First, let me start by telling you all the documented facts about each member of this extremely confusing family.
Rebecca Brown.
Born: 30 Sept 1781 Whitby North Yorkshire the daughter of Thomas Brown (a sailor) and Barbara (formerly Moore).
Baptised: 6 Sept 1781 St. Mary’s Whitby.
1st Marriage: 4 Jan 1802 St Mary’s Whitby to John Watson.
2nd Marriage (Licence): 12 Aug 1807, Kings Lynn Norfolk.
2nd Marriage (Wedding): 16 Aug 1807, Kings Lynn Norfolk to Joseph Dodman.
Died: 31 Jul 1861 Walworth, Surrey.
John Watson.
Born: 6 Aug 1780 Whitby North Yorkshire the son of William (a sailor) and Jane.
Baptised: 17 Dec 1780 St Mary’s Whitby.
Marriage: 4 Jan 1802 St Mary’s Whitby to Rebecca Brown.
Died: Unknown !
Joseph Dodman.
Born: 20 Nov 1774 Northwold Norfolk illg. son of Ann Dodman.
2nd Marriage (Licence): 12 Aug 1807, Kings Lynn Norfolk.
2nd Marriage (Wedding): 16 Aug 1807, Kings Lynn Norfolk to Rebecca Watson (widow).
Now comes the problem.
I had always assumed Rebecca Dodman, who is born in 1810, was the daughter of Joseph Dodman.
She was married in 1835 to James Copeman Nicholls (27/04/1835) as Rebecca Dodman in St Peter Walworth and died in 1849 aged 39.
This all points to her birth as being 1810/11 but I have never been able to pin point her baptism/birth despite looking through many records online and at Soc. of Genealogists.
I posted to Rootschat (a very good bunch of people and helpful) and what came back surprised me:
Transcription of St Margaret’s Kings Lynn on Freereg.
Rebecca Watson baptized 26 January 1810
daughter of Rebecca the wife of John Watson of Whitby
There is no mention of her age …. As Rebecca Brown-Watson re married in 1807, could she have been 5 years old?
How come she was married as Rebecca Dodman and not Watson?
There is not record of a Rebecca being baptised in Whitby or Norfolk apart from this one entry. No Rebecca Dodman only Rebecca Watson.
What do you think ?
Neil's Family History Site 
Hi Neil. Sounds as though John and Rebecca Watson were still a going concern in 1810. Unless…. Rebecca Watson was born between 1802 and 1807, and was baptized late, after Rebecca married Dodman. She “adopted” the name Dodman for general use (or perhaps there was an official name change). James (Copeman) Nicholls was rebaptized at age 14 in London, giving James Copeman as the father.
7 Cleveland St. (Bap same day as Wm Jeremiah Nicholls’ child Mary Georgiana.) BD given as 7 Dec 1814. James Copeman Nicholls s/o James Copeman and Judith Nicholls. He was cordwainer.
Judy
LikeLike
Hi Judy,
I doubt they were still a going concern as Rebecca Brown/Watson was married as a widow to Joseph Dodman in 1837..
I hope that one day I’ll find John Watson’s death info.
N.
LikeLike
My aunt said that my grandfather (Nicholls) always maintained we had an uncle or something who was mayor of Scarborough. I have a list beginning in 1836. If we could find an earlier one, we might find Watson, Dodman, or now Brown on it. Or even Moore. I remember seeing a Watson in either Scarborough or Whitby named Watson.
LikeLike
Judy,
The John Watson was a Sailor as was his father.
N=Dodman is only in the Norfolk Area.
Brown was a sailor family and were not from the North East.
The Scarborough link looks very tenuous.
N.
LikeLike
Might be worth a peek. No date [1803] Captain Paget, ? House, Tuesday morning, to Markham, on Lieut Watson’s health, to leave the Endymion on his replacement. MRK102/5/5 National Maritime Museum. Archive catalog. https://collections.rmg.co.uk/archive.html#!asearch;dateMade=1802%252B1807;searchTerm=endymion_watson
LikeLike