THROUGH
MOUNTAIN MISTS
Early Settlers of
Their
Descendants...Their Stories...Their Achievements
Lifting the
Mists of History on Their Way of Life
By: Ethelene Dyer Jones
Honoring Early
Settlers in the Duncan Family
and Sheriff Harlan Duncan, a Descendant
One Duncan family was present in
the new
Union County when the first census was taken of residents in 1834, two
years
after the county was formed. When
Alexander Duncan and his family settled here is not certain. In 1834, his household had three males and
three females listed as residents.
By 1840, four households of Duncans
were registered in the U. S. census in Union County.
These included Alexander Duncan, still
residing in Union from 1834, whose household had a son between five and
ten,
one between ten and fifteen, Alexander himself, between 40 and 50 and
three
females under fifteen and his wife, between 40 and 50.
The second Duncan household was headed by
David, with two males under five, and David himself between twenty and
30, and
his wife in his same age category. In
another household was Charles Duncan, between fifty and sixty, two
sons, one 15
to 20 and one 20-30, and evidently his wife, between 40 and fifty, and
an
elderly lady, aged between 70-80. The
fourth and final Duncan household was headed by Elisha who was between
30 and
40, two sons between 10-15, and evidently three daughters, one under 5,
one
5-10, and one 10-15 (no wife, or no female who would have been the
approximate
age of a wife and mother).
In the interim period between the
1840-1850 census tabulations, more Duncan households had been set up,
so that
by 1850, the first census with names of all residents in a family
listed, we
note eight with Duncan as the household head. These, listed as found in
the census
(even with spelling as given then) were:
Household # 9: Charles Duncan and
his wife Mary, both age
75, both having been born in Virginia.
Household # 75: Joseph Duncan, age
29, and Mary, age 27, both
born in North Carolina. Union marriage
records show a Joseph Duncan married Mary Thomas on September 28, 1840.
Household # 111: David Duncan, age
44 and his wife Nancy, age
38, both born in North Carolina. Their
children listed were Elisha, 14, William, 11, John 8, Moses 3. I found
a listing
of marked graves in the Duncan Family Cemetery with David Duncan’s
birth date
as March 14, 1806 and his death date February 11, 1877.
Nancy Duncan, according to her tombstone, was
born July 17, 1811 and died November 4, 1890.
Household # 129: James Duncan, 39
and his wife Elizabeth, 36,
both born in North Carolina, and their children William, 15, Frances
13,
Elizabeth 11, Henry 9 and James, 5.
Living in their household was Mary Lunsford, age 72, also born
in North
Carolina. She perhaps was Elizabeth’s
mother.
Household # 169: William Duncan,
age 32 and Sarah Ann, 27,
both born in North Carolina, and their children Mary 3, and Aryadey
(sp.)
1. In the Union County marriage records,
I noted that a William Duncan married Ann S. Neal on September 14,
1856, with
the Rev. Thomas M. Hughes performing their ceremony.
And much later, Areadna (so spelled), their
daughter, married Elam A. Scruggs on August 15, 1883 with Rev. C. A.
Sullivan
performing the ceremony.
Household # 415:
Mary Duncan, age 52, was head of household, born in North
Carolina, and
in her household were John, 21, Mary, 18, Jesse, 15, and Caroline, 11.
Household # 679: Havey (sp) Duncan
(should this have been
Harvey?), 26, and Nancy, 23, both born in North Carolina, and Louesa,
age 1.
Household # 682: Jonathan Duncan,
age 63, born in Virginia,
Sarah, age 55, born in North Carolina, and their two children, both
born in
North Carolina, Elizabeth, age 10 and Andrew, age 15.
By 1850, those with the Duncan surname
in Union County numbered 33. And by
1850, the first settler, Alexander, had passed away already and was
buried in
the Duncan family cemetery with his birth and death dates noted: February 28, 1797 – August 17, 1849. Probably several other in the unmarked Duncan
graves there had passed before 1850 as well.
Duncan is a very old family name,
having derived from Scots and Gaelic “Donnchadh,” the Donn meaning
brown and
the “chadh” meaning warrior. The first
syllable was shortened to “Dun” by the Scots and meant a fortress, and
the
“chadh” became “chean” and later “can” which meant “the head or a
chief.” We are all familiar with the story
of King
Duncan whom Macbeth killed in William Shakespeare’s play entitled “Macbeth.” Traces of the name go back in
history to the Turpillian Stone carving of the 4th century
AD in
Crickwell, Wales. Dunchad was one of the
earliest forenames in Scotland, originating with the Dalraidan Celtic
Scots
from Ireland that settled in the southwest of Scotland as early as the 4th
century. On the Duncan family crest is
the motto, “disce pate” which means
“learn to suffer.”
One of the lofty and notable Duncan
citizens of Union County was Harlan Thomas Duncan (September 14,
1818-May 5,
1985), son of Tom and Gertrude White Duncan.
Harlan Duncan served as sheriff of the county for 21 years, from
1964
until his death. Add to those 21 years
as respected and efficient sheriff, a time as a member of the City
Police force
of Blairsville, 18 years as a Georgia State Patrolman, and his term as
deputy
sheriff and then sheriff and he clocked over 40 years in law
enforcement.
Handsome of demeanor, tall and rangy,
and always impeccable in character and conduct, he was the “John Wayne”
figure
of Union County. It has been recounted
that he was so intent on maintaining law and order that sometimes just
a finger
pointed by Sheriff Duncan and directed toward anyone infringing on the
law,
like speeding teenagers, was sufficient to slow them down and remind
them what
awaited if their behavior did not improve.
Although a tough law man, he is remembered, too, for his
congenial
personality, his fairness, and his devotion to family and citizens of
the
county. He was married to Ruth Jackson,
daughter of Marion and Emma Davis Jackson.
Ruth was a teacher for many years in Union County Schools. They had two sons, Thomas Harlan Duncan, Jr.
and Jack Sidney Duncan. His stately funeral procession, with Sheriff
Duncan’s
beloved horse with an empty saddle except for his sheriff’s hat on the
saddle,
saw over 500 law enforcement officers and others citizens paying
tribute to
this man who had stood tall for right in Union County.
He served our country in the U. S. Army
during World War II. Sheriff Duncan was
laid to rest in Union Memory Gardens, Blairsville.
[Ethelene Dyer
Jones is a retired educator,
freelance writer, poet, and historian. She may be reached at
e-mail edj0513@windstream.net;
phone 478-453-8751; or mail 1708 Cedarwood Road, Milledgeville, GA
31061-2411.]