BIOGRAPHY: Walter Dumville; Newburgh, Orange co., New York

transcribed by W. David Samuelsen for USGenWeb Archives

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Portrait and Biographical Record of Rockland and Orange Counties New York
Containing Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative
Citizens of the Counties.
Together with Biographies and Portraits of all the Presidents of the United
States.
New York and Chicago; Chapman Publishing Co., 1895

WALTER DUMVILLE, one of the old and respected residents of the town of
Newburgh, lives on the old homestead, where his birth occurred May 9, 1843. He
is engaged in general farming and has met with exceptional success as a
dairyman. Under his father's instruction and training he was reared to habits
of industry and uprightness of word and deed, which are among his most
prominent characteristics. He is respected and held in high regard by all of
his accquaintances, and is always foremost in everything which tends to
advance the public welfare.

Our subject's father, Benjamin Dumville, was born in Buckinghamshire, England,
January 2, 1807. He emigrated to America on a sailing-vessel about 1827, and
after being tossed to and fro on the Atlantic for about nine weeks arrived in
New York City. He then proceeded to Hudson, where he made his home for four
years, and from there came to Newburgh, later moving to a farm of twenty acres
in this town. In 1829 he was married to Mariam Harris, of Newburgh. During the
early years of his life in America Mr. Dumville was a poor man with a large
family to support and he experienced many privations. He had learned the
butcher's business in his native land and would often go with a load of calves
and sheep which he had killed to New York City, where he found little trouble
in disposing of them.

This was before the days of rapid transportation by rail and the journey was
attended by numererous obstacles. He became the owner of about twenty acres of
land, and had acquired a comfortable fortune at the time of his death, which
occurred in 1887. His remains were buried in Woodlawn Cemetery. He is said to
have been the first wholesale butcher in Newburgh or vicinity. To himself and
wife were born the following children: Benjamin; Hannah, who married Daniel L.
Thompson; William; Ada, deceased, who was the wife of Henry Stevens; Alice;
Emma, wife of Edwin Dumville; and Mary and Walter. The mother of these
children survived her husband some four years and was interred by his side in
Woodlawn Cemetery.

Our subject attended the public schools of this locality until he was fifteen
years of age, finishing his education in Harper's Seminary. He followed the
butcher's business with his father and remained with him as long as he lived.
When he was about thirty years of age he took charge of the business, which he
has carried on success-fully since in connection with his other enter-prises.
In politics he is affiliated with the Republican party, but has never been an
aspirant for public office. At one time he served as Collector of Newburgh
Town.

July 16, 1873, occurred the marriage of Mr. Dumville and Josephine O'Brien,
who was born January 19, 1854, in New York City, and who is a daughter of John
and Catherine O'Brien. Our subject and wife are members of the Unitarian
Church and are always ready to do their share toward the support of worthy
charitable and religious enterprises.