Sampson Dunbar (1721 - 1804)

Born 16 Jun 1721 in Braintree, Norfolk, Massachusetts [uncertain]

Husband of Patience (Crouch) Dunbar — married 29 Sep 1750 in Scituate, Plymouth, Massachusetts

Husband of Sarah (Sash) Dunbar — married 16 Feb 1765 in Stoughton, Norfolk, Massachusetts

Husband of Rachel (Rainard) Colley — married 24 Jul 1778 in Stoughton, Norfolk, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died 15 Aug 1804 at age 83 in Stoughton, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Rod Fleck [send private message]

Biography

Sampson Dunbar is a part of US Black heritage.

Sampson Dunbar is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A208747.

Sampson Dunbar is an NSSAR Patriot Ancestor.
NSSAR Ancestor #: 340114
Rank: Private

Private Sampson Dunbar served with Suffolk County Militia, Massachusetts Militia during the American Revolution.

Sampson Dunbar was born on 16 June 1721 in Braintree, Norfolk, Massachusetts.^[1][2]

Death

15 AUG 1804 Stoughton, Norfolk, Massachusetts^[3][4][5][6]

Military Service

Served with the American forces at Lexington and Dorchester Heights

BET 1775 AND 1776^{[7][8][9][10][11][12]} He served under Capts Seth Turner, Eliphalet Sawin, Peter Talbot; Cols Benjamin Lincoln, Joseph Palmer, Lemuel Robinson.^[13]

Property

13 JAN 1755 Purchased 25 acres from Cornelius Thayer, Jr. in Stoughton, Massachusetts^[14][15]

Occupation

Enslaved by Cornelius Thayer, Jr.

BET 1730 AND 1750^[16]

Event

Census - 1790 Listed as living in Stoughton, Suffolk, in 1790 as head of household of four. Next door neighbor is Quark Martrick^[17]

Marriage

29 SEP 1750 Scituate, Plymouth, Massachusetts^{[18][19][20][21][22]}

Wife: Patience Crouch

Child: Samuel Dunbar

Child: Amee Dunbar

Child: Mary (Molley) Dunbar

Child: Asa Dunbar

Child: Sarah Dunbar

Child: Joshua Dunbar

16 FEB 1765 Stoughton, Norfolk, Massachusetts^{[23][24][25][26]}

Wife: Sarah Sash

24 JUL 1778 Stoughton, Norfolk, Massachusetts^{[27][28][29][30]}

Wife: Rachel Rainard

It's possible that his wives Sarah and Rachel were sisters. (NEHGR)

Sources

1. ↑ #S608 Page: 818: Samson, a Malatto, a servant that lives with Cornelius Thayer Junior, was born the 16th Day of June 1721
2. ↑ #S650 Page: H. Hobart Holly, Braintree Historical Society
3. ↑ #S240Sampson Dunbar died August 15, 1804, and was listed as "black"; in the death record (FHL microfilm #0932776, "Stoughton births, marriages, and deaths, 1717-1860", item 3, page 14). In most records Sampson was referred to as a "mulatto", and sometimes no racial designation was given, which was usually the case for "white" persons. It was not at all unusual for persons of mixed race to be referred to by different racial labels for the same person on different records. Indians or mixed Afro-Indians were often referred to as "mulattoes", "negroes", and even as "blacks" in early Massachusetts records. Frequent intermarriage between Afro-Americans and American Indians in the 17th through 19th centuries in Massachusetts was due largely to what historian Daniel Mandell called a "complimentary gender imbalance"- a surplus of Afro males complemented by a surplus of Indian women due to more male Africans being enslaved than females, and Indian males being killed, captured and sold into Caribbean slavery during the colonial era Indian wars. (See, Mandell, Daniel R. “Shifting Boundaries of Race and Ethnicity: Indian-Black Intermarriage in Southern New England, 1760-1880”, Journal of American History, September, 1998). An excellent book that deals with the topic of racial labelling of mixed black, Indian, and white people in the colonial era is Forbes, Jack D. Africans and Native Americans: The Language of Race and the Evolution of Red-Black Peoples (Chicago, University of Illinois Press, 1993).
4. ↑ #S708 Page: 4: Sampson Dunbar, b. 6-16-1721, Norfolk Co., Mass., d. 8-15-1804 (sold land to Josiah Quincy in 1765)
5. ↑ #S650
6. ↑ #S240: Sampson Dunbar died August 15, 1804, and was listed as "black" in the death record (FHL microfilm #0932776, "Stoughton births, marriages, and deaths, 1717-1860", item 3, page 14). In most records Sampson was referred to as a "mulatto", and sometimes no racial designation was given, which was usually the case for "white" persons. It was not at all unusual for persons of mixed race to be referred to by different racial labels for the same person on different records. Indians or mixed Afro-Indians were often referred to as "mulattoes", "negroes", and even as "blacks" in early Massachusetts records. Frequent intermarriage between Afro-Americans and American Indians in the 17th through 19th centuries in Massachusetts was due largely to what historian Daniel Mandell called a "complimentary gender imbalance"- a surplus of Afro males complemented by a surplus of Indian women due to more male Africans being enslaved than females, and Indian males being killed, captured and sold into Caribbean slavery during the colonial era Indian wars. (See, Mandell, Daniel R. Shifting Boundaries of Race and Ethnicity: Indian-Black Intermarriage in Southern New England, 1760-1880 , Journal of American History, September, 1998). An excellent book that deals with the topic of racial labelling of mixed black, Indian, and white people in the colonial era is Forbes, Jack D. Africans and Native Americans: The Language of Race and the Evolution of Red-Black Peoples (Chicago, University of Illinois Press, 1993).
7. ↑ #S674 Page: 9
8. ↑ #S627: I have info on Sampson Dunbar's Rev. War service, which I got from the Massachusetts Archives and will put into the packet of materials that I will mail to you on Monday. He served at Lexington in 1775 and at Dorchester Heights. I also found considerable info on the service of his sons Samuel and Joshua in those records.
9. ↑ #S627: Mass. Soldiers and Sailors of the Rev. War (Wright & Potter Co., Boston 1899), Muster Roll Index Appears with rank of private on Lexington Alarm Roll of Capt. Seth Turner's Co., Col. Benjamin Lincoln's Regt., which marched on teh alarm of April 19, 1775, from Braintree (So. Precinct) to ____ town to which soldier bleonged Braintree. Length of service, 4 days. Lexington Alarms, Vol. 13, Pg. 144. Appears with rank of private on muster and pay roll of Capt. Eliphalet Sawin's Co., Col. Joseph Palmer's Regt. co-assembled, March 4, 1776. Time of service 4 days. Town ___ Remkars: Braintree. Vol. 22, p. 212 Lexington Alarm Roll, Capt. Peter Talbot, Col. Lemuel Robinson. April 19, 1775 from Stoughton. Length of serv. 2 days. Lexington Alarms, Vol. 13, pg. 134.
10. ↑ #S674 Page: 9
11. ↑ #S859: Mass. Soldiers and Sailors of the Rev. War (Wright & Potter Co., Boston 1899), Muster Roll Index Appears with rank of private on Lexington Alarm Roll of Capt. Seth Turner's Co., Col. Benjamin Lincoln's Regt., which marched on teh alarm of April 19, 1775, from Braintree (So. Precinct) to ____ town to which soldier bleonged Braintree. Length of service, 4 days. Lexington Alarms, Vol. 13, Pg. 144. Appears with rank of private on muster and pay roll of Capt. Eliphalet Sawin's Co., Col. Joseph Palmer's Regt. co-assembled, March 4, 1776. Time of service 4 days. Town ___ Remkars: Braintree. Vol. 22, p. 212 Lexington Alarm Roll, Capt. Peter Talbot, Col. Lemuel Robinson. April 19, 1775 from Stoughton. Length of serv. 2 days. Lexington Alarms, Vol. 13, pg. 134.
12. ↑ #S859: I have info on Sampson Dunbar's Rev. War service, which I got from the Massachusetts Archives and will put into the packet of materials that I will mail to you on Monday. He served at Lexington in 1775 and at Dorchester Heights. I also found considerable info on the service of his sons Samuel and Joshua in those records.
13. ↑ Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed 5 Oct 2023), "Record of Sampson Dunbar", Ancestor # A208747.
14. ↑ #S863 Page: Suffolk Deeds 86-257: and ten years later Sampson sold it to Josiah Quincy. This was in present Randolph near Oak & North Streets.
15. ↑ #S650 Page: Suffolk Deeds 86-257: and ten years later Sampson sold it to Josiah Quincy. This was in present Randolph near Oak & North Streets.
16. ↑ #S650
17. ↑ #S5 Page: NARA Film Series - M637; Roll 4, Page 558
18. ↑ #S650 Page: Vital Records of Scituate, Massachusetts to the year 1850, Boston: NEHGS, 1909, pg. 79: Crouch, Patience and Samson Dunbar of Brantrey, int. Sept. 29, 1750
19. ↑ #S113: Braintree Births (C-D) 1640-1793 Completed 3/15/00 https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~dyer/genealogy/birthc_d.htm Surname Given Gender Birth Date Father Mother Page Errata, Comments Dunbar Amee F May 31 1752 Sampson Patience 824 Dunbar Asa M Mar 16 1754 Sampson Patience 824 Dunbar Joshua M May 18 1760 Sampson Patience 824 Dunbar Molley F Feb 22 1758 Sampson Patience 824 Dunbar Samuel M Nov 10 1762 Sampson Patience 824 Dunbar Sarah F Mar 13 1756 Sampson Patience 824
20. ↑ #S113: Braintree Births (C-D) 1640-1793 Completed 3/15/00 https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~dyer/genealogy/birthc_d.htm Surname Given Gender Birth Date Father Mother Page Errata, Comments Dunbar Amee F May 31 1752 Sampson Patience 824 Dunbar Asa M Mar 16 1754 Sampson Patience 824 Dunbar Joshua M May 18 1760 Sampson Patience 824 Dunbar Molley F Feb 22 1758 Sampson Patience 824 Dunbar Samuel M Nov 10 1762 Sampson Patience 824 Dunbar Sarah F Mar 13 1756 Sampson Patience 824
21. ↑ #S863 Page: Vital Records of Scituate to 1850, Pg. 79: Crouch, Patience and Samson Dunbar of Brantrey, int. Sept. 29, 1750
22. ↑ #S881: Marriage date: 20 Sep 1750 Marriage place: Scituate, Plymouth, Massachusetts
23. ↑ #S735 Page: 2:255: 1765 Febry 1st Sampson Dunbar of this Town Sarah Sash of Stoughton. Mollatto.
24. ↑ #S740 Page: 180: Page 21 The Intention of marriage between Samson Dunbar of Braintree & Sarah Sash of Stoughton entred Febry 16th 1765.
25. ↑ #S650 Page: RE: Samson Dunbar: He married 2nd, Sara Sash of Stoughton, intention Feb 1., in Braintree; FReb 16, 1765 in Stoughton. No children of this marriage recorded in Braintree or Stoughton, but he had a son Zebedee Dunbar by this marriage, who says in the History of Braintree, Vermont, came from Randolph, Massachusetts quite early, bought land in 1793 and had two children. He also had a daughter Susanna, of this mattirage, who married Sept 16, 1794 at Bridgewater to Jacob Tarbit/Tarbit/Talbot, an who as seen from the deposition of 1841 was born in Stoughton.
26. ↑ #S740 Page: 180: Page 21 The Intention of marriage between Samson Dunbar of Braintree & Sarah Sash of Stoughton entred Febry 16th 1765.
27. ↑ #S711
28. ↑ #S650 Page: RE: Sampson Dunbar: He married a 3rd tim to Rachael Rainard, intention July 24 1778 at Stoughton. A widow, Rachel Plato, and a person called Rachel Pomp later lived at his house.
29. ↑ #S740 Page: 150: The intention of Marriage between Samson Dunbar and Rachal Rainard Both of Stoughton Entred with me the Subscriber July ye 24th 1778. George Crosman Town Clerk.
30. ↑ #S231 Page: Affidavit of Rachel Dunbar: I, Rachel Dunbar of Stoughton in the County of Norfolk and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, widow, being of lawful age, do depose testify and say, that Hannah Dunbar mother to Sarah Dunbar was brought from the Town of Bridgewater in the Plymouth County to the Town of Stoughton in the County of Norfolk then Suffolk about three months prior before said Sarah was born, and the said Hannah mother to the said Sarah, being an Indian (by Nation) , and that the said Sarah was born at the house of my late husband, Sampson Dunbar in said Stoughton and that I was present at the time of her the said Sarah's birth, and the said Hannah with her husband Samuel Dunbar & sd Sarah, child of Hannah, went to live with Doctr Ephraim Wales in Randolph in s. County of Norfolk (then Suffolk) and they lived there upwards of a year and from thence they moved to the town of Braintree in Vermont State her Stoughton, April 1815 Rachel X Dunbar mark Norfolk, ss. Stoughton, April 25th 1815 On the twenty second day of April in the year of Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifteen, the above said deponent was examined and interrogated and sworn agreeable to the law, to the depositon aforesaid by her subscribed, taken at the request of James *** (attorney by law) for Sarah Dunbar, and to be used in an action of ejectment now pending between herself and Edward Mitchell, Jr. Before the Supreme Judicial Court of this Commonwealth of Massachusetts, next to be held in and for the County of Plymouth, and the adverse was notified agreeable to law and not present, the dponent being aged and so infirm as to be unable to travel and attend at the trial in the course of taking this deposion. Benjamin Richards Justice of the Peace On the back - Sup Jud Court April AD 1815 by adj. from Oct Term 1814 opened in Court & filed attest Joh. B. Thomas, Clerk

• S240: e-mail
• S5: NARA (M637, 12 Rolls) 1790 Census Publication: Name: Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29, National Archives: Washington, DC; Repository: #R1
• S608: Records of the Town of Braintree, 1640-1793 Publication: Name: 1886; Repository: #R11
• S627: Research of George Price Publication: Name: George Price [dxn3572 at blackfoot.net, HC77, Box 82, Dixon, MT 59831]
• S859: Research of George Price Publication: Name: George Price [dxn3572 at blackfoot.net, HC77, Box 82, Dixon, MT 59831];
• S650: Suzanne Dunbar [dunbarfamily2 at comcast.net]; 3111 South 2000 East, Salt Lake, Utah 84109: Research of Suzanne Dunbar Publication: Name: Source materials noted in manuscript provided; NOTESource Medium: Manuscript
• S863: Suzanne Dunbar [dunbarfamily2 at

comcast.net]; 3111 South 2000 East, Salt Lake, Utah 84109: Research of Suzanne Dunbar Publication: Name: Source materials noted in manuscript provided;

• S674: Samuel A. Bates: Soldiers who served from Braintree in the time of the Revolution Publication: Name: So. Braintree Mass.: F.A. Bates, 1898, 28 pgs; Repository: #R50 NOTESource Medium: Book
• S708: George R. Price and James Brewer Stewart: To Heal the Scourage of Prejudice Publication: Name: Univ. of Massachusetts Press, Amherst; NOTESource Medium: Book
• S881: Dodd, Jordan, Liahona Research, comp.: Massachusetts Marriages, 1633-1850 Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.Original data - With some noted exceptions all marriage records in this collection can be found at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, and may be available through Famil; Repository: #R57
• S882: Ancestry.com: Records of the Town of Braintree, 1640 to 1793 Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005.Original data - Records of the Town of Braintree, 1640 to 1793. unknown: unknown, 1886.Original data: Records of the Town of Braintree, 1640 to 1793. unknown: unknown, 1886.; Repository: #R57
• S883: Ancestry.com: The record of births, marriages and deaths and intentions of marriage, in the town of Stoughton from 1717 to 1800, and in the t Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT: The Generations Network, Inc., 2005.Original data - The record of births, marriages and deaths and intentions of marriage, in the town of Stoughton from 1717 to 1800, and in the town of Canton from 1797 to 1845, preceded by; Repository: #R57
• S884: Ancestry.com: Massachusetts, Town Vital Collections, 1620-1988 Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.Original data - Town and City Clerks of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Vital and Town Records. Provo, UT: Holbrook Research Institute (Jay and Delene Holbrook).
• NEHGR: Sampson¹ Dunbar and His Family, The New England Historical & Genealogical Register (NEHGS, Boston, Mass., 2012) Vol. 166, WN 663, Page 190-3. View with NEHGS Membership

• WN 664, Page 294. "Many of the depositions in Lydia's pension file asserted that Joshua was a quarter African, his father Sampson Dunbar being half black". See: Revolutionary War Pension File, Joshua and Lydia Dunbar, W19198.

• The Sampson Dunbar Family and Descendants