History of Deacon John Dunham (1588-1668) follows:

History of Deacon John Dunham (1588-1668) follows:

JOHN DUNHAM, SR. (1588-1668)

ABIGAIL WOOD (1600- )

DEACON JOHN DUNHAM, SR. was born 25 July 1588, in Langford, Bedfordshire, England to Richard Dunham (1565-1624) and Jane Bromley (1562-1656.) He was of the Pilgrim’s faith.

He married (1) Susan Cainehoe (1586-) age 24, 17 August 1612, at Clophill, Bedfordshire, England. He married (2) Abigail Wood, 34, 17 October 1622, Leiden, Holland. The couple was rumored to have been related and were betrothed 7 October 1622. Abigail’s father (Thomas) and her sister (Anna) were witnesses to this marriage.

In the early seventeenth century the Dutch East India Company held a monopoly on the spice trade, and huge profits were being made on cloves, nutmeg, and mace. Amsterdam was the wealthiest city in Europe, far more cosmopolitan than London, and there was tolerance for a variety of religious beliefs. The Pilgrims fled to Holland in 1608 to avoid persecution from King James I, who was enforcing Episcopacy (government of the Church by the King) on all his subjects. But, like refugees everywhere they found life hard in Holland. Most of them had been farmers without skills or trades, and they had to find employment in the lowest paying jobs in textile, metal, and leather.

Edmund Zouche, (the same age as John Dunham) was a Councilor of King James, and a violent persecutor of the Dissenters. After King James’ edict of 1608, commanding attendance at church, John Dunham escaped to Holland where he became a man of toil and learned the trade of a weaver. He was a Leiden Holland Separatist. He sacrificed position in society with all its accomplishments, that he might devote his life to the welfare of his fellowmen.

The original Pilgrim church was organized at Dunham Manor, in the village of Scrooby, England. John Dunham, Gov. Bradford and Elder William Brewster were the only members of the original church to come to Plymouth. Many of the Pilgrims moved to Holland to avoid religious persecution before moving to the Americas. Possibly the reason John Dunham was not a passenger on the Mayflower in 1620 was due to the illness or death of his wife, Susan. John Dunham arrived in Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship “Hope,”

He fathered three children with his first wife Susanna Keno. They came to Holland sometime after 1616. His three children by her were John (b. 1616, England or Leiden), Humility (b. 1618, Leiden), and Thomas (b. 1619, Leiden). Of these John and Thomas came to Plymouth. There was no further record of Humility after Holland. She either died or did not accompany her parents to the New World.

John Dunham (Dunhame) arrived in Plymouth from Leiden, Holland in 1630 aboard the ship “Hope,” with six children and his second wife, Abigail. There is no record of his ever returning to Europe. He and Abigail had four children together before arriving in Plymouth. He had four more children while living in Plymouth (listed below). The fact that he had children and grandchildren named John and Jonathan made research confusing at times.

The earliest date for John Dunham in Massachusetts is on a Plymouth list of Freemen of 1633 on which Dunham is shown “before those admitted on 1 January 1632/3.” Deacon John Dunham was a Deacon of the Church under Elder Brewster, a Deputy to the General Court from 1639-1664, a member of the Council of War, and a member of the Massachusetts Militia. John Dunham was a weaver by trade. He had land for grazing cattle and sheep. On the inventory that was taken when he died a loom and weaving equipment was listed as well as cotton, sheep wool, and linen yarn. He was granted land several times by the town of Plymouth for grazing sheep. He was deputy from Plymouth for many years and served on law making committees. This indicates that he was at least moderately educated. Although he signed documents with a mark, books were listed in his inventory. These books were religious in nature. At the entry that marked his death in the court records, Dunham is referred to as “deacon of the church of Christ at Plymouth.” He was an important man.

The Last Will and Testament of John Dunham:

The last Will and Testament of John Dunham senir. of Plymouth Deceased; exhibited to the Court held att Plymouth the 4th of June 1669 on the oaths of Captain Thomas Southworth mr Thomas Cushman and mr John Colton as followeth:

Plymouth the 25th of January 1668. Know all prsons whom these prsents may Concerne That I John Dunham senir: of Plymouth in the Jurisdiction of Plyouth being weake in body but of prfect memory Doe ordaine this my last Will and Testament in manor and forme following

Impr. I bequeath my soule into the hands of God that gave it and my body to Decent burial hoping for a Joyfull Resurecion; and for my estate that God hat give me I Dispose as followeth:

As for my son John Dunham whoe is my eldest sonne I have given him his portion alreddy both in land and other things to what I was able and beyond my abilities.

Item I give to my son Benajah Dunham and to my son in law Stephen Wood all my Right att Agawaum and Sepecan equally to be Devided between them to belong to them and theire heaires forever.

Item I give to my son Daniell Dunham all my land lying att or neare fresh lake to belong to him and his heires forever.

Item I further give unto my son Daniell Dunham six acres of my meddow att Swan hold and the Rest of my meddow lying there I give to my son Jonathan Dunham to belong to them and theirs forever.

Item I give unto my loving wife Abigail Dunham all my now Dweling house and my orhyard with all my land not elsewhere given: with all my meddow land att the watering place to belonge to her DFuring her life and att her Death my will is and I also heerby give it to my son Daniell Dunham to belong to him and his heires forever, and in Consideration thereof my will is that my son Thomas Dunham shall have five pounds payed unto him by my son Daniell Dunham inCurrant Countrey pay att prisse Currant upon Demaund.

Item I given unto all the Rest of my Children that are not expressed in this my last will twelve pence apiece if they Demaund it.

Item all the Rest of my estage inGoods Chattle or else not already given in this my last Will I give unto my loving wife Abigail Dunham, whom by these prsents I Doe ordaine to be the sole exequitor of this my last Will and Testament. I further Request my loving frinds Captain Thomas Southworth [note: our Southworth uncle] and the eder Thomas Cushman and my son Samuell Dunham to be healpfull to my loving wife as overseers of this my last Will and Testament in witness hereof I have sett my hand and seale the Day above mentioned.

In the presence of Thomas Southworth John Dunham senir. His mark.

(Source: Plymouth Colony Records: Wills and Inventories, 1633-1666, ed. Charles H Simmons.)

Inventory of estate, 16 Mar 1668/69; “£3 real estate, viz. house and land not prised onely threescore acres of upland att Swanhold not willed away.” Of interest are the tools of his weaving trade including “2 pair of sheep sheers, 1 loome, 12 paire of geers; warping beams & what else belongs to the loome, and cotton woole and sheeps wool” worth 2£ 10s. Also of interest is his library, catalogued as follows: 1 great bible, 1 Psalmbook, and other religious books.

Deacon John Dunham died either 1st March 1668/9 or 2nd March 1668/9, at Plymouth, Massachusetts. His place of burial is not known. He was about 80 years old.

Children of John Dunham and Susan Cainehoe:

1.John, b. 1614/15, England; md. Mary; d. 1692; came to Plymouth.

2.Humility, b. 1618, Leiden. She did not accompany her father to America or passed away in Holland. Last known in Holland 15 Oct 1622.

3.Thomas, b. 1619, Leiden, came to Plymouth; never married; d. before 1677.

Children of John Dunham and Abigail Wood:

1.Samuel, b. 1623, (Holland); md. (1) Martha Beal Fallowell 29 June 1649; (2) widow Sarah Watson 15 Jan 1694; in later years Samuel was afflicted with intemperance, which led to his excommunication from the Plymouth church for two years; d. 1712, age 89.

2.Jonathan, b. 1625, (Holland); md. (1) Mary Delano 1655; (2) Mary Cobb 15 Oct 1657; Pastor of Martha’s Vineyard 1684-1694; d. 1694.

3.Abigail, b. 1627 (Holland)

4.Joseph, b. 1631 (Holland); md. (1) Mercy Morton, (2) Hester Wormail.

5.Hannah, b. 30 October 1630, Plymouth, Massachusetts to Deacon John Dunham (1589-1669) and Abigail Barlow (1606-1669.) She married Giles Rickard 31 October 1651 in Plymouth. She passed away 1 April 1709 in Plymouth at age 79.

6.Persis, b. 1635 (Plymouth); md. (1) Benajah Pratt, (2) Jonathan Shaw.

7.Benajah, b. 1637, (Plymouth); md. Elizabeth Tilson 25 Oct 1660; d. 1680.

8.Daniel, b. 1639, (Plymouth); md. Hannah; d. 1677.

(Sources: “Backstory: Dunham Genealogy,” by John Dunham Dugid, November 2000; and other Plymouth, Massachusetts, sources as well as: “The English Origin and First Marriage of Deacon John Dunham of Plymouth, Massachusetts,” by Robert Leigh Ward, published in July 1996. “The Fraudulent Ancestry of Deacon John Dunham of Plymouth,” by Paul C. Reed, published in April 1998. The sketch of John Dunham in “The Great Migration Begins” by Robert Charles Anderson, published in 1995 in Volume 1:599-603.)