Grandad Dobson

In 1953, Market lavington Resident ‘Grandad Dobson’, aged 95, was disqualified from riding his motorbike for three years following a road traffic incident. The case was reported in the Daily Sketch for Thursday August 6^th of 1953. Market lavington Museum holds a cutting from this paper.

Grandad Dobson hits the news - Daily Sketch, August 6th, 1953

From the information given in the newspaper account we have tried to piece together just who Grandad Dobson was. We are not 100% certain we are right.

George 'Grandad' Dobson on his motorbike in 1953

George Dobson was born in 1858 in the Avebury / Preshute area of Wiltshire.

By 1881 George lived with his parents in Corsham where he worked as a stone miner.

Between 1881 and 1890, Gorge must have married, had a couple of children and then his wife died.

In 1890, George Married Mary Tiley who was to be his wife for over 60 years. We think they had a son, born in 1890.

George continued to work in the Corsham stone industry.

We do not know when he moved to Market Lavington but by 1953 he was the oldest inhabitant of Market Lavington and he was chosen to plant the coronation tree in St Mary’s churchyard. It is good to report that, in 2010, the tree, a catalpa,  is still going strong.

And then George had his spot of bother with the law and lost his right to drive his motorbike. He never got it back, for he died in 1954, aged 96. Mary, his widow, lived until 1956.

Tags: law, Market Lavington, motorbike, person, transport