Duncans in Montgomery Co. AL County Histories

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Duncan research files of
Mary Ann (Duncan) Dobson
the Genealogy Bug

Last revised August 17, 2007

MONTGOMERY CO. AL
HISTORIES before 1923
 

1904 "Notable Men of AL; Personal & Genealogical with Portraits" by Joel Campbell DuBose (FHL book 976.1 D3no and film 1,026,263 items 1-2; and from Donna Little 8/1982 from Duncan Family Files at AL State Archives)
      Vol.1, pg.66-7: DR. THOMAS DUNCAN, physician, Fleta [Montgomery Co.], AL, was born in Crenshaw Co. AL Aug. 16, 1866. He is the son of John A. and Catherine (Norman) Duncan; father native of Tuscaloosa Co. AL, and the mother of Wilmington, NC. The Duncan family were early settlers of Alabama. John A. Duncan died at the age of 81 years. He was a farmer. He was a private in the Confederate service during the entire Civil war. There were, of his family, ten children, seven of whom are living. Dr. Thomas Duncan is the second youngest of the family. He was reared on the farm, receiving his early education in the common schools, with two years at Ft. Deposit, Ala. .... He was married, Sept. 7, 1892, to Zererah Sellers, a native of Montgomery Co. AL. .... (MAD: John A. Duncan mar. Catherine J. Norman 2/6/1848 Lowndes Co. AL)
 

"Memorial record of Alabama : a concise account of the state's political, military, professional and industrial progress, together with the personal memoirs of many of its people." by Hannis Taylor; pub. Madison, Wis.: Brant & Fuller, 1893, 2216 pgs. (LH10905, HeritageQuest images 4/2007; FHL book 976.1 H2m & v.2 and film 934,817 items 1-2)
      Vol.II, pg.676-677: Montgomery Co. CHARLES EDWARD HAILS ... born in Montgomery Co. Ala. on his father's farm July 2, 1856 ... He was married November 4, 1884, to Florence F. Troy, daughter of Daniel S. Troy (4 children) ... His father, George W. Hails, was born in Columbia, S.C., in 1811, and moved to Alabama about 1840. He was a farmer and served in the Mexican war. He married Sarah Bozier, a native of Columbia, S.C., and to them were born nine children, of whom seven grew up and now survive as follows: Sallie, wife of Geo. O. Janney; Mary, wife of Dr. C.K. Duncan; Rebecca, wife of Major V. Elmore; Robert, George W., Thomas J., and Charles E. Hails, all of Montgomery. The father died in 1865, and the mother died in 1882. The grandfather was Robert Hails, a native of South Carolina.
 

1894 "Memorial and genealogical record of southwest Texas : containing biographical histories and genealogical records of many leading men and prominent families" pub. by Goodspeed Brothers (FHL book 976.4 D3mg; from Lucille Mehrkam 2/1984)
      Pg.511: O.G. CANNON. ... He owes his nativity to Montgomery Co., Ala., where he was born in 1847, to Henry and Elizabeth (Duncan) Cannon, natives also of Alabama. The family came to Texas in 1849, and settled in Austin County, five miles south of San Felipe, where the father tilled a large plantation for three years. In 1853 he moved to what is now Ft.Bend County, and was there engaged in stock business until his death in 1870. ... To himself and wife four sons and four daughters were given, of whom the subject of this sketch is the only one living member, all dying young except Newton, who lived to be twenty-two years of age. ... (MAD: one Elizabeth Duncan mar. Henry "Connors" 12/22/1842 Pike Co. AL)
      1860 Wharton Co. TX Census, Pg.254, #103, Henry CANNON 45 NC; Andrew 16, Gip (m) 18 TX.
      1850 Harrison Co. TX Census, Pg.97 #760, H.E. CANNON (m) 53 GA farmer $400, L.(f) 20 TN, J.(m) 20, J.(f) 11, L.(f) 10 TN, C.(f) 7, W.(f) 4 TX
      MAD: not positively identified in TX census; see 1850 Pike Co. AL census
 

1916 "History of TX and Texans" by Frank W. Johnson, Vol.1-5 (SUTRO film 69 reel 2 & 3, CA State Library, Sutro Branch)
      Vol.4, pg.1705: JOHN A. DUNCAN, in service of Southern Pacific Railway, foreman of the roundhouse at Glidden [Colorado Co.]; had his home in TX almost 40 years. Of old VA family & ancestry, John A. Duncan was born in Montgomery, AL, December 29, 1858, son of George W. and Mary (Caldwell) Duncan who had moved to AL only a short time previously. His father, who was born at town of Fluvanna, Faquier (sic) Co. VA, self-educated, son of a slave-holding farmer. The old planter and the grandfather was James Duncan who married a Miss Sneed, representing another old family of VA; among the children of this old couple were: George W.; Robert who died in TN; Howell, the oldest son who spent his life in Roanoke, VA; Valentine whose life was passed in Faquier Co.; Mrs. Mary Waldrip of Hanover; Nannie who married a planter named Pettit and lived near Fluvanna; Lucinda who was married and spent her life in her native country, and German, of Fluvanna. After his marriage, George W. Duncan spent several years on farm of his mother and about 1855 left VA, to Montgomery, AL where engaged in planting, enrolled for service in Confederate Army, was captured at Agar's Station, MS, paroled two weeks later, returned home a year before close of war; an agent for General Allen, and later for Charles Moulton an extensive farmer near Montgomery, AL, in whose service he died March 3, 1868. George W. Duncan was married in Campbell Co. VA on November 15, 1853, to Mary A. Caldwell, born November 16, 1844, dau. of Watson and Mary (Winfrey) Caldwell; they belonged to old VA families and Mr. Caldwell was extensive tobacco grower with slave labor; lost his money because of Civil War; (more on Caldwell family). Children of George W. and Mary Duncan were: Alice who married Whitaker (no second name) and died at Spout Springs, VA; John Archer; Charles of Denta, VA; George Freney, who died in childhood; and Kate who died unmarried. John A. Duncan grew up in old VA, his mother having returned there after the death of the father, and in 1878 came direct from Lynchburg, VA, to LaGrange, TX, by railroad ... The first time Mr. Duncan revisited his old home in VA was after an absence of 14 years and soon after his own marriage. He was married at Halletsville, TX on November 26, 1884, to Mrs. Lydia Overbay, whose father, Charles Keykendall, was an early settler in Lavaca Co. The children of Mr. & Mrs. Duncan are: John C., an employee of the Southern Pacific at Glidden; Miss Ethel; Leslie, freight clerk at Glidden; and Miss Kyle, attending school at Columbus. (MAD: Denta, VA, as given in history; Dante, VA, as given by Terry Duncan, a descendant, 12/2001)
 

1886 "The Parish of Strathblane and its Inhabitants From Early Times: a Chapter of Lennox History", by John Guthrie Smith, F.S.A. Scot., James Maclehose and Sons, publishers to the University, 1886. (from Alfonso Duncan 8/2001)
      Pages 93, 95: THE DUNCANS IN LEDLOWAN IN KILLEARN, AND DRUMMIEKEICH IN STRATHBLANE
      Among the families in Killearn who were not possessed of lands was an old race of the name of Duncan. They were leading people in the parish in the seventeenth century, and though the main line is extinct in the district, there are many families both in Strathblane and elsewhere descended from this good old stock.
      John Duncan in Ledlowan, in Killearn, and afterwards in Drummiekeich (part of Blairquhosh Cunninghame), in Strathblane, married in 1703 Elizabeth Graham, one of the large clan in Strathblane which had grown and multiplied since David de Grahame was settled at Mugdock about the middle of the thirteen century. John Duncan and his wife had three sons, of whom afterwards, and two daughters -
      Elizabeth, who married in 1740 William Finley of Moss, and had (1) William of Moss, who was the father of the late William Finlay of Moss, who died childless; Mrs. James Adair Lawrie, of whose family the eldest son, Archibald Campbell Lawrie, advocate, now of Moss, is a judge in Ceylon; and Mrs. Dixon. (2) Jean, married David Bannerman of Letham Hill, whose only surviving child Elizabeth, married at the Moss in 1805 the Rev. John Graham of Fintry, afterwards of Killearn (see Grahams of Ballewan), and had issue, Captain Thomas Graham, late of Balfunning, and three daughters. (3) Mary, married James Dennistoun of Golfhill, banker in Glagow, and four sons - (i.) Alexander, M.P. for Dumbartonshire in 1834, who succeeded his father in Golfhill, and was head of the great house of J. & A. Dennistoun. The survivors of his family are Alexander H. Dennistoun, now of Golfhill, and Eleanor, wife of Professor Sellar of Edinburgh. (ii.) William, died young. (iii.) James, married, but died childless. (iv.) John, from 1837 to 1847 M.P. for Glasgow, and a partner of J. & A. Dennistoun. The survivors of his family are John, a merchant in London, and Constance, whose first husband was John Hamilton, and who is now the wife of Archibald C. Lawrie of Moss. Mary Finlay and James Dennistoun had also two daughters, Mrs. Walter Wood, died childless, and Mrs. John Wood, whose grandson, John Walter Cross, married Gearge Eliot, the celebrated authoress. Mr. Dennistoun by a second marriage had three daughters.
      Jean, the second daughter of John Duncan and Elizabeth Graham, married in 1736 James Smith of Craigend. (See Craigend.)
      Andrew Duncan, the eldest of the three sons, died young, and John and James were tenants in Drummiekeich. John Duncan married Agnes Lyle, a daughter of another old Strathblane family, and had two sons - John, born in 1738, and Charles, born in 1739 and a daughter, Bethia, who married Robert M'Indoe of Carbeth, and had issue. James Duncan married Margaret Taylor of Fintry, and had a large family, of whom the three eldest, James, William and John, went to Virginia to push their fortunes there along with their cousins, Charles Duncan and Archibald Smith, afterwards of Jordanhill, a youger son of James Smith of Craigend and Jean Duncan, his wife. Ann Duncan, the youngest daughter of James Duncan and Margaret Taylor, married Archibald Craig of Dalsholm, of the Ballewan family (which see).
      Of the Starthblane cousins who thus settled in America, Charles Duncan remained there, married, and had two daughters, one of whom married James Dunlop of Rosslyn, Virginia, afterwards of Russell Square, London, and the other was Mrs. Gamble. Mrs. Dunlop had a son, and Mrs. Gamble a daughter, but both died unmarried. James, William and John Duncan and Archibald Smith, on the breaking out of the War of Independance in 1774, left America, the Duncans settling in Dublin, and Archibald Smith, as a West India merchant in Glasgow. (See Craigend.) (MAD: Charles Duncan mar. Jennie Gilliam of Dinwiddie Co., lived Chesterfield Co. VA)
      Leaving James Duncan, the eldest of the three brothers, till afterwards, we find that William Duncan, the second of them, married a Scottish lady, Miss Baird, and had (1) William, who went to South America, and fought in the War of Independance in 1824 under General Bolivar, with the rank of colonel. His two sons, Colonel James Duncan and William Duncan, are well-known citizens of Baranquilla (sic), South America. (2) James, who also went to South America. (3) Maria, married David Taylor of Edendale. Their eldest daughter, Agnes Maria, married John Craig, son of Archibald Craig of Dalsholm, of the family of Ballewan, Strathblane, and had issue Archibald David Craig and the Rev. John Duncan Craig, D.D., incumbent of Trinity Church, Dublin. (See Ballewan.) (4) Rebecca. (5) Jane. (6) Agnes.
      John Duncan, the youngest of the three brothers who returned from Virginia, married a sister of William Duncan's wife. His son settled in the United States, married, and had a daughter, who married Dr. Emmett, a New York physician, and nephew of the celebrated and unfortunate Robert Emmett, one of the leaders of the Irish rebellion, and who was executed in 1803. John Duncan had a daughter, Mrs. John Hutton, whose eldest son is John Hutton of Merovyn, County Wicklow; her daughter Maria married the Rev. John D. Malet, D.D., whose son is Professor Malet of the Queen's University, and her daughter Henrietta married Charles J. Fox of Redford Lodge. (MAD: John Duncan Jr. of Mobile mar. Catherine Rebecca Creyon, lived Montgomery Co. AL)
      James Duncan, the eldest of the three brothers, returned from Virginia and became a West India merchant. He lived in Eccles Street, Dublin, and by his marriage in 1796 to Hannah, daughter of William Arnold, he had a daughter, Elizabeth, born in 1797, who married George Peyton of Driney, County Leitrim, and had issue; and a son James, born 1798.
      James Duncan, the son, was manager of the Bank of Ireland at Sligo. He married Harriett Crosthwait, daughter of Leland Crosthwait, Governor of the Bank of Ireland, and had five daughters and two sons, of whom the eldest, James, died in 1853. James Duncan died in Dublin in 1874, and is buried at Sligo. The second son, Leland Crosthwait Duncan, fourth in descent from John Duncan of Ledlowan and Drummiekeich, and Elizabeth Graham, his wife, was born in 1831. He is an officer in H.M. Customs, and lives in London. He married in 1861 Caroline Ellen, daughter of F. Lewis, of Her Majesty's Treasury, and has issue, Leland Lewis Duncan, of the War Office, born 1862; Caroline Annette, and Amy Adela.
 

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