Bermuda Royal Gazette 3/12/1895 gives Edward's death date as 2/23/1895 but this date is incorrect. He was the last of this Dunscomb line to be born in Bermuda, and the last to consistently omit the "e" from his surname. While in Bermuda he resided at Olive Bank (Bermuda Royal Gazette, 3/12/1895). He was baptized 11/30/1806 at St. John's Church, Pembroke, Bermuda (Bermuda Royal Gazette, 3/12/1895). He died Weds. eve, 10:15 PM at his home, 516 S. Summer St., Nashville, Tenn. (Dunscombe family bible). The 2/10/1895 NY Daily Tribune obituary gives his death date as 2/8/1895, but cemetery records & tombstone verify the 2/6 date. St. John's (Newfoundland) Public Ledger 8/17/1832 reports Edward married Ann Mary Seon July 19 at St. George's Bermuda by Rev. Lough. Bermuda Royal Gazette 7/24/1832 gives wedding date as 7/22. Edward buried Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Nashville, Tenn.. Correspondence from Edward Andrew Dunscombe to Mt. Olivet Cemetery revealed that Edward's headstone had fallen over. The Cemetery repaired it and sent a photo. Letter from Flo Perry dated 9/8/1990 verifies his burial there.
It is difficult to understand why this family named three of their four daughters "Ann." The Dunscombe family bible indicates that the children were given geographic nicknames. Perhaps this differentiated them. There is also some discrepancy over the birth date of Ann Frances (see her notes).
The following appeared in the "New York Daily Times," June 22, 1854:
"Passengers arrived in steamship Canada, at Halifax, from Liverpool: ...Mr. Dunscombe, 3 sons and 2 daughters..."
May or may not be this family.
The following is an excerpt from a letter by family researcher Henry M. West Winter to Bermudian genealogist William Zuill dated March 23, 1936. The full text can be read at the profile of John Dunscombe (1777-1847). This section relates to Edward:
"The second child of which I have record, was Edward Dunscomb, who was born at St. John's Hill, July 8, 1806, and died at Nashville, Tennessee, Feb 8, 1895. He was a doctor by profession. He married first, at St. George's, Bermuda, July 18, 1831 Ann Mary Seon, the daughter of Daniel Seon and Sarah Catherine Manley, and by her had seven children."
1860 federal census (Boston, Massachusetts) lists his occupation as "Scientific man."
1870 federal census (Nashville, Tenn.) has the name as "Edgar Dunscom." Lists his occupation os "physician" and that of Cecilia as "keeping house." Ages listed as 60 and 44 respectively. His birthplace is listed as "Georgia" and hers is "Saxony."
Manifest for the schooner "Caroline" shows Edward, age seventeen, a student, as a passenger. Departing St. Johns, Newfoundland September 1824 and arriving in New York City. He is listed as being from the United States.
Following e-mail received 9/17/2009:
Anyway, the Halle region in Germany has been/is known for their salt mines and in the "early" days I understand people used to "resort" inside of the mines for "therapeutic" reasons, so your father may have been right. Very interesting.
Edward applied for a U.S. passport for himself and his family on May 19, 1847. The application reveals the following facts about him:
Height: 5'10 1/2"; Forehead: High & broad; Eyes: Blue; Nose: Aquiline; Mouth: Large; Chin: Broad; Complexion: Light; Face: Thin & oblong.
His April 25, 1857 passport application lists his hair as "Gray." In his note on the application he states that he is returning to Bavaria to bring his family back home to the U.S. Also that his earlier passport was improperly detained by the government in Cuba.
His Oct. 27, 1846 passport application states that his hair is "Chestnut mixed with white."
The book "19th Century Church Registers of Bermuda" indexed by A.C. Hollis Hallett has the date of the Dunscomb-Seon marriage as July 19, 1832. The other citied sources have it as July 22, 1832.