The early spelling of this name was Mebie, and in that form was borne by Jan Pieter Mebie, the Dutch ancestor, who was of Schenectady, New York, at an early date. His home lot in the village was on the east side of Church street, next door to the Dutch church. He also had farm land on the Third Flat on the south side of the Mohawk, eight miles above Schenectady. The house on the farm, known as the "Old Mebie House," was built or at least its stone walls date from 1670-80, and is doubtless the oldest house in the Mohawk Valley. In 1697 Rode, a Mohawk Sachem, called Dirk by the settlers, with the consent of all the other Indians, granted eighty acres on both sides of Schoharie Creek to Jan Pieter Mebie, who married Anna Pieterse, daughter of Pieter Jacobus Borsboom. He made his will, April 3, 1725, died April 8, following. Children:
- Pieter, of further mention;
- Catherine, married Arent Samuelse Bratt, died 1773, aged eighty-two years, two months, seventeen days;
- Annetje, baptized April 16, 1693, in Albany, married Helmers Veeder;
- Abraham, baptized June 26, 1695;
- Engletie, November 10, 1697, married Pieter Danielse Van Antwerp;
- Jacob, baptized May 5, 1700, died April 18, 1755;
- Maritje, married Cornelis Van Dyck;
- Margaret.
(II) Pieter, son of Jan Pieter and Anna P. (Borsboom) Mebie, was baptized in Albany, New York, January 20, 1686. He settled on the north side of the Mohawk river on "Arent Mebie's Kill," just north of the stone bridge on the New York Central railroad. He married, November 12, 1721, Susanna, daughter of Arent Vedder. Children baptized:
- Anna, October 26, 1722, married Abraham Van Antwerpen;
- Sara, March 21, 1725, married Abraham Yates;
- Johannes, January 19, 1728;
- Arent, 1729;
- Margarieta, April 15, 1733;
- Marietta, October 13, 1734;
- Hermanus, October 9, 1737;
- Maria, April 13, 1740;
- Petrus, November 14, 1742;
- Rebecca, October 6, 1745, married Simon Van Antwerpen.
(III) Jan (Johannes), son of Pieter and Susanna (Vedder) Mebie, was born January 10, baptized January 19, 1728, died November 24, 1796, and was buried in the Fifth Flat. He married, December 13, 1755, Alida, daughter of Simon Toll, a revolutionary soldier who served under Colonel Philip Schuyler, First Regiment, and in the Fourteenth under Colonel John Knickerbocker. Children baptized:
- Susanna, May 2, 1757;
- Simon, August 2, 1761, died young;
- Pieter, August 5, 1764, "a practitioner of physic";
- Hesje, November 9, 1766;
- Simon, August 13, 1769.
The family residence had up to 1705 been in and around Schenectady. In that year "John Mabie was granted eighty acres of land in the town of Glen, and in 1722 a tract of six hundred acres was granted to his brother Peter (Petrus)." Jan and Peter are believed to have been the first permanent white settlers in the town of Glen, Tryon county, now Montgomery county, New York.
(IV) Simon, son of Jan and Alida (Toll) Mabie, was born July 21, 1769, at Westina, Albany [now Schenectady] county, and baptized August 13, 1769. In 1799 he was a resident of the town of Charleston, with his wife, Susannah. About 1797 he and his brother Pieter built the first sawmill and carding machine in that section. (This is now the town of Glen, Montgomery county.) In 1799 Jan (John) sold his land there, and probably returned to Schenectady. He served in the revolutionary war as a private of the Second Regiment, Albany county militia, Colonel Abraham Wemple commanding. He married Susannah Nexsen, and had issue: Catherine G., George J. W., Jacob S. G. and Elias A. N.
(V) George James Warner, son of Simon and Susannah (Nexsen) Mabee, was born in the town of Charleston, Montgomery county, New York, February 16, 1814, died September 25, 1870. He was educated in the public schools, and became a merchant of New York City with a home in Brooklyn. He was a member of the wholesale drug firm of Williams, Mabee & Clapp, whose place of business "at Old Slip" was totally destroyed in the disastrous fire that devastated New York City in 1835. Later he engaged in the same business under his own firm name. He married Margaret Tiers Nostrand, born February 7, 1818, died September 27, 1900, daughter of Foster and Christianna (Tiers) Nostrand, of the old New York family. Children:
- Foster Nostrand, born December 6, 1839, educated in the public schools, enlisted in the Seventh Regiment New York Volunteers, April 18, 1861, went to the front with his regiment and served through three campaigns and is a member of the Seventh Regiment Veteran Association. For eighteen years he was chief paymaster for the Erie railroad with headquarters at Owego, Tioga county, New York, which is still his legal home. Since 1896 he has been statistician of the New York state department of excise, created in that year. He is a member of the Masonic order, in which he holds high position; is past master of Friendship Lodge, No. 153; past high priest of Jerusalem Chapter, No. 47, both of Owego; past eminent commander of MaltaC ommandery, No. 21, Binghamton; past grand commander of New York State Grand Commandery, Knights Templar; thirty-second degree Mason of Corning Consistory; a charter member of Mecca Temple, New York City, and past grand sword bearer of the New York Grand Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons. Politically a Republican, and in religious faith an Episcopalian. He married Sarah Elizabeth Campbell and has children: Susan Campbell and Marian Bowers.
- Edward Tiers, born March 22, 1841, died August 12, 1843.
- George J. W., born October 26, 1842, resident of Denver, Colorado.
- Emily Tiers, born May 8, 1844, married George Cronyn, whom she survives, a resident of Brooklyn, New York.
- Julia Bach, born April 5, 1846, married Edward Schofield, and resides in Brooklyn, New York.
- Douglass William, of further mention.
- Addie Tiers, born December 27, 1851, died January 16, 1897.
- Maggie Nostrand, born September 12, 1853, died October 21, 1862.
- Courtland Babcock, born July 21, 1855.
- John Allston, born May 25, 1857, died September 13, 1899.
- William Marsh, born January 30, 1859.
(VII) Douglass William, son of George James Warren and Margaret Tiers (Nostrand) Mabee, was born in Brooklyn, New York, March 5, 1848. He was educated in the public schools, and entered business life as a clerk in his father's wholesale drug house in New York City. For several years he was ticket agent for the Erie railroad at Binghamton, New York. After his marriage he became manager of the estate of his father-in-law, George West, of Ballston Spa, New York, and now resides at Saratoga Springs. He is a member of Saratoga Lodge, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of Saratoga; Knights of Pythias, of Ballston Spa; member of Saratoga Club, Eutopian Club of Ballston and the Republican Club of New York City. He is vice-president of the Adiondack Trust Company, of Saratoga, director of the First National Bank of Ballston Spa, director of the National Folding Box & Paper Company of New Haven, Connecticut. He married, October 13, 1875, Florence Louise, daughter of Hon. George and Louisa West, of Ballston Spa. Children:
- Louisa West, married William P. Boone; they have three children: Douglass M., John Rowan, Florence Mabee.
- George West, married Blanche Aiken Wiley.
- Douglass Walter, married Edna L. Marvin; they have one child, Edna Louise.
- Alfred Lounsbury.
- Florence Jane, married C. H. R. Compton; two children: William R. and Douglass M.
- David Walton.
- Margaret Nostrand.