Dunbar, Robert

Published on: 04 July 2014 Updated: 06 Oct 2020
Researchers: Sandra Andrews, Karen Doughty, David Dunbar, Diane Dunbar Howard, Andrew Millard, Teresa Rust, Gary Taylor, Tina Marie Varzeas
Editor: Teresa Rust

First Generation in the New World

1. ROBERT¹ DUNBAR, was born in Scotland, possibly Morayshire about 1630-34 and died at Hingham, Plymouth County, Massachusetts on 19 September 1693. He married at Hingham in 1657, ROSE (_____).

Biographical Notes:
1. According to, Christopher Gerrard, Pam Graves, Andrew Millard, Richard Annis, and Anwen Caffell, in, Lost Lives, New Voices: Unlocking the Stories of the Scottish Soldiers at the Battle of Dunbar 1650, (England: Oxbow Books, 2018), on page 247, Robert is categorized as: Definite [that he is a Dunbar prisoner transported on the Unity] Dunbar/Dunbarr/Dumbarr, Robert. Residences: Braintree, Hingham MA. Appears: 1655. B.c.1634. D.1693. A Scot, indentured to Joshua Foote of the Ironworks Company. [Exiles; DR; SPOWS; Ch.7 & 8] For explanations of the category, abbreviations and references see List of Dunbar prisoners from Lost Lives, New Voices.
2. SPOW DNA Study: Group 1-B, Haplogroups R-M269 and R-S5750

Children of Robert and Rose (_____) Dunbar:
2. i. JOHN² DUNBAR, (Robert¹), b. at Hingham on 1 Dec 1657; m. at Hingham on 4 July 1679, MATTATHIA/MARTHA ALDRIDGE.
2. ii. MARY² DUNBAR, (Robert¹), b. at Hingham on 25 Oct 1660; d. about 1707; m. at Hingham on 28 June 1698, ISAAC HARRIS, of Bridgewater.
2. iii. JOSEPH² DUNBAR, (Robert¹), b. at Hingham on 13 March 1661/2; bap. 11 May 1662; m. at Hingham by 1692, CHRISTIAN GARNET.
2. iv. JAMES² DUNBAR, (Robert¹), b. at Hingham on 5 June 1664; bap. 5 June 1664; d. at Bridgewater, Massachusetts on 12 Dec 1690; m. at Hingham about 1683, JANE HARRIS, dau. of ISAAC HARRIS and MERCY LATHAM.
2. v. ROBERT² DUNBAR, (Robert¹), b. at Hingham on 1 Nov 1666; bap. 24 March 1667; died soon.
2. vi. PETER² DUNBAR, (Robert¹), was born at Hingham on 8 September 1668; m. 27 Mar 1691, SARAH THAXTER. (Hingham Vital Records)
2. vii. JOSHUA² DUNBAR, (Robert¹), b. at Hingham on 1 Oct 1670; m. at Hingham on 21 sep 1699, HANNAH HATCH. (Hingham VR)
2. viii. SARAH² DUNBAR, (Robert¹), m. at Hingham on 3 Jan 1696, BENJAMIN GARNETT.
2. ix. HANNAH² DUNBAR, (Robert¹), b. at Hingham;

Second Generation

2. i. JOHN² DUNBAR, (Robert¹), was born at Hingham on 1 Dec 1657. He m. at Hingham on 4 July 1679, MATTATHIA/MARTHA ALDRIDGE.
Children of John and Mattathia (Aldridge) Dunbar:

3. LYDIA³ DUNBAR, (John², Robert¹), b. at Hingham on 31 Aug 1695.

2. ii. MARY² DUNBAR, (Robert¹), was born at Hingham on 25 Oct 1660 and died about 1707. She married, ISAAC HARRIS.

Children of Isaac and Mary (Dunbar) Harris:
3. i. BENJAMIN³ HARRIS, (Mary², Robert¹),
3. ii. MARTHA³ HARRIS, (Mary², Robert¹), b. 1702; d. 1783; m. 1703, JOSHUA LASELL.

2. iii. JOSEPH² DUNBAR, (Robert¹), was born at Hingham on 13 March 1661/2 and baptized on 11 May 1662. He died in 1725. He married at Hingham by 1692, CHRISTIAN GARNET.

Children of Joseph and Christian (Garnet) Dunbar:
3. JOANNA³ DUNBAR, (Joseph², Robert¹), m. JOHN TILSON.

Children of John and Joanna (Dunbar) Tilson:
4. JOANNA TILSON, (Joanna³, Joseph², Robert¹), married, JOSEPH WATERMAN.

5. JOSEPH WATERMAN, m. LUCY JOSSELYN MUNROE, a descendant of JOHN MUNROE.

3. DEBORAH³ DUNBAR, (Joseph², Robert¹), b. 1697; m., SAMUEL RANSOM.

2. iv. JAMES² DUNBAR, (Robert¹), was born at Hingham on 5 June 1664 and baptized on 5 June 1664. He died at Bridgewater, Massachusetts on 12 Dec 1690. James married at Hingham about 1683, JANE HARRIS, the daughter of ISAAC HARRIS and MERCY LATHAM.

Children of James and Jane (Harris) Dunbar:
3. i. ROBERT³ DUNBAR, (James², Robert¹), b. 1689; d. 1706

2. v. ROBERT² DUNBAR, (Robert¹), was born at Hingham on 1 Nov 1666 and baptized 24 March 1667. He died young.

2. PETER² DUNBAR, (Robert¹) was born at Hingham on 8 September 1668. He married at Hingham on 27 March 1691, SARAH THAXTER. (Hingham Vital Records)

Children of Peter and Sarah (Thaxter) Dunbar: (11 Children)
3. i. ABIGAIL³ DUNBAR, (Peter², Robert¹), b. at Hingham on 04 Dec 1691.
3. ii. SARAH DUNBAR, (Peter², Robert¹), b at Weymouth, Suffolk, Mass. on 26 on 1693.
3. iii. JAMES DUNBAR, (Peter², Robert¹), b at Hingham on 15 Nov 1694.
3. iv. LEAH DUNBAR, (Peter², Robert¹), b at Hingham on 30 May 1697.
3. v. ELISHA³ DUNBAR, (Peter², Robert¹), b at Hingham on 21 Oct 1699.
3. vi. PETER DUNBAR, Jr., (Peter², Robert¹), b at Hingham on 16 Nov 1701; m., HANNAH DAMON.

4. HULDAH DUNBAR, m., JOSEPH POMEROY.

3. vii. JOSIAH DUNBAR, (Peter², Robert¹), b at Hingham on 21 Jul 1706.
3. viii. JOHN DUNBAR, (Peter², Robert¹), b at Bridgewater, Plymouth, MA on 18 Sep 1709.
3. ix. DAVID DUNBAR, (Peter², Robert¹), b at Bridgewater, Plymouth, MA on 27 Jun 1711.
3. x. SAMUEL DUNBAR, (Peter², Robert¹), b at Hingham on 11 May 1704; d. 1786. Samuel Dunbar of Bridgewater, MA married, first, MELATIAH HAYWARD, (1706 -1743), of Bridgewater, MA and married, second, MARY HAYWARD, (1718-1793), of Bridgewater, MA.

4. ROBERT DUNBAR, (Samuel³, Peter², Robert¹), born in 1746 and died in 1807. Married ELIZABETH “BETSEY” KINGMAN.

5. CHARLES DUNBAR, (Robert, Samuel³, Peter², Robert¹), born in 1779 and died in 1842.

6. CHARLES THOMAS DUNBAR,(Charles, Robert, Samuel³, Peter², Robert¹), b. in 1814 and d. in 1874.

7. HENRY MELLEN DUNBAR, (Charles, Charles, Robert, Samuel³, Peter², Robert¹), born in 1842 and died in 1914. ~ ancestry of Tina Marie Varzeas

2. JOSHUA² DUNBAR, (Robert¹), was born at Hingham on 1 Oct 1670. He married at Hingham on 21 sep 1699, HANNAH HATCH. (Hingham VR)

2. SARAH DUNBAR, (Robert¹), married at Hingham on 3 Jan 1696, BENJAMIN GARNETT.

2. HANNAH² DUNBAR, (Robert¹), was born at Hingham.

– End of Generation List –

Additional Information:

On 07 Oct 2018, Tina Marie Varzeas shared:
Robert Dunbar (1630 – 1693), 8th great-grandfather
Peter Dunbar (1668 – 1719), Son of Robert Dunbar
Samuel Dunbar (1704 – 1786), Son of Peter Dunbar
Robert Dunbar (1746 – 1807), Son of Samuel Dunbar
Charles Dunbar (1779 – 1842), Son of Robert Dunbar
Charles Thomas Dunbar (1814 – 1874), Son of Charles Dunbar
Henry Mellen Dunbar (1842 – 1914), Son of Charles Thomas Dunbar
Walter Dickinson Dunbar (1875 – 1943), Son of Henry Mellen Dunbar
Pearl Angeline Dunbar (1900 – 1988)

On 20 Sep 2018, Gary Taylor shared his ancestry:
Robert Dunbar (1634-1693)
Joseph Dunbar (1661-1725)
Deborah Dunbar (1697-?) married Samuel Ransom (1693-1737)
David Ransom (1724-1801)
Lydia Abigail Ransom (1754-1786) married Thaddeus Ripley (1746-1831)
Ransom Ripley (1786-1842)
Abbie Jane Ripley (1833-1886) married Joseph Clement Libby (1829-1880)
Henry Augustus Libby (1852-1913)
Della May Libby (1891-1969) married Leslie Riggs Wright (1891-1972)
Rheva May Wright (1918-1981) married Dale Kempster Taylor (1921-1984)
Me.
Gary Taylor’s WikiTree.

Vital Records of Hingham, Massachusetts, ca. 1639-1844. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2006.Vital Records of Hingham, Massachusetts, ca. 1639-1844. Hersey, Reuben. Mss 901. R. Stanton Avery Special Collections Department, New England Historic Genealogical Society.)

George Lincoln, The History of Hingham, Massachusetts, (Hingham: 1900)

PDF:
The Descendants of Robert Dunbar of Hingham Massachusetts by Ann Chaplin pages 1 to 5 (1)

On 29 May 2018, Karen Doughty, , wrote:
“After spending the past year focused on trying to find information about my ancestor, Thomas Doughty (through my paternal grandfather, Prisoner #19 on the Dunbar Prisoners list), I discovered that I am also descended from Robert Dunbar (through my paternal grandmother), lineage as follows:
Robert and Rose Dunbar
Peter Dunbar and Sarah Thaxter
Peter Dunbar, Jr. and Hannah Damon
Huldah Dunbar and Joseph Pomeroy
Richard Pomeroy and Elizabeth Daggett
Richard Pomeroy, Jr. and Sarah Peterson
Carroll Pomeroy and Rosalva Wigglesworth
Maude Belle Pomeroy and Gilbert Wellman
Augusta Belle Wellman and Fred Doughty
Brian Doughty and Sandra Cote
Karen Doughty”

This is Sandra Andrews‘ Robert Dunbar line:
Robert Dunbar m. Rose _____
Joseph Dunbar m. Christian Garnet
Joanna Dunbar m. John Tilson
Joanna Tilson m. Joseph Waterman
Joseph Waterman m. Lucy Josselyn Munroe (Lucy Josselyn Munroe is a descendent of John Munroe)
Rebecca Waterman m. George Ulmer, Jr.
Martin Ulmer m. Mary J. Stevens
Josephine Ulmer m. Sabin Otis Hardison
Laura Edrie Hardison m. Wellington Linwood Sargent
My mother
Me
~ Shared with permission from Sandra Andrews

On 6 Jun 2018, Diane (Dunbar) Howard shared:
Here is my lineage:
1 Diane Dunbar m John Howard
2 Arden Dunbar m Marie Hopson
3 Joseph Barnabas Dunbar 1891-1981 m Maud Esther Brobst 1890-1962
4 Frank Dunbar 1858- 1920 m Clara Snyder 1868-1938
5 Barnabas Dunbar 1830-1908 m Oritta Louise Mowrey 1834-1907
6 Solomon Dunbar 1786-1849 m Asenath Snow 1789-1881
7 Caleb Dunbar 1760-1811 m Hannah Drake 1762-1801
8 Samuel Dunbar 1704-1786 m Mary Hayward 1718-1793
9 Peter Dunbar 1668-1719 m Sarah Thaxter 1668-1720
10 Robert Dunbar #16 m Rose ———

On April 12, 2018, Tina Marie Varzeas shared: “On reviewing my Dunbar line under Second Generation, Peter (2 ) Dunbar who married my 7th Grandmother Sarah Thaxter, the line goes to Henry Mellen Dunbar my 2nd great- grandfather.
He had 3 children:
Charles Robert Dunbar 15 Jan 1873 – 26 March 1943 born in Henry, Ill.
Walter Dickinson Dunbar my great grandfather born 2, April 1875
in Belchertown, Massachusetts, died 8 January 1943, Walter married Nancy Angeline Ballou in 18 Aug 1897
They had seven children one being my grandmother, Pearl Angeline Dunbar, born in Belchertown, Massachusetts on 20 Sep 1900 and died February 2, 1988. Ware, MA. Walter had a twin brother names Warren Dwight Dunbar born the same day. died in 20 March 1938.”

Written and submitted by David Dunbar on 3 Jul 2014:
“Descendant of Gospatrick, the first Earl of Dunbar and Northumberland” Robert Dunbar at Rootsweb.

David Dunbar says, “We know of all of Robert’s children born in the Colonies and that it would have been improbable for him to return to England and serve in parliament. It does give some hints of information for further research. There are literally hundreds of descendants of Robert and dozens who are somewhat active in trying to find his parents. In Scotland you see spellings of Dunbar are varied including Dunbarr and Dumbarr. The history texts often use them interchangeably within the same paragraph. I am pretty certain that Robert is the one on the list of prisoners captured at the battle of Dunbar listed as Lt. Col. Dumbarr with no first name. The general consensus is that he was literate before the battle. Notice that Clan Genealogist in North America, Ann Theopold Chaplin, is mentioned. She authored the book “The Descendants of Robert Dunbar of Hingham Massachusetts” 1992 She also did research in Scotland. Her book completes 10 generations and has 2 pages of the 11th generation, mine.” “His wife, Rose, has an unknown history. We do not know if she came from Scotland with money to buy out Robert’s indenture ship or if she was the daughter of the owner of the Lynn iron works. Regardless, within a couple of years of arriving on the Unity Robert paid taxes higher than all but 2 others in his township. We don’t know who Robert’s parents are nor Rose’s parents. His son Peter b 8 September 1668 is in my line.” ~ Posted with permission of David Dunbar.

Robert Dunbar genealogy at the Bratt Family History.