Arthur Dobbs was born in Scotland, though his family came from Castle Dobbs, County Antrim. In 1720 he was appointed high sheriff of County Antrim and mayor of Carrickfergus, a position which he attained three times. He was a member of parliament for Carrickfergus for many years and in 1728, he became deputy governor of the town. He was appointed Surveyor-General of Ireland in 1733 and ordered much new building. He was a co-founder of the Royal Dublin Society. At his instigation, two vessels were sent in 1740 to find a North-West Passage to India. A point of land on Hudson's Bay is known as Cape Dobbs. He was appointed Governor of North Carolina in 1753. He published two important works: An Essay on the Trade and Improvement of Ireland and An Account of the Countries adjoining to the Hudson's Bay. He was a keen bee-keeper and botanist and made perceptive observations about pollination. His letter 'Concerning Bees and Their Methods of Gathering Wax and Honey' was sent to the Royal Society. He joined with merchants to form the Ohio Co. of Virginia, and at the age of seventy-three, he married Justina Davis who was fifteen years old. Later the same year he suffered a stroke. He died in North Carolina

Born:	22 April 1689
Died:	28 May 1765