Family History

21 May 2025

As part of our whole tree review we reached John Dunmore and Elizabeth Johnson who married in Market Harborough in 1785. We spent some time last year researching these Dunmores (see diary entry for 27 Apr 2024) and hit a brick wall since we couldn’t understand how the existing burials and baptisms could lead to any of the Johns we found being our ancestor.

John’s death certificate and burial entry both state he was 76 in 1839 which places his year of birth at 1763. He would have been 22 when he married. Based on this we expect to find his birth/baptism no earlier than 1755 and no later than about 1767.

Unfortunately there are three John’s born in that period, all with the same parent names, and two burials with no further identifying information:

Last time we had three theories:

  1. John1763 died in 1765. The burial in 1775 is John1766 and John1775 was baptised after John1766 had died but before he was buried. This leaves only John1775 alive, but he is too young to be married in 1785 and none are our ancestor.
  2. All three Johns died young but John1766 died elsewhere before 1775. This means none of the John’s are our ancestor.
  3. John1766 is from a different family with the same parent names. However we can find no trace of a Joseph marrying in the 20 years before 1766 anywhere in the country.

This time we thought there might be another explanation:

  1. The parents of John1766 are different to the parents of John1775. John1763 died in 1765 and John1775 died in 1775. John1766 survived and could be our ancestor. John1763 could be the son of either parents.

We still have the problem that we can’t find another Joseph Dunmore marrying before 1766 but perhaps there is one that married between 1766 and 1775.

Intriguingly we found the burials in Market Harborough of a Joseph Dunmore in 1769 and a Mary Dunmore in 1770. These could be the parents of John1766. Unfortunately no ages or other identifying information is recorded in the register.

We did a comprehensive search for Dunmores in Market Harborough and the surrounding area, trying to establish whether there was another Joseph and Mary. We didn’t find any evidence but recorded all our findings below:

Extracted Records

Baptisms in Market Harborough

  • 1638 Thomas Dunmore, of Richard (a weaver) and Anne
  • 1676 Robert Dunmore, of Thomas
  • 1696 John Dunmore, of Thomas
  • 1700 Robert Dunmore, of Robert
  • 1700 Thomas Dunmore, of Thomas
  • 1702 Thomas Dunmore, of Robert (a labourer)
  • 1705 Edward Dunmore, of Robert (a labourer)
  • 1707 John Dunmore, of Robert (a labourer)
  • 1726 Martha Dunmore, of Robert
  • 1730 Thomas or James Dunmore, of Robert and Anne
  • 1731 Joseph Dunmore, of Robert and Anne
  • 1733 John Dunmore, of Robert and Anne
  • 1738 Joseph Dunmore, of Robert and Anne
  • 1747 Thomas Dunmore, of Robert and Sarah
  • 1755 Mary Dunmore, of John and Elizabeth
  • 1759 Ann Dunmore, of John and Elizabeth
  • 1761 Robert Dunmore, of John and Elizabeth
  • 1763 John Dunmore, of Joseph and Mary
  • 1764 Ann Dunmore, of Joseph and Mary
  • 1766 John Dunmore, of Joseph and Mary
  • 1772 Joseph Dunmore, of Joseph and Mary
  • 1773 Thomas Dunmore, of Joseph and Mary
  • 1775 John Dunmore, of Joseph and Mary
  • 1777 Sarah Dunmore, of Joseph (a weaver) and Mary
  • 1778 Elizabeth Dunmore, of Ann
  • 1786 John Dunmore, of Robert and Sarah (Hill)
  • 1786 Mary Dunmore, of John and Elizabeth
  • 1787 Martha Dunmore, of Robert and Sarah (Hill)
  • 1791 Ann Dunmore, of Robert and Sarah (Hill)
  • 1791 John Dunmore, of John (a labourer)
  • 1793 Henry Dunmore, of John and Elizabeth
  • 1796 Thomas Dunmore, of John and Elizabeth
  • 1798 Ann Dunmore, of John and Elizabeth
  • 1800 Rebecca Dunmore, of Robin[sic] and Sarah
  • 1801 William Dunmore, of John and Elizabeth (Johnson)
  • 1803 Elizabeth Dunmore, of John and Elizabeth (Johnson)
  • 1808 Sarah Dunmore, of John and Elizabeth (Johnson)

Marriages in Market Harborough

  • 1714 Robert Dunmore and Anne Berry (Licence notes he is of Gretton, Northants)
  • 1725 Robert Dunmore and Ann Munck
  • 1732 Edward Dunmore and Anne Starbrooke, both of Market Harborough
  • 1733 Thomas Tanner and Jane Dunmore, both of Market Harborough
  • 1746 Robert Dunmore and Sarah Palmer, both of Market Harborough
  • 1753 John Dunmore and Elizabeth Renolds
  • 1760 Joseph Dunmore and Mary Hill, both of Market Harborough
  • 1781 John Tilley/Jelley (widower) and Mary Dunmore (spinster), both of Market Harborough
  • 1783 Henry Obrien and Anne Dunmore, both of Market Harborough
  • 1785 John Dunmore and Elizabeth Johnson, both of Market Harborough
  • 1785 Robert Dunmore (bachelor) and Sarah Hill (spinster), both of Market Harborough

Burials in Market Harborough

  • 1699 John Dunmore, son of Thomas
  • 1718 Elizabeth Dunmore, widow
  • 1720 Anne Dunmore, widow
  • 1725 Anne Dunmore, spinster
  • 1731 Unnamed son of Robert Dunmore
  • 1732 Joseph Dunmore, son of Robert
  • 1737 Mary Dunmore, daughter of Robert
  • 1740 Isabel Dunmore, wife of Robert
  • 1746 Ann Dunmore, wife of Robert
  • 1751 Robert Dunmore
  • 1759 Robert Dunmore (likely an adult)
  • 1753 Ann Dunmore, of John & Sarah
  • 1760 Edward Dunmore
  • 1764 Joseph Dunmore
  • 1765 John Dunmore
  • 1769 Joseph Dunmore
  • 1770 Mary Dunmore
  • 1773 Joseph Dunmore
  • 1773 Mary Dunmore
  • 1775 John Dunmore
  • 1776 William Dunmore
  • 1784 Martha Hill, of Robert Dunmore, age 59 (born abt. 1725)
  • 1789 Mary Dunmore, of John and Elizabeth (Johnson), age 3 (born abt. 1786)
  • 1790 Susanna Dunmore, of Robert and Sarah (Hill), age 0
  • 1790 Joseph Dunmore, of John, age 1 (born abt. 1789)
  • 1793 John Dunmore, of John and Elizabeth, age 2 (born abt. 1791)
  • 1800 Anne Dunmore, of John and Elizabeth, age 2 (born abt. 1798)
  • 1802 William Dunmore, of John and Elizabeth, age 1 (born abt. 1801)
  • 1806 Joseph Dunmore, age 75 (born abt. 1731)
  • 1810 Sarah Dunmore, of John and Elizabeth, age 2 (born abt. 1808)
  • 1810 Susanna Dunmore, of John and Elizabeth, age 5 (born abt. 1805)
  • 1806 Mary Dunmore, wife of Joseph (born abt. 1735, note: wife not widow)
  • 1825 Robert Dunmore, age 63 (born abt. 1762)
  • 1839 John Dunmore, age 76 (born abt. 1763)
  • 1840 Elizabeth Dunmore, age 79 (born abt. 1761)
  • 1873 Thomas Dunmore, age 78 (born abt. 1795)

We located some interesting Dunmores from outside of Market Harborough:

  • 1696 Marriage in Barley, Rutland of Robert Dunmore and Anne Bull, he of Lyndon, she of Ridlington
  • 1698 Burial in Lyndon, Rutland of William Dunmore, of Robert and Ann
  • 1699 Marriage in North Kilworth of Robert Dunmore and Ann Paybody, he of Lutterworth, she of North Kilworth
  • 1700 Baptism in Lyndon, Rutland of Robert Dunmore, of Robert and Ann
  • 1774 Burial in Langtons John Dunmore of East Langton
  • 1779 Marriage in Ashwell, Rutland of Joseph Dunmore and Sarah Carter, both of Ashwell
  • 1779 Baptism in Ashwell, Rutland of William Dunmore, of Joseph and Sarah
  • 1779 Burial in Ashwell, Rutland of William Dunmore, of Joseph and Sarah
  • 1781 Marriage Banns in Gumley of Jonas Dunmore and Elizabeth Bingley, he of Stonton Wyvill, she of Gumley

We looked up likely baptisms for Mary Hill (who married Joseph Dunmore in 1760) in Market Harborough. These are the records that mention Mary Hill between 1730 and 1750:

  • 1732 Baptism of Mary Hill, of Mark and Elizabeth
  • 1733 Burial of Mary Hill, of Mark
  • 1740 Baptism of Mary Hill, of Mark and Elizabeth
  • 1746 Burial of Mary Hill, widow
  • 1749 Baptism of Mary Hill, of Joseph and Susanna

And for Sarah Hill (married Robert Dunmore in 1785) between 1750 and 1770:

  • 1752 Baptism of Sarah Hill, of Joseph and Susanna
  • 1760 Baptism of Sarah Hill, of Daniel and Martha

Also for William Hill (witness to marriage of John Dunmore and Elizabeth Johnson) between 1727 and 1767 (18 years before the marriage):

  • 1753 Baptism of William Hill, of Mark and Elizabeth
  • 1765 Baptism of William Hill, of Daniel and Martha

Possible Family Groups from Records

I organised these into likely family groups:

Richard (a weaver) and Ann

  • 1638 Thomas

Thomas and ?

  • 1676 Robert = Isabel? (see below)

Thomas and ?

  • 1696 John, buried 1699
  • 1700 Thomas

Robert (a labourer) and (Isabel?)

  • 1700 Robert = Anne Munck (see below)
  • 1702 Thomas
  • 1705 Edward, bur 1760? = Anne Starbrook? (m. 1732)
  • 1707 John

Isabel buried 1740 Robert buried 1751?

Robert and Anne Munck (m. 1725)

  • 1726 Martha, bur 1784 = ? Hill
  • 1728? Unnamed, buried 1731
  • 1730 Thomas or James
  • 1731 Joseph, buried 1732
  • 1733 John = Elizabeth Renolds? (see below)
  • 1738 Joseph

Ann buried 1746, Robert buried 1759?

Robert and Sarah Palmer (m. 1746)

  • 1747 Thomas

John and Elizabeth Renolds (m. 1753)

  • 1755 Mary, buried 1773?
  • 1759 Ann
  • 1761 Robert, buried 1825 = Sarah Hill (see below)

Joseph and Mary Hill (m. 1760)

  • 1763 John, buried 1765
  • 1764 Ann
  • 1766 John
  • 1772 Joseph, buried 1773
  • 1773 Thomas
  • 1775 John, buried 1775
  • 1777 Sarah (father a weaver)

Ann

  • 1778 Elizabeth

Robert and Sarah Hill (m. 1785)

  • 1786 John
  • 1787 Martha
  • 1790 Susanna, buried 1790
  • 1791 Ann
  • 1800 Rebecca

Robert buried 1825

John and Elizabeth Johnson (m. 1785)

  • 1786 Mary, buried 1789
  • [1789] Joseph, buried 1790
  • 1791 John, buried 1793
  • 1793 Henry, buried 1861
  • 1796 Thomas, buried 1873
  • 1798 Ann, buried 1800
  • 1801 William, buried 1802
  • 1803 Elizabeth, buried 1854
  • [1805] Susanna, buried 1810
  • 1808 Sarah, buried 1810

John buried 1839, Elizabeth buried 1840

Burials that don’t fit:

  • 1753 Ann Dunmore, of John & Sarah
  • 1764 Joseph Dunmore
  • 1769 Joseph Dunmore
  • 1770 Mary Dunmore
  • 1776 William Dunmore
  • 1806 Joseph Dunmore, age 75 (born abt. 1731)
  • 1806 Mary Dunmore, wife of Joseph, age 71 (born abt. 1735, note: wife not widow)
  • 1839 John Dunmore, age 76 (born abt. 1763)

The 1769 and 1770 burials of Joseph and Mary Dunmore don’t seem to fit with any children born near those dates.

The 1806 burials don’t fit Joseph Dunmore and Mary Hill since the Joseph baptised in 1731 died the following year. Similarly the Mary Hill baptised in 1732 died in 1733.

The William who was the witness for John’s marriage to Elizabeth Johnson could very well have been the brother of Mary Hill. This leads to a possible hypothesis, based on theory 4 I mentioned at the start

Hypothesis: Two Joseph and Mary Couples

There are two couples named Joseph and Mary Dunmore

Couple 1 are Joseph Dunmore and Mary Hill, married in 1760

  • Joseph was baptised in 1738, of Robert and Anne
  • Mary was baptised in 1740, of Mark and Elizabeth
  • Joseph died in 1769, Mary died in 1770
  • Their children were:
    • 1763 John, buried 1765 (John1763)
    • 1764 Ann
    • 1766 John (John1766)
  • After they died John and Ann were taken in by Mary’s family
  • Mary’s brother William, John’s uncle, was the witness to his marriage

Couple 2 are another Joseph and Mary Dunmore.

  • These are the people buried in 1806, aged 76 and 71
  • Joseph was a weaver
  • Joseph was born around 1731, Mary was born around 1735.
  • They were born and married away from Market Harborough
  • They moved to Market Harborough in about 1772
  • Their children were:
    • 1772 Joseph, buried 1773
    • 1773 Thomas
    • 1775 John, buried 1775 (John1775)
    • 1777 Sarah

To confirm this hypothesis we could

  1. Try and find a marriage of a Joseph Dunmore to a Mary outside of Market Harborough
  2. Look for settlement records for couple 2, although as a weaver he probably didn’t fall under the poor laws at the time
  3. Look for land tax records for Joseph the weaver
  4. Look for trade directories for Joseph the weaver
  5. Look for wills of couple 2 or their children and see if they mention John or Ann
  6. Look for wills of the Hill for mentions or John or Ann

After writing this I looked for and found a will for Mark Hill dated 1786. He names his two sons William and Thomas as executors and beneficiaries but there is no mention of John or Ann. Mark was a weaver.

Years
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