Friends of the Orphans Schools logo
Orphan Number: 1494
Orphan: Emma DOBSON
Mother:INGLES, Sarah
Father:DOBSON, Edward/Edmund
Mother's ship:
Father's ship:Westmoreland
Age when admitted:11yrs
Date admitted:27 Oct 1865
Date discharged:
Institution(s):Queens Orphan School
Discharged to:
Remarks: father's convict name Dabson - father dead - mother free to colony
References: SWD26/8, 27


This orphan has been claimed by: Carol Llewelyn

I believe that Emma Dobson is my Great Great Grandmother. As yet I have been unable to find conclusive evidence, but I am still working on all leads. I have all information for Emma's marriage to current day descendants, but am driven to find out more about her. What interests me most is the fact that there is a very strong physical trait of olive skin and dark hair that has carried through to my own and my cousins families. I would love to hear from anyone who could lead me in the right direction, and would be happy to share my information (and photos).

You can use this contact form to send an email message to Carol Llewelyn

Your first name*:   Your last name*: 

Your email:*        Telephone number: 

Your message*:



This orphan has been claimed by: Jan Hodges

Emma Dobson’s mother, Sarah Dobson, nee, Ingles, was left destitute when her husband Edward had an accident whilst carrying a gun at Jerusalem (now Colebrook). He died in the General Hospital. Although the family name was known as Dobson, the father’s convict record was Dabson. Note was made of this on the application for three of the children to be admitted to the Queen’s Orphanage. There were four other children named on the application form – Emma, Charlotte, Georgiana and Sarah Dobson. These girls do not appear to have been admitted at a later date, but the admission/discharge register has not survived. Charlotte however, was admitted to the Girls’ Industrial School on 2 Feb 1871 for four years.

Three children, Edmund 10yrs, George 7yrs and Arthur 6yrs were admitted in November 1865.

My mother, Muriel Shaw, daughter of Violet Dobson and Arthur Shaw, had been brought up by her Dobson grandparents, then an aunt. Her father requested her to come back, but she found they were like strangers and so she ran away at 14 years of age and got a job with a Palfreyman where she learnt housekeeping.



You can use this contact form to send an email message to Jan Hodges

Your first name*:   Your last name*: 

Your email:*        Telephone number: 

Your message*:

Claim this Orphan

Use this facility to register your interest so other researchers can contact you. Add up to a 2000 character short story about your orphan and what became of them after they left the Orphan School. You can add links to other web sites and upload a photo.  Note that you can claim more than one orphan and that any orphan can be claimed more than once.
If you need to contact our researchers then email us and quote the orphan name and index number above.

 Site last updated June 2021