George Murray Dunn

George Murray Dunn was born around 1849 in Londonderry, Ireland to Robert and Sarah Dunn. By 1868 he had qualified as a solicitor and was listed in the Irish Law Directory as working in Londonderry.

On the 25 November 1869 he married Matilda McCool. Matilda was born in 1848, to Daniel McCool.

He set up business in 1872 in Gulgong where Merlin, Beaufoy photographed him outside his premises. He is standing on the right.

George and Matilda's children were born in Australia, they were:

Mary 1875 Mudgee

Sarah 1875 Mudgee – 1875 Mudgee

Octavia Lillian 14.01.1882 Burwood – 25.04.1983 married 1906 Byron George Cohen 1876-1928 2 children

Maud 1884 Sydney – 1885 Woollahra

Eveline 1879 Paddington

Rosalind Mabel 1878 Paddington. Married William Arthur Dunn (1877-) on the 10 July 1900 in Waverly, NSW.

Marjory 1886 Paddington

Helen G - 1895 Ryde

The Evening News reported the following:

George Murray Dunn, 31.10.1887

“The schedule of Mr. George, Murray Dunn, of 39, Castlereagh-street, as filed in the Insolvency Court, shows the following: — Freehold land at Point Piper, under Real Property Act, on which a large sum of money is said to have been spent. First mortgage to Richard Hunter Maund, of Sydney, to secure £1500; second mortgage to Wm. N. Birkmyre, to secure £1500, mortgage transferred to Abraham Friedman ; third mortgage to James Murray to secure £500. Actual value of property, £3000 ; value above mortgage, £500. Water frontage to the above, property, applied for allowed, and surveyed, deposit of £10 paid, unoccupied (a large sum of money having been spent on this property, including sea wall, dock, etc), not mortgaged, value £1000. Freehold property at Fairfield, under the Real Property Act, unoccupied, mortgaged to the Bank of N.S. Wales to secure overdraft of £1634 6s 3d, actual value of property £200. Freehold property at Leichhardt, under Real Property Act, mortgaged to Bank of N.S. Wales to secure toe above mortgage, value £300. Among the other securities given to the Bank of New South Wales on account of the overdraft of £1634 are a property in Campbell Street, Surry Hills, from Hezekiah Hardy to insolvent, to secure £400 (actual value £100) ; freehold property at Prospect, value £50, and 4500 shares in the Rangers' Estate Land Co., limited, paid up to 5s per share, being one-eighth of the whole estate, actual value £2562 10s ; 2250 shares in the Fairy Bower Land Co., limited, paid up to 6s 8d per share, being one-tenth of the whole estate, actual value £900 ; 250 shares in the Land, Building, and Investment Association of N.S. Wales and Queensland, limited, transferred to A. Friedman, of King-street, banker, to secure promissory notes for £200 (£150 now owing), value £100; 500 shares in the Brighton Land Co., limited, transferred to A. 1'reidman to secure the abovementioned sum, value £400 ; household furniture in dwelling house, Avoca-street, Randwick, under bill of sale to W. C. Hill, to secure £120 and further advances, amount now owing £355, value £150, office furniture at office, Pomeroy-chambers, Castlereagh street, Sydney, bill of sale to W. C. Hill to secure £100, and further advances now owing £355, value £125 : ten shares in the South Shore Steam Ferry Co., £20 ; wearing apparel £10 ; engine, boiler, and winding gear, &c., at Point Piper under bill of sale to W. C. Hill to secure £100, and farther advances amount now owing £355 ; good debts, including law costs, £1021 7s 9d ; doubtful £2517 15s. Of insolvent's creditors, among the liabilities unsecured, are Abraham Friedman, £170 ; the Australian Banking Co., of Sydney, £45 7s ; W. C. Hill, of Palace Hotel, Haymarket, £106 14s' lid; A. J. Thyne, of Brisbane, solicitor,£217 4s lid ; Brighton Land Co., £36 16s Id ; J. E. Barkle, of Edward-street, Caulfield, Melbourne, £1000.”

George was made a Bankrupt in 1891

On the 13 March 1894 he entered Darlinghurst Gaol on a charge of wife desertion. He could pay a fine of 12/10/0 or be confined. He chose to pay the fine on the 9 April 94.

Then on the 30 October 1894 he was again in Darlinghurst Gaol, this time for embezzlement.

In 1896 married his second wife, Margaret J Davies in Newcastle and had two children,

John T in 1896, Newcastle and George Edward Dunn in 1904, Newcastle

On 15 May 1896 George Dunn was suspended for twelve months from the Law Institute. It was reported in the Coolgardie Miner newspaper the following:

“George Murray Dunn, who was suspended on May 15th, 1895, for one year, was charged with having committed contempt of court in September of last year by obtaining probate of a will, the will was that of Mrs. Catherine Callaghan, Dunn confessed to having done the work but pleaded that he had been in grave want of money to keep his wife and children. The term of suspension was extended for one month.”

He was accused of malversation, that is ‘corrupt behaviour in a position of trust’.

On the 30 May 1896

“George Murray Dunn, a solicitor under suspension, was yesterday further suspended for contempt of court, in doing legal work for which he received payment. The Full Court ordered his 12 months' suspension to be extended for a month, and that he be further suspended from practice until he paid all the costs connected with his former suspension and with the present proceedings.”

He admitted having done the work attributed to him but denied that he had done it as a solicitor. He apologised for having so far broken the order of the Court as to take any legal work whatever in hand but pleaded his necessities as a cause (the support of his wife and seven children). The Court heard his reply, and then said that they had no doubt his story was true, and they had no intention of dealing with him in any harsh manner. They ordered his 12 months' suspension to be extended for a month, and that he be further suspended from practice until he paid all the costs connected with his former suspension and with the present proceedings.

THE CASE OF GEORGE MURRAY DUNN.

As reported in the Evening News.13.11.1896

“The matter of George Murray Dunn was before the Full Court to-day on an application to remove a suspension made in May 1895. Mr. Cecil B. Stephen and Mr. W. A. Walker appeared in support of the application, and Mr. Hanbury Davies for the Incorporated Law Institute, to submit to any order the court might make. Mr. Stephen explained that the applicant had been suspended from practice for a period of twelve months, and until he should pay the sum of £5 to Charlotte Pearce (his client), together with the costs of the Law Institute. Subsequently a further order was made by the court suspending him for a period of one month, and further suspending him until he should pay the costs of the institute. Neither of the bills of costs had been taxed, but the applicant had been informed they would amount to nearly £70. He had not been able, since his suspension, to do anything, and consequently was not in a position— having been deprived of his occupation— to pay the money required of him. He therefore asked the court's permission to be allowed to practice, as that was his only hope of being able to pay; else he would be in the same position as if he had been struck off the rolls. If the suspension were removed upon the payment of the £5 by Monday next, it was intimated that the applicant had friends who, if they saw him in a position in which he could return the money, would lend him the amount. The court made an order that, upon' the payment of the £5 to the Law1 Institute for his client, and a certificate to that effect filed, the suspension might be removed on Tuesday.”

He was reinstated and his name restored to the Law Institute Roll on the 21 November 1896 after all monies were paid.

On the 27 June 1901 he was locked up in the Port Macquarie Gaol where he died.

Coroners Inquest

No further information could be found regarding his wives and children, it appears he died alone.