About

This site is intended to serve as the premier site for news and information about the Dunbar family living in the Americas and the West African nation of Liberia. The Dunbar family is a very large family. As time goes on, we will strive to bring you all the interesting family details about our beginnings and struggles. However, in the meantime we will present to you a brief history of our ancestry:

A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE DUNBAR FAMILY ANCESTRY

This document is an attempt at researching the Dunbar Family ancestry. The research was started by a few descendants and friends around the mid 1900’s and currently continues. We would like to stress here that nothing in this document is final. What will make it final and better are our constructive corrections and input. As new information is presented, the appropriate changes will be made.

Our Approach is to trace the linage of the Dunbar Family in West Africa, Liberia starting from Bishop Francis Burns. He was born in Albany, New York on December 5, 1809. At that time, New York was still a slave-State. When Francis Burns was five years of age he was indentured as a servant by his parents to Mr. Bennett Atwood, a farmer residing in the North settlement section of Windham. Under the sponsorship of Mr. and Mrs. Atwood, Francis Burns became a devout and an educated Christian and missionary. A great and wide-spread interest for Africa was awakened in him around 1830 when he was twenty-one years of age. His dream to visit Africa was realized when he sailed for Liberia on September 2, 1834 on a merchant ship, the “Susan Elizabeth” which arrived in Monrovia on October 18, 1834. He was accompanied by Rev. John Seys.

Here are a few of his accomplishments:
He earned credentials in pastoral work as well as educating missionaries.
He aspired to become a missionary and became one.
He served as a missionary educationalist at the Monrovia Seminary upon his arrival on the “Susan Elizabeth”.
He was elected in January 1858 as the First Methodist Episcopal Bishop in Liberia.

Bishop Francis Burns married Louisa E. Hazard. Louisa was an Irish Lady trained in the United States of America by the Mission Board to be a teacher at the Girls Academy in Millsburg situated in Montserrado County, Liberia. Though the Bishop’s marriage to Louisa E. Hazard might not have been his only marriage, we are however only concerned with his marriage to her because she is the linage of our heritage.

Bishop Burns and Louisa had two daughters. They were Jerusha Agnes Burns and Rebecca Ann Burns. Jerusha Agnes married George Augustus Dunbar, Sr.; who served as public Land Surveyor of Sinoe County situated in Liberia, West Africa.
Rebecca Ann Burns married Dr. Reid Charles Cooper.

Bishop Francis Burns died on April 18, 1863 at a hospital in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States of America. He requested that is remains be taken back to Liberia for internment and his wishes were carried out.

The Dunbars are believed to have originated from Pennsylvania, Philadelphia in the United States of America. They sailed to Liberia and settled on Monkey Island situated in Sinoe County, Liberia; West Africa. Monkey Island is directly opposite the Sinoe Falls. The Sinoe Falls was later named “The African Fruit Company”. Some Dunbar family members later migrated to Monrovia, Cape Palmas, and various parts of Liberia. To date, there are remnant of the Dunbar Family who are still residing in Sinoe County on Monkey Island and its environs.

Intermarriage took place between members of the Dunbar Family and members of other families around the time they migrated to the new nation, “Liberia”. Some families that intermarried with the Dunbar Family ancestors include the Cooper, Brewer, Cummings, Thompson, Neal, Montgomery, Diggs, Harmon, Campbell, Davies, Tubman, Stevens, Gibson, Howard, Dennis, among others.

George Augustus Dunbar, Sr. and his wife Jerusha Agnes were blessed with twelve (12) children. Here are the names of some of their offspring:

George Augustus Dunbar, Jr. married Amelia Virginia Cummings
Joseph Fulton Dunbar, Sr. married Annie Zean Rebecca Brewer. Joseph Dunbar Sr. was a Surveyor as well as an Episcopal Priest.
Stephen Allen Dunbar married Rosa Belle
Samuel Dunbar married Sara Neal
Sophia Dunbar married Mr. Montgomery
Clara Louise Dunbar married Clarence O. Tuning, Sr.
Ulysses Grant Dunbar
One brother fell off the roof of a house he was repairing and died. His name is unknown.
Another brother got drowned. His name is unknown.

1. Offspring of George Augustus Dunbar, Jr. and Amelia Virginia
George Augustus Dunbar, III “Papa”- Civil Engineer, as well as an Agriculturist.
Jerusha Edith Dunbar “Big Aunty” married Mr. Whitfield. Jerusha was a dress maker, millenary (hat maker), did fancy work etc.
Ulysses S. Dunbar son is:
Ulysses Grant Dunbar, Sr.
William Monroe Dunbar had no children.

Amelia Virginia Dunbar married John Leon Cooper, Sr.* upon the death of her husband, George Augustus Dunbar, Jr. Amelia and John three children were:
E. Sarah Jane Cooper* “Aunt Sarah” married Joseph Max Toker* of
Freetown, Sierra Leone. They had no surviving children.
F. Capitola Johnette Cooper* died as a teenager.
G. Francis Burns Cooper, Sr.* had two children. They are:
Amelia Verna Cooper married Joseph William Jacobs, Sr.
Francis Burns Cooper, Jr. “Baby Cooper”. Mother and children names unknown.
Here is a brief history of Amelia Virginia Cummings-Dunbar’s family:
James Thompson and Rebecca Tubman, all of the United States of America immigrated to Liberia, West Africa in the 1800s with sixteen (16) children. Here are the names of a few of their offspring.
Offspring of James Thompson and Rebecca Tubman are:
Sarah Thompson married Mr. Dennis. They had no surviving offspring. Sarah became a missionary.
Amelia Thompson married Edward Briggford Cummings, Sr.
Catherine Thompson married Gabriel Tucker, Sr.
Laurentine Thompson married Willie Tubman
Elizebeth Thompson
Agnes Thompson married Edward Monroe Cummings, Sr.
Mary Thompson married Mr. Stevens

Offspring of Edward Briggford Cummings, Sr. and Amelia Thompson were:

William Cassanda Cummings, Sr. – Episcopal Priest married Susannah Howard
Edward Monroe Cummings, Sr. married Danielette Thompson
James Thompson Cummings-Counselor-at-Law
Amelia Virginia Cummings married George Augustus Dunbar, Jr.

Edward Briggford Cummings, Sr. had other children. Their mother(s) name(s) is unknown. Their names were:
5. Robert Cummings
6. William Brice Cummings, Sr. married Blanche Gibson
7. Cecelia Cummings married Rev. Campbell
Children of George Augustus Dunbar, Sr. and Jerusha Agnes continued:

2. Offspring of Joseph Fulton Dunbar, Sr. and Annie Zean Reebecca Brewer
Tilman Dunbar, Sr.-Counselor-at-Law
Joseph Fulton Dunbar, Jr. –Surveyor
Sophie Eva Dunbar-Business Woman
Stephen Benoni Dunbar, Sr.-Counselor-at-Law
Grace Dunbar died in infancy
Walter Dunbar
3. Offspring of Stephen Allen Dunbar and Rosabelle
Ethel M. Dunbar married Mr. Watson
Fanny A. Dunbar married Mr. Davies. This was her 1st marriage. She then married Mr. Chenoweth. This was her 2nd marriage.
Sophia Dunbar married Judge Dennis

6. Offspring of Clara Louise Dunbar and Clarence O. Tuning, Sr.
A. Clarence O. Tuning, Jr. married Frankie Witherspoon
B. Sarah Tuning married Lee Montgomery

Clara Louise Dunbar-Tuning married Mr. Willis Clarke. This marriage was
her 2nd marriage. Their daughter was:
C. Agnes Clarke married James Manning

George Augustus Dunbar, Sr. died. His wife Jerusha Agnes married Mr. Davies of Sinoe County, Liberia. Their Son was Samuel J. C. Davies.
13. Samuel J. C. Davies was also known as “Uncle Sam”. He served as
Principal of St. Paul High School situated in Greenville, Sinoe County,
Liberia. Here are the names of his children.

Offspring of Samuel J. C. Davies
Chelnisa Davies married Boulton Williams
Jerusha Davies married Allen Yancy, Sr.
Lethia Davies
Charlie Davies (only son)
Frances Davies married Thomas C. Greene
Sarah Davies
Frankie Davies
Olive Davies
Darling Davies

This history of our family ancestry will continue to unravel and give insight to many valuable information as we continue this research. However, we also suggest that all new births, marriages, and even death be documented and sent via e-mail or mailed by post to me. This is the only way that the on-going generations will be capable of following the family history. This brief account of the Dunbar Family Ancestry would have been impossible without a lot of input from some of you present and others who are absent. Our heartfelt thanks and acknowledgement to all family members and others whom we would like to encourage for sending us much needed information.

We constantly need the input of all family members in order to improve and make authoritative and correct finding of what we have compiled so far. There is a lot of room for improvement and as we research and update the data with your input, our family history will become more accurate.

We want you to know that each member of our family could do the necessary research to update and make accurate the wonderful history of our ancestry if you so desire.

I dedicate our families as well as this genealogy research to our Lord Jesus Christ who knows all things and will unfold it and make it plain.
Isaiah 42:9 “Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.”
Thank you and be blessed in the name of Jesus Christ. AMEN