DUNN, James R

1812 – 2 June 1875

Origin Deptford, Kent, England
First settled in Albany, WA
Original Occupation Shipwright
Occupation in Australia Builder/Shopkeeper/Farmer

JAMES PATTISON

Departure Port London
Arrival Year 1834

Albany

ALBANY panel

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  • James Dunn was born at Woodburn in Kent in 1813, the son of William Dunn, Blacksmith and Margaret Briggs. At 14 he began a seven year apprenticeship as a shipwright. He arrived in Albany in August 1834, as ship's carpenter aboard the James Pattison, the vessel in which Governor Stirling had made the return journey from a mission to stimulate interest in the small colony. Among the more affluent passengers were Richard Spencer (who had accepted Stirling's offer of the post of Government Resident at Albany); Thomas Brooker Sherrat, Patrick Taylor, Alexander Cheyne and Peter Belches.

    They were all to become well known identities among the new settlers. Dunn, however, came as a steerage passenger, the only one from that passage to remain and become a permanent and respected resident in the colony.

    James Dunn's services as a carpenter were soon in demand, and in 1837, together with John McKail he was awarded the contract to build the first major jetty at Albany.

    In September of that year, while work on the jetty was in progress, Patrick Taylor married Mary Bussell, and came back to Albany with his young bride aboard the Champion. In an accident which occurred while Dunn was firing a salute to the young couple, he had part of his hand blown off.

    Despite this, the jetty was completed, and after recovering from the accident, Dunn continued as a building contractor until in 1841 he was appointed gaoler at the Albany prison. The prison at that time was located south east of the old Post Office, below the present Lawley Park.

    Two years later, in October 1843, he married Elizabeth F. Henderson, a twenty-year-old spinster. It is believed that Elizabeth had arrived from her home in Scotland ten months earlier, aboard the Trusty, in service to the Forrest family.

    Fri 30 Sep 2011

  • I am interested in your assertion that James Dunn was the only steerage passenger on the James Pattison to "remain and become a permanent and respected resident in the colony." I understood that there was no list of the steerage passengers, so how are you sure that none of them remained? In her diary, Mary Bussell Taylor mentions that Jem Newell was on the James Pattison, and several of Jem's family are known to have lived at Albany. Can you state for sure that they were not on the James Pattison?

    Tue 14 Oct 2014

  • I can offer some information on the Newells of Albany.

    Tue 13 Jan 2015

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