Dr John Dunbar

1. A student of medicine at Leyden University, 1740-1743, described as English and of Antigua. Age 26 in August 1742. Graduated MD in 1743 with a thesis "de consuetudine" dedicated to his father Charles Dunbar. Practised at Antigua. Member of Assembly there until 1775.

2. Bibliotheca Americana lists J. Dunbar as the author of the privately printed 'Case of John Dunbar and William Lem' (1772) and notes 'Mr Dunbar was a native of Antigua, and a large proprietor of lands'. The John Dunbar of the 1772 case John Dunbar vs. William Lem et uxor was a merchant in London in 1751 'as agent and owner of a great number of privateers' when William Lem became his clerk. Dunbar and Lem were in partnership in the 1760s and the dispute involved the mortgage of property in Antigua in 1762.

3. Will of Dr John Dunbar doctor of physic [formerly] of Antigua [but late of Chartres France] was proved 07/07/1798. In the will he left two bonds securing money owed to him by John Burke of Antigua for £930 18s 8d and £1281 currency and his balances with the bank of Sir Robert Herries in Paris in trust (one of his trustees was his niece Elizabeth Hesse, widow of George Adam Calcraft Hesse, of Bath) for among other purposes the support of Alice Dunbar, apparently a natural child.

1. Email from Stanley R. Criens, 05/08/2017 sourced to: Album Studiosorum Academiae Lugduno Batavae MDLXXV-MDCCCLXXV, kol. 981, 992; R.W. Innes Smith, English-speaking students of medicine at the University of Leyden (London, 1932) p. 74; P. C. Molhuysen, Bronnen tot de geschiedenis der Leidsche Universiteit, vijfde deel, 10 Febr. 1725-8 Febr. 1765 : Catalogus promotorum ex die 13. Februarii anni 1725 / (1921) p. 257.

2. Joseph Sabin, Biblioteca Americana :A dictionary of books relating to America, from its discovery to the present time (New York, 1873) p. 11 via Googlebooks; Josiah Brown, Reports of Cases upon Appeals and Writs of Error determined in the High Court of Parliament. The second edition; with notes and many additional cases, brought down to the year 1800 (London, 1803) vol. I pp. 309 via Googlebooks.

3. PROB 11/1309/130. This will has not been analysed full by LBS.

We are grateful to Stanley R. Criens for his assistance with compiling this entry.