Robert Dollin in England

Robert Dollin
baptised 9 Nov 1828

Born in Dunster, Somerset, England. Son of John Dollin and Mary Ann Gould.

Robert was recorded in his parents' household in Dunster in the 1841 UK census. However, what happened to Robert after this is somewhat unclear.

From the evidence we have, we now believe that:

-- Robert Dollin moved from Dunster to Bristol and became a seaman / mariner.

-- Robert Dollin married Ann Burgess on 3 February 1850 at the St Philips and St Jacobs Church of England in Bristol. Ann Burgess was baptised in Porlock, Somerset on 23 Sept 1823. Ann's father was Philip Burgess, a labourer.

-- Robert Dollin and Ann lived in the parishes of St Paul, St Nicholas and Bedminster in Bristol and had seven children.

Evidence Supporting this View

==> On the Bishop's Transcript of the marriage of Robert Dollin and Ann Burgess, Robert's father was listed as John Dollin, mason.

John Dollin, the father of Robert Dollin in Dunster, was recorded as a mason on two Dunster baptism records and in the 1841, 1851, 1861 and 1871 UK census records.

A stone mason was not a common profession and we could not find any other 'John Dollin' who was a mason:

-- of a similar age to John Dollin (plus or minus ten years)
-- including spelling variants such as Dollen, Dolling, Dallin etc
-- anywhere in England in the 1851 UK census records.

==> Ann Burgess was born in Porlock, a town just eight miles west of Dunster, the town where Robert (son of John Dollin) was born.

Evidence Against this View

==> In every UK census record after Robert and Ann's marriage (1851 -- 1891), Robert said he was born in Bristol; whereas Robert (son of John Dollin) was born in Dunster.

However, evidently men sometimes claimed they were born in a local area to avoid discrimination against people from other areas in getting employment.

==> In the UK census records after Robert and Ann's marriage (1851 -- 1891), Robert said he was born in 1823/1824; whereas Robert (son of John Dollin) was baptised in 1828.

However, the 1841 UK census suggests that Robert (son of John Dollin) was actually born between 1821 and 1826 (read more).

Furthermore, a family historian has told us that in the UK census, a spouse would sometimes alter his or her age to match an older or younger spouse, to fit in with the contemporary standards of respectability. In the case of Robert and Ann, they gave matching ages in every census record.

Conclusion

On weighing all the evidence we currently have available, we believe that Robert, the son of John Dollin and Mary Ann Gould in Dunster, moved to Bristol and married Ann Burgess.

Another Clue?

A Robert Dollan aged 36 was recorded as an Able Seaman on the 'Jane Catherine' that arrived in Sydney, Australia from California, USA on 10 Sep 1857. He as recorded as being of British nationality.

Based on the 1841 UK census record, our Robert Dollin would have been between 31 and 36 years old in 1857.

Robert Dollin, husband of Ann Burgess, was a seaman. Could this be the record of one of the sea voyages made by Robert as a seaman after his marriage?

The investigation is continuing!
If you can add any information about this Dollin family in England, please contact us.

According to the UK Death Records, an Ann Dollin died in Bedminster in 1895 aged 72. A Robert Dollin died in Bristol in 1900 aged 75.

Children of Robert Dollin and Ann Burgess

Susan Ann Dollin - b 1851, Bristol
Robert Henry Dollin - b 1854, Bristol
Emily Dollin - b 1857, Bristol
Rosina Dollin - b 1859, Bristol
Alfred Dollin - b 1863, Bristol
Frederick Dollin - b 1865, Bristol
Mary Jane Dollin - b 1868, Bristol


Susan Ann Dollin
b 1851

Born in Bristol, England. Daughter of Robert Dollin and Ann Burgess.

Married Thomas Gorman, labourer, in 1870. Lived in Bedminster, Bristol

Children of Susan Ann Dollin and Thomas Gorman

Thomas William Gorman - b 1870
Ann Rosina Gorman - b 1873
Rosina Gorman - b 1875


Robert Henry Dollin
b 1854,

Born in Bristol, England. Son of Robert Dollin and Ann Burgess.

Seaman. Married Mary Ann Caddick in 1878; Lived in Bristol.

An article in The Bristol Mercury and Daily Post on 23 August 1890 described the inquest into the death of Frederick Dollin, aged three:

'Also at the Hospital, on the body of Frederick Dollin aged three years, who died from the effect of eating mussels for supper on Wednesday evening. Robert Dollin, the father of the child, of Hazell's buildings, Stillhouse lane, said he was away from Bristol when the event occurred. Ann Dollin deposed that she was the grandmother of the little boy and lived at 3, St John's buildings, Bedminster. Deceased ate some mussels for supper on Wednesday evening, as did her husband. Between twelve and one the child became restless, and her husband also became so ill that they were both taken to the Hospital, where the child died shortly after being admitted, but her husband was getting better. Her husband obtained the mussels from a vessel which brought them from Avonmouth; he got them in the morning, and they were cooked in the evening. Dr Gray, physician's assistant at the Hospital, gave evidence to the effect that he saw the patients on Wednesday night. They appeared to be suffering from some form of poison. The child died about 1.50 on Thursday morning. It was apparently a healthy, well nourished child. He should ascribe death to acute inflammation of the stomach and intestines, produced by some irritant poison in the mussels. He considered that mussels would be come poisonous if kept for any length of time. The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence. The deceased's father suggested that the practice of gathering mussels, which were clinging to the walls of the docks at Avonmouth, was very dangerous, as they became contaminated with all sorts of refuse which was washed up with the tide. The Coroner entirely agreed with this, and intimated his intention of communicating with the authorities there with a view to some warning being issued on the subject.'

Children of  Robert Henry Dollin and Mary Ann Caddick        

Robert Henry Dollin - b 1879 d 1918
Edgar Dollin - b 1884
Frederick Dollin - b 1888 d 1890 aged 3 of food poisoning (see above)
Lillian M Dollin - b 1889 d 1967 Bristol; married William Stephens
Francis Dollin - b 1892; married Minnie Llewellin in 1915
Alfred Dollin - b 1896
Frederick Dollin - b 1898


Robert Henry Dollin
b 1879

Born in Bedminster. Son of Robert Henry Dollin and Mary Ann Caddick.

A Robert Henry Dollin married a Florence Ada Woolf in Bristol in 1905. We have not yet been able to confirm whether this is the Robert Henry Dollin we are discussing here. If you can help with this, please Contact Us

Children of the Robert Henry Dollin who married Florence Ada Woolf

FreeBMD lists the following children:
Alfred Dollin - b 1912
Leonard G Dollin - b 1913
Emily M Dollin - 1914

Two other possible children of this marriage are:
Robert Henry Dollin - b 1908
Florence Ada Dollin - b 1910


Edgar Dollin
b 1884

Born in Bedminster. Son of Robert Henry Dollin and Mary Ann Caddick.

An Edgar Dollin married either a Mary A Reed or a Dora L Smale in 1910 in Bristol. We could not locate any children born to either of these combinations in Somerset.

There was another Dollin marriage to a ? Winstone. Details of the marriage are not known. However, four children of this marriage, found on FreeBMD are shown below.

We have not yet been able to confirm whether any of these records relate to the Edgar Dollin we are discussing here. If you can help with this, please Contact Us

Children of the Dollin male who married ? Winstone

Ivor Dollin - b 1921 d 1927
Edgar R Dollin - b 1920s
Ronald J Dollin - b 1920s
Oliver T Dollin - b 1920s


Francis (Frank) Dollin
b1892

Born in Bedminster. Son of Robert Henry Dollin and Mary Ann Caddick.

Married Minnie Llewellin in 1915.

Francis Dollin enlisted in the army at Bristol on 25th May 1915, aged 24 and two months. His army record states:

-- Regimental no/ 2692
-- Height: 5ft 3 1/2 inches
-- Occupation: Driver
-- Address: 4 Manley Place, Still House Lane, Bedminster, Bristol
-- Father was recorded as 'R Dollin, 4 Manley Place, Still House Lane, Bedminster, Bristol'

Children of Francis Dollin and Minnie Llewellin

Francis George Dollin - b 1915
May D Dollin - b 1919; d 1919
Robert T Dollin - b 1920s
William H Dollin - b 1920s


Emily Dollin
b 1857,

Born in Bristol, England. Daughter of Robert Dollin and Ann Burgess.

Married George Wallace/Wallis, builder's labourer, in 1889. Lived in Bristol.

Children of Emily Dollin and George Wallace/Wallis      

Thomas Wallace - b 1885
Louisa Wallace - b 1887
John Wallace - b 1890
Annie Wallace - b 1892
Alfred Wallace - b 1896
Edith Wallace - b 1899


Rosina Dollin
b 1859,

Born in Bristol, England. Daughter of Robert Dollin and Ann Burgess.

Married William Henry Clemence/Clements, labourer, in 1886. Lived in Bristol.

Children of Rosina Dollin and William Henry Clemence/Clements        

John W Clements - b 1887
Rosina Clements - b 1891
Alfred Clements - b 1899


Alfred Dollin
b 1863,

Born in Bristol, England. Son of Robert Dollin and Ann Burgess.

Fishdealer. Married Elizabeth Bryant in 1886. Lived in Bristol.

Children of Alfred Dollin and Elizabeth Bryant

Mabel Isabel Dollin - b 1889
Alfred Dollin - b 1891
Lilian Maud Dollin - b 1894
Ethel May Dollin - b 1900


Frederick Dollin
b 1865,

Born in Bristol, England. Son of Robert Dollin and Ann Burgess.

Dock labourer. Married Jane Dent in 1889. Lived in Bristol.

Children of Frederick Dollin and Jane Dent           

Frederick Robert Dollin - b 1891
Louise Smith Dollin - b 1900

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