An Extract From:
By John Duncan,
of Melbourn, Australia 2001
Transcribed for the web,
Introduction
Having just completed a family tree of over 800 members and 268 families, it occurred to me that,
by using my acquired knowledge of members, and utilising the few biographies in my possession, that I could now tackle a written history. Malcolm and Isabella seated;
Duncan descendants of Margaret Haldane did not commence until the
marriage of Isabella Napier Stewart to Malcolm McMillan Duncan, however, it is important
to the compiler to list all his Duncan family members.
"We Are All Margaret Haldane's Bairns"
by his American Cousin,
Colleen Cahoon, of Texas
It is my understanding that genealogists ignore the female line of decsendentcy when compiling
a family tree, but as I do not consider myself as a genealogist, I have no qualms about breaking that rule, and making it the
main reason for writing this history.
When I first set out to compile my family tree, I naturally termed it the Duncan family tree,
but I soon came to realise that it involved many other surnames than my own. It was quite easy to discover a common denominator
that linked all these family surnames together, as the vast majority of the members listed had all a common female link to a
Scottish lady called Margaret Haldane, who lived in Glasgow in the nineteenth century.
Many, but not all, of the Duncan’s listed on the tree, are descendants of Margaret Haldane;
certainly all of the Australian McColl clan are, together with the Cahoons and Nicholsons of the U.S.A., the Robinson’s of England,
and although their addresses are not known, the descendants of Jim Faulds, also of England.
The Duncan families include my own in Victoria, Australia, as well as those of my deceased uncles’,
Malcolm McMillan Duncan and James Duncan resident in Brantford and Montreal, respectively in Canada.
Whilst the theme of this history is descendants of Margaret Haldane, I would be failing my own
grandchildren if I did not include those Duncan, Miller, and Petran families, to whom they separately own their kinship, so I
have described these relatives in separate chapters.
With Scottish families in particular enjoying the [19th and 20th century?] custom of passing on
family names, often using the surname of the female line as middle names, this leads to much confusion in identifying members having
the same names. For example, my father’s name is Dugald McMillan Duncan, a name which is also shared with my brother, and a great-uncle.
So, to avoid any confusion in this family history, I have adopted the same identification system
used in my family tree, i.e. a numbering one, thus, I shall be referred to as John Duncan #26, and I trust that readers shall not
be too annoyed by my decision.
In compiling both the family tree and this history, I have not attempted a search of public records,
as these are mainly in Scotland, and the cost is prohibitive.
Indeed, for all the information that I have compiled, I am deeply and thankfully indebted to
Annie Archibald McColl Nicholson of Danvers, Massachusetts, U.S.A., who, as I write, is now sadly confined to a nursing home,
incommunicado, her son, the Rev. David Owen Nicholson, my uncle Malcolm McMillan Duncan, sadly deceased, of Brantford, Canada,
Jean Gribben of Numurkah, Victoria, Australia, the late Kathleen Robinson of North Anston, England, and also Anne Millie Petran
of Doncaster, Victoria, Australia.
It intrigues me that for the larger part of my life, the Stewart name related only to the maiden
name of one “cousin,” yet I now find that many Stewart descendants have been keeping in touch with each other over the years, mainly
by letter, but on occasion even by overseas travel - even up to the present day.
Finally, I advise that it has given me personally, an immense amount of pleasure and satisfaction,
to compile all this family data, and I trust that this record of our family shall be both informative and give satisfaction, to my
own grandchildren and also to all others, and I trust that someone shall continue to update this record from where I finished, as I
believe that it is important to understand our roots, and learn from past experiences.
John Duncan,
3 Sunrise Court,
Gisborne, Victoria,
Australia, 3437,
01 Dec 2001
by emailing him at:
John Duncan at Jezzmo
Back: Elizabeth McMillan Duncan #17, James Duncan #18, Mary Duncan #15;
Dugald McMillan Duncan #20 [the compiler's father,] in Highland Dress<
Front: Isabella Napier Stewart Duncan #16, Baby Malcolm McMillan Duncan #21, and Christine Duncan #14.
Malcolm’s father was James Duncan #2 and his mother was
Elizabeth McMillan #3 whose portrait in oils was painted by their son, Dugald McMillan Duncan #5,
and which now hangs in the dining-room of the compiler.
James was a Master Umbrella Maker with a shop at Bridgeton Cross, Glasgow, and,
according to family advice, he was the leading manufacturer in Glasgow. The shop was sold to one of his apprentices,
and was still trading during the compiler’s stay there.
IGI Record.
James Duncan [#2] marriage to Elizabeth McMillan on 11 Oct 1846, Bridgeton, Barony, Lanark, Scotland. Source: Batch Number 7229810 Source Call No. 0822552, Type Film, Printout Call No. NONE, Sheet 3.
Family:
1] James Duncan #4, married/divorced, no children.
2] Dugald McMillan Duncan #5, Artist, “died young” middle twenty’s?, compiler has a number
of his paintings and sketches including a self-portrait.
3] Malcolm McMillan Duncan #6, married on 30 March 1882, to Isabella Napier Stewart #13
Malcolm Duncan, [#6] Birth. 17 May 1857, Bridgeton, Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland. Parents: James Duncan, Elizabeth McMillan. Source: Batch Number C119201, Dates: 1855-1875, Source Call No. 6035516, Type :Film, Printout Call No. NONE.
Register
“ Isabella Stewart age 24 of 27 Stirling St. Glasgow to Malcolm Duncan age 24 of 6 Springfield Road, Glasgow
on 30 March 1882 at 180 Gallowgate, Glasgow by Peter John Rollo, Minister of the Baptist Church there. Malcolm was
an Umbrella Maker, Journeyman and the son of James Duncan Umbrella Maker, Master and Elizabeth McMillan. Witnesses
were Christina Stewart {her sister} and Dugald McMillan Duncan” {his brother the artist.}
Family: 1] Christine Duncan #14 born Glasgow, died in Melbourne, in
childbirth, child did
not survive. Emigrated to Melbourne, Australia, Married W. Moffat.
2] Mary Duncan #15 born Glasgow, died 1955 at Fremantle, Western Australia.
[refer biography in 'Duncans in Australia' chapter.]
3] Isabella Napier Stewart Duncan #16 born Glasgow, married William Alfred
Boyd #85 there, no children, Isa died in Blairgowrie, Vic. Aust. 10 Dec 1985.
[refer biography in Duncans in Australia chapter.]
4] Elisabeth McMillan Duncan #17 born in Glasgow, emigrated
in 1930’s to Melbourne. Married Widower Joseph Hughes #86
there, stepchildren only, died 12 Oct 1985 at Queenscliff, Victoria.
[refer biography in Duncans in Australia chapter.]
5] James Duncan #18 was born on 07 Apr 1883, in Glasgow and married
Catherine O’Neill #87 born there. Emigrated to Canada in 1910, lived Montreal.
Died c1955-1964 there, Catherine died in 1950’s in Montreal.
[refer biography in Duncans in Canada chapter.]
Family: 1] Mamie Duncan #88 died.
2] Cissie Duncan #89 born Glasgow c1908, arrived Canada 1911-1912
with mother, Catherine. Last seen 1931 in Montreal Quebec.
3] Archibald Duncan #90 was born in Glasgow c1904,
arrived Canada 1911-1912. “Died c1970-1980”.
Family: 1] Isabel Duncan #112, home in 1940’s,
1118 Shenneville Ave. Montreal,Quebec.
2] Arthur Duncan #111 –Ditto- Labourer.
Family: 1] Living Daughter.
6] John Duncan #6 infant, died.
7] Dugald McMillan Duncan #20, Electrician, born Glasgow, 1891, died 1952 married
30 Apr 1912 to Annie Moore #22 born 1892 in Glasgow, died (?? ??? ????)
[parent’s of the compiler] [see biographical notes, no.1 for Annie and no.5,
for Dugald.] Annie Moore’s parents were John Moore #73, General Dealer, and
Catherine Tully #74, who lived in Glasgow. Catherine died prior to 1912.
Family: 1] Chrissie Duncan #23, infant, died of meningitis.
2] Dugald McMillan Duncan #24. Born c1913.
[refer to biography in Duncans in Australia chapter.]
3] Catherine Duncan #25 born c1921, died 19 Mar 1986, married
James Hence #75 c1943, no children.
[ biographical note no.4, further on.]
4] John Duncan #26 [compiler] born 03 May 26 Glasgow, married
09 Mar 1951, atGartcosh, Lanarkshire, to Matilda McKendrick Miller #27.
[refer to biography in The Duncan’s in Australia chapter and
also following biographical notes.]
4] Archibald Duncan #7 Unmarried.
Archibald Duncan [#7] born 13 Feb 1863, Bridgeton, Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland. Parents: James Duncan, Elizabeth McMillan. Source: Batch Number C119201, Dates 1855-1875, Source Call No. 6035516, Type Film, File Printout Call No. NONE. REGISTER
5] Annie Duncan #12 married/divorced Mr. Cowper #78.
Family: 1] Miss Cowper #82 Married.
2] Miss Cowper #83 married.
6] Jenny Duncan #11 married Mr. Denovan, Glasgow.
Family: 1] James Denovan #79.
2] Jenny Denovan #80.
3] Miss Denovan #81
7] Mary Duncan #10 married Thomas Barton #76 no children.
8] Jean Duncan #9.
9] John Duncan #8 born 29 Sep 1895 in Bridgeton, Glasgow, occupation Umbrella
Maker, was married 23 Dec 1887 Mary Neilson [Nelson?] #91 and lived at 68 Roselea Drive,
Dennistoun, Glasgow. When the compiler was an urchin in the 1930’s, he often passed his great-uncle John’s
little Umbrella shop in Gallowgate, near Parkhead Cross, Glasgow, and now regrets that he never plucked-up
enough courage to enter and talk to him.
Family: 1] Christina Duncan #92 born post 1906, never married,
died January 1997.
Lived with father and Sister Bessie at Roselea Drive, Dennistoun.
2] Mary [Mamie] Duncan #94 born 18 Dec 1890 at 641 Dalmarnock Rd., Glasgow
and never married.
3] Elizabeth [Bessie] Duncan #93 born 07 Feb 1893 and died 26 Sep 1977,
occupation cashier and she never married.
4] Jean [Jane] Duncan #95 was born 21 Jan 1897 at 411 Crown St., Glasgow
and she never married.
5] James Duncan #96 Born 27 Dec 1888 at 641 Dalmarnock Rd., Glasgow.
Like many of his sisters, he never married.
6] John Robert Duncan #97 born 15 Jan 1901 at 27 Richmond St., Glasgow.
Died in infancy.
7] Isabella Duncan #98 born 25 May 1906 at 27 Richmond St., Glasgow.
She died 1998/99, having married on Sep 1935, in Glasgow, to
Thomas Whiteside #101, who died c1999.
Family: 1] Gordon Duncan Whiteside #102 born 29 Jun 1939, Glasgow.
Married 29 Oct 1967 To Constance Mary Bell #103.
Lives Rothbury, England.
Family: 1] Living Son.
2] Living Daughter and son-law.
8] Annie Duncan #99 born 23 Feb 1899 at 411 Crown St., Glasgow, died 20 June 75,
married, no children, on 18 Nov 1937 to Joseph Fergie #110 born 24 Jun 1890
at Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland, occupation Garage Worker, died pre 1975, parents:
David Fergie, Flour Miller, married 27 Jan 1875 at Ayr to Mary Telfer.
9] William Duncan #100 born c1893.
Family: 1] Margaret Duncan #106 married
Mr. Stafford #107,
has a Hotel [pub] in Bristol, England.
Family: 1] Duncan Stafford #108.
2] Leona Stafford # 109. Married.
1] In February 23, 2001 David Nicholson’s researcher, Griselda in Edinburgh, advises that
the only birth record she could find, for Annie Moore [the compiler’s mother] in 1892, was an illegitimate baby, born
to John Moore and Catherine Duffy. She does not say how she knew the child was born to an unwed mother!
In my parent’s marriage certificate, Annie Moore’s mother’s name is given as Catherine Moore, nee TULLY deceased,
so I am querying whether this has been misread or misprinted as DUFFY?
My mother gave my sister the Christian name of CATHERINE also.
In the 1881 Census at 6 Springfield Road, Barony, [Glasgow], Scotland. Lived:
James Duncan [#2], Head, 55, Umbrella Maker. Born, Glasgow [The compiler’s great- grandfather]
Elizabeth Duncan [#3], Wife, 53. Born Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland. [my great-grandmother]
Jane Duncan [#9], Daur. 33, Umbrella Sewer, born Glasgow, [Probably Jean Duncan ]
Dugald Duncan . [#5], Son, 26, Art Student, born Glasgow.
Malcolm Duncan . [#6] Son, 23, born Glasgow.
John Duncan [#8]. Son, 21 Umbrella Maker, born Glasgow. [The grandfather of Nicola & Gavin Whiteside]
Archibald Duncan [#7], Son, 18, born Glasgow. [never married]
Ann Duncan [#12], Daur, 14, Housekeeper, born Glasgow. [married/divorced Mr. Cowper]
Births in the District of Hutchesontown, County of Lanark 1891.
Annie Moore [illegitimate] b. 05 April 1891 at [home] 21 Commercial Road, Glasgow.
Father: John Moore, Hammerman.
Mother: Catherine Duffy Cotton Winder.
[both parents made their mark as informants]
2] I received the advice, reference Canadians’ Isabel, Arthur, and Catherine, from
a Montreal Genealogist. The “family” relationship, is merely my interpretation of this advice.
3] My grandparents home at 27 Richmond St., Glasgow appears to have been a busy place. As
well as being a home for the family of Malcolm & Isabella Duncan, it was at least a temporary refuge for young Anne
Archibald McColl Stewart, mother of Phyllis (Nicholson) Gifford, Jean Nicholson, William Nicholson, and Revs. David
& Roger Nicholsons.
Possibly it was also a temporary home for Isabella Duncan #98, the grandmother of Nicola & Gavin Whiteside, as Isa
was married there to Gordon Duncan Whiteside in Sep 1935. It would not surprise me either, if the Rev. Peter John
Rollo, of the adjacent John Knox Street, Baptist church, officiated at this wedding, as most if not all the Duncans
were members of this church.
Certainly my own parents, Dugald & Annie Duncan were married by the Rev. Rollo at 27 Richmond Street.
My aunt Isa Duncan was also married at this home, to Alf Boyd on 25 Jun 1924.
Also Captain Haldane McColl stayed there, during the war of 1914-1918, when he was on furlough
from the fighting in France. This street no longer exists as it was taken over to accommodate the extensions
to Strathclyde University.
4] Catherine Duncan #25 – the Compiler’s Sister.
My sister, Catherine Duncan, and I lived with our parents at Claythorn Street, Glasgow, close to Glasgow Cross, until
the family moved to a Corporation flat at 125 Quarryknowe St., Parkhead.
I was not yet old enough for school, but Cathie had to change schools, and now attended Quarry Brae primary school,
and later Riverside Senior Secondary school in Springfield Road.
Shortly after leaving Riverside, Cathie went to stay with our Aunt Annie Sutherland [nee Linnhe] and her husband
Jock at their little garret flat at Corbett Street, Tollcross. She took up employment at the biscuit factory of
McFarlane & Lang in Tollcross, as a biscuit packer.
When war broke out in 1939, she joined the Auxiliary Fire Service [A.F.S.] and was stationed in the Miner’s Institute,
club in Corbett St., Tollcross, just a short walk from her home. She also volunteered for civilian duty as
a “fire-watcher”, which sent my Aunt into a bit of a panic, over concern for her safety.
Her fire-watching duties required her to stay overnight at some commercial premises, and to extinguish any incendiary
bomb that may land on the roof or elsewhere. She was equipped with the standard fire-fighting equipment. A
long–handled shovel to pick up the bomb, and a bucket of sand, by means of which, the bomb may be carried to a
safe location. A second bucket contained water, which, with the aid of a stirrup-pump was to be used to extinguish
any fires.
Her duties with the A.F.S. included manning a telephone switchboard on her shift, and it is here that she met her
husband to be, Fireman Jimmy Hence., and they were married c1943.
After the war, Cathie obtained a position as a telephonist with the Glasgow Telephone Exchange. Subsequently she
became a Supervisor and trained new telephonists. In those days the exchanges were manually operated, and the reader
might wish to visualise a large room with a long telephone switchboard, manned by twenty or more female operators
seated on wooden stools, and with one or more supervisors standing behind them, ready to assist.
Her life was not an easy one; husband Jimmy had no full-time job but preferred to potter around with a little
motor-bike accessories business, which made little if any money, so Cathie was the bread-winner, and after a long
tiring shift and tram trip home, she had to care also for Jimmy’s sick mother, and later Jimmy himself until he died
of some chest complaint.
She was given a Corporation flat at Easterhouse, Glasgow, but later transferred to a comfortable unit at Erskine, just
West of Glasgow.
When she retired about 1984, she had a holiday with Mattie and I at Templestowe, Vistoria, but she could not keep up
with us on trips, and had to rest often. She never complained, or advised us, that she had a problem with her heart!.
Upon her return to Scotland, she was attending a staff reunion lunch, on 19 Mar 1986, when she collapsed and died
from heart –failure. Her remains were cremated at Calderpark Crematorium, Glasgow.
My late sister, Catherine (Duncan) Hence, visited Margaret Stafford in the late 1980’s and enjoyed her hospitality,
as did my Aunt Isa Boyd on an earlier trip to the U.K., but unfortunately I do not have her address.
5] Dugald McMillan Duncan #20-The Compiler’s Father.
My father was born in 1891 and lived with his parents at 27 Richmond St. Glasgow. He was a quiet man and not one that
communicated easily with his family. I suppose that this trait may be blamed upon the makeup of our family genes.
He was an electrician, whom I was advised: “entered the trade about 1904, when it was considered a profession for
young gentlemen, and his parents had to pay his employer to teach him the trade.”
My father also served as a steward for quite a few years on the Paddy Henderson Line of steamships which operated
between Glasgow and Rangoon in Burma.
His youngest brother, Malcolm, also went to sea, as a boy of 15, as there was no other work, and served throughout
World War One.
My father, like many others, was unemployed during the depression of the 1930’s, and I believe that this forced
idleness had a profound effect upon his personality.
Resumption of construction of the Cunard liner Queen Mary at the shipyard of John Browns at Clydebank,
gave my father employment, and I presume, new hope for future employment and an improved life-style.
Later he worked at the shipyard of Alexander Stephen & Sons at Linthouse, Govan, Glasgow, where he “spoke for” me,
enabling me to serve my apprenticeship as an electrician.
During the second World War he joined the Home Guard [“Dad’s Army”], and attended parades after work, which then
consisted of a 48 hour week, extended by extensive overtime.
He was working upon the repair of a 10,000 ton cruiser, H.M.S. Sussex, and was detailed on one Saturday,
to work night-shift, but instead he decided to do as Glasgow workmen are famed for, and clocked on instead
at the local pub.
That night the Sussex was set on fire and sunk in the Clyde by a German bomb.
The initial repairs to this ship involved a turbine reblade which was expected to take six weeks, but it was
finished four days ahead of time, and the crew had been recalled to join the ship at midnight on 17th September c1940.
At 2.40 a.m. the following day a German bomber arrived over the harbour and dropped a 250-lb bomb, which crashed
through the deck of the Sussex, setting fire to the oil-fuel and threatening the magazine. Immediately the thickly
populated area around Yorkhill Quay, where the ship was berthed, was in grave danger..
Over 2,000 people, who were asleep at the time, were hurriedly evacuated to parks and later to rest centres. Plans were
ready to remove hundreds of young patients from a nearby children’s hospital, but these were not carried out in full.
All the time firemen, from ferry-boats, fought a grim battle against the fierce flames. Gradually they won, but
twelve hours elapsed before the danger was over.
Going through the deck, the bomb penetrated into the starboard engine-room aft and killed several of the crew.
Immediate action was taken by the crew, but when the City firemen arrived they found the ship belching huge black
clouds of smoke. The first objective was to flood the magazine for, had the cruiser exploded, the consequences would
have been terrible.
Afterwards, torpedoes, which had come loose, were found floating in the Yorkhill basin. The ship was taken to Govan
dry dock, and the repairs, which involved almost complete rebuilding from the forward boiler-room aft, took two years.
Later, I accompanied my father on to the ship, to recover his tools, and observed that where he should have been
working that night, was in the area on which the bomb had fallen. Workers were reimbursed for their “lost” tool-boxes
and had to submit a list of tools lost. And it was interesting to note, how many electricians had carried micrometers,
and other expensive items in their tool-boxes! My father gave me the job of cleaning the rust from his tools -
but I was not imbursed for my labour.
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