George and Amelia (nee Sherry) Dunn were both born at Cerne Abbas during the 1850’s, this is where they grew-up, married and had their three children. Born in Victoria’s reign they lived through the times of Edward VII and George V and the Great War. They would have followed with interest the events which led to the abdication of Edward VIII. Their long lives stretched into the early years of the reign of George VI and they witnessed some of the darkest days of the Second World War before their deaths in 1942 and 1943.
In 1891 George and Amelia moved from their home in Mill Lane, Cerne Abbas, to the nearby parish of Bradford Peverell, where they spent the rest of their lives. It is not clear what prompted the move that occurred shortly after the death of George’s father. As he neared the end of his life George had the distinction of being the oldest inhabitant of the parish and a few weeks before his death in 1943 George was interviewed by a journalist who found him receiving the attentions of a visiting barber (his nephew.)
A year earlier George lost his wife of 64 years, they had married on 27th of December 1877. For the times theirs was not a large family, just three children: William James born towards the end of 1878 (George’s father was James Dunn,) Rebecca Mary was born early in 1882 (Amelia’s mother was Rebecca Sherry,) and Charles George was born during the summer of 1885.
Mr Dunn told the journalist that he started work at the age of nine for one shilling and sixpence a week and remembered his father received seven shillings a week – there were seven in the family. George remembered his father being ‘sacked’ by his employer, a lime burner, for refusing an overtime task (without pay.) For this ‘grave’ offence his father was punished with six days confinement in Dorchester prison. George could remember his father walking the eight miles from Cerne Abbas to the prison attired in a white smock and on the completion of his sentence he walked back in the same white smock.
On the 27th December 1937 George and Amelia celebrated their Diamond Wedding Day Anniversary and received a Royal Greetings telegram from the King and Queen. For over forty years George was captain of the Bradford Peverell bell ringers. He last rang to celebrate the Coronation of King George VI.
At different times George was an Agricultural and General Labourer, a Carter and a Domestic Groom. The 1911 census reveals that Amelia was working as a Midwife.
The tight bond between George and Amelia was broken when Amelia passed away early in 1942 soon after their 64th Wedding Anniversary: George passed away in the second quarter of 1943.
