| Birth: | 1715 in Dover/Derry County, Ireland |
| Death: | 1800 in Rowan County, NC |
| Sex: | M |
| Father: | |
| Mother: | |
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| Military Service: 1760 Was a lieutenant in the Rowan County Rangers in 1760. Promoted to Captain sometime prior to 1768 |
Individual:
Alexander Dobbins, Sr. was born about 1715 in either Dover or Derry Co., Ireland. He is believed to have descended from one of the Dobbin(s) families of Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim, North Ireland. John, James and William Dobbin were among the sheriffs of Carrickfergus during the period 1576-1681. Alexander, Sr. probably came to America sometime before 1736 with his brothers James and John and sisters Jane and Rosanna. It is not known whether they came to America with their parents, but it is possible they did, considering their ages. Alexander, Sr. and his family first settled in Coln or Lower Darby Township, Chester Co., PA. About 1736, they moved to Hanover Twp., Lancaster Co., PA. Alexander Dobbins and his first wife (name not known), from whom we are descended, were probably married about 1736 in Lancaster Co. They lived there until about the fall of 1749, when other family members and friends moved to the Granville District of NC, settling in the Irish settlement along Second Creek, a tributary of the South Yadkin River. The book "Carolina Cradle; Settlement of the Northwest Carolina Frontier, 1747-1762", by Robert W. Ramsey, shows Alexander Dobbins' land located about 30 miles southwest of the confluence of Second Creek and the South Yadkin River on the north side of Second Creek just before the fork with Withrow's Creek in 1747-49. Other families living in this Irish Settlement were: James, Georege, Jr., George, Sr., Alexander & Andrew Cathey; Richard, James, Jr., James, Sr. & John Graham; John, Jr., John, Sr., William & Richard Brandon; Matthew, John & George Lock; Thomas Gillespie; John Sill; James Marlin; Thomas Bell; John Holmes; Felix Kennedy; Alexander Dobbins; and John Withrow. Members of the Skiles and Cowan families accompanied the Dobbins to NC and settled in the same general area along with several Cathey, Graham and Withrow families, all having Scots-Irish ancestry. From "Minutes of Court of Pleas, Rowan Co., NC (1753-1762)", Alexander Dobbins is first mentioned as a juror on 8 Oct. 1754. In the spring of 1755, Alexander Dobbins, Sr. bought Lot #5 in the West Square (across Corbin Street) in the town of Salisbury and on 29 May 1755, he is mentioned as a merchant in Salisbury along with James Carson. In the April 1768 Court of Rowan Co., NC, half of this lot was sold to William Temple Coles (from Dublin, Ireland) as shown below:
"21 Apr. 1768 - Capt. Alexander Dobbins, a planter - no wife signs - lets William Temple Coles (both of Rowan Co.) have 72 square poles of Lot #5 in the West Square of Salisbury, on Corbin and Temple Streets, for 40 pounds, witnessed by William McConnell, John Stogdon and William Martin and proved in Apr. 1768. On 29 May 1755, James Carter and Hugh Foster (trustees of the town of Salisbury) let Alexander Dobbin, a merchant of Rowan Co., have Lot #5 in West Square (140 perches) for 20 shillings."
Alexander Dobbins was a Lieutenant in the Rowan Co., NC Rangers by 1760, as public claims were allowed to Lt. Dobbins in May 1760 of 182 pounds and 16 shillings. He must have been promoted to the rank of Captain sometime
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