Mark Noble

545. Jonathan Dunham (Reverend) (Married 1st: Mary De La Noye (Delano) (Delanoy/Delano) (daughter of Phillip Delano and Hester Dewsbury) on 29 November 1655 in Plymouth. They had no known surviving children. After Mary died..., Married 2nd: Mary Cobb #546, daughter of Elder Henry Cobb of Barnstable, Massachusetts (of Scituate) and Patience Hurst) (Russell Leach documents that Mary De La Noye was the mother of Dunham children. Dunham Web site says Mary Cobb (#546) is the mother of the Dunham children and that he married her 15 October 1657 in Plymouth, Massachusetts). (Source: Kenneth Mahoney (Dunham Genealogist) in e-mail dated 7 August 2002) (Source: Robert Charles Anderson. The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633 [database online] Provo, UT: Ancestry.com, 2000. Original data: Robert Charles Anderson. The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England, 1620-1633, vols. 1-3. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1995.) ( Source: Friends of the Pilgrims Series...Early Descendants of Henry Cobb of Barnstable, Massachusetts, 2008 `by Susan E. Roser).

Born: 1625/1631/1632 (about 1625 since he was on a Plymouth voters list about 1646) in Leiden, Holland, at Leyden, Holland of John Dunham, Sr. (#1,089) & Abigail Baillou (Ballou) (#1,090). ("Jonathan's approximate age at death places his birth at ca 1632. It has been suggested he was born earlier, ca 1625 based on his name on a town list of 1646 which implies and age of at least twenty-one." Susan Roser "checked the 1646 list and found his name, and although the list is not dated, it does appear to belong to the year 1646. If indeed the list was intended for 1646, then Jonathan would have been born by 1625 [in Leyden] and would have been at least 92 years old when he died. Jonathan accompanied his parents to Plymouth, ca 1632."

Died: 18 December 1717 Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard, Dukes Co., Massachusetts (This date is confirmed by his tombstone and he is buried in Edgartown).

[His half siblings (their father was John Dunham and their mother was Susan Kaino) included:

a) John Dunham: (Married: Dorothy? Mary? by about 1642); Born: 1648 (Another source says 1620 in Leyden, Holland).19 February 1614 in Henlow, Bedfordshire, England; Died: 6 April 1692 "in his 77th year" in Wellflut, Barnstable, Massachusetts;

b) Humility Dunham: Born: about 1617 ; living at Leiden in 1622; Died: ?

c) Thomas Dunham: Born: (1626 in Holland) about 1619 ; Died: (after 2 April 1705 in Connecticut) by 1677 and apparently never married]

a) Samuel Dunham: (Married: (Sarah Watson or Mary Watson) Martha (Beals) Falloway, daughter of John Beals and widow of William Falloway on 29 June 1649 in Plymouth); Born: (1624) about 1623 in Leiden, Holland; Died: 20 January 1711/12 "in his 89 years of age" in Plymouth, Massachusetts;

b) Abigail Dunham: (Married: Stephen Wood or Atwood in Plymouth on 6 November 1644); Born: about 1627 6 May 1627 in Leyden, Holland (another source says in Leiden, Zuid Holland, Netherlands; Died: February 1693/ 94 in Duxbury, Massachusetts;

c) Joseph Dunham: (Married 1st: Mercy Morton, 18 November 1657 at Plymouth, Massachusetts; Married 2nd: Esther Wormall, daughter of Joseph and Miriam Wormall in Plymouth on 20 August 1669); Born: about 1631 (1636) in Plymouth (Another says 18 November 1637 in Plymouth, Massachusetts; Died: 1703;

d) Hannah Dunham: (Married: Giles Rickard in Plymouth on 31 October 1651); Born: (1633) about 1634 in Plymouth, Massachusetts; Died: (31 October 1651) 1 April 1708 in her 74th year in Plymouth, Massachusetts;

e) Persis Dunham: (Married 1st: Benajah Pratt in Plymouth on 29 November 1655; Married 2nd: Jonathan Shaw in August 1683); Born: (1629) about 1635 in Plymouth, Massachusetts; Died: 30 July1701;

f) Benjamin Dunham: (Married: Mary Tilson); Born:18 November 1637 in Plymouth, Massachusetts; Died: ?;

g) Daniel Dunham: (Married: (Mehitable Haywood) Hannah ? about 1670); Born: 1640 about 1639 in Plymouth, Plymouth, Massachusetts; Died:18 February 1676/ 77 in Dorchster, Suffolk, Massachusetts;

h) Benajah Dunham: (Married: Elizabeth Tilson in Plymouth on 25 October 1660); Born: about 1637 1638 in Plymouth, Massachusetts (Another source says 18 November 1637); Died: 24 December 1680 in Piscataway, Middlesex, New Jersey ].(Source of purple: Dunham Genealogy...Deacon John Dunham of Plymouth, Massachusetts-- 1589-1669 by John Dunham Duguid, November 2000). [Note: Benjamin and Benajah are probably the same person. These two names were listed in Russell Leach's Genealogical study, but there is no mention of Benjamin in the list of John Dunham's children in the document The Great Migration Begins.]

"Jonathan is on the 1651 list of those having interest in the land at Punckateeset 'against Rhode Island', on 22 March 1663. he and his father, John Dunham Sr., are shown as having lot #17. Jonathan sold one share [11 acres] of this land on 13 February 1664 to Edward Gray. On 24 May 1660 he was grantd three acres at the head of his land and on 27 October 1662 was granted four acres at Sampsons pond [at Lakeville]. On 7 June 1665 Jonathan was one of those granted thirty acres in the Majors Purchase; this land on the east side of the Nemasket River was laid out on 30 October 1665 along with an addition to the land. "

"There are several entries for Jonathan in the Plymouth town and colony records. He was admitted as a freeman on 3 June 1657, served on the grand inquest [1659, 1671], juror [1662, 1664, 1671, 1672], deputy [1673] and selectman [of Middleboro 1674, 1675]. The family removed to Middleboro where he is listed as a freeman in 1670. In 1671 he was appointed to inspect ordinaries [taverns] in Middleboro. He was still of Middleboro in 1679 when he sold land to Joseph Dunham and in 1677 he was granted land in Falmouth in return for 'teaching the word of God among them'. Jonathan was of Falmouth in 1684, when he was hired by the town of Edgartown to be their minister, the salary to be thirty pounds per year. The Plymouth church records of 1694 state, 'Our Brother Jonathan Dunham sent letters to the chh desiring our advice about gathering a chh at Edgartowne upon Martha's Vineyard, where he was imployed in Teaching the word...m Dunham was ordained Teacher, October, 11'. "

According to The Plymouth Colony Archive Project...Jonathan Dunham of Plymouth...A Short Biographical Profile by Timothy Mayfield, University of Virginia USEM 171, Spring 1997, "Jonathan Dunham arrived in Plymouth from Leiden, Holland with his parents John Dunham, Sr. and Abigail Barlow in 1632. He was about seven years old. There is no record of his returning to Europe. He was the fifth child of John Dunham. Based on the date which he first appeared on a voters list (1646) he was born around 1625. He married Mary Delano in 1655 and Mary Cobb in 1657. There is no record of the death of Mary Delano or a divorce. Divorce was probably a lot less likely because that would certainly have appeared in the court record whereas the death of a woman was not so noteworthy in that time period. There is no record of his having any children. No occupation is ever mentioned in the Plymouth Colony Records. He could have possibly been a weaver like his father. We know that he had many acres of land. It is likely that this land would have been used for grazing sheep. He was a deputy for the town of Middleborough for three years, 1673-1675, which suggests that he was respected in his community. This is in fact the last mention of him. There is no record of his life or death after his listing as a deputy in 1675. No record has been traced to indicate that Jonathan Dunham left a will, nor was his estate inventoried for probate purposes. There is no record of his employing any servants. There is very little record of anything surrounding the life of Jonathan Dunham. This could mean that he lived out of the public eye. He was never sued for anything or made to stand trial or fined. From the records we have available he appears to have been a fine upstanding citizen."

The Dunham Genealogy, compiled by Isaac Watson Dunham and published in Hartford, Connecticut in 1907 explains that Jonathan was a missionary to the Indians along the coast as far as Maine, and was elected constable, selectman and eventually deputy to the General Court when he lived at Middleboro. He relocated to Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard in 1694 where he was ordained.

[Note: John was a pastor at the Church of Christ. This information is on his tombstone shown at the bottom of this page.]

Jonathan's first wife died soon after their marriage. He became interested in missionary work among the Indians along the sea coast, from Saco in Maine and along Cape Cod. He was in Maine in 1659. In 1670 he moved from Eastham to Middleboro where he was elected constable in 1673 and selectman in 1675. He was a resident of Falmouth before moving to Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard between 1684 and 1694. He was ordained a minister in 1694 and set up a church at Edgartown.

Rev. Jonathan Dunham was the son of Dea. John Dunham and Abigail Barlow of Plymouth. He was pastor of the church in Edgartown from 1684 to 1717.

29 May 1670 Records 5:279 : Morton is listed as a freemen from Middleberry, along with Henery Wood dec., Jonathan Dunham, Francis Combe, William Nelson Sr., and Samuell Eaton.

11 August 1670 Records 5:47-8: The Court granted Morton another parcel of land "within the Majors Purchase att Namassakett . . .along the southwesterly syde of the said Jonathan Dunhams land", in addition to the parcel of land he was previously granted by the Court, lying along the "easterly syde with Jonathan Dunhams land". The "Majors Purchase" was the moniker by which this area of land at Namassakett was known. Interestingly, Morton was referred to as John Morton, senior.

"Jonathan's will [as shown below and copied from Friends of the Pilgrims Series...Early Descendants of Henry Cobb of Barnstable, Massachusetts, 2008, p. 19-20 by Susan E. Roser], dated 28 June 1717, proved 15 January 1717/8 mentions sons Jonathan, Eleazer, Grishom & Samuel; daughter Parker, widow and son Daniel & wife. It should be noted that although he named all his sons in his will, son Jonathan was deceased and TAG 44:218 states Samuel and Eleazer were also deceased." In all, Jonathan Dunham and Mary Cobb had had 6 children: Jonathan, Daniel (#273), Eleazer, Gershom. Samuel, Hannah. [Note: "daughter Parker" must refer to Jonathan's daughter, Hannah.]

Will of Jonathan Dunham

In the name of God Amen the twenty eighth day of June in the year of our Lord Christ - 1717, Jonathan Dunham of Edgartwon in Dukes County in America late minist{er} of sd town being very old and week in body but of perfect mind and memory thanks be given unto God therefore, caling to mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for men once to die, do make and ordain this my last will and testament that is to say prinsipally and first of all I give and recomend my soul into the hands of God that gave it hopeing thro the meritts death and passion of my Savor Jesus Christ to have full & free pardon and forgiveness of all my sins and to inherit everlasting life and my body I commit to the earth to be decently buried at the discrestion of my son Daniell (#273), nothing doubting but at the generall resurrection I shall receive the same again by the mighty power of God and as touching such worldly estate wherewith it hath pleased God in this life I give devise and dispose of the same in the following man { } that is to say. first I will that all those debts and dues as I do own in right or consirnes to any manner person or person whatsoever, shall be well and truly contented and paid or ordained to be pay in convenient time after my decease by my son Daniell (#273) who is my executor as hereafter named to see it done. nextly I considering I have already given to my sons Jonathan, Eleazer, Grishom and Samuell a part of land at a place caled Middlebury by by [sic] a deed of gift, and I have don with them, except one pair of oxen my son Grishom lately sold of mine I give them to him and acquit him and his heirs of sd oxen forever except I do alter this my last will. Item. I give & bequeath to my dafter parke{r} widow one pair of oxen after my decease or six pounds in passing mony within a months time after my decease which my son Daniell (#273) shall see cause either oxen or money. Item. I considering the great kindness of my son Daniell (#273) and his wife and that charge they have and may be at in looking after me in my old age I do therefore give to him my well beloved son Daniell Dunham (#273) whome I likewise constitute make and ordain my only and sole executor of this my last will and testament all my dwelling house and all my movable estate all and singular my lands inheritance; tenements rights titles estates that doth now or heretofore or hereafter may or ought to belong to me by any way whatsoever in the township of the above sd Edgartown, by him his heirs & assigns soly to be possessed & enjoyed I also give him my sd son Daniell (#273) all manner of debts dues by any wages owing or payable to me from all persons whatsoever and I do hereby utterly disallow revoke and disannuell all and every other will or former testaments will legacies bequests and executors by me in any ways willed named or bequeathed rattifying this and no other to be my last will and testament, and in confirmation & in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the estate enterlined before signing.

Jonathan Duham

[his X mark]

Witnesses: John Butler,

Benjamin Ha{n}es, Sarah Steward

Jonathan Dunham is buried at Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard, Dukes, Massachusetts. His tombstone and transcription of same are below