James DUNN b.abt 1743 Kingswinford

[Benody1921]

I'm wondering if someone can give me some direction.

I have a James Dunn who was supposedly born about 1742/43 in or around Kingswinford to William Dunn and Mary Lynton. This is going by several trees I've seen as well as websites. However, I have not found a source for this. James is supposed to be the brother of Daniel Dunn and one of the original settlers of Dunn's Bank, Quarry Bank.

I have found a baptism for a James Dunn in 1743 but the son of James and Mary. FreeReg shows a burial at Brierley Hill for a James Dunn from Dunn's Bank in 1836, age 79. I haven't found another burial for a James Dunn to match the proper birth year.

Where can I search for James Dunn born William and Mary?

[BumbleB]

FindMyPast have Staffordshire records.  Otherwise Stafford Record Office, or probably Dudley.

[katy k]

I am also descended from James Dunn(1743 Quarry Bank Kingswinford) who married Sarah Forrest in,I think,Clent in 1777.
My line is this one;
William Dunn (1703-?)and Mary Lynton
James Dunn (1743 Quarry Bank Kingswinford)and Sarah Forrest-original Dunns Bank
                                                                                              settlers.
William Dunn (1777/1779?-?)and Sarah Whittaker.(married Halesowen 18.9.1803)
                    They had 15 children( Phoebe 1804,James 1805,Emmanuel 1806,Samuel
                    1807,William 1809,Cornelius 1811,Joseph 1813died1813,Enoch 1814
                     Honour 1816,Elijah 1818,Henry 1821,sarah 1822died1824,
                     Myra 1824, Rosannah 1825, Hezekiah 1828 d 1829.
                     Virtually all of these remained in the general area and had between 7 and
                      11 children each,often with the same first names!

Samuel Dunn(1807 Quarry bank)and Sylvia Brooks m St Thomas Church
                                                                                Dudley29.07.1827 )
                      They had 11 children of whom my 3xggrandfather was the eldest.
                       I have details of the others but doubt they would be of interest to you.
Joseph Dunn(5.12.1827 kingswinford) m Eliza Hampton
Joshua Dunn(1885 kingswinford-1924 Dudley) m Mary Ann Priest.11 children
Kate Dunn 1889-1969 (My paternal grandmother.)

I still live in the area and the name Dunn is,unsurprisingly,exceedingly common.
Boundaries have changed quite a bit over the years meaning records for this area come variously under Worcestershire,Staffordshire, Dudley or Sandwell but anything featuring Quarry Bank, Lye, Kingswinford,Old Hill, Rowley Regis (Sometimes called Blackheath),Halesowen,Cradley,Cradley Heath,Dudley,Wordsley,Stourbridge,Clent are all in the right geographical area for any research you might do.

[Benody1921]

Hi katy k,

Thanks for your reply. I'm always happy to have more information on the Dunns, even if it's not my line. I actually started a family tree specifically for Dunns from Dunns Bank or the Quarry Bank area. My line is supposedly through William Dunn and Sarah Whitaker. Their son Elijah Dunn was my 3rd great-grandfather.

I say supposedly because I actually haven't found a baptism for William yet. I've found baptisms for all of his siblings but not him. He might have been born before or just after his parents were married so perhaps he wasn't baptized at all or even under a different surname. My whole Dunn line has given me trouble.

Have you seen a source for James Dunn's birth? I'm Canadian so I only have access to whatever records are online. I've been tempted to buy parish records but, as you mentioned, the Dunns seemed to have been baptized and married all over the surrounding areas so I wouldn't have a clue as to which parish records would be best.

[GFD]

Hi,

I am also from this Dunn family line. My 4th Great Grandparents are Samuel Dunn 1807 and Sylvia Brooks and 3rd Great Grandfather Joseph Dunn. I am also interested in learning more about Dunn's Bank and have also found it difficult in finding William Dunn's baptism record and proof of a marriage to Sarah Whittaker?
It was through Samuel's brother Corneliuses line that I came across a bible on Ancestry which listed all William and Sarah's children births and also Cornelius and his wife Comforts children.
I also managed to find some baptism records for Samuel his siblings but have found the documents for this period become harder to read as it is in tiny writing and not as well organized!
I was thinking it may require research from Cradley in person to get some better answers?

[Benody1921]

The family Bible is the only source I have for William's birth too, if you can call that a source. The marriage source for William and Sarah is from the Halesowen Parish Registers. These Dunns are tricky because they were baptised or married at surrounding parishes. I'm not sure why. Perhaps boundaries changed. I don't know the history well enough.
Dunns Bank has an interesting history. I was given the information by a Mr. Andrew Pardoe who descends from Daniel Dunn, James Dunn's older brother. I'm going by memory right now so that might not be entirely true. I believe Daniel and James were the first to build on Dunns Bank and the land was owned by a Skelding who may have been a  scythe smith as was Daniel Dunn. I've actually created a tree on Ancestry dedicated to the people who lived on Dunns bank. It was interesting to see the houses get passed down into the different generations.