- Arthur Dobbs
Arthur Dobbs (
2 April 1689 -March 28 1765 ) was a wealthy landowner in North Carolina and served as colonial governor from 1754 to 1765.A native of Ayrshire, Scotland, Dobbs grew up in Ireland. When a member of the Irish Parliament, he purchased 400,000 acres (1,600 km²) in North Carolina in 1745. He encouraged settlement in the colony, especially by Irishmen. Following the death of North Carolina governor
Gabriel Johnston , Dobbs was confirmed to succeed him on January 25, 1753. However, he did not arrive to assume his duties until October of the following year.Apart from his North Carolina interests, Dobbs was heavily involved in attempts to find a Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic during the 1740s. He actively worked to have the
Hudson’s Bay Company ’s trade monopoly revoked since they showed little or no interest in promoting discovery expeditions relating to theNorthwest Passage . Dobbs felt that others might finance exploration if they had some expectation of trade. Revoking the Hudson’s Bay Company’s trade monopoly was his solution for stimulating exploration. From 1741 to 1747, Dobbs managed to stimulate exploration, the result of which convinced most people that such a passage did not exist. A British Parliamentary inquiry in 1749 ended attempts to revoke the Hudson’s Bay Company’s charter. Dobbs served as North Carolina's governor for ten years, retiring in 1764. He planned to return to Ireland, but died on March 27, 1765, just two weeks before he was to depart. He was buried at St. Philip's Church inBrunswick Town, North Carolina .Dobbs involvement in the Canadian Arctic exploration resulted in a substantial increase in geographical knowledge as well as increased awareness of the economic potential. His colonial governorship was overshadowed by the
French and Indian War and the start of the American Revolution.See also
*
Joseph La France Further reading
*D. Clarke, "Arthur Dobbs, esquire, 1689–1765" (1957)
*"Oxford Dictionary of National Biography"External links
* [http://www.northcarolinahistory.org/encyclopedia/14/entry "Dobbs biography on North Carolina history site"]
* [http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/people/dobbs_a.shtml "Manitoba Historical Society - Arthur Dobbs"]
* [http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/mb_history/32/middletonvoyage.shtml "Voyages in Search of a Northwest Passage"]
###@@@KEY@@@###succession box
title=Governor of the Royal Colony of North Carolina
before=Matthew Rowan (acting)
after=William Tryon
years=1753 – 1764
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