Duncans in Keokuk Co. IA

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

Last revised May 24, 2012

KEOKUK CO. IA
Formed 1837 from Washington
 

CENSUS RECORDS

1840 Keokuk Co. IA Census
      No Duncan indexed
      (MAD: one William Duncan indexed in Keokuk Co. IA in 1844)

1850 Keokuk Co. IA Census
Pg.231, #120-127, Alexander DUNCAN 37 IRE (blank) $0
                  Lydia 33 OH
                  Amos EMERY 11 IN
                  Wm. NEWPORT 18 OH farmer $0
                  Caroline DUNCAN 11 OH

1860 Keokuk Co. IA Census
      No Duncan indexed

1870 Keokuk Co. IA Census
Benton Twp.
Pg.266, #2-2, JACOBS, J.D. (m) 31 IN R.R. conductor? $150-$1500
                  Elizabeth 32 IN keeping house
                  A.D. (m) 2 IA
                  MARTIN, Jas. 16 IA laborer $0-$0
                  BUTTER, ?? (m) 20 IA laborer $0-$0
                  DUNCAN, Geo. 20 IL laborer
Clear Creek Twp.
Pg.292, #145-147, DUNCAN, Jonathan 44 PA laborer $400-$100
                  Elizabeth 33 PA keeping house
                  William 7, Ida (f) 4 IA
                  Mattie (f) 4/12 IA b.Jan.
                  (MAD: one Jonathan Duncan mar. Elizabeth Moore, 10/14/1861)
Lancaster Twp.
Pg.366, #44-44, HAYS, Joel W. 42 CT farmer $6000-$3095
                  Esther 52 PA keeping house
                  Adelia 17, Danl. 14, Roberta (f) 13 IA
                  Geo. 11, Julia 8 IA
                  Mary 75 CT
                  DUNCAN, Geo. 20 IL farm laborer $0-$0
Liberty Twp.
Pg.390, #70-70, DUNCAN, Stafford 24 IL farmer "renter-$570"
                  Rossa D. (f) 19 IA keeping house
                  Irena (f) 11 IA keeping house
                  James 6, Letta (f) 1 IA at home
                  (MAD: one Granville Duncan mar. Rosa Conger 2/26/1868)
 

COUNTY RECORDS

Keokuk Co. IA Will Record (FHL film 974,242)
      Book A, 1844-1851 - no Duncan
      Book B, 1845-1855 - no Duncan
 

Keokuk Co. IA Deed Index, 1845+ (FHL film 1,005,650)
      No William Duncan grantee
      Duncan, R(obt). S., from Huddleston, Myers, filed Feb. 14, 1855, deed Oct. 14, "1853," E-569, NW 1/4 SW 1/4 Sec.5 T74 R11

Keokuk Co. IA Deeds (FHL film 1,005,655, item 3)
      E-329: 24 March 1854, Robert S. (X) Duncan and wife Sarena (X) of Keokuk Co. IA to Moses Martin and Joannah Martin of same, $50, W 1/2 NE 1/4 SE 1/4 Sec.6 T74N R12W, 20 acres; appeared before William F. Morgan, J.P. (MAD: not Sec.5)
      E-569: 14 Oct. 1852, Myers (X) Huddleston and wife Mary (X) of Keokuk Co. IA to Robert S. Duncan of Des Moines Co. IA, for $200, NW 1/4 SW 1/4 Sec.5 Twp.74N R11W, 40 acres; wit. Wiliam F. Morgan, John Vanarsdall; Huddlestons appeared 14 Oct. 1852, filed for recording Feb. 14, 1855. (MAD: not Sec.6)
 

REFERENCES FROM OTHER LOCALITIES

St.Joseph Co. IN Deed
      N-194: 15 Oct. 1844, Jacob Shoemaker of Keokuk Co. IA for $250 paid, sell to William Duncan of afsd, land in St.Joseph Co. IN, E 1/2 SE 1/4 Sec.18 Twp.36 Range 3E in Center Twp, warrant title. /s/ Jacob Shoemaker. Wit. Christian Bralliar?, G.W. Hagg. Jacob Shoemaker appeared 15 Oct. 1844 before Jesse B. May, J.P., Keokuk Co. IA. Certification by Samuel A. James, Clerk of District Court of Keokuk Co. IA, for Jesse B. May, J.P. in Richland Precinct of Keokuk Co. IA, 4 Nov. 1844. Recorded 4 May 1849. (FHL film 1,605,748)
 

HISTORIES before 1923

1903 "A Genealogical and biographical history of Keokuk County, Iowa, illustrated" pub. by Lewis Pub. Co. (FHL film 934,949 item 4)
      Pg.277: JONATHAN DUNCAN ... has been in IA ever since 1854, locating in Washington Co. where he engaged in farming, and is one of the old and respected farmers of Keokuk Co., having lived here a good many years ago, and two years ago he removed here again from Washington Co. The grandfather of Jonathan Duncan was of Scotch descent, as the name indicates, and was a native of PA and lived during the struggle of the colonies for independence. William Duncan, the father of Jonathan, was born in PA in 1776, and was reared and educated on a farm ... farmer, politics of the old Whig party. His first wife was Jane Drennen, who was the mother of six children: William, James, David, Mary, Eliza and Eliza Ann, all of whom are deceased. His second wife, the mother of our subject, was Mary Kinsie, born and reared in PA. They had five children, of whom Jonathan was the eldest. The others were: Samuel (deceased), Hiram, Rachel (deceased) and Sarah (deceased), all born and reared in PA. Jonathan Duncan was born 30 March 1824; blacksmith; age 30 to IA in 1854 to a farm in Washington Co. for a short time, then to Keokuk Co. for 20 years on farm, then 1874 to Washington Co. for farming for some time, finally returned to this co. and has since been living in Keota. Mr. Duncan's first marriage was to Elizabeth Moore of PA, in 1861; she d. 1872, the mother of 4 children: William, Ida, Mattie and Charles. In 1875 he again married, his wife was Mary Tennent, b. NY City, to OH with parents when about 10 years old; her parents John and Mary Tennent were natives of IRE, to OH at early day, there died. ...
      (MAD: See Beaver Co. PA, statement by James H. Duncan without source that William Duncan mar. a dau. of Judge Dreenan. William was son of James Duncan and Mary Marlin.)
 

"The History of Keokuk County, Iowa : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men, history of the Northwest, history of Iowa, map of Keokuk County, constitution of the United States, constitution of the state of Iowa, miscellaneous matters, &c." (anonymous); pub. Evansville, Ind.: Unigraphic, 1975, 826 pgs.; originally published by Union Historical Co., 1880 (LH11480, HeritageQuest images 4/2007; FHL book 977.791 H2t and film 897,330 item 1 and 939,949 item 3)
      Pg.347: First grand jurors ... William Duncan.
      Pg.440-441: ... During the winter of 1841-42 there appeared at Iowa City a stranger who gave his name as Col. Wm. Johnson, and who was accompanied by a young woman whom he represented as his daughter, and whom he called Catharine, or, usually, Kit. ... In the spring of '43, a family by the name of Peck came to a point on Skunk river, about four miles from Oskaloosa, where Russel Peck, with his son-in-law, Geo. N. Duncan, built a grist-mill. Johnson and his daughter, so-called lived for some time with the Duncans and Pecks. ... (MAD: see similar in 1878 Mahaska Co. IA history)
 

1887 "Portrait and Biographical Album of Washington County, Iowa : containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county" pub. by Acme Publ. Co. (FHL book 977.792 D3p)
      Pg.508-9: ALEXANDER DUNCAN, of Washington, is another one of the truly representative pioneers of Washington Co. having made this his home since 1847, a period of forty years. He is a native of Ireland, born in 1813, and is the son of John and Elizabeth Duncan, both of whom were also natives of that country. When Alexander was about seven years of age, the family emigrated to America and located in Somerset Co. PA, where they remained eight years, and then moved to Washington Co. in the same State. In 1833 they removed to Richland Co. OH, where Mr. Duncan died in his one hundredth year. Mrs. Duncan died in Coshocton Co. Ohio, from a cancer, in her 86th year. .... They were both members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and were among the first to embrace that faith in the days of John and Charles Wesley. Five children were born unto them, of whom two are yet living -- Samuel, now living in MO, and Alexander, in Washington, IA.
      Alexander Duncan was reared upon his father's farm, ... On the 17th of August, 1837, our subject was united in marriage with Miss Lydia Frederick, a daughter of Peter and Elizabeth Frederick, who were of German descent, their fore-parents being among the first to emigrate to America. Mrs. Duncan was born in Tuscarawas Co. OH in 1817. She is a cousin of Hon. Ben Frederick, of Marshalltown, Iowa. After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Duncan settled in Richland Co. OH, where Mr. Duncan opened two farms in the heavy timber. In 1847 they sold their possessions in Ohio and came to Iowa, being urged so to do by a brother of Mrs. Duncan, who had come to this State several years previously. The came across the country with teams and landed in Brighton in September of that year. Mr. Duncan first purchased land just across the line in Keokuk Co. which he improved and upon which he lived two years, then sold out and bought and improved a farm of 137 acres in Franklin Township, this county. On this farm they continued to reside till 1865, when they moved to the city of Washington, where they have since continued to reside. ... Mr. and Mrs. Duncan were never blessed with chidren, but years ago they adopted Caroline Homel, who was then but two years of age. This child was given their name, and as Caroline Duncan, grew to womanhood under ... her foster parents, and is now the wife of N.N. Vinquest, an ice dealer of Kansas City. ....
 

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