William Robert Duncan (abt. 1613 - bef. 1694)

Born about 7 Jun 1613 in Perthshire, Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Susan Sarah (Haldane) Duncan — married about 29 Aug 1636 in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland [uncertain]

Descendants

Died before 1694 before about age 80 in Scotland [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Brenda Duncan [send private message], Bruce Porter [send private message], and Chris Moore [send private message]

Discrepancy

No original source records have been located to confirm birth or marriage records. It appears that some erroneous information may have been published, and perhaps republished/reported, making the “actual facts” obscure. There is a great deal of conflicting information surrounding William – Many Source-to-Source discrepancies; co-mingling, Lack of records; conflicting family stories; number of Duncan’s with the same names, etc.. The "oldest source found" for this William was the "transcription of the 1565 Bible"

• No Proof other than the Bible Records that Rev. Wm. is a Minister.
• No proof that this William is the same as Rev. William in Fasti records, although dates are very close, and the relationship appears to be very likely.
• Claims made regarding "Rev. William Duncan the Martyr of Perthshire" should be viewed with extreme skepticism. (See Comparison of Sources Summary )
• Martyr of Perthshire -- has been Disproved.
• The epitaph, frequently quoted, is that of Covenanter, William Welch. His tombstone is in St. Michael's churchyard in Dumfries. He was actually executed in Edinburgh, but his head and right hand were sent [home] [to Dumfries] to be nailed up over the gate of the old bridge. Beside him in the churchyard is the tombstone of another Covenanter, called Kirko, who was actually shot on the sands of Dumfries, (beside the River Nith) in 1685
• Conflicting Ancestry beyond William and Haldane.
• Father John (Haldane Researcher) Email Date: February 12, 1999 - No Duncan-Haldane marriages found; No child of Richard Haldane named Susan located.
• Frequently reported as birth Near the Firth of Tay. (The Firth of Tay is located on the east coast of central Scotland) and died near Glasgow, Lanard, Scotland (unproven); also that married 2X Susan Haldane and Janet McArthur (disproven per Bible).

Biography

William Duncan is a member of Duncan Clan.

^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]}Orange and Culpeper Co. records and "Green Family Records" indicate that a William Duncan with his brothers Charles, Henry, and Thomas immigrated to America between 1690 and 1694.

These four brothers are generally considered to be the four sons of Rev. William Duncan (William I – m. Susan Haldane. It is likely that these four brothers may have been accompanied by their families, grown children, sisters, cousins, etc. ^[1]

Rev. William Duncan:

Parents: Son of William and Janet who survived him. ^[3]

Birth: June 7 1613, Perthshire Scotland,^[1]

Marriage August 29 1636 - Susan Haldane, Glascow Scotland (Daughter of Richard and Mary Kennet)^[1]

Death: Unknown - Estimated 1690-1694 in Scotland

1565 Bible Transcript

From Bible of Rev. Wm. Duncan - pub. 1565

Parents: Son of William and Janet who survived him. ^[3]

Rev. William Duncan - Born June 7 1613 Perthshire Scotland,^[1]

Married in Glascow - Scotland Aug. 29 1636, Susan Haldane, dau. Richard Haldane & Mary Kennett ^[1]

Death: Unknown - Estimated 1690-1694 in Scotland

• DNA-R1B1C7-L Archives

Issue Rev. Wm & Susan Haldane Duncan (births s/b 1637-1657)

1. William II - born - Oct. 1 - 1639
   

   (Later changed to reflect b. 1659 - Marriage: June 21 1662 - Margaret McMurdo (died in VA about 1720-1722^[3])

2. Charles, Sept 6 - 1642
   

   (Later changed to reflect b. 1662 (reportedly went to PA or SC - No additional information)

3. Henry , Jan 11 - 1644
   

   (Later changed to reflect b. 1664 (reportedly to Westmoreland VA - married Frances Grace)

4. Thomas } twins, Jan 28 - 1645
   

   (Later changed to reflect b. 1665 (Cumberland PA)

5. Susan }
   

   No additional information

• interesting Parallel - the change dates are very close to those dates given for Wm & McMurdo children.
• Westmoreland records indicate a Henry, Charles, John (brothers) and a William (associated with Cople Parish before 1710. (Henry m. Dorothy McClanahan?) (Charles m. Frances Grace) (William and John m. Unk).

Unidentified Children

Not listed in 1565 Bible or other records as children of Wm. (Haldane).

Alexander (Scotland Records - Fasti Reference

Unconfirmed Relationship

Fasti Reference - Alexander No solid proof that Reverend William Duncan (serving the parish of New Kilpatrick in Dumfrieshire in the late 1600's) was the ancestor of the Virginia Duncans listed in the 1595 Bible, Mr William's spouse as of 1688, 'Joneta McCartour' and 'Joneta McCarthour' i.e. Janet McArthur.^[6]

Conclusion: Possibly William [1] married 2X
– (1 Haldane 1636 & 2 Mcarthur 1647)
- another son called William, born (after William [3]'s death) (1639 and after John's birth.

If we take the Bible Record (1565) as a standalone document versus Fasti: The Documentation shows:
[William #1] b. 1627 d. . 1692 (age 65) [m. abt 1647] Janet McArthur (only wife found/listed) (Dr. Robertson/Fasti & Testaments) (Janet ?alive 1688)
William,. b about 1627 King’s Coll., Aberdeen; M.A. 1648; Asst. Auchindoir 21 Oct. 1652 – 1653. Kildrummy (before) 18 July 1666-1689. Driven from his charge in 1689,.
issue:

William;

Alexander, Bishop of Glasgow, was probably his son. (FES; Christie MSS)

Children: [b aft 1647 ]

1. Eldest son (b abt 1648) of Mr William [1] was William [2], who married Margaret Forbes. [m. abt 1668 Children b aft 1668]
   
   1. Son William [3] [b abt _1669_ died before 24 September 1725.
      
   2. His younger full brother John (b abt 1670) was his heir, so William [3] died, before 27 September 1725 without legitimate surviving issue.
      

There is no testament for William [1], his son William [2], or for William [3].

John Duncan (transfers ownership) of the land to Mr Alexander Duncan

-- Williame Duncan m. Margaret Forbes in Saint Nicholas,Aberdeen,Aberdeen,Scotland 07 Jul 1612 (fhc 991138) (This seems to equate to Alexander Merchant of Aberdeen; ancestor of Lochrutton Duncan's)
-- Prob Son Alexander {b 1655; d. 1733 (age 78); m. abt 1675; Wife Unknown] )

Alexander Duncan b. about 1655, prob. Son of Rev. William Duncan of New Kipatrrick and Janet Macarthur Glasgow Univ.; MA 30 July 1675 Kilbirnie, 1680-89. Recommended by James, Marquess of Montrose, 7 May 1681, for the parish of Baldernock, which did not then become vacant. He was driven out of his charge in 1689 He was consecrated a bishop of non-jurants at IRVINE] KILBIRNIE 103 Edinburgh in 1724)

(Alexander has dau Grizell b 1727 – and son Robert (b. abt 1686 d. 1733 age 78))

Speculation

John m. McCarthur - s/b William m. Jonet McCarthur William and Jonet are the parents of William m. Haldane rather than 2nd wife. William m. Jonet is probable son of John m. Andro.

William was born in 1629. He passed away in 1692.

Research Notes

• There is a data note about the Reverend from FS with different dates for his birth. He is apparently the son of the second son of a Sir William Duncan and Lady Agnes Robinson. Further notes will be added as found.Urquhart-93 04:37, 8 May 2020 (UTC)
• Notes on Rev. William Duncan.
• Electric Scotland post
• Anything mentioning Don Greene's Shawnee Heritage is based on a known fraudulent source. Ergo, this information was removed from the top of the profile:

From: G Ashley: Subject: [R-M222] Check out Rev William Robert Duncan (1628 - 1690) - Find AGrave Memorial Date: Sun, 29 Dec 2013 09:31:01 -0500 (EST) http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/DNA-R1B1C7/2013-12/1388327461. THIS BIOGRAPHY IS FROM: MICHELLE ABBEY-PRESCOTT, ANOTHER GRANDCHILD OF WILLIAM DUNCAN: Parent reference in the book Shawnee Heritage III pg. 252, author Don Greene https://books.google.com/books?id=E9EeCAAAQBAJ&lpg=PA253&ots=Bl6rzHumkH&dq=Susan%20(Haldane)%20Duncan&pg=PA252#v=onepage&q=Susan%20(Haldane)%20Duncan&f=false Please see: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Shawnee_Heritage_Fraud

• Unsourced - Pedigree Resource File Record ID Number: MH:S26 User ID: 450F15E6-A727-4C74-8A32-D10467A65628 UPD 18 JAN 2013 17:10:22 GMT-6 Title: Record ID Number: MH:SC823 Page: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.2.1/SBCC-NP8&view=basic Data: Date: 23 APR 2013
• London, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1917
• UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current http://www.Ancestry.com

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5} Transcription - Source 1 Bible Record Orig - Bible of Rev. Wm. DUNCAN - pub. 1565 [The original bible has not been seen in years. A handwritten transcript of the entries in the Bible is found in the back of the Owensboro KY Library copy of ‘Gen. and Hist. Notes on Culpeper Co. VA’. In the absence of the original, this is the earliest source]
2. ↑ Transcription - Source 2 Bible Record – 1752 - Ringo Bible (Kentucky - James Franklin Duncan’s account of the first three generations descended from William agrees with Underwoods findings
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} Transcription Source 3 1813 Bible Van Dyke Bible (Nancy Duncan married William Van Dyke - Apr 1, 1813; Nancy great grandaughter of Thomas (Parents William and McMurdo) (Multiple copies in agreement - Orig Bible lost in fire May 30 1987)

   On the occasion of the marriage of Nancy Duncan April one AD 1813 Big Springs Presbyterian Church with Mr. William Van Dyke of the parish.
   daughter to William Duncan and his later wife Nancy McKeehan who died giving her birth.
   granddaughter to William Duncan departed now 19 years and Mary Albert alive as of this day.
   great grandaughter to Thomas Duncan born 12 of January 1686 in Perthsire who came here and his wife Jane who died of a later birth
   And Thomas was the son of William Duncan and Margaret McMurdo born in Scotland and perished in Belhaven.
   And William was the son of William, a man of the cloth, born 7 January 1630 in Perthshire. Married Susan, daughtor of Richard Haldane of Gleneagles. He died at the hand of others 12 January 1692.
   And William also was a son of William and Janet who survived him.
   

4. ↑ Source 4 (A) Capt. Thos. Chew Copy of Church Records preserved -- Scotch Presbyterians (list of children’s names and birth dates appear to have 20+ year discrepancy 150 years later) (B) Letters to/from Samuel McAffee Duncan (Nicholasville) & Charles C. Duncan (Edenton, N.C ) Letters re descendants of Charles & Rawley (sons of William Duncan) (C) Judge Daniel A. Grimsley, of Culpeper, Virginia – Culpepper Records; (D) James Franklin Duncan’s account of the first three generations descended from William agrees with Underwood's findings
5. ↑ Source 5 Comparison of Sources Summary
6. ↑ Duncan Sasines
   (1) [Scottish Record Office, ref. RS10/2 ff. 254v-255v] At Dumbarton, 8 December 1688]
   (2) [Scottish Record Office, ref. RS10/5 ff. 267-268v] At Dumbarton, 27 October 1725]
   (3) [Scottish Record Office, ref. RS10/6 ff. 25v-26] At Dumbarton, 22 April 1727]
   (4) [Scottish Record Office, ref. RS10/8 ff. 413v-414] At Dumbarton, 29 June 1754]
   (5) [Scottish Record Office, ref. RS10/9 ff. 266v-267v] 21 April 1761]
   (6) [Scottish Record Office, ref. RS10/9 fo. 271] 21 May 1761] (7) [Scottish Record Office, ref. RS10/9 ff. 268v-269v] At Dumbarton, 11 May 1761]
   [The Snell exhibitions: From the University of Glasgow to Balliol college, Oxford; By William Innes Addison
   
   • ROBERT DUNCAN. 23rd June, 1699.
     
   Born at Kilbirnie, Ayrshire, circa 1686. Son of the Rev. Alexander Duncan (M.A. Glasg. 1675), sometime Minister of Kilbirnie, from which charge he was "outed by the rabble" in 1688, thereafter (1715) Incumbent of a Jacobite Episcopal Congregation in Glasgow, and (1724) a Bishop of that body, and who died in January, 1733, aged 78. So keen were the political feelings of Bishop Duncan, that he refused the Communion to an English officer, because the latter would not acknowledge the holding of a commission from King George to be a sin. The Bishop is supposed to have been a son of the Rev. William Duncan, minister of New Kilpatrick, who also was " outed." The Exhibitioner had a sister named Grizell.

Acknowledgments

• D C for creating WikiTree profile Duncan-3192 through the import of Crumpgedcom.ged on May 29, 2013.

• WikiTree Profile created by Bruce Porter, Sunday, March 2, 2014.

• WikiTree profile created through the import of GedTem12:18.ged on Dec 19, 2011 by Jack Templeton.

• http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/DNA-R1B1C7/2012-02/1328966411

• Information entered by Bob Patterson, Thursday, March 5, 2015.

• GEDCOM Import by Brenda Duncan from The Family Tree Maker tree entitled The Heart of the Matter