A continuing series exploring the people who shaped his world — and those shaped by it.

History rarely records the women who stood beside powerful men — especially on colonial frontiers. Catherine Pierce, John Dunn’s first wife, remains largely hidden from view. We know she married him in Natal, likely in the early 1850s. We know she was born around 1833–34, the same time as John, and that she raised children with him while he moved between Zulu and settler worlds.

Catherine’s father, Polly Pierce, appears in her estate record — but beyond that, the family’s story remains elusive. The records speak little of her, yet her presence shaped generations.

Today, her descendants live in South Africa, and across the world, yet Catherine herself is still waiting to be seen clearly. I created this tentative portrait by hand — drawing gently over a faint archival image — not to reconstruct her features, but to honour her place in the story.

If you know anything — a name, a line, a memory — please email me at susan@john-dunn.com — the search continues.

📌 Quick Facts:

📍 Who: John Robert Dunn's Senior Wife
📆 When: 1833/4–1905

#JohnDunn #ZuluHistory #ForgottenWomen #CatherinePierce #InsideDunnsWorld #HistoricalMystery #WomenOfTheCape #TheCrownTheChiefAndTheKing

Further Reading:
For those wanting to explore Catherine (née Pierce) Dunn’s life in more depth:

📘 Chief With Ears the Sunlight Shines Through
A personal journey into the forgotten story of John Dunn, settler-turned-chief, and the complex world he helped shape in colonial Zululand.
Click here to read more about the book or to order a copy: