Leader Dunning

General Notes

The earliest mention of the name Dunning seems to be by the Bishop of Nelson, in his Life of Walter de Merton, p34, who says that "probably in the year 1269, he purchased the Norman Mansion (the present Pythagoras House, Cambridge), together with the estate of the Dunnings, who had held it from the Conquest.

Bardsley's Dictionary of English and Welsh surnames, gives the following:
John Dounynne, ( I Edward III. Kirby's Quest for Somerset).
John Dunnyng, ( I Edward III. Kirby's Quest for Somerset)
Johannes Dunning, 1379 (Yorkshire Poll Tax)
Alicia Downing, 1379, (Yorkshire Poll Tax)
Johannes Downnyng, 1379 (Yorkshire Poll Tax)
Hervey Dunning, 1273 (County Cambridge)
Richard Dunning, 1273 (County Oxford)
John Dunning or Downing, Sheriff of Norwich, 1432.
It seems probable that the Dunning family existed in England from a very early period and that men of the name scattered out over the British Isles and founded families whose relationship to each other cannot, at this late date, be definately determined. Early in the reign of the later Stuarts, a family of Dunnings lived in Walkhampton, Devonshire, on the western edge of Dartmoor, from which arose the celebrated lawyer and parliamentarian, John Dunning, who became Solicitor-General of England and was created Baron Ashburton, April 8, 1782.

There is no evidence that any of the American Dunnings were directly related to this family, which was of the gentleman or landed class. At the same time, a number of families named Dunning, of the yeoman class, lived about 20 miles northeast from Walkhampton, and across Dartmoor, at Throwleigh and South Tawton. As it is probable that several of the early Dunning immigrants to America were of the families from this vicinity, a description of these towns from the Devon Directory of 1889, is given below:

SOUTH TAWTON, 4 mi s.e. Sampford Courtenay Sta; 4 mi e Okehampton SW Ry. In St. Andrew's church, the stained glass window is a memorial to Richard Dunning, d. 1871, ae. 102. The record of baptisms dates from 1540; of marriages and burials from 1558. One of the 7 "principal land owners" named is Richard Dunning of Barton, Throwleigh, resident; Richard Dunning, farmer. Week.
THROWLEIGH, 7 mi, se Okehampton. St. Mary's church has a memorial window to the Dunnings of Barton. Register of baptisms begins 1653; of marriages 1654. Chief land owners, James Dunning, Esq. (Lord of the Manor), Wonston; Richard Dunning, Barton; Trustees of the late Wm. Dunning, Way; and 3 others. Private residents, Mrs. Dunning, Way; Richard Dunning, Barton; farmers, Thomas and James Dunning, Ash; yeomen, James Dunning, Wonston, Richard Dunning, Barton; area 1884 acres; population 317.

WINKLEIGH, 5 mi. n.w. North Tawton Sta. The Misses Dunning, Townsend Cottage; Mrs. Dunning, Hilliers; Mrs. Dunning, Townsend House; Richard Dunning. Baptisms registered since 1585; marriages and burials since 1569.

The prevaling opinion among those who have studied the early mention of Dunnings in America, seems to be that the earliest immigrants of that name came from Devon, England, and that they were probably of the class called Yeomen. Nothing authentic exists to show that these early Dunning immigrants were in any way related and hence, in considering the families founded by each on this continent, that they are usually classified as distinct branches. While it is not here pretended that an exhaustive investigation and examination of records has been made, it is assumed on very reliable information that the following is about all we are ever likely to know concerning the early Dunning immigrants to America.

Click here for details of Leader's family with Jeanette McKenzie