Robert Dobie - after 1851 nothing......

garibaldired · Post by **garibaldired** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 11:58 am

Perhaps someone can give me some ideas here please.
I have Robert Dobie born 1822 Carrington, Midlothian to James and Hannah Dobie. He married Jane Nichol(l) 22 Sept 1849 in Newbattle, Midlothian and he and his wife are there in 1851.
However I cannot find them anywhere after that until Jane's death in the St Giles district of Edinburgh 5 Nov 1890 where she is described as Robert's widow. The informant is her niece Mary Robertson so does this suggest there were no children?
I can find no death for Robert on SP at all so he could have died before 1855 - he was a coal miner and I've checked for mining accidents. His brothers emigrated to the US and Australia but I can't find any trace of him there either.
Any ideas?
Meg

Post by **SarahND** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 7:34 pm

Hi Meg,
I couldn’t resist going off on another Dobie hunt... They were so obliging the last time!

Could the niece have signed the death cert. because none of the children were in Scotland? Perhaps after Robert died, Jane came back to spend her last years there.

Have you already ruled out America, or could this be them in Fayette, Seneca County, New York in 1870?

Dobie Robert, 50, farmer, born in Scotland
-- Jane, 43, keeping house, born in Scotland
-- Anna, 20, born in Prov. Ontario
-- Margaret, 16, Domestic Servant, born in Prov. Ontario
-- Joseph, 11, at School, born in Scotland
-- George, 8, at School, born in New York
---Elizabeth, 5, at home, born in New York
-- William, 3, born in New York

By the children’s birthplaces it looks as though they were first in Canada, then went back to Scotland, then went to New York.

In 1880 this family is in the same place:
Dobie, Robert, 59, Laborer, born in Scotland
__ Jane, 53, Wife, Keeping house, born in Scotland
__ Mary, 22, Daughter, At home, born in Scotland
__ William, 13, Son, At School, born in New York
__ Robert Jr., 1, Son, born in New York

Not sure where Mary was in the 1870 census

Here is a possible passenger list record for Robert. No other family was with him:

New York Passenger Lists Record

Name:Robt Dobie
Arrival Date:18 Aug 1852
Estimated Birth Year:abt 1822
Age:30
Gender:Male
Port of Departure:Glasgow, Scotland
Destination:United States of America
Place of Origin:Scotch
Ship Name:Sea Nymph
Port of Arrival:New York
Line:14
Microfilm Serial:M237
Microfilm Roll:118
List Number:1191
Port Arrival State:New York
Port Arrival Country:United States

Let me know if you think this is the right family.
Cheers,

Sarah

garibaldired · Post by **garibaldired** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 8:45 pm

Hello Sarah,

Lovely to hear from you again!
I had seen that family in New York in 1880 and had wondered..........
I'm not sure - I couldn't find a birth for Mary or Joseph in Midlothian to my couple but there are 2 at the right time in Dumfries for a Robert Dobbie and Jane Pool so ........... maybe not? However the latter couple also had a William c1855 in Dumfries but he could have died........
There isn't a James either (my Robert's father's name) but there is an Anna (his mother's) so all in all I'm not sure. After all James could have not been at home in 1870........
And this Robert isn't a miner.....
BUT I am tempted as the date of his passage fits so neatly doesn't it? And as you say the children could have stayed in the US while Mum returned to Scotland - they certainly don't seem to have been fazed by travelling - and all his other brothers emigrated......
I could waiver over this family all night!!
Thanks very much for the info you've given me. There isn't a James hanging around born Scotland c 1852 which might explain why Jane didn't travel with Robert?
I'm not being much help here am I?!
Meg

Post by **SarahND** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 9:08 pm

Hi Meg

There is nothing that proves that the Robert on the passenger list is the same as the one in the 1870 & 1880 census, so maybe that was him on the boat... and we just have yet to find him otherwise.

I agree that that fact that the other couple in Dumfries had the right children at the right time in Scotland tends to sound like they are the ones who went to New York state.

Hmmm. I'll have to think about this when my brain is a bit more awake (I'm in Europe now, so it is getting late...)

Sarah

garibaldired · Post by **garibaldired** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 9:41 pm

Good idea!
I'm going to sleep on it too!

k
Meg

garibaldired · Post by **garibaldired** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 8:09 pm

Hi Sarah,

Having slept on it I don't think the New York family is mine; there are just too many things which don't add up. I think I just want to find them too much! However as you said the passage details could be my Robert - the details fit so well.
I'll keep looking,
Meg

Post by **SarahND** » Sat Aug 19, 2006 7:50 am

Hi Meg,
Sleeping on it (and checking out a few other Roberts and Janes on Ancestry) gave me no revelations either. Maybe he kept going back and forth, just missing the census in each country every time

Not a very good explanation-- sorry! I'll let you know if I find anything that looks hopeful.
All the best,
Sarah

garibaldired · Post by **garibaldired** » Sat Aug 19, 2006 8:57 am

Thanks for that Sarah - once again!
I think he's just one of my puzzles and who knows something may turn up one day when I've almost forgotten about him! That's the way it usually works.
Thanks again.
Regards,
Meg

garibaldired · Post by **garibaldired** » Tue Aug 29, 2006 7:28 pm

Just to add. I have bought the LDS 1881 census cd set and searched every which way for Robert and Jane. No luck at all so I'm inclined to think that you were right in thinking they emigrated and Jane returned to Scotland after he had died. She certainly does not seem to be in the area in which she died in 1890!

Meg