Richard Dobie, whose name succeeds as subscribing ten guineas [to the building fund for the St. Gabriel Presbyerian Church], was a rich mercant of the period. When the members of the Presbyterian congregation of Montreal, "having been regularily called from the pulpit", met on the 8th of  May,1791, "for the purpose of electing a committee to manage the temporals of said congregation", Mr. Dobie's name was at the head of the list of sixteen chosen; and he was afterwards made chairman of the 'committee'. This was the committee that remained in office until the 17th of August, 1800. He signed the call to Mr. Somerville, contributing three pounds a year to the salary. He was a member of St. Peter's Masonic Lodge in 1772, and occupied, afterwards, more than once, the office of Master. He died on the 25th of March, 1805, aged 74 years. He owned pew #20, which his heirs continued to occupy so long as a record can be traced of the individual holders of pews.