Born c. 1828. The "Casualty List" for the 1858 period states that he was born at Calne, Wiltshire, and a Machine-minder by trade.
Enlisted at Dundalk on the 17th of August 1846.
Age: 18.
Height: 5' 7".
Trade: None shown.
He was servant to Cornet (later Captain) Morgan from the 1st of April 1850 and also during the Crimean period. In one of his letters home to his mother, Captain Morgan wrote
"I deeply regretted having to send Dobson back to the Crimea. I have grown very attached to him. He is more like a close relation than a servant, so well does he look after me."
Sent to Scutari on the 25th of December 1854 and rejoined the regiment on the 11th of May 1855.
From Private to Corporal: 1st of January 1855.
He was allowed to revert to Private, "at his own request", for incompetency, on the 18th of May 1855.
From the 12th of November 1855 he was the servant of Major General Lawrenson, attached to the 6th Dragoon Guards.
Travelled overland to India in 1857 as servant to Colonel Benson, the rest of the party consisting of a Duty Captain, the Riding-master, Veterinary Surgeon, a Sergeant and four rough-riders. Leaving on the 10th of October 1857 they arrived at Bombay on the 24th of November.
The muster rolls for the period July-September 1858 show no particular service movement having taken place.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman, Sebastopol, and the Turkish medal.
Can find no trace on the Mutiny medal roll.
Died in India on the 3rd of July 1858.
The India Office records show him as having died at Nusserabad, India, from "dysentery" on the 3rd of July 1858, aged 29 years, and being buried on the 4th of July by the Revd. C.T. Reynolds, Chaplain.
His next of kin was his sister, Sarah, living at Burley, near Leeds, Yorkshire. He left no will, his "credits" being £3/3/10d.