1. THOMAS 1 DUNHAM (father of NATHANIEL 2 DUNHAM) is on record during his lifetime in what are now the states of Maine, Connecticut and New York, but in his time were the colonies of Massachusetts Bay and Connecticut. The name is spelled variously Denham, Dunham and Dunnum often within the same document. Mr. Thomas Denham was a Puritan clergyman, who died at Bedford, New York probably in 1689, age 67. [1] If the age given at his death is correct, this would give him a birth year of about 1622.
Ministers were usually called “Mr.” rather than “Rev.” during the seventeenth century. Events in the life of Mr. Thomas Dunham place him at Saco, Maine in 1659 when Robert Booth is presented for endeavoring to disturb the Minister Mr. Dunnum in time of his public exercise. [2]
It is likely that Mr. Thomas Dunham was in the Sheepscott (now in Lincoln County, Maine) area up until the time of King Philip’s War in 1675. His eldest daughter Rebecca and her husband William Davie were living at Sheepscott. The reason for believing that Mr. Thomas Dunham was also in the Sheepscott area is from the following reference quoted in the article by George McCracken. [3]
“The next item is supplied by the Acts of the United Commissioners 1653-1679,2:393, where we read among the accounts reported to said Commissioners by Connecticut in 1677: ‘granted Mr. Thomas Denham 10 pounds.’ If Mr. Denham had some sort of claim against Connecticut, it must have been a matter of interest to other colonies as well, or it would not have been so reported. The date also makes it seem probable that the claim was for indemnity for losses suffered in King Philip’s War, and our next item confirms this. Public Records of the Colony of Connecticut, 2:321, has under date of October 1677 the following: ‘This Court being informed that Mr. Thomas Denham is likely to settle at Rye as minister there, who is declared to be a suitable person for that work by the ministers at Fayrefield and Standford, for his incouragement to setle there, and in regard to his late loss by the war, this Court haue granted him the sume of ten pownds to be payd out of that towne’s rate this yeare’.”
Mr. Thomas Dunham also received encouragement from the town of Rye (then in Connecticut Colony but now in Westchester County, New York) for in the Rye Town Records, Vol. B-62, we see that a house lot was provided for the new minister. This lot was an outright grant to the minister, and Mr. Dunham did accept this and was admitted an inhabitant of Rye on 22 Nov. 1677. After the death of Mr. Dunham, the lot was sold by his son Isaac. [4]
Mr. Thomas Dunham received a call from the people at Bedford (now in Westchester County, New York) on 28 January 1687/8, and he went there soon afterwards. He did not serve at Bedford very long. On 2 May 1688 he wrote his will at Bedford, and an inventory of his estate was taken on 5 August 1689. [5]
We do not know the surname of the wife of Mr. Thomas Dunham. She was NOT Sarah Bumpas. [6] In his will, Mr. Dunham names his wife Sarah, and names his sons Isaac, Nathaniel and Josiah. He also names his “son” (son-in-law) and daughter, Simon and Rebecca Hinkson of Sheeps Gutt (Sheepscott, now in Lincoln Co., Maine) and his daughters Sarah Palmer and Hannah Dunham.
Child of Thomas 1 Dunham by a possible first (unknown) wife:
i. REBECCA 2 DUNHAM, born ca. 1656.
Her age given in June of 1719 was stated as 63 years. She married first ca. 1673 William Davie, son of George Davie, probably killed at or near Sheepscott, Maine in King Philip’s War. He left two daughters who were sent to Portsmouth, NH for safety. Rebecca married second Simon Hinkson, son of Peter Hinkson. Simon Hinkson was b. ca. 1653. He was aged 19 in Dec. 1672 when he was listed as servant to John Lewis of Great Island (New Castle, NH).
Children of William and Rebecca 2 (Dunham) Davie: [7]
i. ALICE 3 DAVIE, b. by 1675; d. after 1748
She married Jacob Clark and had eight children.
ii. MARY 3 DAVIE, b. by 1675; d. after 16 March 1741
She married John Witt and had nine children.
Children of Simon and Rebecca 2 (Dunham) (Davie) Hinkson: [8]
iii. REBECCA 3 HINKSON, b. ; bur. Scarborough, Maine 25 June 1759
She married Caleb Graffam and had at least three children.
iv. NAOMI 3 HINKSON, m. in Lynn, MA 20 Dec. 1700 James Mills.
They had at least four children.
v. PETER 3 HINKSON, m. in Lynn, MA 16 Sept. 1714 Elizabeth Jeffords.
They had seven children born at Lynn, MA.
vi. HANNAH 3 HINKSON, m. in Lynn, MA 8 August 1717 David Edmunds, but no
record of children born in Lynn, MA.
Children of Thomas 1 and Sarah (unknown, but not Sarah Bumpas) Dunham:
ii. ISAAC 2 DUNHAM, called eldest son in will of his father; married first, by 1693, Mary, 2. iii. NATHANIEL 2 DUNHAM, living 22 Feb. 1723/4 probably in Connecticut, as his brother Isaac’s bequest
of £90 was to be paid in money of that colony.
iv. JOSIAH 2 DUNHAM, died before 22 Feb. 1723/4 without surviving issue, since neither he nor any children
are mentioned in brother Isaac’s will.
v. SARAH 2 DUNHAM, married before 2 May 1688 James Palmer, son of Lieut. William Palmer of Plymouth
and Yarmouth, MA, and Newtown, Long Island, NY by his wife Judith Feake. James Palmer died
28 Feb. 1717/18. Sarah died before 22 Feb. 1723/4 when her children are named heirs of her brother
Isaac Dunham.
Children of James and Sarah 2 (Dunham) Palmer: [9]
i. JAMES 3 PALMER, b.; d. unm.
ii. DAVID 3 PALMER, b. 15 Jan. 1693/4; d. 1774
He married 1 Elizabeth Hubbard.
He married 2 Sarah Knapp.
iii. SAMUEL 3 PALMER, b. ca. 1695; d. 1733
He married 31 March 1715 Hannah Cross.
They had one daughter, Hannah 4 Palmer, b. 21 Dec. 1715.
iv. ELIZABETH 3 PALMER, b. ca. 1697
She married 18 April 1717 Benjamin Finch.
v. SARAH 3 PALMER, m. Conrad Winans of Rahway, NJ.
vi. JONATHAN 3 PALMER, b. say 1698-9; [10] d. in Greenwich, CT about 1785.
He married 10 December 1719 Ann Favor. They had 13 children.
vii. BENAJAH 3 PALMER, b. [11]
vi. HANNAH 2 DUNHAM, youngest daughter in her father’s will, died before 22 Feb. 1723/4 when her
children were named heirs of her brother Isaac. She married at Stamford, CT 7 Dec. 1693 Samuel
Clason son of Stephen Clason. He died 6 May 1723 at Stamford, CT.
Hannah died 8 March 1720/1.
Children of Samuel and Hannah 2 (Dunham) Clason: [12]
i. ABIGAIL 3 CLASON m. 4 April 1717 Abraham Ambler
ii. JONATHAN 3 CLASON d. 1747
He married 14 May 1719 Elizabeth Jones of Long Island.
They had six children.
iii. SARAH3 CLASON m. 29 March 1727 James Stewart
iv. WAITSTILL 3 CLASON m. 9 Nov. 1727 Jabez Holly
v. HANNAH 3 CLASON prob. m. 29 April 1759 Nathan Scofield
vi. MERCY 3 CLASON m. 18 Dec. 1728 John Webster
vii. REBECCA 3 CLASON n.f.r.
viii. JEMIMA 3 CLASON m. 21 Jan. 1740/1 Hoyt Jagger
ix. KEZIA 3 CLASON n.f.r..
References:
1. McCracken, George E., Ph.D., F. A. S. G., Mr. Thomas Denham, Puritan Parson, TAG Vol. 36:220- 242.
2. Province and Court Records of Maine, Portland 1931, 2:85.
3. Op. Cit. McCracken, George E., p. 232.
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
6. TAG 43:67.
7. Op. Cit. McCracken, George E., p. 240.
8. Ibid p. 240-41.
9. Ibid p. 241-2, (first five children).
10. Palmer, Horace Wilbur, Palmer Families in America, Neshanic, NJ, Neshanic Print Co., 1966,
p. 341-4.
11. Ibid. p. 344-5
12. Op. Cit. McCracken, George E., p. 242.
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