Notes for John Thomas DUNKIN
Clinch History: Surveyor's of the Wood's River and Loyal Land Company of the 1740's who surveyed and used Brumley Gap to pass to the Clinch and the Powell River before the area was reserved for the Indians in the 1760's. Inhabitants at this time appear to be the (1750's) Dunkards and a few long hunters such as the Harmons and Wallens who guided the surveyor's and Walker's expedition through the area. There may have been a Brumley at that time who spotted the gap but there is no record of a Brumley on the expeditions or any known connection to the later Brumley family on the Clinch. Of course the Brumley family is a mysterious as a lot of the others... The thing to remember is that the NEW RIVER in present Wythe VA was the border of the Virginia frontier in 1778/1780 with Fort Chiswell acting as the county seat or most western line of Civil authority. When Elexious got his land grant in 1782 on the Clinch River he was pushing far out.........TWO Rivers west and not just ONE. When Washington VA was formed the frontier had jumped to the Holston River, ONE River West and the village of Abingdon. When Russell was formed in 1793, the frontier had FINALLY become the Clinch River with the Last Indian Attack in 1794. I use the definition of frontier "as the most wester point of villages" with only SCATTERED SETTLERS BEYOND. Because of the Reserve of SW Virginia for the Indians during the 1760's, Kentucky areas along the access to the Ohio were much more settled. (Tug River, Big Sandy, Licking River, Blue Grass area, etc.)
Original settler, Elk Garden, Russell Co., VA abt 1769
29 Aug - 6 Nov 1774 served as a sergeant at Glade Hollow Ft under Ensign Henley Moore
26 Feb 1777 appointed Captain of militia by Washington Co court
Captain of the militia; escorted settlers "down Clinch".
Merchant, had some sort of store or supply post in Russell County.
Indian fighter, Rev War POW 1780-84
Children:
Elizabeth b ca 1763 m Thomas Laughlin
John Thomas Jr. b 1765 d 1832 m Mary/Polly Laughlin (escaped from Brits, reported to George Washington about British war activities died from dry salivation by taking a dose of calomel measured out on a case knife blade by an old woman who had more confidence in herself than good sense.) d Whitley Co.,KY
Margaret/Peggy b 1767 m John Laughlin, aka Big John, s/o James Laughlin
Joseph b 1769 m Ann Laughlin, d/o James Laughlin,lived Coffee Co.,TN
Mary/Polly b 1771 m James Hignight died Powell's Valley, Lee Co.,VA
Sarah b 1773 m John Laughlin, s/o John Laughlin Sr., bro/o Mary/Polly Laughlin who m John Dunkin Jr.
Anne b 1776 m William Martin, lived Knox Co., KY, then Livingston Co., MO
Faithful b 1778 m Abraham Locke, lived Chariton Co., MO
Eleanor b 1780 Canada m Samuel Campbell, lived Chariton Co., MO
Made guardian of his sisters after his father's death.
Led a group of settlers to what is now Bourbon Co,KY in 1779. Group was captured and taken to British Canada and held as POWs until abt 1784. His health was apparently affected by the capture, and he had no desire to return to KY after the war, according to his grandson's account.
Dunkin eventually moved out of the Elk Garden section to Spring Creek, just
outside Abingdon, VA, where he died in 1817.
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Revised: 27 Dec 2004 by Bonnie L Schermer