Samuel Dunn - boatman
Samuel was the brother of Mary Dunn (my 4ggm). He married Susanna Green in 1824 and had four children, two dying in their infancy. They lived on Wells Road, Stiffkey, and Sam worked on the Loftus estate as a boatman, later on in the merchant navy and independently as a fisherman. Like his brother John, Samuel is mentioned in the Loftus biography and newspapers of the time.
A Pleasant Day
Warham Hole, Blakeney
In the summer of 1817, Loftus and his friends, assisted by some estate workers, travelled up Garborough Creek to Warham Hole.
"It was the general custom at this time of the year to make excursions to the sea-coast, which, although not far off, took some trouble to reach ... our party got ready for the sea excursion. The housekeeper, maids, and one footman were generally bundled into a light cart; and old Robin Rowe, the coachman and Sam Dunn, who worked on my fathers's land, and who knew every creek and hole in the marshes, acted as pilot to take the party safely through the muds up to the sands."
"It was the general custom at this time of the year to make excursions to the sea-coast, which, although not far off, took some trouble to reach ... our party got ready for the sea excursion. The housekeeper, maids, and one footman were generally bundled into a light cart; and old Robin Rowe, the coachman and Sam Dunn, who worked on my fathers's land, and who knew every creek and hole in the marshes, acted as pilot to take the party safely through the muds up to the sands."
A Ludicrous Scene
Garborough Creek, Stiffkey
Whilst travelling home from Warham Hole that afternoon:
"A very amusing scene took place on our return. We launched our boat, and pulled leisurely home on a lovely evening down the Creek ... Farther down the Creek, I saw Sam Dunn riding the leader of the two horses tandem fashion in the cart. He was descending carefully the slope to cross the Creek, Robin holding the reins of old Peggy, a blind mare, which always went with us ... plunged into the water, with intent to reach the opposite ground, and obtain a sound footing in the grass. The tide being high, the water rushed into the forepart of the cart, nearly even with Peggy's back ... the cart tilted up, and Apollo [the footman] was pitched head-foremost into the flood, while the others were precipitated into the Creek, amidst piercing screams for help. "Oh we shall be drowned" (The water was only three or four feet deep)."
"A very amusing scene took place on our return. We launched our boat, and pulled leisurely home on a lovely evening down the Creek ... Farther down the Creek, I saw Sam Dunn riding the leader of the two horses tandem fashion in the cart. He was descending carefully the slope to cross the Creek, Robin holding the reins of old Peggy, a blind mare, which always went with us ... plunged into the water, with intent to reach the opposite ground, and obtain a sound footing in the grass. The tide being high, the water rushed into the forepart of the cart, nearly even with Peggy's back ... the cart tilted up, and Apollo [the footman] was pitched head-foremost into the flood, while the others were precipitated into the Creek, amidst piercing screams for help. "Oh we shall be drowned" (The water was only three or four feet deep)."
Wreck of a Dutch Galliot
A Dutch galliot aground on a sandbank
During an autumn shoot there had been a storm and a vessel had run on to the sands.
"Three of the coastguards and we ran off across the marshes, in the hope of being able to render some assistance; but we were too late, for, as we predicted, she struck the ground, swung round on her broadside, and was knocked to pieces in fifteen minutes, every soul on board perishing. We found Sam Dunn, with his boat from Warham Hall, who had got up as far as he could to the brig, but could render no assistance to the unfortunate crew. A good many people who came down from the village picked up many things from the wreck, and found the body of one man washed on shore."
Was this was an act of heroism or was the prospect of salvage on Sam's mind? Who knows!
"Three of the coastguards and we ran off across the marshes, in the hope of being able to render some assistance; but we were too late, for, as we predicted, she struck the ground, swung round on her broadside, and was knocked to pieces in fifteen minutes, every soul on board perishing. We found Sam Dunn, with his boat from Warham Hall, who had got up as far as he could to the brig, but could render no assistance to the unfortunate crew. A good many people who came down from the village picked up many things from the wreck, and found the body of one man washed on shore."
Was this was an act of heroism or was the prospect of salvage on Sam's mind? Who knows!
Norfolk Summer Assizes
In August 1834, so reported in The Bury & Norwich Post, a special jury (The King vs. Dunn) was called for Sam and others who had allegedly attacked John Madran of the Preventive Service in Stiffkey during the preceding March.
It came about because Madran had gotten drunk and was carrying his cutlass unsheathed. After a cut to his friend's hand, a witness alleged that Sam had "struck witness with it [a pitchfork], first on the hand and then on the temple, when he fell insensible; on recovering he found himself in the Red Lion, bleeding, with another wound on his nose". Later, a defending witness stated that he had seen Madran drunk and that Dunn had caused the injury in order to protect his friend because he had "caught Madran by the collar ... and witness saw blood running down his face from his having fallen by the side of the causeway".
All four men were found guilty and Sam received the severest punishment of the group, being sentenced to 12 months hard labour in Norwich Castle.
It came about because Madran had gotten drunk and was carrying his cutlass unsheathed. After a cut to his friend's hand, a witness alleged that Sam had "struck witness with it [a pitchfork], first on the hand and then on the temple, when he fell insensible; on recovering he found himself in the Red Lion, bleeding, with another wound on his nose". Later, a defending witness stated that he had seen Madran drunk and that Dunn had caused the injury in order to protect his friend because he had "caught Madran by the collar ... and witness saw blood running down his face from his having fallen by the side of the causeway".
All four men were found guilty and Sam received the severest punishment of the group, being sentenced to 12 months hard labour in Norwich Castle.
Like Father Like Son
Sam Dunn junior
Sam had a son, by Susannah Green, in 1822 who they also named Samuel. Several family stories have been passed to me about Sam junior via Des Dunn, now living in Australia.
The most colourful is that Sam made a name for himself by killing a bull mastiff with his bare hands - Sam was in the Red Lion pub one night when a customer brought a muzzled bull mastiff into the bar. Sam requested that he remove the dog from the premises as it was unlawful. The owner refused and threatened to remove the dog’s muzzle. As the altercation developed bets were laid between patrons. Eventually Sam challenged the man that he would take the dog on for a £10 bet. Sam, who was un-armed, was locked in a cellar-like room alone with the dog. The door was to be opened upon hearing a knock or within a certain period. When the door was opened a few minutes later, the dog lay on the floor dead. Neither Sam nor the dog had any marks on them, so it is presumed that the dog had been choked.
Sam junior was the landlord of the Red Lion between 1858 and 1861 (Norfolk Pubs website and 1861 census). During this period, he supplemented his income by smuggling contraband from France. A family legend recounts how his boat was borrowed one night by his brother-in-law, John Baker, and a man named Green, supposedly to go fishing - in fact they brought back an illegal load of goods from France. When their lookout signalled them to stay offshore because the coastguards were about, they made the mistake of sampling some of the rum on board, a thing which Sam Dunn never allowed on his sorties, and whilst they were passed out, they were picked up at dawn by coast guards. Baker and Green were jailed and the boat was cut in half. Sam lost his fishing licence and did not replace the boat. He probably knew that it was being used for illegal purposes, but he denied it. Sam and his friends had very fast horses to transport the contraband to London. Samuel senior often told his children stories of smugglers’ activities because it was part of his forebears’ way of life. He said, “lived like kings” when smuggling times were good, and at other times they “lived like paupers”.
After leaving the Red Lion the family lived in Burnham Overy where Sam resumed fishing.
All of Sam’s children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren grew up with these stories which were eventually published in Dunn Family Reunion, 26th December 1986, 100 years – 1886-1986, compiled by Judy Wallace.
The most colourful is that Sam made a name for himself by killing a bull mastiff with his bare hands - Sam was in the Red Lion pub one night when a customer brought a muzzled bull mastiff into the bar. Sam requested that he remove the dog from the premises as it was unlawful. The owner refused and threatened to remove the dog’s muzzle. As the altercation developed bets were laid between patrons. Eventually Sam challenged the man that he would take the dog on for a £10 bet. Sam, who was un-armed, was locked in a cellar-like room alone with the dog. The door was to be opened upon hearing a knock or within a certain period. When the door was opened a few minutes later, the dog lay on the floor dead. Neither Sam nor the dog had any marks on them, so it is presumed that the dog had been choked.
Sam junior was the landlord of the Red Lion between 1858 and 1861 (Norfolk Pubs website and 1861 census). During this period, he supplemented his income by smuggling contraband from France. A family legend recounts how his boat was borrowed one night by his brother-in-law, John Baker, and a man named Green, supposedly to go fishing - in fact they brought back an illegal load of goods from France. When their lookout signalled them to stay offshore because the coastguards were about, they made the mistake of sampling some of the rum on board, a thing which Sam Dunn never allowed on his sorties, and whilst they were passed out, they were picked up at dawn by coast guards. Baker and Green were jailed and the boat was cut in half. Sam lost his fishing licence and did not replace the boat. He probably knew that it was being used for illegal purposes, but he denied it. Sam and his friends had very fast horses to transport the contraband to London. Samuel senior often told his children stories of smugglers’ activities because it was part of his forebears’ way of life. He said, “lived like kings” when smuggling times were good, and at other times they “lived like paupers”.
After leaving the Red Lion the family lived in Burnham Overy where Sam resumed fishing.
All of Sam’s children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren grew up with these stories which were eventually published in Dunn Family Reunion, 26th December 1986, 100 years – 1886-1986, compiled by Judy Wallace.