Hibbitt & Barnes Family History Blog

Very little is known of his early years but Charles Llewellyn Ernest Elbert Dando was a dentist who married in Saffron Walden, Essex, in 1900. After a brief time in Newmarket, Cambridgeshire, he can be found in Plymouth in Devon in 1910 where he remained until his death in 1959. Charles is listed in various Plymouth street directories and I also have copies of some of his correspondence to the Dental Board over the years. He tended to use two initials and went by C E Dando.

One recent discovery is that Charles worked in Bedford Street, one of the main streets in Plymouth before the Blitz destroyed most of the city centre. He can be found at No 34 in the 1923 Kelly’s Directory, probably above the main shop which belonged to Webb & Son Ltd who made suitcases. The 1910 and 1914 Kelly’s Directories don’t mention Charles but instead, located there with Webb & Son is a firm called McDonalds Ltd who made artificial teeth. It’s not known whether Charles had any associations with McDonalds or whether two dental firms being located in the same building at different times is simply a co-incidence. Of course, there’s always the possibility that the building was already kitted out, making it the ideal premises for Charles Dando to move his business into.

Bedford Street, Plymouth, showing No 34 on the right (click to view a larger version in my Picture Gallery)

AI Generated image depicting what Stephen Dando’s Hat Store might have looked like.
Inspired by John Stobart’s painting of ‘Maiden Lane, New York in 1800’.

I recently discovered a little more about Samuel Dando, the missing son of John Dando and Ann (nee Brothers), my 5 x great-grandparents. John Dando’s will, dated 1809, states that he hadn’t heard from Samuel for 4 years and was apparently out of the country. In 1799, we find Samuel residing with his brother, Stephen, in New York. According to the book, ‘The Old Merchants of New York City – Vol 5, by Walter Barrett, clerk – published in 1885’, Samuel was making hats for a New York merchant, Samuel Norsworthy, in 1828. The writer apparently mistook their unmarried aunt, Mary, for their mother…

“Mr. Norsworthy stood six feet two inches high, and was well proportioned. He wore a low-crowned hat, made by Dando. They made his hats for thirty years. When he arrived here [in 1794] he found Mary Dando, the widow, living at 166 William street, where she kept a china store. In 1798, Stephen Dando started a hat store at 3 Maiden lane, where his mother resided. Next year Stephen took in his brother Sam at No. 11 Maiden lane. Stephen made the first hat for Mr. Norsworthy in 1798, and Samuel, who outlived his brother, made his last hat in 1828.”

Stephen lived in New York until he died in 1851. It seems a shame that he had not managed to keep his father and brother in contact with each other.