John Nunn was my second-great Grandfather. He was born about 1836 in Suffolk County, England. His daughter, Mary Ann Nunn, was born July 11, 1870. My mother (Mary Ann Higbee, b 1927-d. 2008), also born on July 11, was named after Mary Ann, her grandmother. In the following document, I will attempt to detail what can be gleaned from family and vital records to suggest who may be the parents of John Nunn.  I begin with a chronological list of information we have on hand:

1870: Great Grandmother, Mary Ann Nunn, was born in Brompton, Kent, England on 11 July 1870, to John Nunn and Mary Ann Moore [see the copy of her birth certificate]. 

At the time of her birth, John Nunn and Mary Ann Moore Nunn were on Manor Street in Brompton. John Nunn was listed as a Sapper with the Royal Engineers. This is an important bit of information.

1871: In the 1871 England Census [see copy of 1871 census], John Nunn, wife Mary and daughter Mary can be found in the Chatham, Brompton, Kent census. John is noted at 37 years old, and Mary as 25. Daughter Mary Ann is 9 months. John’s occupation is listed as Royal Engineer Smith. John’s birthplace is listed as Easton Market, Suffolk, England. Research into English place names shows that there is no known location in Suffolk called Easton Market; however, there is a location called Needham Market. This is worth noting as other records for John Nunn note Needham Market, Suffolk.

Mary Ann Moore Nunn’s birthplace is listed as Nunsbridge (or something similar), Devonshire. Nunsbridge does not exist; neither in Devon, nor in any location in England. It would seem that this is an incorrect recording and transcription. Devonshire, however, also does not match our general assumption (based on other family information) that Mary Ann Moore was born in Kent. Of course, the census could be wrong.

Nine-month-old Mary Ann Nunn’s birthplace is listed as Brompton, Kent which ties to her birth certificate information, as noted previously above.

1872: Two years later, on 26 February 1872, as sister was born, Emma Jane Nunn, to John Nunn and Mary Ann Moore Nunn. John was still noted as a Sapper Royal Engineers. They were living at 24 Manor Street in Brompton [see the copy below of Emma Jane’s birth certificate].

Family lore tells us something interesting about the upbringing of Mary Ann Nunn.  Marjorie Jane Higbee Brady (my aunt), in her written history of her father, Clifford Higbee, mentions that John Nunn and Mary Ann Moore Nunn divorced at some point, and that their daughter, Mary Ann Nunn (born 1870), was raised by her Uncle Charles Nunn and his wife Emma [below is an excerpt of this reference in the history of Clifford Higbee by Marjorie Higbee Brady].

That John Nunn had a brother Charles, and that Charles and his wife raised Mary Ann, is important information that coincides with what Doris Odekirk Higbee (my grandmother) shared with me as well, as we discussed genealogy in year’s past. This relationship is partially corroborated in the following two records:

1. 1881: In the 1881 England Census [see the copy below of 1881 census], Charles Nunn, wife Emma and a young girl, Mary Ann, aged 10 are listed. She is listed as Mary Ann Nunn, but relationship is not visible. In fact, the copy of this census online is nearly unreadable, though it had been transcribed by researchers in the past, indicating the names I’ve noted above. If you adjust the contrast on the digital copy, you can just barely make out the names. Charles is noted as 36 years old, Emma 34 and Mary Ann, 10. Charles’ birthplace notes Suffolk only. Emma’s birthplace is listed as Hoxton. And young Mary Ann’s is Brompton.  This would support the information that Charles and Emma Nunn were raising Mary Ann Nunn.

This second, contrast-adjusted copy helps to see what is actually there:

Or this copy where I have overwritten what is barely visible for contrast:

2. When Charles Nunn died in 1916 in Salt Lake City, his obituary noted that he was originally from Suffolk, England, and that his only living relative here in the U.S. was his niece, Mary Ann Nunn Higbee [note the copy of the Obituary below].

These two points connect Charles Nunn to our John Nunn, and to the Nunn family of Suffolk. With this very important connection made, Charles’ death certificate is also very important as it provides further clues to Charles’ and John’s parents.

Charles’ Utah Death Certificate in 1916 notes that his father was Samuel Nunn and his mother was ——Simpson. The informant providing this information on his death certificate was Mrs. Robert Higbee (Mary Ann Nunn, Charles’ niece). She is a great informant, as she would have been providing what information she had related to her own grandparents.  

If Mary Ann was living with her Uncle Charles in 1881, where were her parents?  Divorced, as noted by Marjorie Brady? Or elsewhere? A search for John Nunn and Mary Ann Moore Nunn in 1881 England census does not provide any real results for their whereabouts. Were they both deceased by that time? And where is Emma Jane Nunn, the younger sister? No definite answers are found for John, Mary Ann or Emma Jane.

So what about John and Charles’ parents?

With this information, we generally assume that John and Charles Nunn’s parents are Samuel Nunn and a Miss Simpson (since her first name is not noted in Charles’ death certificate). According to both Doris Odekirk Higbee (my grandmother) and Mary Jane Purdue Salmon (a cousin), Miss Simpson was Martha Simpson. Both Doris and Mary Jane had noted Samuel Nunn married to a Martha Simpson in their genealogical records. This marriage is supported by a marriage record (found on FamilySearch) that highlights a Barham, Suffolk, England marriage of Samuel Nunn to Martha Simpson, with a marriage date of 8 April, 1828. This certainly supports the original information we have that John Nunn’s parents are Samuel Nunn and Martha Simpson. Worth noting is that Barnham, Suffolk and Needham Market, Suffolk fall within the same parish and are 5 miles from each other.

If we now look back a few years, we find a few more interesting records associated with Samuel Nunn and Martha Simpson Nunn:

1841: The 1841 Census for Needham, Suffolk has a record for Samuel Nunn and wife Martha. Charles Nunn would not have been born yet, but a John Nunn is listed as 5 years old (indicating a birth year of 1836). Individual birth places are not listed. The other children listed match those also found ten years later in an 1851 census, except the older sons who are listed here but not in 1851 (when they likely would have been gone from home). [see below the copy of 1841 census]. Samuel’s occupation is listed as Agriculture Laborer.

1851: The 1851 Census for Barking, Hamlet of Needham, in Suffolk also has a record of Samuel Nunn, wife Martha, and numerous children, born in Needham (this ties to our earlier reference to John Nunn’s possible birth in Needham Market). Of these children, there is a John (age 13) and Charles (age 6). This John Nunn would have been born in 1838 and Charles would have been born in 1845. [see below the copy of the 1851 Barking, Needham census]. Samuel’s occupation is listed as Agriculture Laborer.

1861: By the 1861 Census for Needham Market, Suffolk, Samuel and wife Martha are still in the home, with three of the younger children, including a 16-year-old Charles, with a birth location of Needham. John Nunn would likely have been out of the house by this time. Samuel is listed as a Laborer. [see below the copy of the 1861 census].

1869: In 1869, we have a marriage record for John Nunn and Mary Ann Moore, being married April 2, 1869 in Stoke Damerel, Devonshire. John Nunn is noted here as a Gunner in the Royal Artillery.  [Below is a copy of the Marriage Record]

John is listed as 29 ½ years of age, placing his birth year around 1839.  Is this correct? Mary Ann Moore is listed as 24 years old, making her birth year around 1845. Neither has a birth location noted in this marriage record. John’s father is listed as William – not Samuel, who was noted as deceased by this time. Father William’s occupation was listed as a Laborer at a Hay Store. With this record noting William as John’s father, and with Charles’ Death Certificate noting Samuel, there is an obvious challenge to sort through. Some have combined the two to assume Samuel William or William Samuel may be one in the same. So far, no records actually combine the two names. Both William and Samuel in various records are listed as Agriculture Laborers, so it is not an impossibility that they are the same person.

1868: Martha Simpson Nunn dies in Bosmere, near Needham Market, Suffolk. [see Copy of Death Index Record].

1871: So far, a thorough search of the 1871 census records have failed to show us information on Samuel and Charles. Were the missed or just indexed incorrectly? We will need to continue to search for this. If William and Samuel are by chance the same person, then according to the Marriage record of John Nunn and Mary Ann Moore, John’s father was already deceased by this time. So where is Charles and his younger siblings?

1872: From the death record found by Marian Brady, John Nunn, was noted as a Private in the Royal Engineers, of Rochester, Kent, and that he died on 7 Jun 1872 at Fort Pitt, Rochester, Kent. This career in the Royal Engineers matches what we have previously noted for John Nunn. He was listed as 34-years-old at death, making his birth year about 1838. This, too, closely matches several other records we’ve noted above. This would also explain why no 1881 census was found for John. This clearly seems to be our John Nunn [see below the copy of John Nunn’s Death Certificate].  

1872: That same year, in the Military Pension Record found by Marian, there is a summary of John Nunn’s military service, and a note about his death, as well as notes that indicate John Nunn was born in Needham, Suffolk. This important bit of information ties John’s birthplace to the records we have already noted for John and ties him to Samuel and Martha Simpson Nunn of Needham. He served for 13 years and 7 months, with foreign service in China. How cool is that!!! The first column indicates that he was in the Royal Engineers (see the ditto marks on the record).  To the right of his name is an annotation that may indicate he was also previously in the Royal Artillery. This Is referenced next to his age of 32. This also lists his total time in the services at 13 years 7 months (perhaps 10 years and 8 months in the Royal Artillery, and 3 years 11 months in the Royal Engineers?).  These two references tie to the several records we have that show he was with the Royal Engineers, but at the time of his marriage to Mary Ann Moore, had been in the Royal Artillery.  [see page 1 of the copy of John’s Military Pension Record and Notation of Death].

Page two of this same record is shown below. John’s reference is the last one on the page. There are a couple of important bits of information here. One, John’s birthplace is listed and Needham. That is an important connection to Samuel Nunn and Martha Simpson as John’s parent. Second, he was listed as a Shoeing Smith, with ties to an earlier census record that listed our John as a Smith.  The references on the first page, and these on page two, particularly his birth location of Needham Market, clearly show this record belongs to our John Nunn. I think the connection is unmistakable. [see page two below}

Page two also indicates his discharge reason was for Pulmonary Consumption from climate, service and predisposition. He was noted as 5’8” with brown hair and a fresh complexion.

OF IMPORTANT NOTE:

Some have connected several other Military Records to our John Nunn on Family Search (the records were found on Fold3). I believe that a closer look at these other Military Papers associated with a Gunner John Nunn do not actually belong to our John Nunn. Firstly, these records indicate that this John Nunn’s full career was in the Royal Artillery; while our John Nunn spent most of his career in the Royal Engineers as a Sapper and Blacksmith. This John Nunn is noted with his Royal Artillery title, Gunner in all of these records. That is a significant difference and a key reason I believe these records are not associated with our John Nunn.

Secondly, this record lists John Nunn’s military discharge date in what appears to be 1873, which is after our John Nunn’s supposed death in 1872 (see Death Record above – 1872).

Thirdly, the total years of service for this John Nunn do not match those of the other John Nunn’s summary in his Pension records. This John’s birthplace was noted as Mildenhall, Suffolk. This contradicts all of the other information we already have seen about our John Nunn being born in Needham. These three concerns lead me to believe that this particular John Nunn is a different person from our John Nunn and that trying to connect our John Nunn to the parents of John Nunn of Mildenhall is not a correct assumption.  

Cumulatively, I believe there is substantial evidence here to demonstrate that the parentage that Doris Odekirk Higbee and Mary Jane Salmon have previously noted for John Nunn and his brother Charles, is most likely correct. We still do not have an answer as to why the name Samuel is noted in some cases, and William on a marriage certificate, but I believe the ties to Samuel Nunn and Martha Simpson Nunn in the Needham Market, Suffolk areas seems mostly substantiated.  While there is clearly another William Nunn, with a son John, in the Mildenhall, Suffolk area, I do not see enough other evidence to suggest that that family is the one belonging to our John Nunn. There are also other Nunns in the Bury St Edmonds area of Suffolk that one could easily confuse with our John Nunn and Mary Ann Moore. The John and Mary Ann Nunn of Bury St Edmonds even had a daughter Mary Ann, but this is not the same family as our John and Mary Ann. That John was not in the Military and lived well after our own John had died. The Bury St Edmonds Nunns are not directly tied this our Nunn family.