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I haven't found John F Dunn on any other census in 1891 apart from with 'Annie' born in Scotland



In 1891 John Dunn's 'wife' was at home with her parents -


1891

RAILTON, William Head Married M 58 1833
Middleton
Yorkshire VIEW
RAILTON, Hannah Wife Married F 56 1835
Middleton
Yorkshire VIEW
RAILTON, Mary Jane Daughter Single F 24 1867
Middleton
Yorkshire VIEW
>>>>DUNN, Elizabeth Anne Daughter Married F 20 1871 Professor Of Music
Middleton
Yorkshire VIEW
RAILTON, Walter Son M 13 1878
Middleton
Yorkshire VIEW
>>>>>DUNN, Eliza Granddaughter F 1 1890
Middleton
Yorkshire VIEW (this probably Elsie May, mis-transcribed ?)
WILES, Clive Boarder M 1 1890
Driffield
Yorkshire VIEW

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RG number:
RG12 Piece:
3956 Folio:
18 Page:
12

Registration District:
Driffield Sub District:
Bainton Enumeration District:
2 Ecclesiastical Parish:
Middleton

Civil Parish:
Middleton Municipal Borough:
Address:
South Street, Middleton, Bracken County:
Yorkshire (East Riding)

perhaps Eliza, his real wife, thought he was away being a musician in 1891 and in fact he was with 'Annie' calling her his wife on the census.

they obviously got back together if Mabel and Vernon were born between the 1891 and 1901 censuses

Think I would doubt the "neice" with him on 1901 as well. Looks like Henrietta was reg Sculcoates Q2/1879, and was with parents George & Alice Millson and older sisters on the 1881 census.

This could be their marriage:

Marriages Jun 1873 (>99%)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

INGLEBY Alice Halifax 9a 846
Millson George Halifax 9a 846
Mitchell Phineas Halifax 9a 846
Pinder Mary Halifax 9a 846

So doesn't look like she is the daughter of his brother or sister!

hadn't got round to researching Henrietta !!

Wonder if Eliza believed herself to be a widow when she re-married, did you ever get the certificate? Just a bit strange that she should be so honest about her names if she thought she was still married.

oh no if she didnt divorce him properly, then eliza annie dunn wasnt really married to william gee.

if thats the case does that mean the children should be called dunn (sorry having a blonde moment here)

maybe she did think she was a widow, maybe when he disappeared she just thought he died.

I will order eliza dunns marriage to william gee and see what it says,

thanks choccy for 1891 census showing eliza dunn, I am wondering as he was a travelling musician if he was away at that point and she was staying with her parents.

as you say there were two children born to him after that so they either split up and got back together or he was leading a rock stars life! on the road

Looks like John may have been following in his brothers footsteps into the music business - think this is his family in 1871:

John Dunn (John F Dunn on original)
Age 4
Estimated Year of Birth 1867
Relationship to Head of Household Son
Occupation Juvenile
Address Carr Lane
District Hull, Myton
Parish Holy Trinity
Administrative County Yorkshire
Birth Place Yorkshire
Birth County Yorkshire

Robt P Dunn 41 cordwainer born Lincoln Barton
Roseannah 38 born Hull
Henry 16 musicial Hull
Kate 6 scholar Hull

flip, thanks for that info on the niece, this guy is turning into a real character.

Looking at John's family, in 1861 his father was Robert Pickering Dunn, born Hull and it is Roseannah born Lincoln according to the census. There is also another child Emily (8) born Hull.

Looks like you've got a family scandal on your hands!!

England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations),1861-1941
Name: John Frederick Dunn
Probate Date: 4 Mar 1941
Death Date: 11 Dec 1940
Death Place: Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England
Registry: Llandudno


of Dunholme, 20 Church Avenue, Harrogate
died at The General Hospital, Harrogate

Probate to Elsie May Dunn spinster
Effects - £969 15s 0d

well, poor eliza must have been broken hearted, I cant believe you found that choccy thank you so much.

my husbands family will be so pleased and relieved.

eliza never mentioned John or her daughter. Its all very strange and sad,

his job allowed him to go around behaving like this and get away with it.

just incase everyone is interested mable and vernon dunn were buried with the name Gee on their headstones, I dont know if they were adopted or they just took his name, but they never mentioned their dad John Dunn or their sister ever.

once again many many thanks

If you do get Eliza's marriage certificate to John William Gee, I'd be interested to know how she was described

It might also be worth getting one of the birth certificates, for either Vernon or Mabel, to see if their father was actually named as John Frederick Dunn

When you posted way back in 2008 I don't suppose you expected it to take this route!

goodness me no, no one in the family could help me at all, I think they all thought I was crazy for suggesting she had been married before and there was another child. Infact one member of the family said gravestones cant lie, well they sure can!!

Divorce Court File: 16030. Appellant: John Frederick Dunn. Respondent: Eliza Annie Dunn. Co-respondent: William Gill. Type: Husband's petition for divorce [hd].
Covering dates 1893
Held by The National Archives, Kew

Legal status Public Record(s)
Language English



I'm gobsmacked! They did divorce

oh my no!!! gill is gee, she had the affair with grandad!!

I must apologise to John Dunn I hope you can hear me...who is the father of mable and vernon then???

william gill (Gee)

I think it is more likely to be your grandad, looking at their births, Q2/1893 for Vernon and Q1/1895 for Mabel seems unlikely their father would have been John.

You can order details online from the national archives for the divorce if you want them. (It costs though)

oh no !

Well done Flip - persistence bears fruit ...

Birth certificates definitely needed !