Arthur Dobbs
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His Excellency Arthur Dobbs |
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| 7th Governor of North Carolina | |
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In office October 31, 1754 – March 27, 1765 |
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| Monarch | |
| Preceded by | Matthew Rowan (acting) |
| Succeeded by | William Tryon |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
April 2, 1689 Girvan, Scotland |
| Died | March 28, 1765 (aged 75) Brunswick Town, North Carolina |
| Spouse(s) | Anne Dobbs |
Arthur Dobbs (2 April 1689 – 28 March 1765) was a British administrator who served as the seventh Governor of North Carolina, serving from October 31, 1754, until his death in 1765.
He was born the eldest son of Richard Dobbs of Carrickfergus, County Antrim, who was soon to become Sheriff of Antrim in 1694. He was a neighbour and family friend of Jonathan Swift despite their political differences. He served briefly in a dragoon regiment in the Irish Army, and afterward managed his family estate.
He became an engineer and Surveyor-General of Ireland, supervising the construction of the Irish Parliament House in Dublin, as well as other Irish public buildings. He was appointed High Sheriff of Antrim in 1720 and in 1727 was elected Member of Parliament for Carrickfergus, a seat he held until 1760.
Whilst a member of the Irish Parliament, he purchased 400,000 acres (1,600 km2) in North Carolina in 1745 and encouraged settlement in the colony, especially by Irishmen. Following the death of North Carolina governor Gabriel Johnston, Dobbs was confirmed to succeed him on 25 January 1753. However, he did not arrive to assume his duties until October of the following year.
While governor of North Carolina, Dobbs sought unsuccessfully to establish a permanent capital, to be called George City, near Tower Hill and the Neuse River. Plans were drawn up for a Palladian governor's mansion similar to Tryon Palace, which Dobbs' successor, William Tryon, would erect 10 years later in New Bern. Dobbs' governorship was overshadowed by the French and Indian War and the start of the American Revolution. Shortly after his arrival, Dobbs visited the western frontiers of North Carolina, organised the construction of Fort Dobbs, and attempted to raise troops to fight in the French and Indian War. Dobbs moved to Brunswick Town, North Carolina in 1758 where he lived for the rest of his life. In 1759 and 1760, Governor and Assembly were often at odds. Debt, Indian affairs, public complaints about Lord Granville's agents and about Dobbs' failure to put down riots in Edgecombe County and elsewhere, and Dobbs' frequent vetoes of Assembly bills led to intense tensions. Dobbs even dissolved the Assembly in 1760 and ordered new elections, but this plan backfired; a secret committee drew up outlandish charges against the governor to be sent to the King. Only the succession of King George III, which brought additional powers to Dobbs, saved him from further conflict with the Assembly.
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