John Dunbar was the ancestor of a distinguished line. He was born in Albany, August 31st, 1670. He married, first, Bata Winne; and secondly, Maria, daughter of Johannes Van Hosen, April 1st, 1724; both wives were of Albany. He was in Albany a vintner or hotel keeper, and an important friend of the early Episcopal church of that place. In 1714 he was associated with Rev. Thomas Barclay and Colonel Peter Matthews, in building the Episcopal church there. In 1730 he removed to Schenectady where he resided on his property, on the east corner of Church and Front Streets. Mr. Dunbar died in Schenectady, May 7th, 1736, aged sixty-six years. He left surviving him three sons, Robert, John and Alexander, also three daughters, Mary, Catharine and Willempie. All the sons, and his daughter Catharine, settled at Albany, where they have respectively many descendants. His daughter Mary married, September 5th, 1737, Joseph R. Yates, and was the mother of Robert Yates, once Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York; of John Yates, Nicholas and Abraham Yates, and of several daughters, who married prominent citizens of Schenectady. She inherited from her father his house and lot, corner of Church and Front Streets.
Willempie, his youngest daughter, married, November 29th, 1736, Abraham Groot. She inherited from her father a large parcel of ground on the west corner of Union and Canal Streets.