Know your Dobbs's: A brief outline of our lineage.

Generation 1.

Kedar Dobbs married Mary Willoughby. They had three children, but I can only find two. Willoughby Dobbs born in 1782 and Nancy Dobbs born in 1789.

Generation 2.

Willoughby Dobbs married Rachel Edmonds in 1805. He served in the War of 1812 and died fairly young. They had at least two boys and four girls, maybe more. I can only find two boys...William Drewery Dobbs born in 1816 and Joseph Edward Dobbs born about 1818.

Generation 3.

William Drewery Dobbs married Martha Anne Leslie. He was a carpenter and built houses. They had ten children, 5 boys and 5 girls. All of us on the mailing list are descendants of Rev. C.E.W. Dobbs born in 1840. His initials stand for Charles Edwin Willoughby. These names have been passed down through the present day.

The other children were Ann Eliza 1842, William W. 1844, Martha Ann 1845, George H. 1847, Virginia 1854, Mary 1852, Elizabeth 1857, Claudius E. 1858, and Joseph E. 1862. William and Virginia died in the yellow fever epidemic that hit Portsmouth, VA in 1855.

Generation 4.

C.E.W. Dobbs married Mary Elizabeth Barrett in Portsmouth, VA. He was only 19 when he was involved in John Brown's raid at Harper's Ferry as a member of the "National Grays" a Virginia Militia. He was already married to Mary in 1859 when CEW was captured and later released into her custody as long as he promised not to write or speak against the Union. I have the letter that was sent to her from a Union Army Field Office that was retrieved from Charles Dobbs' Estate (his son). Later, he became a very well known Baptist Minister and was the Pastor in several locations - Virginia, Kentucky, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, South Carolina. Mary was very young when they married...only 17. She had babies from 1861 to 1877. She died in 1884 of uterine cancer at the age of 43.

Their children were Willoughby Barrett 1861, Leslie Edwin 1864, Gilbert 1867,
Martha Ann 1870, Charles 1871, Ann Elizabeth 1874, John Dobbs 1877. Martha and John died in childhood from illnesses. Ann never married.

C.E.W. married Florence Hull about 1886. They had one son, Clarence Hull Dobbs, who became a physician in the military and died in the 1918 flu epidemic at age 30. He never married.

Generation 5.

• Willoughby Barrett Dobbs married Mary Ready Ragland in 1884. He was a New York Lawyer and friends with President Theodore Roosevelt. They had 8 children. Hugh Barrett 1885, Paul W. 1887, Carl 1889, Mary Ruth 1892, Willoughby Barrett JR 1896, Theodore Roosevelt 1900, Margaret 1901, and Elizabeth 1903.
• Leslie Edwin Dobbs married Nettie Hurlbut in 1885. They had three children. Helen 1887, Florence 1890, Gilbert 1891. Nettie died at age 29 in 1894. He married Lola Buchanan in 1896 and they had four children. Charles 1898, Edna 1900, Leslie Jr. 1907, John Jasper in 1908.
• Gilbert Dobbs married Eula Jones in 1892. They had two children, Esther 1893 and Nelson Barrett in 1907.
• Charles Dobbs married Katharine Whipple in 1895. They had one son. George Whipple Jr, 1896. They divorced and he married Clara Landolt in 1913 and had no children with her.
  
  Keep this list for future reference. There is a fascinating story that goes along with each of our ancestors and I know you will want to refresh your memories about where they belong in space and time! Generation 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 will be issued a little at a time since our line has grown exponentially as expected. Please feel free to add to this blog with any information you have.