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The Doby-Dobie-Dobey family in Virginia


Virginia Descendents of John(#1) and Elizabeth (Strong) Doby:

The story for most of the Doby-Dobie-Dobey family in the United States starts in Virginis with John(#1) Doby and Elizabeth Strong. This page covers their story and their first four generations of their descendants that remained in Virginia.

The following section uses the d'Aboville Numbering System

1. John(#1) Doby - Sometime before 1675, John Doby (John#1) immigrated to the British Colony of Virginia. There are at least 20 birth records in England and Scotland that could be this John Doby so it's impossible to determine where he emigrated from, however, the area around the James River in Virginia was filled with English settlements and settlers. Given the "bad blood" between the English and Scots in the 1600s, it's more likely that he was from England. Most Scots immigrated to/through Pennsylvania.

John was born around 1657. He was bequeathed land by his father-in-law in 1675 so he was probably at least 18 by then, making his birth year before 1657. He died in 1722. If he was born in 1657, he would have been 65 years old at his death.

By 1683, John had acquired a total of 362 acres in James City County, which was on the north side of the James River. He kept that land until at least 1704 when he paid taxes on it. At some point, he acquired land in Surry County, which was directly across the James River from James City County. At the time, Surry County was much larger than it is today. Based on the wills of his descendants, it seems that this land was in the area that would become Sussex County (Sussex was created in 1754 from the part of Surry County that was southwest of the Blackwater River).

There are no marriage records available for this time period, so the date is not known, but he married Elizabeth Strong, daughter of William Strong. Wiliam was bequeathed land by William Haveat, so it's likely that William Haveat was William Strong's father-in-law. If that's true, then we know Elizabeth's mother's maiden name, but her first name is not known. John(#1) and Elizabeth had two known children: John(#9) Doby and Robert Doby.

John wrote his will on March 19, 1717. He names his two sons, John and Robert, along with his granddaughter Mary Vinsen and her son, Thomas. Elizabeth is not mentioned in the will so it's likely that she had already passed away. His death date is not known, but the will was proved on August 15, 1722.

  • 1.1 John(#9) Doby - John(#9) was born around 1677 in Virginia. Little is known about him. He was married to Ann, whose last name is not known, and they had three sons: John(#2) Doby, Robert Doby and Peter Doby. He paid tax on land in Prince George County, VA in 1704, and he's mentioned in a land record for Nathaniel Tatum Sr in 1716. On July 3, 1735 he wrote his will giving 533 acres of land and the plantation he lived on (probably in Surry County) along with 200 acres in Prince George County to Ann, and at her decease to be divided equally between Robert Doby and Peter Doby. He also left slaves and all his possessions to Ann. His death date is not known but the will was probated on June 15, 1737.
  • 1.2 Robert Doby - Robert was born around 1680 in Virginia. The date is just a guess. There are no records that indicate who his wife may have been. He had two known children: Mary(#2) (Doby) Vinsen and William(#1) Doby. There is no record of his death. He is listed in his father's will in 1717 so his death was after that date.
    • 1.2.1 Mary(#2) Doby - Mary was born around 1700 in Virginia. The date is just a guess. There are no records for Mary except for her grandfather's will, which mentions her and her son Thomas Vincent. Some unsourced Ancestry trees list three additional children of Mary: Mary, Moses, and John.
      • 1.2.1.1 Thomas Vincent - Thomas was born before 1717, as he is mentioned in his great-grandfather's will, dated 1717. He was married to Elizabeth Pennal on April 3, 1749 in King George County, Virginia. They had three known children: Sarah "Sally" (Vincent) Ridley, George Vincent, and Thomas Vincent Jr. At some point, the family relocated to Sullivan County, Tennessee. There is no record of Thomas' death or burial. Research is not complete on Thomas' descendants.
    • 1.2.2 William(#1) Doby - William was born around 1715 in Virginia. The date is just a guess. There are no records. There are also no records that state who his father is. There are two options: John(#9) and Robert. John(#9) listed his sons in his will, so it's likely that William is Robert's son. The only record for William is his will, written May 1, 1763 in Albemarle Parish, Sussex County, VA, probated May 21, 1772 in Brunswick County, VA, in which he lists his wife Hannah and children Mary(#4) (Doby) Dillard, Sarah (Doby) Crowder, Joseph Doby, John(#3) Doby, and Elizabeth (Doby) Gee.
      • 1.2.2.1 Mary(#4) Doby - Mary was born around 1735 in Albemarle Parish, Surry County, Virginia. She was married to John Dillard on May 21, 1863, probably in Sussex County, Virginia. There are no of Mary and John having children, and there is no record of their death.
      • 1.2.2.2 Sarah Doby - Sarah was born around 1735 in Albemarle Parish, Surry County, Virginia. The exact date is unknown, but she was married to Sterling James Crowder before her father's will was written on May 21, 1863. James wrote his will on April 27, 1828, bequeathing land to his wife and children, but none are listed by name. There is no record of Sarah's death.
      • 1.2.2.3 Joseph Doby - Joseph was born on August 12, 1740 in Albemarle Parish, Surry County, Virginia. There are no other records for Joseph.
      • 1.2.2.4 John(#3) Doby - John(#3) was born on January 9, 1742 in Albemarle Parish, Surry County, Virginia. The date is not known, but he was married to Elizabeth "Betty" Frances Massey. They had at least four children, of which three are known: William(#6) Doby, Joseph Doby, and John(#6) Doby. John relocated the family to South Carolina. His story continues on the South Carolina page (under construction).
      • 1.2.2.5 Elizabeth Doby - Elizabeth was born around 1745 in Virginia. She married Charles "Charlie" Gee III, son of Captain Charles Gee and Bridgett (Neville) Gee. They had five known children: Joseph Gee, John Gee, Patty (Gee) Smith, Sarah "Sally" (Gee) Thompson Glover, and Neville Gee.



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