Does anyone know Arabella ? from West Milton, Dorset.?

[TheOnlyRogueAngel]

Arabella is rumoured to have been born between 1837 and 1842 in West Milton (Powerstock/Poorstock), married a George Dunn and given birth to son Latimer Dunn in 1861.
After which she appears to have ditched both and married James Roffey (b.1847) from Godstone, Surrey and had a daughter Annie Mary in 1869 in Wimbledon, Surrey. They then moved back to Dorset, to Piddletrenthide, then a quick stint in Milton, Hampshire and finally back to Buckland Newton and Branksome, where Arabella Roffey died in 1902 and James in 1924 in Lytchett Matravers.

Latimer is registered as the nephew of David Dunn, with whom he is staying in 1871 (which made me wonder if his father had died). David was born in 1800 and has only 1 brother Henry. So I wondered if maybe the nephew was a mistake and maybe he was his grandson, but while David has sons Henry and George, George was married to Ann Crann in 1855 and she died nine years after him, in 1909. So I'm assuming he's not Latimer's father on the basis that Latimer's baptism record shows his parents as married. Although I can find no marriage for a George Dunn to an Arabella.

I also cannot find a marriage for a James Roffey to an Arabella, Dunn or otherwise.

I have seen that some Arabella names are being mis-translated as Isabella, but that isn't helping as I can find no marriage for a George Dunn nor a James Roffey to an Isabella either. I have also tried Annabella.

Would anyone happen to have other ideas about tracking down the elusive Arabella.?

Thanking you in advance.

[mckha489]

Is this Latimer’s birth?

DUNN, LATIMER       - 
GRO Reference: 1861  D Quarter in WIMBORNE  Volume 05A  Page 257

No mother’s maiden name.  Have you the birth certificate?



And is this “Mary Ann”? 

ROFFEY, ANNIE       DUNN 
GRO Reference: 1869  M Quarter in KINGSTON  Volume 02A  Page 275


Mothers maiden name DUNN

[CaroleW]

No George Dunn marriage to an Arabella

If they married - she couldn't just "ditch him" & marry Roffey - that would be bigamy

[bearkat]

There's an Arbela DUNN baptised 28th November 1830, parents David & Anne, at Poorstock, Dorset.

[mckha489]

And there was a thread not long ago about ‘nephew’ being used synonymously for “grandson”

[TheOnlyRogueAngel]

@bearkat, yes, that's David's daughter, Isabella.

[TheOnlyRogueAngel]

@mckha489 I don't have Latimer's birth certificate, I figured he was Arabella's son, as he appears on a later census return with Arabella and James Roffey, and is registered as James' step-son.

[mckha489]

@mckha489 I don't have Latimer's birth certificate, I figured he was Arabella's son, as he appears on a later census return with Arabella and James Roffey, and is registered as James' step-son.

Available as a digital image for £2.50
No maiden name suggests to me Latimer is illegitimate and the George on the parish register record of baptism is a fiction.  But the birth cert might say something useful. You never know.

[TheOnlyRogueAngel]

@mckha489, thank you for looking. I shall go and look for the birth certificate online and go from there. Thank you again.