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DUNNING, David and Samuel

Down

Trying to trace David DUNNING born County Down c 1831 and his brother Samuel DUNNING c 1842. David emigrated to NSW Australia c 1851. Samuel went to Connecticut USA c 1865. Parents may be Alexander and Margaret. No other siblings are known. 

NSW BDM records the children of David DUNNING as 'DONNING".

I saw an Alexander DONNING in the irish ValuationBooks on Family Search in the parish of Castleboy, Townland Drumardan, but I can't be sure of this is the right one. 

Would like to trace any siblings of David and Samuel , the parents marriage if possible. David was a staunch Roman Catholic, with two daughters becoming Catholic nuns in NSW. 

any help appreciated.

Trish 

TrishJ

2 replies

Trish,

Castleboy appears to be in the RC parish of Ardkeen. Their marriage and baptism records start in 1828 till 1838, then there’s a gap to 1852. They are on-line on several sites. I searched but did not find any record of the family (though Samuel’s birth could be in the years when the records are missing).

However I noticed this reference to an Alexander Donning nearby in Ballyphilip whose daughter Margaret Jane Donning married David Lyon(s) in 1854:

http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~rosdavies/genealogy/SURNAMES/D/DonDoo.htm

This led me to the marriage certificate which reveals the Donning family lived in Drumardan. So that’s clearly the same family you have identified in Griffiths Valuation.  Tradition was to marry in the bride’s church. In this case that was Portaferry Presbyterian, so the family were Protestants and not the family you are looking for I think.

https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_re…

Not every RC parish in Ireland has records for 1842 or earlier. Most of the RC records are on-line. Having searched them and not found them, I suspect yours come from a parish with no surviving records. Makes them difficult to trace obviously.

Looking at the 1901 census of Co Down there were no Dunnings in the county at all. There were 14 Donnings (all in 1 family) and they were  Presbyterian.

Sorry I can’t find anything more positive.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Re David Dunning

I think this might match your David. Found on Ancestry.

 

Born in County Down, Northern Ireland on 1831 to Alexander Dunning and Margaret Dunning. David Dunning married Bridget Alice Bergin and had 12 children. He passed away on 27 Jun 1908 in Bona Vista" Paterson, New South Wales, Australia.

Children

 

Alexander Dunning
1858 - 1923

 

Joseph Samuel B Dunning
1879 - 1926

 

Alice Anne Dunning
1863 - 1948

 

James Dunning
1859 - 1931

 

Eliza Jane (Sister Mary Ursula Joseph) Dunning
1861 - 1926

 

William John Dunning
1857 - 1913

 

 

Margaret Isabella 'Maggie' Dunning
1864 - 1948

 

Henry T Dunning
1867 - 1899

 

Anastasia Dunning
1876 - 1907

 

David John Dunning
1870 - 1902

 

Bridget Mary Dunning
1869 - 1946

 

Agnes Dunning
1873 - 1882

Elizabeth McGuire

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