Tower and Town, October 2025 (view the full edition)Robert John Dobie (1859-1937): Where It All BeganSeveral years ago I was having a conversation with Michael Gray about the Marlborough families and he said 'the Dobie family are Marlborough Royalty'. But why are there so many members of the Dobie family in Marlborough? It starts with Robert John Dobie (also known as 'Spivver') who was born in Islington, London, in October 1859. His parents were David Black Dobie (1795 - 1865) and Ann Beckham (also recorded as Blackham) (1835 - 1902). David Black Dobie was a Ship's Surgeon and was born in Dysart, Fife. He is buried in Highgate Cemetery, London. Ann Beckham was born in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk and is buried in Brompton Cemetery, London. It is not known when Robert John Dobie came to live in Marlborough, but it would have probably been between 1877 - 1885. He may have come to Marlborough to work on the north-south railway which was being built between the town and Swindon, which opened in 1881. Robert Dobie married Selina Drew from Lockeridge in July 1885, at Preshute Church. The 1891 census lists the family including 4 children living in Hammond's Yard (a group of houses which were demolished in 1929, located between 45 - 46 High Street. The houses were accessed by an alleyway between Deacons and the Wellington Arms). Robert was working as a groom (no employer stated). The 1901 census records that Robert was still working as a groom and living in Hammonds Yard, but there are now 5 children. The 1911 census records that Robert is working at Kings Cross as a Coachman Jobmaster. This was likely a relatively well paid role which would have involved driving private horse drawn coaches for families. This role was becoming obsolete due to the arrival of motor cars. The family are still living in Hammonds Yard, but there are now 6 children. My Great-grandfather Sidney Dobie is 14 and is working as a Grocer's errand boy In the 1921 census; Robert is recorded as a groom working for James Duck. The Duck family kept their horses in what is now the housing estate in Ducks Meadow. There are 4 children living with them at this time. Sidney had returned from fighting in WW1 but sadly Henry Thomas Dobie died in July 1916 fighting on the Somme. He is buried at Warloy-Baillon and commemorated on the war memorial near Majestic Wine. Robert and Selina had 13 children, some of whom are in the photograph on the opposite page. Selina died in 1933 and Robert in 1937. They are both buried in the cemetery by the common. It is estimated that within three generations of Robert 'Spivver' and Selina Dobie, there were 100 descendants. Work is on-going to fill in the gaps of the family tree to record the names of the next three generations of descendants. 
Kim Wakeham |