Samuel Eaton Duncan (1779 - 1855)

Born 25 Aug 1779 in Brunswick, Cumberland, Massachusetts, United States

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 7 May 1855 at age 75 in Bath, Sagadahoc, Maine, United States

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Samuel Duncan is a member of Duncan Clan.

Biography

Samuel was born in 1779.^[1] He was the son of Samuel Duncan and Hannah Donnell.

Samuel Eaton Duncan appears to have been running some sort of store in Bath. He is described in real estate deeds as a "merchant." An inventory of items seized in execution of a later court judgment suggest that the store may have been either a general store, or a specialized store of some sort. It is not difficult to imagine him running a shop selling goods directed to Bath's seafearing community, by far Bath's most important local industry.

A deed dated April 11, 1806 lists Samuel E. Duncan as "Merchant, of Bath."^[2] At this time, he is selling real estate in Bath for $35.

Another deed dated May 28, 1807, also lists Samuel Eaton Duncan as "Merchant." He sold a rather large tract of land on the Kennebec River, running west all the way to High Street, to Lydia Magoun for $992.96.

However, by the spring and summer of 1807, Samuel Eaton Duncan was 27 years old, and he was experiencing very serious financial difficulties that are revealed by real estate and court records of the era that are found in the Lincoln County, Maine courthouse.

The timing of Samuel Eaton Duncan's financial crisis suggests that it may have been related to the local economic impact of the adoption of the Non-Importation Act passed by Congress on 18 Apr 1806, which forbade the importation of specified British goods in order to force Great Britain to relax a series of rigorous rulings on cargoes and the impressment of sailors.

The Non-Importation Act of 1806 and the subsequent Embargo Acts of 1807 and 1808 (see below) resulted in severe economic disruptions in the shipping industry and in businesses that were related to the shipping industry, particularly in New England. New England states were so severely impacted that some of them threatened to succeed from the United States or to ignore the federal law, as they believed (still 50 years before the Civil War) that the constitution allowed them to do. The Embargo Acts were so widely flouted in New England that eventually President Jefferson declared that an insurrection was in progress, and they were repealed by Congress in 1809. But the simmering dispute with England eventually erupted in the War of 1812.

Samuel Eaton Duncan's financial problems in the Spring and Summer of 1807 appear to have been unrelated to the later passage by Congress of the even more restrictive Embargo Act of 1807, which did not go into effect until 22 Dec 1807. The Embargo Acts of 1807 and 1808, which prohibited all international shipping and trade, completely devastated the local economy of Bath, particularly in the year 1808.

In response to his financial situation, beginning in May of 1807, Samuel Eaton Duncan sold several lots of real estate in rapid succession, raising a large amount of cash. Real estate records also reflect that he also took out several loans secured by mortgages of real estate. Despite these transactions, it appears that he was still unable to raise enough money to meet whatever financial obligations that he had.

Still attempting to sell more property, on July 2, 1807, an ad was published on page 3 of The Eastern Argus in which Samuel E. Duncan is offering for sale 7 acres of Land, with a store, on the margin of the Kennebeck River, including a "new and handsome two story House, 40 by 33 feet," a barn, a yard of three quarters of an acre on which there were 70 Apple Trees, Plumb Trees, Cherry Trees, and a "celebrated living Spring, so elevated on a hill that an Aqueduct may be carried to a large number of the inhabitants residing near the river." The value of the Estate is listed in the ad as twelve thousand dollars. The ad ran again in the Eastern Argus on July 16, 1807, page 3.

Despite these efforts to raise cash, on August 24, 1807, court judgments in five different cases totaling over $2,000 in 1807 dollars were entered against Samuel E. Duncan at the Lincoln County Courthouse in Wiscasset. The executions on these judgments, which appear in the real estate records of Lincoln County, suggest that the judgments probably completely wiped him out financially and which resulted in levies on most, if not all, of his property in satisfaction of the judgments. The real estate that was levied upon was insufficient to cover all of the judgments, so further executions were had on what appear to be the goods of his store. Even that was insufficient to satisfy all of the judgments that were entered against him. One creditor, his brother-in-law Dr. Timothy Waldron, went so far to have even levied on Samuel Eaton Duncan's church pew!

Ebenezer Clap of Bath recovered a court judgment against Samuel Eaton Duncan on August 24, 1807 in the amount of $117.50 plus costs of $9.50. Ebenezer Clap apparently was an attorney. A court order was entered commanding the Sheriff of Lincoln County to levy on the property of Samuel Eaton Duncan to satisfy the judgment, and to bring him into custody at the county jail until the judgment was paid. Several lots in Bowdoinham, ME were levied for the purpose of satisfying the judgment, those being Lot No. 6 on the east side of the town road, Lots 0, 1, and 4 on the South side 'fore street,' and Lot No. 4 and 7 on the East side of Bowdoin Street. The return states that these properties were held in common between Samuel E. Duncan and others who were unnamed. The interest of Samuel Duncan was set off in satisfaction of the judgment in favor of Ebenezer Clap. The judge's deed was recorded Jan. 6, 1808.^[3]

In another case heard on the same day, August 24, 1807, Plaintiffs William Sedyard and Edward S. Palmer of Bath, Traders, recovered a judgment against Samuel Eaton Duncan in the amount of $297.50 plus costs of $8.01. Other properties were levied in satisfaction of this judgment, apparently also in Bowdoinham, but the deed is unclear in describing where the properties were located. The levy occurred on Septmber 19, 1807. The judge's deed was recorded Jan. 6, 1808.^[4]

Yet another case on August 24, 1807 found Jonathan Heywood of Boston in Court and recovering a judgment against Samuel E. Duncan and Calvin Day, both of Bath, in the sum of $147.21 damage, plus $17.27 in costs. A levy and body attachment was ordered. Ebenezer Clap represented Jonathan Heywood as attorney in this case. A levy was made on real estate in Bath.^[5]

Another deed dated 2 Apr. 1808 notes that the adjoining property had been "set off by Jonathan Heywood to satisfy an execution in his favor against Samuel E. Duncan & Calvin Day on Sept. 21, 1807." ^[6]

In another court case heard on August 24, 1807, Isaiah Bisbee of Bath, a jeweler, recovered a judgment against Samuel Eaton Duncan in the amount of $501.30 in damages and $11.16 in costs. Another body attachment and levy was ordered. Attorney Ebenezer Clap represented the Plaintiff in this case as well. Levy was made on property in Bowdoinham: Lot No. 3 on the East side of Bowdoin Street, and No. 3 on the west side of Hawking Street, and an undivided fourth part of land held with James Robinson and Robert Trevet and others. The levy did not entirely satisfy the judgment. Further execution of "two mares & one sleigh and harness and one old rack of a boat" which was sold by posting. Thomas Donnell bid $40 for the mares and Ebenezer Nichols bid $17.75 for the sleigh and harness. The boat was sold to Jessee Russell for $1.40. The sales of these items and others was still insufficient to satisfy the judgment and the costs of advertising and transportation, leaving a shortfall of $238.08.^[7]

The timing of this case and the soon to be marriage of Samuel Eaton Duncan to Sarah Webb, and the fact that this judgment creditor was a jeweler raises an interesting question of whether Samuel Eaton Duncan may have owned jeweler Isaiah Bisbee for the engagement ring or wedding ring. If so, the amount of the judgment of $501.30 in 1807 dollars suggests that it would have been a very large and expensive ring. Another possibility might be that the jeweler was a wholesale supplier for Samuel Eaton Duncan's retail store.

To top all of this off, Samuel Eaton Duncan's own brother-in-law, Timothy Winn Waldron of Bath, physician, also obtained a judgment against Duncan from the same court, also on August 24, 1807. This one was in the amount of $1,015 in damages and $8.15 in costs. A body attachment and levy was ordered on this case as well. Execution was made on Samuel Eaton Duncan's church pew number 94 in the south end of the South meeting house on High Street in Bath. This brought $90 toward satisfaction of the judgment. Further execution was made on personal property, including "3 squares glass," 1 singing book, 1 inkstand, 40 pounds of yellow wood, 1 desk, 1 barrell, 1 half barrell, 6 gallons vinegar, 1 tea chest, 4 squires brown paper, 2 tins, 4 corks, 10 axe halves, 1 "brasscock," 3 hogs heads, 2 barrells, 1 box, 1 chair, 1 sugar tray. This array suggests the possibility that these items may have been from the inventory of Samuel Eaton Duncan's store. These were sold at auction and were insufficient to satisfy the judgment.^[8]

Just three months after these events, Samuel Eaton Duncan married Sarah Mansfield Webb. Her father, William Webb, was the first Collector the Customs House in Bath, where Samuel Eaton Duncan may have become employed after the failure of his business. The birth date of their first child in June of 1808 suggests that this may have been a "shotgun" wedding, as they were married in November of 1807, just seven months before the birth.

Samuel Eaton Duncan's marriage to Sarah Webb was not a happy one. According to the autobiography of his son Capt. Charles Crooker Duncan (b. 1821), at some point Samuel Eaton Duncan began drinking heavily and was an "object of disgust" in Bath. His text suggests that his wife Sarah had to shield her children from their father.

By the time of the 1830 census, Samuel Eaton Duncan was living apart from his wife and children. The 1830 census, Maine, LINCOLN, Roll 49 Book 1, Page 342a, lists Sarah Duncan as the head of the household. It appears that she was living apart from her husband Samuel Eaton Duncan by the time of the 1830 census.

He passed away in 1855.^[9]

Children

1. William H.^[10]
2. Samuel J.^[11]
3. George W.^[12]
4. Hannah E.^[13]
5. Catharine T.^[14]
6. Charles C.^[15]

Sources

1. ↑ "Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9BJ-J9BM-G?cc=1803978 : 28 November 2018), > image 1 of 1; multiple sources, Maine.
2. ↑ Lincoln Co., ME, Registry of Deeds, 76:20b-21
3. ↑ Lincoln Co., ME, Registry of Deeds, 69:14b-15b.
4. ↑ Lincoln Co., ME, Registry of Deeds, 69:16-17.
5. ↑ Lincoln Co., ME, Register of Deeds, 69:17b-18.
6. ↑ Lincoln Co., ME, Registry of Deeds, 69:99b-100b].
7. ↑ Lincoln Co., ME, Registry of Deeds, 69:19-20b
8. ↑ Lincoln Co., ME, Registry of Deeds, 69:20b-22
9. ↑ "Maine, Nathan Hale Cemetery Collection, ca. 1780-1980," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVJ5-77RL : 16 March 2018), Samuel Duncan, 1855; citing Bath, Sagadahoc, Maine, United States, Maple Grove Cemetery, Maine State Library, Augusta; FHL microfilm 1,315,193.
10. ↑ "Maine Births and Christenings, 1739-1900", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F4QQ-MD8 : 14 January 2020), Samuel E. Duncan in entry for William H. Duncan, 1808.
11. ↑ "Maine Births and Christenings, 1739-1900", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F47Y-WJR : 14 January 2020), Samuel E. Duncan in entry for Samuel J. Duncan, 1809.
12. ↑ "Maine Births and Christenings, 1739-1900", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F47Y-WJB : 14 January 2020), Samuel E. Duncan in entry for George W. Duncan, 1810.
13. ↑ "Maine Births and Christenings, 1739-1900", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F44Y-2ZX : 14 January 2020), Samuel E. Duncan in entry for Hannah E. Duncan, 1811.
14. ↑ "Maine Births and Christenings, 1739-1900", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F44Y-2Z8 : 14 January 2020), Samuel E. Duncan in entry for Catharine T. Duncan, 1814.
15. ↑ "Maine Births and Christenings, 1739-1900", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F47Y-G5K : 14 January 2020), Samuel E. Duncan in entry for Charles C. Duncan, 1821.

• "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6J1-GKW : 4 April 2020), Samuel E Duncan, Bath, Lincoln, Maine, United States; citing family 17, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 20 October 2020), memorial page for Samuel Eaton Duncan (25 Aug 1779–7 May 1855), Find a Grave Memorial no. 44568441, citing Maple Grove Cemetery, Bath, Sagadahoc County, Maine, USA ; Maintained by Wayne Cappen (contributor 46637266) .

Acknowledgement

Biography and references pulled from Find A Grave memorial which is maintained by Duncan family researcher Jon A. Duncan.