Samuel Dunlap, Sr.

GEDCOM Note

Birthplace?

There is no definitive record available online that states Samuel’s actual place of birth. Family stories have always indicated he was born in Scotland, and was the captain of a ship once emmigrating to the New World. But there are no definitive online sources that back up this story. The only current verifiable records to his origin are the answers his offspring gave on US Census records 1880 and after. Their answers as to where their father was born are as follows:

United States Census, 1880 “Ind.” - Indiana? Brit. India? (Mariah Ann Waters Dunlap, Daughter) “Mass.” - Massachusetts (James V. Dunlap, Son) “SC” - South Carolina? Scotland? (Samuel Dunlap Jr., Son) “Jamaica Isle” - Island of Jamaica (Charles W. Dunlap, Son) “Conn.” - Connecticut (Harriet Cornelia Dunlap Jerauld, Daughter)

United States Census, 1900 “Scotland” (James V. Dunlap, Son) “Massachusetts” (Charles W. Dunlap, Son)

United States Census, 1910 “Massachusetts” (Charles W. Dunlap, Son)

Massachusetts is the most common answer, but it’s currently impossible to verify it’s accuracy with available records. Both of his offspring who gave this answer changed their answer to this from a previous answer, and they never agreed on it’s veracity in the same year.

It’s also worth noting that on the United States Census of 1870, there are columns to note if either of your parents are of foreign birth. According to the records for each one of his 5 offspring, none of them believed at that time (which also happens to be right after his death) that he was of a foreign birth.