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Alexander Dobbins Sr. (abt. 1715 - bef. 1800)

Alexander Dobbins Sr. [uncertain]
Born about in Irelandmap [uncertain]
Son of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of — married about 1760 in Rowan, North Carolinamap
Descendants descendants
Died before before about age 85 in Rowan, North Carolina, United Statesmap
Problems/Questions
Profile last modified | Created 12 Jul 2014
This page has been accessed 2,010 times.


Contents

Biography

1776 Project
Lt Colonel Alexander Dobbins Sr. served with Rowan County Regiment, North Carolina Militia during the American Revolution.

Alexander Dobbins, Sr. was born in about 1715 in Ireland. He died in about 1800 in Rowan County, North Carolina.

Spouse: Jean (Templeton) Dobbins (~1736 - ~1827), married about 1760 in Rowan County, North Carolina.

In his will of 19 July 1798 Alexander named his wife Jean, sons James, William, Hugh, John, and daughters Ann, Jean and Elizabeth. Son Alexander Junior was not mentioned. Of interest is a state made by Alexander in the will. As edited it reads "...Col Martin Armstrong for making me a deed for a certain quantity of land lying on the western waters, what is the rest of my estate...to be sold & equally divided amongst all my children." This land was located in Maury County, Tennessee.

In his book on the early settlement of North Carolina, Robert Ramsey states Alexander was descended from the family line living in Carrickfergus, County Antrim, Ireland. Per Ramsey, the Dobbin(s) name was one of familiarity in Carrickfergus as three men with name had been sheriffs in the area between 1576 and 1681. Their names were John James and William.

Alexander and family members came to the colonies and initially settled in Pennsylvania. In addition to Alexander, there was a John and James in Lancaster County. In 1749 Alexander moved to North Carolina and settled in an area known as the Irish Settlement in Rowan County. His land was located at the junction of Withrow’s Creek and Second Creek, which flows into the South Yadkin River. The Irish Settlement was about twelve miles from the Davidson’s Creek settlement. The Davidson’s Creek settlement is of interest since two Templeton families were living in the general area where Alexander lived, and Alexander did marry a Templeton.

William Sharp's 1773 map shows a James and John Dobbins were living in the general area as Alexander. James was living near Fourth Creek and John on the South Yadkin River near Fifth Creek.

Ramsey goes on to say Alexander was not issued a land grant for the acreage on Second Creek until the colonial period was over. However, NC land grants indicate he was issued a land grant during the colonial period. A Mecklenburg County deed action dated 11 July 1763 states Alexander Dobbin sold 550 acres to Hugh Carrathers which had been granted to Alexander on 12 March 1754. (Note: A 5 June 1773 deed action states Alexander was granted the land on 6 March 1754 and sold to Carrathers on 11 February 1763 – unless Alexander had two separate tracks of land for 550 acres each.) Deed actions also show Alexander had land on the east side of the Catawba River near Beaver Dam Creek. Alexander bought lot #5 on Corbin Street in the city of Salisbury in May 1755 and sold the lot in 1768.

Per Ramsey, Alexander participated in the Cherokee Indian war and received a payment for services in 1759 of 182 pounds 16 shillings and zero pence.

Revolutionary War Service

In a history of Rowan County, there are a number of entries for Alexander Dobbins. On 8 August 1774, he was appointed a member of the Committee of Safety. On 22 April 1776, he was listed as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1st Rowan County Regiment of Militia (sic, Rowan County Militia).[1]

Service Record: Dobbins, Alexander; 1st Rowan County Regiment; start: 1776; end: 1780; 4/22/1776, a Lt. Colonel under Col. Francis Locke. Battles: Cherokee Expedition 1776.

In a section on the Episcopacy in Rowan County, he is listed as probably associated with the Church of England. (Note: The Church of England was the Anglican Church from which the Episcopal Church is descended.)

Alexander Dobbins, Sr. was a shoemaker in Rowan County in 1783. On 06 May 1783, a James Murphy, orphan of James Murphy, aged 10 1/2 years old, was bound to Alexr. Dobbins until 21, to learn the trade of a shoemaker.

Land Records

From Abstracts of Deed Books 11-14 of Rowan County North Carolina 1786-1797 by James W. Klutz, there is the following:

  • 1590. p. 573. 10 May 1792. Alexander Dobbins the Elder to Alexander Dobbins, Jr. for 100 pounds, 216 [?] A on Second Crk adj John Dobbins (son of Alexander Dobbins), John Skell, Hugh Dobbins. Wit: M Stokes, David Cowen. Proved by Cowen at May Court 1792.
  • 1597. p. 585. 5 Mar 1792. Alexander Dobbins the Elder to his son John Dobbins for 100 pounds, 228 A adj John Dobbins (the son of James Dobbins), Samuel Broom, and William Nevens; part of a 623 A State grant to this Grantor dated 4 Nov 1784, #909 [10:258]. Wit: M Stokes, David Cowan. Proved by Montford Stokes at May Court 1792.

Will

Alexander’s will is dated 19 July 1798. In the will he names his wife (Jean), four sons (James, John, William and Hugh) and three daughters (Anne, Jean and Elizabeth). Son John was not bequeathed anything by name but was named as an executor. Son Alexander Junior is not mentioned by name in the will but could have received something under the general heading of "children." Alexander Junior shows up in later NC census records. (He might not have been mentioned in the will since his father had sold land to him in 1792 or he had died shortly before Alexander Senior wrote his will.)

Research Notes

Various on-line genealogy records for Alexander Dobbins and Jean Templeton appear to have some issues. One issue is the location of the marriage of Alexander and Jean. A second issue relates to Jean’s father.

Most of the on line genealogies have Alexander and Jean married in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, around 1760. Based on the NC records, Alexander had been living in NC at least eleven years, since 1749. If he and Jean were married prior to 1749 in Pennsylvania then Jean would have been 13 or younger, using the on-line genealogies’ birth year of 1736 for Jean. Based on the data available, Alexander and Jean were married in NC.

A number of the on-line genealogies list Jean’s father as a Samuel Templeton. Based on the above marriage data, Jean would have been living in NC when she married around 1760. From the NC records, there was no Templeton family headed by a Samuel living in NC at the time. The late Ruth Cohlmia spent decades researching the early Templetons of NC and her results can be found in the book by Jay Norwalk. Only two Templeton families are recorded as living in the NC at the time and both were living near the area where Alexander lived. James Templeton Senior was living in the Davidson’s Creek settlement. He had two daughters but marriage bonds for both are recorded. This leaves David Templeton Senior who had land on the Catawba River. Based on Ruth Cohlmia’s research David Senior had two daughters, Jean and Ann. It appears the Jean who married Alexander was the daughter of David Templeton Senior. The Samuel Templeton who died in Burke County was David Senior’s son, and brother of Jean. Samuel did not have any children when he died and his wife preceded him in death.

Sources

  1. #RevWarPay, #Lewis
  • Carolina Cradle, Settlement of the Northwest Carolina Frontier 1747-1762, Robert W. Ramsey, 1964, The University of North Carolina Press, pages 37, 44, 56, 67, 122, 159-160, 169 and 198.
  • Mecklenburg County, North Carolina Deed Abstracts 1763-1779, Brent Holcomb, 1979, Southern Historical Press, Inc., pages 6, 26, 96, 212, 217
  • Colonial Era Shoemakers in Rowan County, NC, rootsweb.ancestry, by Steve O’Neal
  • Artisan’s in the North Carolina Backcountry.   Author:  Johanna Miller Lewis.  1995
  • John Templeton of Iredell Co., N.C., Jay Norwalk, 1997, Templeton Foundation Press, with emphasis on Chapter 8 “The Different Templetons of North Carolina Before 1800” by Ruth Cohlmia
  • United States Census, 1790," database with images, FamilySearch (Link: accessed 20 November 2017), Alexander Dobbins Sr, Rowan, North Carolina, United States; citing p. 346, NARA microfilm publication M637, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 7; FHL microfilm 568,147. </span>
  • "United States Census, 1790," database with images, FamilySearch (Link: accessed 20 November 2017), Alexr Dobbins Jr, Rowan, North Carolina, United States; citing p. 346, NARA microfilm publication M637, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 7; FHL microfilm 568,147.
  • William Sharp's 1773 Map of the Fourth Creek Congregation which shows by name where members of the congregation lived
  • Alexander Dobbins, Will, Rowan County, North Carolina, dated 19 July 1798, Book ?, page ?
  • "North Carolina Revolutionary Pay Vouchers, 1779-1782
  • JD Lewis, Rev War Database, entry for Lt Colonel Alexander Dobbins,




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