John Dunn

John Dunn was born in Port Natal, not then part of the colony of South Africa, in 1834. His love of hunting and his skill with a rifle took him across the Tugela river into Zululand on a regular basis, where he became fluent in the language and was befriended by local chiefs. Their hospitality often included offering him a wife, and though he was previously married to Catherine Pierce, he accepted a total of 48 Zulu wives during his lifetime, much to Catherine's disgust.

The battle of succession fought between king Mpande's sons Mbuyasi and Cetshwayo was a bloody one, forcing John Dunn and other white settlers to flee back to Natal. After the battle, he re-crossed the Tugela to ask the winner, Cetshwayo, to return the cattle that had belonged to the settlers. Cetshwayo agreed, and also requested that John Dunn become his advisor in matters related to the British. Again, John Dunn's skill in arms no doubt stood him in good stead. His cattle were returned, and he was allocated land near present-day Mtunzini.

On 18th October, 1872 King Mpande died aged 74, and Cetshwayo became king. Though Mpande and Cetshwayo had successfully resisted attempts by the Boers and the British to encroach on their territory, the Anglo-Zulu war of 1879 forced John Dunn to pick sides, and he picked the British.

On 11th January 1879, British troops crossed the Tugela river, near Fort Pearson, after the British had presented Cetshwayo with an ultimatum he could not accept. It is said that John Dunn's skill at arms contributed greatly to British successes in the south, where in the north the British, anticipating Cetshwayo's refusal of the ultimatum, had already crossed the river, to be soundly beaten at the Battle of Isandlwana.

On 1st September, 1879, Zululand was annexed into Natal. John Dunn was given the largest piece of land of all 13 kinglets in the subdivision of Zululand.

John Dunn died on 5th August, 1895, having married 49 wives and fathered 117 children.