On 17 November 1828, orators and oratrices Samuel Johnson and Catharine his wife, Henry Dunn, George Martin and Joanna his wife, Dabney Dunn, Thomas Harper and Eliza his wife, Reuben Ware and Sally his wife, Polly Hardy, John Hardy, Mary Dunn, John Dunn, Patsy Dunn, William Dunn, Alexander Dunn, Lewis Dunn, Washington Dunn, Edmund Dunn, Mary Dunn, Fanny Moore, Jane Moore, George Moore, Samuel Broocks, Polly Newbill, William Cox and Lilly his wife, John Cooper and Constant his wife filed a complaint with the chancery court in Essex County, Virginia. “That John Dunn the father of your oratrice Catharine Johnson & of John Dunn who is deac’sd left the said Henry Dunn & Joanna Dunn, his only children & heirs at law, of James Dunn who is also decd & left your orator Dabney Dunn & Tolla Dunn decd, the father of Eliza Harper his only children & heirs at law, of Ann Dunn, who married Joseph Hardy, who is decd & left an only son, Joseph who is also decd & left your oratrice & orators Sally Ware, Polly Hardy & John Hardy his only children & heirs at Law, of Wm Dunn who is also decd & left your oratrices & orators, Mary Dunn, John Dunn & Curtis Dunn who is since decd, & left your orators & oratrices Patsy, William, Alexander, Lewis, Washington, Edmund & Mary his only children & heirs at Law, of Fanny, who married George Moore, both of whom are now decd & left your oratrices & orator Fanny, Jane [June?], & George Moore their only children & heirs at Law, of Mary Brooks, who afterwards married Rice Cauthorn, the mother of your orator & oratrice named Broocks, Polly Newbill, & Sally Cox, who are entitled to distribution as heirs at Law of said Mary Brooks; of Polly Broocks, who left your oratrice Constant Cooper her heir at Law and now residing of Va. who have not been heard from for the last five years also heirs”. That John Dunn “departed this life some time in the year [blank] having made his last Will & Testament, dated 21st December 1789 & duly recorded…He devised to his wife during her widowhood all the land whereon he resided, and after her death, he gave the same to John Dunn his son, who was a brother of the whole blood to the said Catharine Johnson, your oratrice, & of the whole blood to James Dunn, who the said complainants pray may be made deft: hereto & of the whole blood to Henry Dunn, who is decd and left James H. & Roberta his only children & heirs at Law & of the half blood to his other brothers & sisters herein before mentioned, that the said John Dunn afterwards died intestate, an infant under twenty one years of age & without issue…That the said James Dunn & James H. Dunn & Roberta Dunn may be made defendants…” [Essex County, Virginia, Box 146, Deeds and Wills, 1828–1829, loose paper.]

On 13 and/or 14 November 1834, Edmund Dunn purchased property at the sale of the estate of Major Arthur L. Barnes. [Essex County, Virignia, Will Book 24, pages 12–20.]

On 2 December 1834, Edmund Dunn witnessed the will of his brother Alexander Dunn, and proved the will in court on 16 March 1835. [Essex County, Virginia, Will Book 23, page 325.]

On 16 March 1835, Edmund Dunn and Edward M Ware were bound in the penalty of $150 for Edmund Dunn’s administration with the last will and testament of Alexander Dunn, deceased. [Essex County, Virginia, Will Book 23, pages 325–326.]

1840 U.S. Census, Essex County, Virginia:
Written page 5
Dunn, Edmund
1 male age 5-10 [this would be Thomas Dunn]
1 male age 30-40 [this would be Edmund Dunn]
2 females age 20-30 [one of these would be Lucy Dunn]

On 21 June 1847 in the case of Cauthorn & wife vs. Dunn &c. (or sometimes referred to as Dunn vs. Dunn), the County Court of Essex issued a decree that ordered the division and sale of the land belonging to the heirs of Curtis Dunn, deceased. One third of the proceeds were to go to Mary, widow of Curtis: “dower of Mary Dunn widow of the said Curtis Dunn may be provided for the remaining two thirds shall then be added together and subdivided into seven equal shares.” The remaining seven shares were to be divided such that Thomas Cauthorn and Mildred his wife, William Dunn, Edmund Dunn, Lewis Dunn, and Curtis Johnson and Mary his wife were to receive equal parts; that one additional equal part was to be divided such that Dorothy, the widow of George Washington Dunn, was to receive one third, with the remaining two-thirds divided equally by the children of Washington Dunn (Mary E. Dunn, Dorothy Ann Dunn, Robert Henry Dunn, and George Washington Dunn, all of whom are infants under the age of 21 years); and finally one share valued at one-third of the size of the other shares was to be provided to Catharine Brooks, the widow of Alexander Dunn. On 15 January 1848, Mary Dunn released her dower interest in the land, signed Mary her x mark Dunn, witness John R. his + mark Brezendine. Eventually a final decree was issued on 15 August 1853, stating that Samuel C. Dunn had been issued a deed with special warranty for the land of Curtis Dunn adjoining the lands of Edmund Dunn. [Essex County, Virginia, loose papers, August 1853, Dunn vs. Dunn.]

1850 U.S. Census, Essex County, Virginia
Page 93
Dwelling 491, Family 491
Dunn, Edmund, 49, male, farmer, $800 real estate, born in Virginia
Dunn, Mary, 45, female, born in Virginia
Dunn, Thomas, 17, male, laborer, born in Virginia
Dunn, Lucy, 8, female, born in Virginia
Dunn, Indianna, 5, female, born in Virginia
Ursery, Lucy, 36, female, born in Virginia, unable to read or write [mark unclear]
Foreacres, Patsy, 50, female, born in Virginia, unable to read or write, blind

1860 U.S. Census, Essex County, Virginia:
Written page 71, Dwelling 674, Family 659
Dunn, Edmund, 57, farmer, $1000 real estate, $555 personal estate
Dunn, Mary, 55
Dunn, Julia, 13, in school within year
Ursery, Julia, 40

1870 U.S. Census, Essex County, Virginia:
Dwelling 1631, Family 1631
Dunn, Edmund, 72, farmer, $360 real estate, $200 personal estate
Other unrelated names are listed.

1880 U.S. Census, Essex County, Virginia:
Chapel Grove Precinct, Page 1, Dwelling 3, Family 3
Dunn, Edmund, 77, widowed, farmer, born in Virginia
Hay, John, 37, son in law, married, harness maker
Hay, A., 32 daughter of Edmund, milliner?

On 20 November 1882, William P Robinson and Robert M. Neale were bound $150 for William P Robinson’s qualification as the personal representative of the estate of Edmond Dunn. [Essex County, Virginia, Will Book 30, page 168.]

On 6 December 1882, a sale of the personal property of Edmund Dunn was held. Several purchases were made by John Dunn. Total sales $99.32. Ordered recorded 17 December 1883. [Essex County, Virginia, Will Book 30, page 246.]

On 7 July 1883, an agreement was drawn up among the heirs of Edmund Dunn. [Essex County, Virginia, Deed Book 54, page 205–206.]

The estate of Edmond Dunn in account with William P Robinson for the year 1883 was ordered recroded on 21 January 1884. [Essex County, Virginia, Will Book 30, pages 251–252.]

He is listed as the father of his son Thomas in Thomas’ marriage record.