William Dobson, South Shields, Master Mariner

[Radcliff]

Back to Newcastle,
Wensley Dale,master,coasting , 1st August 1846 to 27th November 1846
Susan and Sarah,mate,foreign,24th October 1847 to 12th feb 1848
St Lawrence,master,coasting,Dec 1846 to Oct 1847
Gelena,mate, coasting, March 1848 to 29th July 1848
James,mate,coasting,20th July 1848 to 23rd Nov 1848
Rapid,mate,foreign, Jan 1849 to April 1849
Ocean,mate,coasting, April 1849 to20th October 1849
Mohawk, master and mate, coasting,22nd October 1849 to 6th May 1850
Anglicanin, mate, coasting , 12th June 1850 to 24th September 1850
Mary and Caroline,master , foreign,25th September 1850

[Radcliff]

Should have stayed in Shields

[seaweed]

Nice work Radcliff.
 Stay in Shields. Maybe not but its better than loads of other places I can think of!

[garstonite]

Fascinating reading - great research - excellent work Radcliff and Seaweed ...coming from Garston ,Liverpool and having many ancestors that went to sea I found this so very interesting ....thank you both 
we lost my wifes grandfather 3rd Nov 1979 on The Pool Fisher - a coaster sailing from Hamburg that "turned turtle " from a freak wave ...she was carrying potash which "shifted" and only 2 survived ...another sad story ...RIP Angus McDonald

[PaulThommo]

Seaweed and Radcliff,
What can I say, I have just opened your information supplied today, it reads like a novel!!!! So much information it has helped me beyond belief and to find that he died in Malta in 1873 is great news. I was looking for deaths of WD in the 1850's (his wife is listed as Widow in the 1861 census), there are 2 one in 1855 which we can discount as he was in his 70's when he died, the other in 1852. However as Malta was part of the British Empire at the time would a death certificate be issued as a British death certificate (as he was a British subject) or one issued under Malta? Do you know?
Also I notice that on quite a few of his trips the boat was 'coasting', I presume that it was plying its trade up and down the coast of the UK calling into ports and loading/unloading its cargo.
Once again I appreciate all the work that the 2 of you have put in, where you get your information from I don't know but I thank you so much. Keep up the great work you do to make our research so much easier.
Regards
Paul Thompson

[seaweed]

Paul  first off. He died in 1853 not 1873
I cannot find any records of his death either in the deaths at sea index/register nor in British overseas deaths.
If you can wait until the end of February, I will look in the British National Archive to see if I can find the vessel with the port rotation number 2016. If her logbook is intact, it will not only tell us her name but it should also contain details of Williams demise.
I am away for five weeks, ironically in Australia, so if you will remind me by PM that would be great.
You are correct in your assumption re coasting.
You will also note that he was master of several vessels before obtaining his masters certificate in 1851.
From 1845 it was a voluntary decision if you wanted to obtain a masters certificate of service/competency this was obviously  advantageous to your career/employment prospects but it did not became compulsory until after the enactment of the The Mercantile Marine Act 1850.

Garstonite,
 I remember the loss of the POOL FISHER, nearly forty years ago. The sea was and still is, a dangerous place.

"For those in Peril"

[garstonite]

Seaweed - I had never been to a lost at sea service before ...all the relatives of the 13 who died ( 10 were never found )gathered at Mann Island Monument in Liverpool at the Pierhead ...about 100 men and women .....and then the most moving thing I have ever seen at a "funeral" -  Mann Island is about 70 yards from the "pool" where all the men sign on to ships .
Suddenly - completely unexpected to all the families concerned - we heard a lone piper - he walked on his own and we thought it very strange - and then about 300 Merchant Seamen walked in line out of the pool office heads bowed ....it was a fantastic show of respect to those 13 who died ....incredible scene ...and I will admit to anyone it was that moving I shed tears ....a great show of  support by those Merchant Seamen ...

[PaulThommo]

Thanks Seaweed,
I knew it was 1853 (typo error!!!). Enjoy your holiday down under, it will be hot. Will contact you on your return.
Cheers
Paul Thompson

[fiddlerslass]

Hi Paul,
 Found this on a Malta website

William DOBSON, Master of the English Brig Mary & Caroline of Newcastle, aged 36 years, buried 30th March 1853

http://www.stevebidmead.webspace.virginmedia.com/British%20Residents%201800-1900.htm