were.

But Richard finally has a family — or at least the beginnings of one.

The will of Margaret Sands, of Stokesley & Great Broughton, widow of Joseph Sands, names her sister, Mary Cornforth, and several nieces and nephews who match the children of Richard Dobson, specifically:

• nephew Joseph Dobson
• nephew George Dobson
• nephew Richard Dobson
• William Hartforth son of my niece Margaret Hartforth
• Joseph son of Joseph Dobson
• John son of John Dobson

The registers of the parish of Stokesley confirm that Joseph Sands married Margaret Dobson on 25 Nov 1700. No children are apparent from the records. Joseph was buried 3 Nov 1720, and Margaret was buried 14 Dec 1746.

The records of Kirby in Cleveland include a marriage between Mary Dobson and John Cornforth on 5 May 1725. The Stokesley records include the burial of Mary Cornforth, widow of John Cornforth, clockmaker, on 1 Jul 1747, as well as the burials of three children: Eleanor on 6 Sep 1741, John on 16 May 1746, and Mary on 17 Jul 1747.

Finally, the Stokesley records also include references to several other Dobsons who may or may not be related:

• October 1685 — Robert: Beadnell & Mary: dobson marryed y e 23 d day
• September 1691 — Mary the daughter of John Dobson buried the last day
• October 1691 — John Dobson of litle Broughton buried y e 9 th day
• June 1695 — wee weare Inform d that Thomas Dobson was maried the 18 th day
• September 1698 — Mary Dobson of Stockesley buried 29 th day
• September 1704 — John Dobson of Stokesley buried the fifth day
• May 1705 — George the Son of Elizabeth Dobson of Stockesley buried the 17 th day
• August 1709 — Nicholus Dobson (a Strainger) buried the Thirtieth day
• September 4 th 1711 — Christopher Dowson and Elizabeth Dobson both of Stokesley Marryed
• September 9 1724 — John Carter Barber & Mary Dobson Spinstr both of Stokesley were married by vertue of Banns P’blish’d by J. Lythe
• May 22 1725 Hanah y e daught r of John Dobson of Westerdale aged ab l 4. years bapt.

With only two baptisms in the lot, the implication here is that the Dobsons came from somewhere else, possibly from nearby Little Broughton or Great Broughton. Margaret Sands left Stokesley some time after her husband’s death and moved to Great Broughton, where she was living when she drafted her will.

Could John Dobson of Little Broughton (buried 1691) and Mary Dobson of Stokesley (buried 1698) be the parents of Richard, Margaret and Mary? Could John Dobson (buried 1704) be another brother?

I’ve searched in vain for more clues online. How long before I stumble upon another lead?

If anyone out there can help, please get in touch.