Mary (Davis) Duncan (1762 - abt. 1843)

Born 4 Sep 1762 in Orange County, North Carolina

Ancestors

Wife of Benjamin Duncan — married Dec 1776 in Wilkes, North Carolina, USA

Descendants

Died about 1843 at about age 80 in Frost, Anderson County, Tennessee, USA

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Joe Crain [send private message], Jim Burleson [send private message], and Mark Pittman [send private message]

Discrepancy

Merge Needed Davis-52518 - Appears to be Correct brother; however parent attachment discrepancy between Mary Davis and Brother

Biography

Mary (Davis) Duncan was a North Carolina colonist.

Mary Davis (aka Mary, Mollie, Molly - traditionally they have a long history of being a nickname for Mary.)^[1]

daughter of

presumed daughter of

Birth

Birth Estimate 1756-1762 in Orange County, or Rowan North Carolina^{[2] [3]}

Marriage

Marriage December 1776 Wilkes County, North Carolina

to Benjamin DUNCAN, ^[4][5] who presumably had immigrated from Scotland.

Mary Davies and Hillery Masters took out a marriage bond on 23 Dec 1779 in Rowan County, North Carolina. ^{[6] [7] [8]}

Mary and Benjamin had 12 children and reportedly the eldest was born about 1775. Names of the children were not provided in the pension application or affidavits. See Benjamin's profile for a compiled list.

Death

Death Estimate about 1843. Mary died at her son's home (Moses M. Duncan, Sr. of Anderson County, North Carolina . ^[9]

Pension and Affidavits

She made a widow's military pension application regarding her deceased husband's military service during the American Revolutionary War. She was inscribed on the Knoxville, Tennessee roll at the rate of $20 per annum, commencing 04 March 1834.

On 12 June 1841 she appeared before Richard Oliver, Justice of the Peace in Anderson County, Tennessee and made the following declaration regarding her pension benefits ^[10] ...

State of Tennessee Anderson County

On this 12th day of June 1841, personally appeared before me, Richard Oliver an acting Justice of the peace for said County, Mary Duncan, a resident of the said County of Anderson and State aforesaid about eighty-five years of age who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on her oath, make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the provision made by the act of Congress passed June 4th, 1836, that she is the widow of Benjamin Duncan who was a soldier in the Army of the Revolutionary War. Applicant is informed & believes that her said husband Benjamin Duncan entered the service of the United States, a volunteer under Captain Cowin [sic, Cowan], under the command of General Sumpter [sic, Thomas Sumter] for the period of three months, the time he entered the Service or left the same, she cannot now say. She heard her said husband say that he had served the term for which he volunteered. She heard him speak of being in the battle at Tiger [sic, Tyger] River in South Carolina. He resided in the County of Wilkes when he entered the service. She cannot tell through what section of the country he marched. Her said husband, Benjamin Duncan, entered the service a second time a volunteer for three months under Captain John Cleveland, commanded by Colonel Malbedee [sic, Malmedy] and General Lee, also General Morgan, as she is informed and believes. She cannot tell through what section of the country he marched. Neither can she give the battles that he was in, neither can she now give the time he entered or left the service, but she states that her said husband entered the service, as she has stated and served the term of six months.

She further declares that she was married to the said Benjamin Duncan in the month of December 1776 in the County of Wilkes North Carolina, the day of the month she does not recollect and that her said husband, the said Benjamin Duncan died January 1803 and that she has remained a widow ever since that period and that her maiden name, before she married the said Benjamin, was Mary Davis by which name she was fully known, as will more fully appear by reference to the proof hereto annexed. She has no documentary evidence in support of her claim.

Sworn to and subscribed on the day and year above written.

(signatures) Richard Oliver, J.P. & Mary Duncan (her X mark)

_______

On 29 July 1841 her military pension was suspended. ^[11] and she was again in court ...

State of Tennessee Anderson County

On this 13th day of September 1841, personally appeared before me, Richard Oliver an acting Justice of the Peace for said County, Mary Duncan, widow of Benjamin Duncan, who being first duly sworn according to law, doth on her oath make the following amended declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Provision made by the act of Congress passed 4 July 18.]36. Applicant states that she has no Register of her marriage, neither has she any Register of the births of her children, she and Benjamin Duncan had twelve children birth to them, the eldest will be 65 years of age next January, to the best of applicant's Recollection and belief, She does not know of any person now in existence who knows anything about her marriage except her brother Thomas Davis, whose affidavit she is advised are already furnished.

Sworn to and subscribed on the day and year above written.

(signatures) Richard Oliver, J.P. & Mary Duncan, (her X mark)

_______

[fn p10] On 27 May 1842 in Anderson County Tennessee, Thomas Davis, @83, gave testimony that Benjamin and Mary Duncan were married in the year 1776; that he was at the wedding in Wilkes County, North Carolina and that the wedding occurred prior to Duncan's entering the service of the United States in the Revolutionary War. _______

[fn p13]

State of Tennessee Anderson County

Thomas Davis about eighty-two years of age, personally appeared before me Richard Oliver, one of the Acting Justices of the peace for said County of Anderson, a resident of Anderson County, who being first duly sworn according to law depose an oaith that he were acquainted with Benjamin Duncan and Mary Duncan while they resided in Wilkes County, North Carolina, that they were legally married in the said County of Wilkes in the year 1776, I believe in the month of December. He further states that said Duncan and himself volunteered in the service of the United States in the Revolution War, for the period of three months under Captain Cowan, commanded by General Sumpter. We were marched to King's mountain before the battle at that place. We were marched from there down into South Carolina to the fish dam Ford on Broad River. From there to Tiger River, where we had a battle with the British. Our General were wounded and we were forced to retreat. We were marched from Tiger River and some time after the battle there, we were discharged, our term of service having expired, the name of the place where we were discharged he does not now recollect. This tour of duty, I think was performed sometime in 1780. We returned home after I discharge and Duncan left the neighborhood with his family and some time in the month of August 1781, I volunteered under Major Lewis, marched and rendezvoused at Wilkes Court House, when at the same time and place Benjamin Duncan also rendezvous. We were in different Companies. I were commanded by Captain Alexander Gordon and Duncan by Captain John Cleveland. We marched from Wilkes to Mecklenburg, from there to Camden, from there to the High Hills of Santee, thence to the Eutaw Springs, where we had an engagement with the British, which I think were in the month of September 1781, under the command of Colonel Malbede [sic, Malmedy] and General Green [sic, Nathanael Greene]. We were sent from there to guard the British prisoners. Onwards near Salisbury, we were detained after we stopped with the prisoners on a Branch called Bell's branch, about three weeks and some time after that our term of service having expired, we were discharged. In these two tours of duty Duncan served six months in the Revolutionary War. We were discharged in the month of November 1781. Affiant cannot say how long since the death of Benjamin Duncan precisely - he believes it has been about 38 years since he died, and that Duncan, his widow has remained a widow ever since the death of her said husband, the aforesaid Benjamin Duncan.

Subscribed and sworn to before me the day and date above written.

(signatures) Richard Oliver, J.P. & Thomas Davis, (his X mark).

_______

Deposition of Elizabeth Brown on 12 April 1842 @66 years of age, that she were acquainted with Benjamin and Mary Duncan while they resided in Wilks County, North Carolina in the year 1778 and during their stay there, which were a number of years. Afterwards, that they were reputed and believed to be husband and wife and that she were also acquainted with them since they came to Tennessee and that they were still reputed to be husband and wife and she never heard to the reverse, and that Benjamin Duncan as she was informed entered the service as a soldier in the Revolutionary War sometime after her acquaintance with him and the said Mary Duncan. She does not know any thing about his service of her own knowledge but from common reports of the county ... _______

Deposition of Elizabeth Brown on 27 May 1842 before Robert McKamey, J.P. in Anderson County Tennessee that she is advised that in making a former affidav it in behalf of Mary Duncan, applicant for a pension and forwarded to the Pension Department, that her age were set at 60 years which ought to have been set at 66 years. Affiant states that she were acquainted with Mary and Benjamin Duncan in the year 1778 while they resided in Wilks County, North Carolina and for a number of years afterwards and that they lived together as man and wife and reputed as such, before Benjamin Duncan volunteered in the Revolutionary War and that they were still reputed and believed to be husband and wife and that she never heard otherwise. _______

Certificate of pension was issued on 18 June 1842 for Mary Duncan and sent to Richard Oliver, J.P. in Robertsville, Anderson County, Tennessee. ^[12]

Research Notes

NOT to be confused with the family of a different Benjamin Duncan who was American born, married Elizabeth Browning and died in Kentucky.

Sources

No original source records have been located to confirm birth or marriage records; Several Source to Source Discrepancies.  It appears that some erroneous information may have been published, and  perhaps republished/reported, making the “actual facts” obscure. Links for Find A Grave and (Ancestry) Family Trees are provided for reference  and convenience only, (and are considered unreliable/unproven  unless supporting sources are contained within). Independent research is encouraged and should be done before considering as "fact"

1. ↑ Source-to-Source Discrepancies (some co-mingled information) name/location discrepancies
2. ↑ Millennium File by Heritage Consulting on ancestry.com
3. ↑ Family Data Collection - Births compiled by Edmund West on ancestry.com
4. ↑ Pension Application
5. ↑ "DUNCAN's of Frost Bottom, Tennessee" book
6. ↑ North Carolina, Marriage Bonds 1741-1868 on ancestry.com
7. ↑ North Carolina, Marriage Collection 1741-2004 at North Carolina State Archives & on ancestry.com
8. ↑ U.S. and International Marriage Records 1560-1900 by Yates Publishing on ancestry.com
9. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #65475790 for Mary (Davis) Duncan.
10. ↑ Southern Campaign American Revolution Pension Statements & Rosters, FHL#97 0,863; National Archives roll#863 Military pension application #W7052 for service of Benjamin Duncan by widow Mary Duncan, fn19NC.
11. ↑ Letters to Richard Oliver: suspended=29 July 1841 & 02 Oct 1841 & 06 May 1842.
12. ↑ Recorded in Book-C v1 p198.

• Mary Ann Duncan Dobson "Duncan Research Files" (Consolidated, sourced and acknowledged); and the many Duncan Researchers that have provided information.

• Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 9 December 2019), memorial page for Mary Davis Duncan (1756–1842), Find A Grave Memorial no. 65475790, citing Frost Cemetery, Frost, Anderson County, Tennessee, USA ; Maintained by Find A Grave (contributor 8) .