Born and Bred

Ann's Story

Ann was probably born in 1818, though I have no proof of this. However I do have a record of her being baptised on the 26th of April 1818 at St. Laurence Priory Church, Snaith in East Yorkshire. Her parents were Swain Richardson and Hannah Mitchell and at this time they were living and working in the nearby village of Cowick.

In 1840 she married William Dobson and in 1841 their first child, a son who they called Henry was born. Then in February 1842 the family emigrated to Van Dieman's Land, now Tasmania, on board the "Elizabeth and Jane". They arrived in Launceston on the 9th of February 1843.

The Family first settled at Caveside then in the 1860's they moved to Glenore (formerly known as Whitemore) where they engaged in farming. Raising cattle was their main interest, especially the Devon breed, although other breeds were also kept on the farm.

They would go on to have a further eight children between 1843 and 1865, all their children were educated at the Glenore School. William and Ann were also both very active members of the Methodist Church where they served as Sunday School teachers and as local preachers.

When William died in 1885, Ann would continue to run the farm for a further ten years before her death in 1895. Both William and Anne are buried at the Hagley Methodist cemetery.

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