Early Life
Thomas Dobyns was born c. 1706 and baptised on the 11
th of November that year in
Ruislip. He was the son of
Thomas Dobyns and
Elizabeth Fotherly.
Career
Thomas became an upholsterer, taking his apprenticeship in 1722 and being admitted to the Upholder's Co in February 1729/30. He lived in London.
Data from 1758 and 1763 shows him as the owner of multiple properties in George Street.
BHO1 has the following entry for Thomas:
Dobyn(s), Thomas, London, upholder (1722–d. 1765). Trading at George St, Hanover Sq., 1734–65. Son of Thomas Dobyns, vintner of Ruislip, Middlx; app. to Robert Webb on 23 June 1722; admitted freeman of the Upholders’ Co. by servitude on 4 February 1729/30; and master in 1758. Named as a Fellow of the Society for Arts and Manufactures in 1761. Took apps named Harry Skinner, 1732–33; George Corbett, 1734–42; William Burbridge, 1749–57; John Dobyns, 1752–59; Joseph Knight, 1752–59; Edward H. Dobyns 1758–65; John West, 1758–65; and John Hewitt, 1760–67. On 10 May 1731 insured household goods and stock in trade for £300 with the Sun Co. Probably the Thomas Dobyn who was paid £10 10s on 28 September 1747 for a mahogany chair, cabinet, dressing bureau and writing table supplied to Alscot Park, Warks. [V & A archives] Probably also the Dobyn who advertised sale of ‘several dozen chairs from 2/2d to £3 per chair’, in London Advertiser, 1751. On 17 May Thomas Dobyns received £65 19s for an octagonal library table bought by the Earl of Ancaster. Thomas Dobyn of George St wrote to James Leigh of Stoneleigh, Warks. on 31 July 1755, acknowledging receipt of payment in full, and apologising for some mistake in the delivery of a sofa. Dobyn, upholder of George St placed a notice in General Advertiser, 29 January 1748 and Gazetteer and London Daily Advertiser, 28 August 1756. Died in 1765.
Thomas is recorded as
employing Joseph Knight as a vintner in 1752, and
John West as an oilman in 1758, evidence that Thomas had been financially successful in his career.
Thomas married
Elizabeth Harris of
Christ Church parish in
Newgate, London on the 9
th of January 1730/1 at
St Michael Paternoster in the
City of London. They had least two children:
- Thomas, eldest (and possibly only) son
- Mary, b. 1643 and who married Thomas Fülling
Death
Thomas died in 1766 and a burial for the the 1
st of June that year at
Ruislip looks to be his. Highlights of Thomas' will (dated 10
th of April 1765, proved 3rd June 1766):
- To be buried near his mother in Ruislip Church Yard
- His properties in Conduit Street to his wife Elizabeth during her life and thereafter to his son Thomas or if the latter should be dead with no heirs, to his (unmarried, at the date of the will) daughter Mary.
- £12 each to his nephews John and Edward Dobyns
- Multiple other properties in Great George St and Bond St to his wife, son and daughter variously
- £2400 to his son Thomas with a request that his wife add another £1000 in her own will
- £1200 to his daughter Mary with a request that his wife add another £2000 in her own will
- His wife and children Thomas and Mary as executors
Footnotes
[1]
British History Online:
https://www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/dict-english-furniture-makers/d
Unsorted research:
For Thomas Dobbyns senior, there's a burial 16 Nov 1716 at Harefield in Ruislip (Thomas Dobbyns). And for his birth, there's one on 26 Nov 1680 at Harefield, son of Richard Esquire and (possibly) Alice (possibly Alice Bateman, who married Richard Dobyns 17 Nov 1673). Finally, Boyds via FMP has a record for a Thomas Dobbins marrying an Elizabeth Fotherly at Ruislip in 1702.
Visitation London (vol 1, p235) has a Dobbins pedigree; youngest are Edmund and Richard Dobbins born c. 1630, one of whom could be the grandfather of Thomas junior of this page
https://www.british-history.ac.uk/rchme/middx/pp145-176 lists a few possible wives of Richard; Richard's wife Catherine is mentioned here:
https://books.google.ae/books?id=kUwuAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA183&lpg=PA183&dq=%22richard+dobyns%22+london&source=bl&ots=cYKZM3-E1j&sig=ACfU3U10Nr7Owao2rHv0S7puFB5Ku0yULw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi00KCn2pz0AhXmS_EDHWqwDsIQ6AF6BAgeEAM#v=onepage&q=%22richard%20dobyns%22%20london&f=false as having been buried in 1670
Richard settled in Hillindgon, which is close to Ruislip. He married multiple times.
Edmund had two sons, one of whom ('Daniel') may have moved to the US. The other ('Edmund') is not known. Edmund senior was of Kidderminster, so less likely to be connected than his brother Richard of Hillingdon.
Lots more Dobyns here:
http://www.myoutbox.net/ddcv01.htm
So it looks like the relationship is Thomas Dobyns of this page was son of Thomas Dobyns senior (1680-1716) who m. Elizabeth Fotherly in 1702
Thomas Dobyns senior was the son of Richard Dobyns and Alice Bateman who married in 1673 (
https://books.google.ae/books?id=937HDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA405&lpg=PA405&dq=%22alice+bateman%22+dobyns&source=bl&ots=lcfq7cPiuB&sig=ACfU3U0k19Z9DAifYH-KAB1emFFBO8G_6A&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjqsdz94pz0AhX1SPEDHQ1CAMQQ6AF6BAgaEAM#v=onepage&q=%22alice%20bateman%22%20dobyns&f=false). Richard Dobyns is the person shown in the Visitation of London as son of Daniel Dobbins and Ursula Waller.
Will of Daniel?
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_col=200&_hb=tna&_q=daniel+dobins
Abt 1705 - 
