Jonathan Singletary Dunham
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Singletary Dunham (January 17, 1640 – September 6, 1724) was a prominent early American
politician
and settler of Woodbridge Township, New Jersey
. He is President Barack Obama
’s eighth great-grandfather and the first of Obama’s ancestors to be born in North America
.
on January 17, 1639/40. He married Mary Bloomfield (great-grandaunt and great-great-grandmother of eventual governor Joseph Bloomfield
for whom the township of Bloomfield, New Jersey
is named after)., also from Massachusetts
.
Possibly due to an unsubstantiated family legend about his father being the lost heir of the House of Dunham, Jonathan Singletary added the last name Dunham which he used interchangeably with Singletary. He and his wife migrated to Woodbridge Township, New Jersey
(the first Township
of New Jersey
, which was chartered on June 1, 1669 by King
Charles II of England
), where they were granted 213 acre (0.86198118 km²) of land by the newly appointed Governor of New Jersey. Upon this land, Jonathan Dunham built the first grist mill in New Jersey. He later received a bonus of 203 acre (0.82151258 km²) and acquired many other tracts of land in New Jersey and Massachusetts. After finding success with his mill operation, Dunham became a politician, serving as the Clerk of the Township Court, overseer of the highways, and was elected to the New Jersey Provincial Congress
in 1673.
still stands and currently serves as the Rectory of the Trinity Episcopal Church in Woodbridge, New Jersey.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and settler of Woodbridge Township, New Jersey
Woodbridge Township, New Jersey
-Communities:Many distinct communities exist within Woodbridge Township. Several of these communities have their own ZIP codes, and many are listed by the United States Census Bureau as census-designated places, but they are all unincorporated areas and neighborhoods within the Township that,...
. He is President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
’s eighth great-grandfather and the first of Obama’s ancestors to be born in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
Life
Jonathan Singletary Dunham was born to Richard Singletary in Newbury, MassachusettsNewbury, Massachusetts
Newbury is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,666 at the 2010 census. Newbury includes the villages of Old Town , Plum Island and Byfield, home of The Governor's Academy , a private preparatory school.- History :Newbury Plantation was settled and incorporated...
on January 17, 1639/40. He married Mary Bloomfield (great-grandaunt and great-great-grandmother of eventual governor Joseph Bloomfield
Joseph Bloomfield
Joseph Bloomfield was a Governor of New Jersey. The township of Bloomfield, New Jersey is named for him.-Birth:Joseph Bloomfield was born in Woodbridge Township, New Jersey to Moses Bloomfield, a physician, and Sarah Ogden...
for whom the township of Bloomfield, New Jersey
Bloomfield, New Jersey
Bloomfield is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 47,315. It surrounds the Bloomfield Green Historic District.-History:...
is named after)., also from Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
.
Possibly due to an unsubstantiated family legend about his father being the lost heir of the House of Dunham, Jonathan Singletary added the last name Dunham which he used interchangeably with Singletary. He and his wife migrated to Woodbridge Township, New Jersey
Woodbridge Township, New Jersey
-Communities:Many distinct communities exist within Woodbridge Township. Several of these communities have their own ZIP codes, and many are listed by the United States Census Bureau as census-designated places, but they are all unincorporated areas and neighborhoods within the Township that,...
(the first Township
Township
The word township is used to refer to different kinds of settlements in different countries. Township is generally associated with an urban area. However there are many exceptions to this rule. In Australia, the United States, and Canada, they may be settlements too small to be considered urban...
of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, which was chartered on June 1, 1669 by King
King
- Centers of population :* King, Ontario, CanadaIn USA:* King, Indiana* King, North Carolina* King, Lincoln County, Wisconsin* King, Waupaca County, Wisconsin* King County, Washington- Moving-image works :Television:...
Charles II of England
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
), where they were granted 213 acre (0.86198118 km²) of land by the newly appointed Governor of New Jersey. Upon this land, Jonathan Dunham built the first grist mill in New Jersey. He later received a bonus of 203 acre (0.82151258 km²) and acquired many other tracts of land in New Jersey and Massachusetts. After finding success with his mill operation, Dunham became a politician, serving as the Clerk of the Township Court, overseer of the highways, and was elected to the New Jersey Provincial Congress
New Jersey General Assembly
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average...
in 1673.
Death and legacy
He died in Woodbridge, New Jersey in 1724. The house the Dunhams built in 1671, the Jonathan Singletary Dunham HouseJonathan Singletary Dunham House
The Jonathan Singletary Dunham House, located in Woodbridge Township, New Jersey , is a house that was built around 1700 by Jonathan Singletary Dunham , a prominent early American settler and freeholder who also built the first gristmill in New Jersey.Jonathan...
still stands and currently serves as the Rectory of the Trinity Episcopal Church in Woodbridge, New Jersey.
Notable descendents
- Stanley Armour DunhamStanley Armour DunhamStanley Armour Dunham was the maternal grandfather of U.S. President Barack Obama. He and his wife Madelyn Payne Dunham raised Obama from the age of 10 in Honolulu, Hawaii.-Early life:...
(1918–1992), maternal grandfather of Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in... - Ann DunhamAnn DunhamStanley Ann Dunham , the mother of Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States, was an American anthropologist who specialized in economic anthropology and rural development. Dunham was nicknamed Anna, later known as Dr. Stanley Ann Dunham Soetoro, and finally Ann Dunham Sutoro...
(1942–1995), AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
anthropologistAnthropologyAnthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
and mother of Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in... - Lee Donham (1943-), stunt pilot in The Tuskegee AirmenThe Tuskegee AirmenThe Tuskegee Airmen is a 1995 HBO television movie based on the exploits of an actual groundbreaking unit, the first African American combat pilots in the United States Army Air Force, that fought in World War II.-Plot:...
- Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
(1961-), 44th President of the United StatesPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces.... - Scott TrimbleScott TrimbleScott Thomas Suggs Trimble is a location scout and location manager who found locations seen in such projects as Star Trek, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Star Tours II, and Iron Man 2. He won awards for his work on the films Transformers and Mission: Impossible 3...
(1977-), location scout and location manager (Transformers, Star Trek, Iron Man 2Iron Man 2Iron Man 2 is a 2010 American superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character Iron Man, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It is the sequel to 2008's Iron Man, the second film in a planned trilogy and is a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Directed by Jon...
)