John Bass Dabney (1766-1826) was born in Boston and spent much of his childhood in Massachusetts and Providence, Rhode Island. John married Roxa Lewis (1772-1845) in 1792 and the couple had eleven children. John went to France in 1794 to establish a shipping business and was appointed Counsel General for the United States at the Western Islands (Azores) in 1806.

Charles W. Dabney (1794-1871) was born in Alexandria, Virginia, the eldest son of John Bass Dabney and Roxa Lewis Dabney. He spent his childhood in Virginia, France and then Fayal, Azores. Charles became Vice Counsel of the Western Islands (Azores) and then Counsel upon his father's death. Charles married Frances Alsop Pomeroy (1797-1862) and the couple had seven children. Charles, in addition to maintaining the position of Counsel General until his death, expanded his father's shipping business to include whaling.

William H. Dabney (1817-1888) was the youngest son of John Bass Dabney and Roxa Lewis Dabney. William was educated in Massachusetts and married Mary Ann Parker (1827-1879). The couple had three children. William was the United States Vice Counsel in Terceira, Azores from 1845 to 1848 and the Counsel General in Tenerife, Canary Islands from 1853 to 1882.