The surname Dunham is derived from an old English place name, and is spelled in various ways - Denham, Downham, Dunham, Donhaml a the present time (1910) members of this family use Donham and Dunham.
The ancient coat-of-arms of the Dunhams in England is described: Azure on a chief indented or a label gules. The arms borne by Sir John Dunham (1498) were quartered with those of Bowett, Zouche, Berge, Bellaquer. The family genealogist, Isaac Watson Dunham, of Hartford, Conn., has traced the ancestry of the American immigrant to the beginning of the use of surnames in England.

(I) Rychart Donham is of record as early as 1294, in Devonshire, England, and doubtless his ancestors lived there for many generations. He bought a large estate in Beaminster, Somersetshire, England.

(II) Robert Dunham (or Donham), son of Rychert Donham, was born in Devonshire, in 1318.
Children:
Elizabeth, born 1345, at Beaminister, married a Maltravers, (second) Humphrey Stafford, the Silver Hand sheriff of Dorsetshire and Somersetshire.
Robert, born 1348, mentioned below.
Geoffrey, born 1350.
John, born 1351, removed to Norfolk and founded Norwich and Great Dunham in that county.

(III) Robert (2), son of Robert (1) Dunham, was born in 1348.

(IV) Gregory, son of Robert (2) Dunham, was born in 1382. He married Elizabeth Marjuge, of Danby.

(V) Robert (3), son of Gregory Dunham, was born in 1430. He married Margaret Stafford, born 1435, daughter of Sir Humphrey Stafford, granddaughter of Edmund Stafford.

(VI) Sir John, son of Robert (3) Dunham, was born in 1450, in the parish of Dunham-on-the-Trent, and died at Kirklington, Nov. 9, 1524; he married, 1471, Elizabeth, daughter of Nicholas and Elizabeth (Zouche) Bowett. Here mother was daughter of Sir John La Touche (Zouche) and Margaret de Bergh, daughter of John, son of Thomas de Burgh and Lucie de Bellaquer.
Children:
Kathryn, married Ralph O'Kever, (second) Henry de Rushall, of Stafford.
John, born 1474, mentioned below.
Frances, married John Hazelwood.
Anne, married ____ Neville.
Marie, married Thomas Grantham, of Lincolnshire.

(VII) Sir John (2), son of Sir John (1) Dunham, was born in 1474. He was one of the escort of two hundred with Margaret, daughter of Henry VII, through Nottinghamshire to become Queen of James VI of Scotland.
Children:
Kathryn, born 1495, married, 1515, William Talbot.
Elizabeth, born 1496, married Rychert Bassett, and had three children.
John, born 1498, mentioned below.
Daughter.
Anne, born 1502.

(VIII) Sir John (3), son of Sir John (2) Dunham, was born in 1498. He married Benedict, daughter of Adam and Kathryn Folgamsbee. Kathryn was daughter of John Leake, Southwell Dale, Derbyshire.
He died in 1545.

(IX) Ralph, son of Sir John (3) Dunham, was born in Scrooby, 1526. He married, about 1556, Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Thomas Wentworth, whose father, Richard Wentworth, was knighted at the Battle of Spurs; her mother, Margaret (Fortescue), was a daughter of Adam and Margaret (Montague) Fortescue. Sir Thomas Wentworth resided at Scrooby.

(X) Thomas, son of Ralph Dunham, was born at Scrooby in 1560 He removed to London, and died there. He was inclined to be a reformer in religion.
Children:
John, born 1589, mentioned below.
Robert, born in Scrooby, 1605, went to London with his father and was transported to Virginia in 1635.

(XI) John (4), son of Thomas Dunham, was born at Scrooby, in 1589. He was the immigrant ancestor. Scrooby is a village in Nottinghamshire, and was the native place of Elder William Brewster and other Pilgrim Fathers. Two miles to the southward Governor Bradford was born at Austerfield, and the Pilgrim church was organized at Scrooby. When the Pilgrims were persecuted, it is supposed that William Bradford and John Dunham, each then nineteen years old, were of the seven arrested at Boston (England) and imprisoned. In 1608 the Pilgrims escaped to Holland. On account of the religious difficulties the family historian states that Dunham took the name of Goodman. John "Goodman" came in the "Mayflower," signed the Compact, and died, according to Morton, soon after arrival. But three years afterward we find a lot, granted to Goodman.
He married Abigail Wood, who was distantly related to him, Oct. 17, 1619, in Leyden, Holland, and their son John was born about the time of the departure of the Pilgrims for America in 1620. She followed him to Plymouth. In 1662 this son John received a grant of land as one of the first-born of the colony, though actually born in Holland. He was chosen deacon of the church in Plymouth in 1633.
As early as 1632 he received a grant of pasture land. He was a useful and prominent citizen, became a large land-owner, and had much cattle. He was one of the purchasers of the town of Dartmouth. He and Governor Bradford and Elder Brewster were the only members of the original congregation at Scooby, and they passed the whole of their lives at Plymouth.
His home was on Watson Hill, southewest of the village of Plymouth. He was a weaver by trade; was deputy to the general court. He died March 2, 1668-69, aged about eighty years. His will, dated Jan. 25, 1668, bequeathed to sons John, Benajah and Daniel; son-in-law, Stephen Wood; "to the rest of my children that are not designated in this, my last will, twelve pence apiece if they demand it"; to wife, Abigail.
Children:
John, born in Leyden, Holland, 1620; married March 14, 1643, Dorothy ____.
Born in Plymouth:
Abigail, 1623.
Thomas, 1626.
Samuel, 1628.
Hannah, 1630.
Jonathan, 1632.
Persis, 1635.
Joseph, Nov. 18, 1637.
Benjamin, married Oct. 25, 1660, Mary Tilson.
Daniel, born 1639.
Benajah, 1640.

(XII) Joseph, son of John (4) Dunham, was born Nov. 18, 1637. He married, Nov. 18, 1657, Mercy, daughter of Nathaniel and Lydia (Cooper) Morton. She died Feb. 19, 1667. He married (second) Aug. 20, 1669, Hester Wormall, of Rowley, daughter of Joseph Rowley, who lived in Rowley, where the first child was born in 1642l in 1649 she moved to Boston and later to Scituate. Jonathan Dunham, brother of Joseph, deeded to him for twenty-five pounds land near that bought of Churchill, which is father John had owned. This was sold to Joseph June 3, 1780.
He made his will March, 1703, and left one-third of rents and household goods to Esther, his wife. He died at Plymouth. His will was probated June 16, 1703. He bequeathed to children and wife.
Children:
Eleazer, born 1658.
Mercy, 1660.
Macaiah, about 1680.
Joseph, 1682.
Benaiah, 1683.
Nathaniel, mentioned below.
Daniel, 1689.

(XIII) Nathaniel, son of Joseph Dunham, was born at Wrentham, Mass. or Hebron, Conn., formerly Colchester, in 1685. He married Mary, daughter of Edward Tilson, of Wrentham, in 1688. She died Feb. 5, 1756.
He enlisted, 1699, for three years under Captain James Warren. He died March 18, 1731. His will was made Dec. 12, 1727. He made an appeal in behalf of the town of Hebron, before the assembly for leave to found a church and ordain an orthodox minister among them, and the request was granted.
Children:
Nathaniel, mentioned below.
Thomas, born 1695.
Mehitabel, 1697.
Obadiah, 1699.
Jabez, 1707.
Isaac, 1711.

(XIV) Nathaniel (2), son of Nathaniel (1) Dunham, was born in 1693 in Plympton. He married, Dec. 8, 1714, Elizabeth Pratt.
Children:
Abigail, born Sept. 8, 1721.
Nathaniel, mentioned below.
Mary, born Aug. 14, 1724.
Ansell, Oct. 12, 1726.
Solomon, Feb. 18, 1729.
David, June 1, 1732.
Bathsheba.
Elizabeth, April 6, 1734.
Patience, May 6, 1736.
Timothy, Sept. 28, 1738.

(XV) Nathaniel (3), son of Nathaniel (1) Dunham, was born June 20, 1722. He married (first) Sept. 16, 1750, Rev. Ebenezer White, officiating, Sarah Freeman, at Norton; (second) Dec. 21, 1747, Esther Partridge, of Raynham, Rev. Joseph Palmer officiating.
Children:
Rachel, born Jan. 6, 1751.
William, Feb. 5, 1753.
Daniel, mentioned below.
Abigail, June 18, 1757.
Caleb, March 27, 1760.
Isaac, Dec. 10, 1761.
Job, 1771.

(XVI) Daniel, son of Nathaniel (3) Dunham, was born Jan. 8, 1754. He married Judith Blanchard, born May 17, 1767. He lived in Savoy, Mass., in 1800, died in Adams, Mass.
Children:
Daniel, mentioned below.
Alvan.
Judith.
Fanny.
Esther.
Joseph.
Oren.

(XVII) Daniel (2), son of Daniel (1) Dunham, was born about 1780. He married Deborah MacComber. He died July 5, 1844.
Children:
1. Roxie, mararied Isaac Ostrander.
2. Daniel, married (first) Harriet Stevens; (second) Maria Mosher.
3. Martin, married Eliza Chamberlain.
4. Macomber, married Mary Munger.
5. Shepard, married Ruth Randall.
6. Almira, married Moses Dunham.
7. Dennis.
8. Orrin, mentioned below.
9. Stephen, married (first) Matilda Rawson, (second) Mary Foster.

(XVIII) Orrin Dunham, son of Daniel (2) Dunham, was born at Denmark, New York, July 15, 1820, died Nov. 10, 1872. He married, Nov. 4, 1841, Eliza Townsend, born April 8, 1822, at Champion, Jefferson county, N.Y., died Aug. 6, 1904, daughter of Josiah and Harriet (Paddock) Townsend. Harriet Paddock Townsend was born in Rutland, Vermont.
Children of Orrin & Eliza Dunham:
1. Harriet, born Oct. 31, 1842, died April 27, 1900; married George W. Parmenter, Jan. 1, 1868.
2. Dennis H., born Dec. 15, 1844.
3. Duane B., Aug. 29, 1846; married Louise H. Loomis, March 19, 1869; residing at Antrim, New Hampshire; children: i. Carrie B., born Sept. 21, 1870, married Charles E. Henry, Sept. 25, 1889, residing at Pittsfield, Maine, and had Bernard D., born Nov. 23, 1901; ii. Mettie R., born 1876, died March 6, 1886; iii. Wesley L., born 1879, died Dec. 8, 1900; married June 1, 1899, Grace Howes; child, Louise.
4. Mariette E., born March 20, 1849, died Nov., 1894.
5. Edgar A., mentioned below.
6. Emma A., born Dec. 16, 1656 [sic 1856?], died Nov. 5, 1884.
7. Marion E., married Jay E. Knapp, at Denmark, N.Y. Sept. 8, 1881; child, Harold E., born Sept. 15, 1882; married Antoinette Quick, Oct. 14, 1903; children: Ruth M., born Sept. 23, 1904; Emma Antoinette, Nov. 16, 1907; Blanche, March 11, 1910.

(XIX) Edgar A., son of Orrin Dunham, was born at Denmark, New York. He was educated there in the common schools and at Denmark Academy. He entered the employ of Darwin Nash as manager and salesman in his general store in Denmark village, remaining several years. Thence he went to Watertown, Jefferson county, and entered the mammoth dry goods store of Bush, Bull & Roth. Through reorganization the name of the concern changed twice, but Mr. Dunham remained for thirteen years. He was a gifted salesman, and possessed the confidence and esteem of patrons and empoyers to an unsual degree.

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