John Strother Duncan (1753 - 1823)

Born 1753 in Culpeper, Culpeper, Colony of Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Elizabeth Ann (Patterson) Duncan — married 29 Dec 1793 in Greenbrier, West Virginia, United States

Descendants

Died 13 Jan 1823 at about age 70 in Dungannon, Russell, Virginia, United States

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Biography

John Duncan is a member of Duncan Clan.

History of Summers County (pages 461-462) by James H. Miller, December 1, 1907 for Blaine Duncan:

"John Duncan was one of the first settlers on Lick Creek, in Green Sulphur District. It is impossible to give the exact date of his location, but it was some time prior to 1800. He was from Shenandoah County, VA and married Elizabeth Patterson from New Jersey. He died in 1823 and it was at the house of his widow, on the old Duncan place on Lick Creek that the first Baptist Church in that region was organized in 1832. He was an Indian fighter and helped to defend the forts in that region. He was the father of 11 children, 6 boys, and 5 girls. The three boys known to the writer were John Duncan, the oldest who resided on Mill Fork, almost in sight of Green Sulphur Springs where his son, Harvey Duncan (William Harvey Duncan) now lives and who married a Miss Adeline Hix, sister of John and William Hix, aunt of Robert Hix. Charles Duncan married Cassie Alderson, a sister of the wives of David Graham and Robert Miller; and Nathan L. Duncan, who married Elmira Crews of Monroe County. Charles Duncan left 2 sons: Nathan A. and James, known as "Jim Curly". James' son Elliott, is presently deputy sheriff for Green Sulphur District; and one daughter who married A. J. Miller, now living in Roanoke, VA. Nathan L. Duncan, left surviving him, George A. Duncan, who lives at the old Nathan Duncan homestead on Duncan Branch. George A. Duncan married Miss Mallie Graham, daughter of James L. Graham. James Selby(Sedley) Duncan, who was a brave Confederate soldier that fought throughout the Civil War in the Confederate Army, was wounded at the Seven Days fight now resides on Lick Creek; and John L. Duncan who married Miss Alice George, daughter of Tom Lewis George of the Meadows. Nathan's daughters were Ellen, Martha, and Lucy. Lucy married John C. McNeer who now resides at Oak Hill in Fayette County. Ellen married a Mr. Watson of Ashland, KY who died some years ago; and Martha married Charles Connor and resides on Muddy Creek in Greenbrier County. John Sr. was understood to be a native of Scotland. John Duncan, the younger or second, left the following children: John Hunter Duncan who is a farmer residing near Elton. He has also engaged in saw milling. He is a very tall, large man noted for his slow speech and slow movements. W. H. Duncan, (generally known as Harvey) who was disabled when a boy from the disease commonly known as "white swelling". Marion, who was not of strong mind, and three daughters. Miss Jeruska, who married Mr. John H. Ford, a prosperous farmer and horse trader; Lovey Jane, who married W. L. Standard of Webster Springs, and Elizabeth, who married Marion Surbaugh, commonly known as "Bugs" as a nickname. Before formation of the state of WV, education was by private or pay school tuition $1.00 per month. Schools usually served a ten mile radius with teachers boarding within students homes. When Summer County was formed, there was one "free school" made from rough hewn logs in Green Sulphur township. It was the "Old Gum School House" at the ford of Lick Creek at the foot of Keeney's Knob. Built under supervision of Samuel H. Withrow by Mr. Nathan Duncan, of hewn logs with dressed ceiling and floors and cost of $400.00 in year of 1867 or 1868 while the district was still in Greenbrier County, a part of Blue Sulphur Township. Attended by children from 6 to 21 from top of Keeney's Knob to head of Lick Creek and to the top of Sewell Mountain, the Andrew Foster place, the Hurley place, the Slater Creek, and the Duncan settlements, a radius of 6 miles. Attended by lots of boys 21 years and older who had fought under the stars and bars flag after returning from the war. The first free school at this house was taught by a young man by the name of A. M. Matics who very much disliked by both pupils and patrons and before the close of the term, all had quit the school except a very few. No one could teach school in those days without first subscribing to some kind of a teacher test oath, testifying to his loyalty to the Government during the war. The first school house erected on Lick Creek was an old log house on the farm of William B. McNeer on the banks of Slater Creek, near the forks of the creek. The first school taught there after the war was by John P. Duncan, a veteran of the CSA Army, and was attended by a number of Confederacy, including Jno. C. McNeer, James M. Miller, James S. Duncan, John L. Duncan, Nathan Duncan, and others whose names I do not remember, who had all been in the Army."

Sources

"West Virginia Marriages, 1780-1970," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FRFR-C2W : 11 February 2018), John Duncan and Eliza. Patterson, 29 Dec 1793; citing Greenbrier, West Virginia, P23, county clerks, West Virginia; FHL microfilm 595,040.

• first hand knowledge of David Yates,ancestry.com (Yates-Claytor Family Tree)