William Ralph Dobson

  Noted events in his life were:

• Occupation: apprentice joiner and cabinet maker, at the time of the census in March 1851. ¹⁰ He was then living with his parents and siblings at Mount Street, Nottingham.

• Occupation: joiner and cabinet maker, employing 1 man and a boy, at the time of the census in April 1861. ¹¹ He was then living at St Michaels Street, West Bromwich, Staffordshire with his wife and baby girl.

• Occupation: master cabinet maker and furniture dealer, at the time of the census in April 1881. ¹² He was then living at 32 Cromwell, St, Nottingham with his wife and eight children. His three eldest sons were working for him.

• Occupation: upholsterer, cabinet manufacturer and house furniture, by 1884. ^13,14 He was then operating from business premises at 162-4 Alfreton Road, Nottingham and living at 17 Noel Street. By the following year, the business had expanded to take in 160-4 Alfreton Road.

• Occupation: Furniture Dealer, at the time of the census in April 1891. ¹⁵ He was by then a widower, living with six adult children at 32 Waterloo Road, Nottingham with the help of two domestic servants.

• Residence: 32 Waterloo Road, Nottingham, at the time of the census in March 1901. ¹⁶ He was then described as a retired cabinet maker, had remarried and was living there with this wife and two adult daughters from his first marriage. There was one domestic servant.

• Residence: Ferndale, Hilton Road, Mapperley, Nottingham, by April 1910. ¹⁷ This address was given by each of his sons, Joseph and Albert, when passing through Immigration on arrival in the United States of America in April and November 1910 respectively.

William married Mary Turney, daughter of William Turney and Elizabeth Harvey, on 11 Aug 1859 in Nottingham (St Marys).¹ (Mary Turney was born circa 1836 in Old Lenton, Notts,^18,19,20 died on 20 May 1889 ⁹ and was buried in General Cemetery, Nottingham.)

William next married Sarah Ann Gibbons Q3 1894 in Nottingham Registration District.² (Sarah Ann Gibbons was born circa 1862 in Nottingham ²¹ and died on 16 Feb 1936 ²².)