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Joseph Dobson of Gloucester County, Virginia
by Judith Rowe Mays
Joseph Henry Dobson, born in 1828, was the fourth child born to John and Susan
Chandler Dobson. His great grandfather, Edward Dobson, first arrived in this country from
England sometime before 1638. Edward, the immigrant, first purchased land in “New
Poquoson” in 1638 and later in 1653, received his first land grant for 950 acres in the
southern part of Gloucester. He would acquire additional land grants bringing his total
holdings to over 1600 acres. He died in 1671 leaving his wife, Frances, and four children:
Edward, John, William, and Mary.
John Dobson, father of Joseph Dobson, was born to one of Edward the immigrant's
sons on December 20, 1761. His father and uncles inherited the large amount of land held
by Edward, the immigrant, which included land in Gloucester and Middlesex Counties in
Virginia, as well as Maryland and North Carolina.
John Dobson inherited all of the 1600 acres of the original Dobson land grants in
Gloucester. This land encompassed most of the area today known as "Guinea" or more
specifically, Achilles, Severn, Maryus, Perrin, and Bena. It bordered the Severn River,
Mobjack Bay and extended to the York River.
In her book, “All Roads Lead To Home”, on page 5, Judith R. R. Mays explains the
division of the 1637 acres of land owned by John Dobson in Guinea as follows:
No. 1) 145 acres; Bay Tree Island 156 acres; 30 acres -making 331 acres (The 30 acres is
allowed by the Commissioner to Mrs. Roberts, (Susan Chandler Dobson remarried)
as dower of wood and is to go with the rest of the lot at the death of Mrs. Roberts.
This was drawn by Martha Ann Dobson.
No. 2) 160 acres; 100 acres and 60 acres (Oak and Long Island) making 320 acres. Drawn
by Mary F. Dobson.
No. 3) 200 acres; 100 acres; and 169 acres (Marshy Island) – making 469 acres. Drawn by
William J. Baytop in right of his wife , Rebecca Dobson.
No. 4) 100 acres (Cedar Island); 245 acres; 100 acres; 72 acres (Locust Ridge) – making
517 acres. Drawn by Joseph H. Dobson
The Plat shown hangs at Buck Rowe’s Store and is an artist’s copy of the two page plat in
Surveyors Plat Book #1, pages 214 and 215 at Gloucester Court house.
John Dobson married his first wife, Susannah Shackelford, with whom he had one son,
John Dobson, Jr. Susannah was already a widow with several children when she married
John Dobson, Sr. John earned his living as a farmer and also rented out portions of his
vast estate. During the Revolutionary War, when he was a teenage boy of only sixteen, he
served in the state militia. His pension papers from that war indicate that he was in several
small skirmishes while in service to his country. He was also stationed at Little England
(then known as “Perrin’s”) as a lookout for British ships coming into the York River. He
also was stationed for awhile in Williamsburg where he worked at the powder magazine
making bullets. John survived that war but his son, John Dobson, Jr., died during the war
with Great Britain in 1812.
Vol. 5, No. 2 14 December 2001