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Subject: Rev Dunham at Conococheague
Date: Wed, 07 Jul 2004 06:33:49 +0000

Oliver B Leonard's file on church history (see posting on Conococheague-Piscataway Connection) contained another item of interest to Piatt researchers.

Four handwritten pages relate biographical information concerning Rev Edmund Dunham and his son Rev Jonathan Dunham of the Piscataway (NJ) Seventh Day Baptist Church. A reference at the top of the first page indicates that these four pages were, in turn, pages 129-133 of a publication titled "Morgan Edwards Materials...," Philadelphia, 1772. A trip to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia revealed that Leonard's notes were indeed copied from Morgan Edwards' 1770 [sic] publication "Materials Toward a History of the American Baptists in xii volumes." (Actually only 2 volumes were published and both are bound together in the book held by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, or rather in the collection of rare books next door at the Library Company of Philadelphia.)

Because of the restrictions on photocopying both Leonard's materials and the original book at HSP/LCP, in the time I had I could hand copy only the information concerning Rev Jonathan Dunham.

<<Rev Jonathan Duham

He succeeded his father in the partnership in 1745, but had preached to them as a licentiate for many years before. He continued in partnership till March 11, 1777 when he died of smallpox in the 86th year of his age. He also left behind him an excellent character: he was first ordained as a deacon the year that his father died, Nov 2 [1732]: received holy orders the year he commencing (?) pastor: the ordainers were Rev Messrs Davis Williams and William James: the place Conococheague in Pennsylvania, His wife was Jane Pyaat [sic] by whom he had children Elizabeth, Azariah, Jonathan, David, Ruth & Samuel: these married into the families of the Dunns, Thomases, Fords, Randels, Martins, & Lucases and have raised 41 grandchildren. His ancestor [sic, should be 'descendant'] is the present pastor, Rev Nathan Rogers.>>

Jane Pyatt is thought to be the 9th child of Rene Piatt and Elizabeth Sheffield. Jane was born 15 Sep 1695; d 15 Sep 1779, buried in the Dunham Burial Ground in Piscataway NJ. She married Rev Jonathan Dunham on 15 Aug 1714 at Piscataway NJ. It is interesting that Edwards spelled the name Pyaat. Jane's brother Thomas Pyatt's tombstone spells the name Pyaat, too, the only two instances I've seen that spelling.

Could it be possible that Rene Piatt's son-in-law, Rev Jonathan Dunham, was ordained at Conococheague? If so, it indicates that there was a far closer connection between Conococheague and Piscataway than I had ever imagined, due to the distance. And it would suggest that the second and third generations of Piatts in the two locations likely knew of one another, that one branch of the family was not really lost from the other.

A letter in Leonard's files, dated 18 March 1896, from Alfred, New York, inquired about the place of ordination of Rev Jonathan Dunham. This particular letter did not have the name of the writer, but other letters from Alfred NY and in the same handwritting were from C H Greene. Alfred State University began as a Seventh Day Baptist instutition. Copies of Leonard's replies to Greene don't seem to be among Leonard's files, but we could hope that Greene's correspondence may have been preserved in Alfred NY.

Some of us have expressed the concern that we have found everything we can under the Piatt name and have suggested that by following the colateral family names we might turn up something new. Indeed research on these lines may turn out to be fruitful.

--
Laverne Ingram Piatt
Ontario, OH

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