GENERATION 12

GENERATION 11

Biography

JOHN DUNHAM was born about 1589, but his place of birth is unknown. He married first, in Clophill, Befordshire, England, SUSANNA KAINO. He took his family to Leyden, Holland, about the time that the first group of Pilgrims was leaving Leyden to settle Plymouth Colony. JOHN married second, Abigail Baillou (also seen spelled Ballou or Barlow), in Leyden, on Oct. 22, 1622.

Stratton's List of Immigrants of 1627-1634, shows that JOHN, his wife and five children immigrated to America. The first mention in Plymouth is in 1633, when his name occurs on the Plymouth tax rolls. His occupation in America was that of a weaver. He raised sheep. He was a freeman and deacon of the church.

Some historians have contended that the Pilgrim, John Goodman, was actually Deacon JOHN DUNHAM, who used that name to conceal his identity. This premise seems unlikely, and has never been even circumstantially proven. It is mentioned here, only to discount it in this biography. An extensive work on the subject, by Paul C. Reed, was published in The American Genealogist [TAG:63,101-103].