Caroline Donham (Caroline Dunham) is something of a mystery in our family history.  Verifying her identity is of particular interest because it is through her assumed mother, Catherine Brett, that we may claim Krusi descendancy from several signatories of the Mayflower compact (see: Are we related to anyone that was on the Mayflower?).  It is also now we claim Krusi relation to John Adams (see: How are we related to John Adams, Second President of the United States?).

Caroline Donham definitely had a relationship with her presumed parents.  However, while I have been able to verify that Benjamin Dunham and Catherine Brett were married, I have not been able to verify that Caroline Donham was indeed their daughter.  Though I am beginning to feel comfortable that the preponderance of evidence is that Caroline Donham was their daughter, there remains the possibility that she is their adopted daughter.  However, the fact is that there is no record of an orphaned Caroline Donham otherwise in Maine, so that possibility is slight.

Family records state that Caroline Donham was born in 1831 in Hebron, Maine and died 31 Oct 1903 in Alameda, California.  She married Johann Heinrich Hermann Krusi on 26 Nov 1856 in Somerville, Massachusetts.  They are the Cactus's second great grandparents.

Caroline Donham's name is also sometimes given as Caroline Dunham.  Indeed, Krusi genealogies tracing the American family from Switzerland recorded her name as Dunham.  Regardless of what her name is, this must be kept in mind as her ancestors are probably either Dunham or Donham.

She is indexed as showing up on the Maine and United States Census from when the Census taker visted her home on 7 August 1850, however, I do not see her name on the original record.

Rev Benjamin Donham

Family records show the Rev. Benjamin Donham as a Baptist preacher and the father of Caroline Donham.  However, bother of Caroline's parents died before she was married, and at a young age she left her native Maine with her new husband.

Records of Benhamin Donham as father of Caroline Donham

The Supplement to Torrey's New England Marriages Prior to 1700, is cited as a source showing this relationship on the website http://www.rootsquest.com/~sirjames/dunham/dunham7.htm#Benjamin-7. 

Records of Benjamin Donham and other Children

The History of Bethel,...,Oxford County, Maine, 1768 - 1890 by William B. Lapham (Augusta, ME: Press of the Maine Farmer, 1891) as indexed by Christopher L. Dunham and Tammy L. (Dunham) Caron on their online book about Moses Dunham, states the following: "the Rev. Benjamin Duham married Catherine Brett of Paris.  He lived at Middle Intervale, moved to the eastern part of the State and died there.  Children: I Pauline, b. April 20, 1839. II George Edwin, b. Sept. 1 1840.  II Joseph E. b. July 9, 1842."  Note that while this does document that he married Catherine Brett and thus that his children are Mayflower descendents, Caroline is not listed among their children.  As follows, however, we see that this may not be a complete listing.

Also from the records related to Moses Dunham mentioned above, is indexed the Annals of Oxford, Maine, from its incorporation, February 27, 1829 to 1850.  Prefaced by a brief account of the settlement of Shepardsfeld plantation, now Hebron and Oxford, by Marquis Fayette King. Portland, Maine: 1903.  The index states: "Thomas Dunham appears to have been in New Gloucester as early as 1790, coming to Hebron before 1803, the title to lot 10 in the 1st range, 2d division, from Simon Jackson, bearing that date.  He died June 5, 1853; wife Sylvina died July 9, 1845."  Among his children is listed "Benjamin, b. May 10, 1806, by wife, Catherine, had April 30, 1830, Catherine A."

He shows up in William Berry Lapham's History of Rumford, Oxford County, Maine published in Maine, 1890 and indexed in full on Ancestry.com.  The exact citation is: "George A. Ray , son of the preceding, married Lucy C. , daughter of Isaac Whittemore , who was born in Hebron . They were married Sept. 21, 1843 , by Rev. Benjamin Donham of Bethel ."

Other Benjamin Donham

There is a Benjamin Donham who fought in the Civil War with Kentucky on the Confederate side.  If our Benjamin was in Maine in 1831, it is doubtful that that this is the same person.  Later Lucretia, widow of Benjamin F. Donham, filed for Civil War Pension from Mississippi.

The Rockland, Massachusetts City Directory of 1896 shows Benjamin C. Donham living at Pacific.

Places

Bethel, Maine Chamber of Commerce

This page last updated 03 April 2004.

thecactus@loafingcactus.com