Duncans in Niagara Co. NY

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

Last revised October 29, 2007

NIAGARA CO. NY
Formed 1808 from Genesee
Erie formed 1821 from Niagara
 

CENSUS RECORDS

1810-1830 Niagara Co. NY Census
       No Duncan indexed

1840 Niagara Co. NY Census
Lockport
Pg.88  Margaret ?Duncan    1          - 0000,1001
   92  Elisha C?. Duncan   0001,1001  - 1100,1

1850 Niagara Co. NY Census
Lockport
Pg.41, #610, Elisha DUNCAN 39 NY (blank) $3000
                  Margrett 39 NY
                  Frances (f) 11, Joseph 11 NY
                  Mary 7, Margrett 5 NY
                  Levansha (f) 3, Matilda 4 mo. NY
Taken 8/27/1850
Pg.139, #2115, Myran DUNCAN (m) 28 NY laborer
                  Mary 26 PA
                  George 8, Charles 2 NY
Royalton, taken 9/9/1850
Pg.209, #428, Myron M. DUNCAN (m) 24 VT farmer
                  Mary 26 PA
                  George E. 8, Charles T. 1 NY
Pg.209, #432, Wm. DUNCAN 51 CT farmer $100
                  Clarisa 49 CT
                  Wm. Jr. 22 CT boatman
                  Jacob 16, James 14 CT
                  Wm. CHAMBERLAIN 5 CT
Hartland
Pg.338, #464, Edward DUNCAN 29 IRE farmer?
                  Esther 27 IRE
                  John 3, Rosannah 2/12 IRE
Newfane
Pg.382, #163, Hiram C. DUNCAN 32 NY farmer? $1750
                  Lucetta B. 24 NY
                  Emma 7, Charles 5 NY
                  Wm. 3, Gilbert 2 NY
                  Mary 70 NY
 

1860 Niagara Co. NY Census
Royalton
Pg.562, #850-879, -?- KENT (m) 48 VT farmer $0-$250 & family
                  Charles DUNCAN 21 NY farm laborer
Lewiston
Pg.618, #324-317, Walston DUNCAN 34 NY tin? smith $0-$0
                  Mary A. 40 NY (blank) $1500-$700
                  ?Gisette? (?Lisette?) (f) 12 NY
                  John (m) 10 CANada West
                  Helen 4, Walston (m) 3 CANada West
Lockport
Pg.910, #837-840, Wm. H. DUNCAN 39 VT teamster $0-$100
                  Mary 35 PA
                  Chas. F. (m) 11 NY
Pg.912, #857-860, James DUNCAN 30 SCT cooper $0-$0
                  Ann 25 NY (blank) $0-$200
                  Mary 4 NY
                  George 25 NY
Pg.914, #877-882, Robert GORDON 30 ENG laborer $0-$50
                  Terressa (f) 28 ENG
                  Robt. Jr. 4 NY
                  Mary SPARKS 22 ENG seamstress
                  Edward DUNCAN 18 NY blacksmith apprentice
Pg.932, #1015-1022, Edward DUNCAN 47 SCT drayman $0-$300
                  Margaret 43 SCT
                  Mary A. 19, Edward Jr. 14 SCT
                  Robert 11 SCT
                  Charles 8, James 5 NY
                  William 21 SCT miller $0-$0
Pg.956, #1198-1208, Asa C. DUNCAN 47 VT grocer $1500-$300
                  Margaret 46 NY
                  Mary 17, Lovancy (f) 13, Matilda 9 NY
Pg.1037, #1875-1885, Cairne DUNCAN (m) 50 IRE farm laborer $500-$500
                  Bridget 55 IRE
                  Ella MELANNY 16 NY domestic
New Fane
Pg.1232, #305-308, Hiram DUNCAN 43 NY farmer $3000-$1133
                  Belinda 44 NY
                  Emma C. 17, Charles E. 14 NY
                  William H. 13, Gilbert W. 12 NY
                  Effie M. 8 NY
 

1870 Niagara Co. NY Census
Lewiston
Pg.72-74, #33-30, (12 ministers, then MANY students, semi-alphabetic order, most had parents of foreign birth)
Pg.74, #33-30, DUNCAN, Jas. W. 22 IL at school, parents of foreign birth
Lockport, Ward 1
Pg.170, #374-382, DUNCAN, James 30 NY works at sawmill $0-$0
                  Eliza 26 NY keeps house
                  (no children)
Lockport, Ward 2
Pg.196-197, #28-34, DUNCAN, Edward 58 SCT cartman $0-$400, parents of foreign birth
                  Margaret 52 SCT keeping house, parents of foreign birth
                  William H. 32 SCT grocer (Ret.) $0-$800, parents of foreign birth
                  Edward Jr. 24 SCT produce dealer $0-$200, parents of foreign birth
                  Robert W. 21 SCT saw? maker $0-$500, parents of foreign birth
                  Charles 17 NY at home, parents of foreign birth
                  James W. 14 NY works in printing office, parents of foreign birth
                  Ellen M. 7 NY at home, parents of foreign birth
                  MYRICK, Joseph A. 27 MA canal boatman $0-$2,000
                  Marian (f) 28 SCT keeping house, parents of foreign birth
Pg.210, #271-277, DUNCAN, James 40 SCT grocer (Ret.) $1200-$1000, parents of foreign birth
                  Ann 37 NY keeping house, parents of foreign birth
                  Mary 14 NY att. school, father of foreign birth
                  George 12 NY att. school, father of foreign birth
Lockport, Ward 3
Pg.249, #326-335, DUNCAN, Simeon 29 NY carpenter $0-$0
                  Cornelia 21 NY
                  Sarah J. 9 MI at school
                  Idella (f) 2 NY
                  John 5/12 NY b.Jany.
                  (MAD: 1860 Manitou Co. MI census)
Pg.272, #713-737, DUNCAN, Mary 46 PA seamstress $0-$0
                  George 28 NY carpenter
                  Chas. F. 21 NY laborer
Lockport, Ward 4
Pg.304, #395-401, DUNCAN, Maggy (f) 59 NY keeps house $3500-$0
                  La Vanda (f) 23 NY at home
                  Tillie (f) 20 NY at home
Newfane
Pg.315, #118-118, DUNCAN, Hiram 53 NY farmer $17,280-$2,000
                  Belinda 54 NY house keeper
                  Emma 26 NY
                  Charles 25 NY farm labor
                  William 23 NY farm labor
                  Gilbert 21 NY farm labor
                  Effie (f) 18 NY
Royalton
Pg.519, #588-620, DUNCAN, Myron N. (m) 48 NY laborer $0-$150
                  Mary 38 NY keeping house
                  Charles 16 NY attending school
                  Emma 14, James 7 NY attending school
                  Willie 3 NY attending school
Pg.523, #669-705, DUNKIN, George J. 44 NY ship carpenter $800-$150
                  Catharine 38 NY keeping house
                  Eddy (m) 13, Charles 9 NY attending school
 

MILITARY RECORDS

Pension Index Card File, alphabetical; of the Veterans Administrative Contact and Administration Services, Admin. Operations Services, 1861-1934; Duff to A-J Duncan (negative FHL film 540,888, some cards very faint); Joseph Duncan to Dunn (positive FHL film 540,889, some cards very dark)
      Cataloged under Civil War, 1861-1865, pensions, indexes; does not say if Confederate or Federal, but probably Federal. Negative film, some cards much too faint or dark to read, some cards blurred or faded, particularly the service unit and the dates of application. Most of the very faint or dark cards were in a slightly different format, with space for years enlisted and discharged which were sometimes filled in. Many of these were for service in later years, although one or two were for service ca 1866.
      Name of soldier, alias, name of dependent widow or minor, service (military unit or units), date of filing, class (invalid or widow or minor or other), Application #, Certificate #, state from which filed (sometimes blank), attorney (sometimes blank, MAD: did not usually copy), remarks. Sometimes the "Invalid" or "Widow" class had an "s" added to it before the application #; occasionally the area for the service information included a circled "S". The minor's name was frequently that of the guardian rather than the minor.
      The military unit was frequently the Company Letter, the Regiment Number, sometimes US Vet Vol Inf. (US Veteran Volunteer Infantry), L.A. (Light Artillery), H.A. (Heavy Artillery), US C Inf (US Colored? Infantry), Cav. (Cavalry), Mil. Guards, V.R.C. (?Volunteer Reserve Corps?), etc. Sometimes there were several service units given.
      Cards appear to be arranged by the last name, first name, middle initial if any, and state (including "US") of service.
      Duncan, Myron N., widow Duncan, Catharine; D 97 NY Inf.; 1889 Oct. 28, Invalid Appl. #736061, Cert. #543607, Mich.; 1897 Oct. 23, Widow Appl. #664396, Cert. #465471, Mich. (MAD: ?? 1850 Niagara Co. NY census)
 

"Chronicles of the One Hundred Fifty-first Regiment New York State Volunteer Infantry, 1862-1865" by Helena Adelaide Howell; pub. Albion, N.Y.: A.M. Eddy, printer, 1911, 305 pgs. (LH13330, HeritageQuest images 6/2007; FHL film 1,550,775 and fiche 6,083,848)
      Pg.224: Recuits for Company F. DUNCAN, JAMES - age, 33 years. Enlisted August 25, 1862, at Lockport, to serve three years; mustered in as sergeant, Co.F, October 22, 1862; wounded in action, May 6, 1864, at the Wilderness, Va.; discharged February 21, 1865, at Elmira, N.Y. (MAD: Lockport, Niagara Co. NY)
 

HISTORIES before 1923

1897 "Landmarks of Niagara County, New York" by William Pool; pub. Syracuse, N.Y.?: D. Mason & Co. (LH3592, HeritageQuest images 6/2007; FHL book 974.798 H2p and film 1,697,419 item 2)
      Part III, pg.134-135: ROOT, THOMAS, was born at South Onondaga, Onondaga county, N.Y., October 14, 1817, the oldest son of Elias and Anna (Belding) Root ... Thomas Root was married to Martha B., daughter of Dr. Myron Orton of Cambria, in 1847. They have five children: Elias, a lawyer at North Tonawanda; Mary A., wife of Gilbert M. Duncan, a farmer of Newfane; Emma M. Root of North Tonawanda; Minnie C., wife of W. Irving Burns, a physician at North Tonawanda; and Frank M. Root, living on the home farm. Thomas Root has resided at Pekin, Niagara county, since 1818. ...
 

1878 "History of Niagara County, N.Y. : with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, private residences, public buildings, fine blocks, and important manufactories, and portraits of old pioneers and prominent residents." (anonymous); pub. New York: Sanford & Co. (LH3111, HeritageQuest images 4/2007; FHL fiche 6,061,581)
      Pg.216: Prominent Residents of Lockport. ... Duncan & Wilson, general book and job printers, over No. 51 Main street. This business was established by Leonard & Murphy in 1868, and came into the possession of the present firm in 1876. George W. Duncan was born June 28th, 1857, in Lockport.
 

1892 "Biographical and portrait cyclopedia of Niagara County, New York" by L.A. Grant; pub. Philadelphia Pa: Gresham Pub. Co. (LH3114, HeritageQuest images 4/2007)
      Pg.76: (Civil War) One Hundred and Fifty-First Infantry. ... Company F - Enrolled at Lockport. Officers. James Duncan, sergeant.
 

1921 "Anthology and bibliography of Niagara Falls" by Charles Mason Dow; pub. Albany N.Y.: State of New York (LH3110, HeritageQuest images 4/2007)
      Pg.147 and 507: 1818. DUNCAN, JOHN M. Travels through part of the United States and Canada in 1818 and 1819. N.Y.: W.B. Gilley; New Haven: Howe & Spalding. 1823. 2:29-58. The record of two visits made in the fall of 1818. There is some discussion of the recession of the Falls, a theory which the author regards as gratuitous.
      Pg.260: 1851. (DUNCAN, Mrs. M.G. LUNDIE.) America as I found it. Lod.: Nisbet. 1852. Pp. 365-380. The author was at the Falls in Indian summer and, apparently, in sympathetic mood. She writes pleasantly of the hermit of Niagara, the recession of the Falls, and ...
 

1921 "Niagara County, New York, one hundred of the most wonderful regions in the world : a concise record of her progress and people, 1821-1921, published during its centennial year" by Edward T. Williams; pub. Chicago: J.H. Beers (LH2991, HeritageQuest images 6/2007; FHL film 934,839 item 5 and fiche 6,061,460)
      Pg.730: Gad Pierce Nichols, died September, 1885. On March 28, 1819, he married Harriet Chapman, and of the children born to them five sons grew to maturity: Robert, Gad Pierce Jr., George Washington, Andrew Jackson and Alonzo, and two daughters, Sophrona ... and Harriett. ... Gad Pierce Nichols, Jr., whose home was about three miles northeast of Lewiston, died when seventy-one years old, ... He married Eliza O'Hara, and they had the following children. Clifford, Harman, Harland, Ida and Bertha. ... Ida married Edward Walker, of Lewiston, and they had three children: Harland; Norman, who married Mable Duncan, has three children; and Bertha. ... (MAD: more not copied)
      Pg.797: Ambrose Ferguson was born in 1798 in Vermont, in early manhood moving to Holley, N.Y., ... in Orleans County. The children of Ambrose Ferguson were ... Belinda, wife of Hiram C. Duncan. (MAD: more on Ferguson family not copied)
      Pg.797-798: Fred H. Ferguson (son of Hiram Ferguson and Lucretia Woodward) in 1877 he began preparing to go into business at Appleton, ... was married first in 1878 to Bertha E. Maxwell, a daughter of D.R. Maxwell. Mrs. Ferguson was born Jan. 16, 1857, and died Nov. 11, 1894. Four children were born to this marriage: Fannie, who is the wife of George H. Duncan, a farmer on the Hess road, town of Newfane; ...
      Pg.801-802: GEORGE H. DUNCAN, who is a representative citizen and well known in Niagara county, belongs to one of the old pioneer families of the town of Newfane, where his grandfather purchased land from the Holland Land Company when this whole fertile section of country was covered with timber. Mr. Duncan was born in the town of Newfane, in September, 1876, a son of W.H. and a grandson of Hiram Duncan, who was a young man when he came to Niagara county, N.Y., from New England, to look the country over with a view of possible settlement. He soon bought a farm in the town of Newfane and his business foresight was justified before his death. He cleared his land which was heavily wooded and for years afterward devoted himself to its improvement, as long as active, working under conditions that would seem very hard to the progressive farmers of today. In spite of that fact, he survived into unusual old age, being ninety-one years old at the time of death. He had five children: Emma, Charles, W.H., Gilbert and Effie.
            W.H. Duncan was born on his father's homestead in the town of Newfane and during early manhood followed farming there. Later he embarked in a mercantile business in the village of Newfane, still later engaged in the same line in Allegany county for four years, then returned to the town of Newfane and died here in his sixty-fourth year. He married Phebe Perry, who still survives and resides in Newfane village. They had but two children: Charles, who is in the employ of F.H. Ferguson, at Appleton, Niagara county; and George H.
            George H. Duncan attended the district schools in the town of Newfane and a business college at Lockport. He entered into business as a government employe and was one of the first rural mail carriers that worked out of Appleton. After an experience of two and a half years he decided to become a farmer and fruit grower, and in 1913 settled on his present valuable farm where he has been profitably engaged ever since. Mr. Duncan's farm contains sixty-five acres of exceptionally fertile land that is particularly adapted on account of its favorable location, along the Hess road, to the growing of fine fruit.
            On June 7, 1899, Mr. Duncan was married to Fanny Ferguson, a daughter of F.H. Ferguson, a prominent pioneer business man and capitalist at Appleton, and they have the following children: Bertha, a graduate of the Buffalo Normal school: Lucretia, a graduate of the Lockport High school; and Dora, Onnalee and George Wilfred. Mr. Duncan is a member of the Farm Bureau and belongs to the Odd Fellows lodge at Newfane.
 

1888 "Early history of Michigan : with biographies of state officers, members of Congress, judges and legislators : published pursuant to Act 59, 1887" by S.D.Bingham, pub. by Thorp & Godfrey, state printers and binders (HeritageQuest image 2/2007; sketches in alphabetic order, Local History Reel/Fiche Number 4546; FHL film 1,000,076 item 2)
      Pg.239: DANIEL DUNAKIN was born in Niagara county, NY, April 19, 1810, and in 1834 settled on a farm in Eckford, Calhoun Co. He was several years supervisor, and in 1855 was Representative in the legislature. Through his influence a bill was passed giving a charter to Hillsdale college. He died May 16, 1875. In politics a Republican, in religion a Free Will Baptist.
 

1922 "City of Detroit, [Wayne Co.] MI" by C.M. Burton, 5 vols., pub. by S.J. Clarke (FHL film 1,320,885 item 1 vol.4; SLC 9/2007)
      Pg.515: GEORGE W. DUNCAN, who since September, 1879, has been identified with newspaper interests and the printing business in Detroit and who in 1908 organized the firm of Duncan & Ferschneider, conducting a high-class job printing establishment, was born in Lockport, New York, June 28, 1857. He was educated in the schools of his native city and there learned the printers' trade, which he followed in Lockport until he attained his majority. He came to Detroit in 1879 and through the intervening years has made this city his home, working at his trade in various employs until January, 1884, when he joined the Detroit Journal, which had been established in September of the previous year. He acted as compositor on that paper, first on the case and later as linotype operator, until 1908, in which year he established the printing business of Duncan & Ferschneider at 94 West Fort street. The business has been carried on successfully through the intervening years and the patronage is now extensive and profitable.
      While with the Journal Mr. Duncan was elected a member of the state legislature, and public endorsement of his service came to him in two reelections, so that he served for three terms as a member of the general assembly. ... (MAD: more on his career not copied) Mr. Duncan has lost his wife but has two sons, Roy Thomas and J. Howard. He is a genial, courteous gentleman and ... For more than four decades he has made his home in Detroit and has witnessed the growth of the city from a place of two hundred and fifty thousand to a million population. (MAD: Lockport, Niagara Co. NY)
 

END

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