DJD-270-David-4

LINE OF DEACON JOHN DUNHAM OF PLYMOUTH

FOURTH GENERATION IN AMERICA

270. DAVID-4 DUNHAM (Micajah-3, Joseph-2, Deacon John-1) probably born in Plympton, Plymouth, MA, say 1714, but not on the Plympton Vital Records. He is placed as a child of Micajah-3 Dunham because Micajah-4 and David-4, sons of Micajah-3 both appear on records of Brimfield, Hampshire Co., MA or the adjoining town of Brookfield, which is in Worcester County, MA.

A record of David married by 1731 Esther _____ is probably for this David. There is no vital record showing the marriage of David-4 Dunham but I believe he married a woman named Esther, and she may have been Esther Richardson.

Vital Records of Brookfield, MA do not show children of this David-4 Dunham and Esther (possibly Richardson), but there are some clues which point to a Dunham family living in Brookfield.

There is a Richardson Dunham, born about 1761 who I believe is the son of David-4 Dunham and Esther (possibly Richardson). This man moved to Shushan, Salem Twp., Washington Co., NY. This Richardson Dunham married Susanna Dodge in Brookfield, April 8, 1784. Richardson Dunham had Revolutionary War service from Brookfield, MA. (See my article "The Dunhams of Washington County, New York" in the DSFC newsletter Vol. 2, Issue 4, p. 3.)

There is another marriage in Brookfield and that is for Rhoda Dunham who married Asa Bacon 3 July 1760. Asa Bacon was born in Wrentham, Northfolk Co., MA, 8 April 1738; died in Washington, Orange Co. VT, in 1807. Rhoda (Dunham) Bacon died in Washington, Orange Co. VT, 10 June 1833. If Rhoda Dunham was age about 20 years when she was married that would place her birth year about 1740-42. There were children of Asa and Rhoda (Dunham) Bacon born in Brookfield, Worcester County, MA.

I can find no birth record for Darius Dunham but the name is unusual enough that it provides a clue as to his family. A Darius Dunham, (who would be generation five) was born about March 1762; died in Fredericksburg, Ontario, Canada, 13 September 1825. This man is the Darius Dunham, Minister of the Old Hay Bay Methodist Church, Bay of Quinte, Ontario, Canada.

David-5 Dunham, son of Micajah-4 and Tabitha Cooley had a son named Darius-6 Dunham b. 4 June 1790. This younger Darius may have been named for an uncle who was Darius-5 son of David-4 Dunham.

According to the "Hance and Allied Families" History:

"after the Dunham family moved to Paris, Oneida Co. NY, in 1794, Johnson-6 Dunham took his younger brother Silas-6 and removed to New Jersey. In 1803, Johnson was given 'an appointment' at Flanders Church (near Budd Lake in New Jersey). He later moved to Asbury, Warren Co., NJ, where he was a Methodist Pastor. He and his brother Silas-6 opened a store in Asbury, which also had the Post Office."

From the above research as least some of the children of David-4 and Esther (possibly Richardson) were:

i. Rhoda-5 Dunham b. say 1741 m. 3 July 1760 Asa Bacon

407. ii. Richardson-5 Dunham b. 1761

408. iii Darius-5 Dunham b. March 1762

iv. Robert-5 Dunham who appears on the 1790 census of Salem, NY near Richardson Dunham. He died intestate in Salem, NY in 1809. Ref. Letters of probate administration, Salem, Washington Co. NY, 1809

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