In 1698, John Dobbs and his wife moved to the village then known as "Wy squaqua" in Westchester County, New York. They settled on a leasehold o f 282 acres and built a house at Willow Point on the Philipsburgh Manor j ust below Joseph Conklin. John Dobbs' house was located on Broadway ne ar the corner of Walnut Street, near the present site of the Dobbs Ferr y Railroad Station.

In that same year, John Dobbs established a ferry from Willow Point on t he east bank of the Hudson River to Sneden's Landing directly across th e river. The west bank landing was owned by his uncle, William Merritt . He was succeeded in its operation in 1730 by his son, William Dobbs. T he area formerly known as "Wysquaqua" became, through general acceptanc e, "Dobbs Ferry."

"In the period 1698-1740 the Philipsburg Manor was controlled by the fa mily of Frederick Philipse, whose Castle was just north of Dobbs Ferry a nd Tarreytown at Sleepy Hollow. Life on the Manors of New York was far l ess regulated than on the feudal manors of Europe. Land was cheap and p lentiful in New York, and settlers were consequently reluctant to becom e tenant farmers on these vast tracts of granted land. In fact, Freder ick Philipse often let families settle on his land without charge, as d id Stephanus Van Cortlandt on his manor to the north, in return for the ir improving the land and helping to defend it against the French and t he Indians. This cheapness of land and the high cost of labor was resp onsible for New Yorkers having to import many Negroes from Africa to su pply their labor needs . . . . It is reported that the Manor of Philip sburg had only 20 tenant farmers in 1700, in an area that spanned much o f Westchester County."

The Dobbs family attended the Sleepy Hollow Dutch Reformed Church at Ta rrytown, Westchester County, New York. All of John Dobbs' children exc ept John were baptized in that church between 1706 and 1721.

On March 21, 1710, the records show that a "family reunion" took place a t the church, the occasion being the baptism of three baby girls: Sara M eekes, Marytje Ryersen, and Sara Wieler. Present were John Dobbs; his b rother, William Dobbs; his sister, Margery Reyersen, and her husband, M ichael Reyersen; their aunt, Sara Crabb; Sara Crabb's son, Edward Meeke s, and his wife, Marytje; and Sara Crabb's daughter, Elisabeth, and her h usband, Simon Wieler. The three baptisms performed that day are record ed as follows:

Baptism of Sara Meekes: the parents are listed as "Edward Meghts" and " Marytje his wife"; the child as "Sara"; and the godparents as "Jan Dops e" and "Effie Bastjiense."

Baptism of Marytje Ryersen: the parents are listed as "Michiel Ryersen " and "Mazerie his wife"; the child as "Marytje"; and the godparents as " Willem Dopse" and "Effie Bastjiense."

Baptism of Sara Wieler: the parents are listed as "Simon Wieler" and " Elisabeth his wife"; the child as "Sara"; and the godparents as "Michie l Ryersen" and "Sara Crab."

Presumably, Sara Meekes and Sara Wieler were named for their grandmothe r, Sara Crabb.

John and Abigail Dobs were sponsors at the baptism of John's grandson, " Abram Dobs," the first-born child of William and Leah Dobs, April 11, 1 730 at the Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow. The parents are listed a s "Willem Dobs" and "Leah his wife"; the child as "Abram"; and the godp arents as "Jan Dobs" and "Ebiegel his wife."

John and Abigail Dobbs had been sponsors at the baptisms of other child ren at the church from 1710 to 1730.

• Married: ABT 1705
• Note: "John Dobbs married 1st. circa 1705, the daughter of his next-door neig hbors, Elizabeth Hyatt. Her parents, John Hyatt and his wife, Mary Jon es, had settled on their lease-hold of 233 acres circa 1698." ^{3 12}

1. William Dobbs b: 1706 in Dobbs Ferry, Westchester County, New York
2. John Dobbs b: ABT 1708 in Dobbs Ferry, Westchester County, New York

• Married: ABT 1708 in Philipsburgh Manor, Westchester County, New York ^{3 13}

1. Mary Dobbs b: 13 JAN 1709 in Dobbs Ferry, Westchester County, New York
2. Thomas Dobbs b: 1712 in Dobbs Ferry, Westchester County, New York
3. Thomas Dobbs b: 1714 in Dobbs Ferry, Westchester County, New York
4. Walter Dobbs b: 1716 in Dobbs Ferry, Westchester County, New York
5. Abigail Dobbs b: 1719 in Dobbs Ferry, Westchester County, New York
6. Michael Dobbs b: 1721 in Dobbs Ferry, Westchester County, New York

1. Abbrev: Cutter, Richard William, Genealogical and Family History of Western New York
   Title: Richard William Cutter, <i>Genealogical and Family History of Western N ew York</i> (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1912)
   Page: vol. 2, p. 618
2. Abbrev: First Record Book of the Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow
   Title: First Record Book of the Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow : Organized i n 1697 and Now The First Reformed Church of Tarrytown, N.Y. (Yonkers: T he Yonkers Historical and Library Association, 1901)
   Page: pp. 30, 33, 37
3. Abbrev: Haagenson, Alice Munro, Palisades and Snedens Landing
   Title: Alice Munro Haagenson, Palisades and Snedens Landing (Tarrytown, New Yo rk: Pilgrimage Publishing, 1986)
   Page: p. 206
4. Abbrev: Lane, Margaret T., "Dobbs Genealogy"
   Title: Margaret T. Lane, "Dobbs Genealogy" (unpublished manuscript, 1979, copy l ocated in Westchester County Historical Society Library, Elmsford, New Y ork)
   Page: p. 4
5. Abbrev: Savell, Isabelle K.
   Title: Isabelle K. Savell, <i>The Tonetti Years at Snedens Landing</i> (New Yo rk: The Historical Society of Rockland County, 1977)
6. Abbrev: Cutter, Richard William, Genealogical and Family History of Western New York
   Title: Richard William Cutter, <i>Genealogical and Family History of Western N ew York</i> (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1912)
   Page: vol. 2, pp. 617-18
7. Abbrev: Haagenson, Alice Munro, Palisades and Snedens Landing
   Title: Alice Munro Haagenson, Palisades and Snedens Landing (Tarrytown, New Yo rk: Pilgrimage Publishing, 1986)
   Page: pp. 28, 130, 206
8. Abbrev: First Record Book of the Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow
   Title: First Record Book of the Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow : Organized i n 1697 and Now The First Reformed Church of Tarrytown, N.Y. (Yonkers: T he Yonkers Historical and Library Association, 1901)
   Page: p. 33
9. Abbrev: Lane, Margaret T., "Dobbs Genealogy"
   Title: Margaret T. Lane, "Dobbs Genealogy" (unpublished manuscript, 1979, copy l ocated in Westchester County Historical Society Library, Elmsford, New Y ork)
   Page: pp. 2-4
10. Abbrev: Bolton, Robert, Jr., A History of the County of Westchester from Its First Sett
    Title: Robert Bolton, Jr., <i>A History of the County of Westchester from Its F irst Settlement to the Present Time</i> (New York: Alexander S. Gould, 1 848)
    Page: pp. 181-2
11. Abbrev: First Record Book of the Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow
    Title: First Record Book of the Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow : Organized i n 1697 and Now The First Reformed Church of Tarrytown, N.Y. (Yonkers: T he Yonkers Historical and Library Association, 1901)
    Page: p. 58
12. Abbrev: Lane, Margaret T., "Dobbs Genealogy"
    Title: Margaret T. Lane, "Dobbs Genealogy" (unpublished manuscript, 1979, copy l ocated in Westchester County Historical Society Library, Elmsford, New Y ork)
    Page: pp. 2, 3-4
13. Abbrev: Lane, Margaret T., "Dobbs Genealogy"
    Title: Margaret T. Lane, "Dobbs Genealogy" (unpublished manuscript, 1979, copy l ocated in Westchester County Historical Society Library, Elmsford, New Y ork)
    Page: pp. 2, 4