DuncanII

buried in Highland. Then Benjamin married Katie Kniffen and they had five children. Katie died in 1895 at fwenty-five years of age and is buried in Highland. Katie's daughter, Edith Myrtle, born in 1892 told me Katie requested her friend Henrietta Hewett of Dover Plains, Dutchess County marry Benjamin and bring up her children. So at age eighteen Etta Hewett married the sixty year old Benjamin. They had one son, Harold. Shortly after Highland's liveryman died in 1911 Etta took her son Harold and Katie's son Benjamin and moved to California where they have all passed away. I met Myrtle at her home in Dumont, New Jersey. She died a year later at age eighty-five (95). At present I correspond with Myrtle's daughter, Dorothy Jones, who is a retired RN, living in Minnesota with her retired doctor husband. It was Myrtle's opinion that our 1810 George's father left Edinborough, Scotland and arrived in New York in 1798. She did not know his first name.

GEORGE married Anna Maria Purdy also of a large family in South Cairo. George and Anna are the parents of our grandfather, Volney King Duncan. When George and Anna married they purchased their home from Anna's father, William Purdy. They raised their family there then turned it into Duncan Villa. They farmed the land from Susquehanna Turnpike to Round Top; now known as Ross Ruland Road. Their children were Nancy Martina (Aunt Teen) 1860-1955. She married Richard Littleton Gibbs. Elizabeth P. 1863-1941. Aunt Liz married Oscar Gilfoil in Malden/Quarryville Methodist Church. Their third child was Volney King 1864-13. He married Ruth Robins 1863-1959. Their brother Henry married

Mary D. Schermerhorn 1863-1928 and lived in Cairo then later on Liberty Street, Catskill. Brother Fred 1871-1891 died at 19 years, one month and 26 days.

JOHN married Rosina Smith in Sandy Plains old Methodist Church. John was a farmer. Their children were Amelia, Edith, Howard, John, Stephen. Their son John, born 1888 married Anna Conley. John ran a butcher shop in Cairo. John and Anna had two sons Robert and Coleman and one daughter Daphney. Howard married Bertha Chidester at her home in Leeds. Their sons were Emmet and Lyle. Lyle was born 1906. He married Margaret Chesbrow. This Duncan line brought about Duncan's Dairy in Cairo Junction. Emma married George Brainard of Cairo who was a horse dealer and trainer. Edith married Fred Slausen a butcher in Catskill. Amelia married Ulmstead of Capro. Guy Carlton married Viola ? of Tannersville.

Duncans of South Cairo

" Records show the earliest Duncan/Dunkin living in South Cairo was a Daniel Duncan in 1830. His family at that time consisted of one male 5 years and under ten, one male ten years and under fifteen,one male sixty and under seventy, one female forty and under fifty. There seems to be no other record of these people, either by mouth, the courhouse, or in any cemetery or church. Very early census recorded the name of the head of the house only..

The next Duncan family to be recorded in South Cairo, Greene, Co. New York is that of George Duncan.. He was born in Dutchess Co. in 1810 and may have come to Greene Co. at the age of five. On July 28, 1835 George married Lavina Barlow whose father was George Barlow and whose mother's maiden name was Mathias. Both of Lavina's parents were born in Greene Co. George and Lavina were married at the home of Abijah Barlow in South Cairo. They were lawfully married by the Justice of Peace William Burroughs. A Margaret Sax Rowe and James Barlow attended the wedding. George was a stone layer (mason). He worked on numerous structures in the vincinity of Leeds. This George Duncan is our earliest known ancester. He lived with his wife Lavina until 1864 during which time they produced 14 babies ten of which lived and I have traced the lives of each of them to show one Duncan family is related to the other Duncan family.

July 1st 1864 George went to Danvers, Massachusetts and mustered in as volunteer in Second Reg. Mass. Infantry. Off to the Civil War he marched only to die of chronic diarrhea in the hospital at Atlanta, Georgia on the 15th day of September 1864. His body was buried in Georgia altho his name is beside Lavina on the stone in Cairo Cemetery. Here the date says 1865 which is wrong. My correct information comes from his war papers out of Washingon, D.C.

Lavina continued on in South Cairo raising her brood. She died at ninety-one years of age in 1906 of senility aggrevated by heart disease.

The ten surviving children are as follows:

1. Banjamin 1836-1911

2. George 1838-1912

3. John 1841-1923

4. Eliza 1843-

5. James 1846-1910

6. Lucretia 1846-1928

7. William 1851-1919

8. Charles 1854-1880

9. Charlott 1857-1941

10. Ida May

The following are just a few words about each of these ten Duncan children, remembering they were all born in South Cairo. It is said they lived in the long narrow house next to the South Cairo bridge. It is 1989 and the house is still standing.,

JAMES married Sarah Tuell who lived with her parents on the Tuell farm on the South Cairo Sandy Plains Road. Janes and Sarah lived in South Cairo and had a little girl, Jenny who died at two years and is buried in Cairo. Their son was Herbert. Bert Duncan was born 1876 and died 1964. James' wife died 1895 then he married Caroline Sheffer who was affectionately known by all as Mrs. Jim. She raised Herbert who inherited the Tuell farm from his grandparents. Bert married Lucy Moran and had five children. 1. Kathleen married Lewis Ball and lived in Catskill. 2. Lucy married ? Costello and lives in Creskill, New Jersey. They have one daughter. 3. James married Helen Morris and had four children. 4. Herbert married Ruth E. Wellington. They lived in Catskill and had no children. 5. Marie married Lawrence McCloskey. They live on Day Street. No children . James and Helen's daughter, Kathleen, married Roan Snyder and now live on the Tuell farm on Sandy Plains Road. The other children of James are married and live in Florida with their families in Rockledge, West Jupiter and Fort Lauderdale. Herbert and Lucy are buried in Saint Patricks's Cemetery in Jefferson. Also their son James. James was born Aug 3, 1911 and died February 28, 1969. CM3USNR World War II.

WILLIAM. One day in looking for Duncans I wandered into the General store and Post Office in Medusa, N.Y. and inquired if any Duncans lived around here. "Lots of them,"

replied the storekeeper,"Best you see Howard Duncan. He lives second house beyound the church." Howard was glad to see me remembering my teen apple-picking days. He also picked apples for Vol Duncan. Howard has a son Kenneth who lives in Cobelskill who was also working on Duncan genealogy. I wrote him. We met a Medusa and compared notes. His line stems from William Duncan who married Georgianna Smith in 1870. They were married in the old Methodist church in Sandy Plains. Later they lived near Middleburg and had eight children. Their son William H. was born in Sandy Plains. He married Edna Jane Cathout and they had nine children. The William line of Duncans seems to have been the least thrifty of all George and Lavina's children. William's wife Georgianna is buried in Middleburgh. William is in Potters Field, Albany. His son, the Charlie Duncan tribe of Cairo, trouble makers and shack dwellers, the Duncans whom V.K. kept "bailing out" are Charlie and his sons. They are buried in Cairo Cemetery in unmarked graves.

CHARLES H. Duncan, not to be confused with the above Charlie, married Eudora Fisher in Saugerties Methodist Church. Their three children were Charles Steven born 1874, Mary (Mamie Eidith) 1876, Lillie M. born 1879. Charles H. Duncan died Februarly 9,. 1880 at twenty-six years and is buried in Cairo. The Charles name is carried down to our present day. (1989) Charles Steven married Heather Clark of Preston Hollow. Their one child was Ralph who lived in Catskill and was a chauffer for a doctor. Ralph died in his fifties and is buried in Athens. Charles S. second marriage was to Mamie S. Williams of Kingston in 1906. Charles S. was a Kiln burner at Cementen. Their children were Helen F, Charles Steven, Frances E., Margaret E, and George, a patient in Catskill Hospital (polio victim). Charles and Mamie's son, Charles Steven Duncan married Ruth?. They live in a home he built in Carmel, N.Y.

I visited them there and was served a lovely lunch. Charles is a World War Veteran and has minor disabilities. They have no children. I would think this is the end of the Charles S. Duncan line.

CHARLOTTE. Ever hear of Aunt Lot? She is a tiny smiling pixie of a woman. She was brought up by her sister Eliza Jane. Born 1857 but in 1872 was baptised at Quarryville Methodist Church. Charlotte marrid Lammon Richardson of West Camp. They lived in New Jersey and had two daughters namely Margaret and Vina Louise. Margaret married Frank Davis and lived in West Hoboken, New Jersey. Their four children were Gilbert, Arthur, Walter who live in Daytona, Florida., and Margaret. Vina Louise married William Pitman and lived in New Jersey. Their three children were William Lammon, Vina Elizabeth and Irving Guy who lives in Tenefly, New Jersey. Irving called on me to talk over family genealogy and to find out where his relatives are buried. Charlotte (Aunt Lot) and her husband, Lammon Richardson, and Vina and William Pittman are buried in Cairo.

ROBERT PURDY

1762-1848

Our Great great Grandfather, Robert Purdy, was one of Greene County's earlier residents. I don't know which year he settled in South Cairo. He owned, cleared and farmed the land from the Susquehanna Turnpike up the back road to Round Top. This land came into possession of the Duncan's when George married Anna Purdy and purchased it from the surviving Purdy family who had each a one-nineth interest in it. It consisted of the house, barn, and farm. It is the house Robert Purdy died in. His son, William, then used it until George and Anna owned it; raised their family in it and turned it into the boarding house called "Duncan Villa". I recall when I was quite young seeing a porch doormat with the word Duncan Villa woven into it.

Robert Purdy was born 1762 and died April 16th, 1848. His wife, Thursy, was born 1783 and died April 24, 1849 at sixty-six years and most of the Purdy family are buried in Cairo. They lived in South Cairo and in 1813. Robert Purdy owned 112 acres of land, house and barn valued $13,000.00 Also living with them was Robert W. Purdy who died December 8, 1838 at age twenty-two.

Their son and heir William Purdy was born in Connecticut April 30, 1795 and died in South Cairo December 30, 1862 at sixty-seven years. William's wife, Lucy Clark was born in 1800 and died March 28, 1857. Lucy's mother, Jane Clark lived with them. She was born 1757 and died April 26, 1851 at ninety-four years of age.

William and Lucy had eight children born in South Cairo, Greene Co.

1. Henry S. Purdy 1818-1889 farmer

2. Francis 1825-1900 farmer

3. George Willis drover

4. Grovener farmer

5. Volney King gold digger. Settled in California. Died in San Francisco.

6. Anna Maria 1836-1909 Married George Duncan. Settled in South Cairo.

7. Theresa J. 1838-1917, Married Alvin Doolittle

8. Ellen Rosala 1843-1874 Married LaForest Buried in Cairo on stone beneath Ellen R. LaForest is the name Lucy LaForest 1874-1874

The Philip Robins Family

Philip J. Robins 1826-1895 and Ruth J. Smith were Granny Duncan's parents, according to our Aunt Laura Haines . Ruth J. Smith was from Devonshire, England. Ruth's mother's surname was Howard who married Smith. Philip J. Robins was from Guilford, England. It isn't clear if Philip and Ruth married in England and came to New York City or if they married in NY. Of course the city at that time didn't at all resemble what we know it to be like today. Granny used to tell of chickens and goats roaming the hillsides. Philip was a Merchant sea captain who spent his life sailing between Liverpool and New York. His wife stayed in New York raising his children; six girls and one boy. It was well known and talked about in the family that Philip was a mean dispositioned man and so difficult to live with. There was no warmth in his soul. His favorite daughter was Sadie and he made her a difficult a person to deal with as himself. A doctor told Philip he better move our great-grandmother Robins to the country if he wanted to keep her awhile longer for she had consumption. (T.B.)

It was in 1876 Philip and Ruth Robins purchased at public auction at the court house in Hudson, the house and land on the Scotch Rock Road for $2500.00. It is the house Mrs. Geskey had summer boarders in with the sign across the front porch, "THE MARION HOUSE". It was in 1885 great grandmother Robins died and was buried in Cairo Cemetery. This left Granny to bring up her siblings.

The Robin's children were:

1. RUTH 1863-1959. At 96 she was buried in Cairo. Married V.K. Duncan. Their children were Grace, Ruth, Laura and V. Lamont.

2. FRANCIS never married. Taught school in N.Y.. Died older than 100 yrs. Buried somewhere in New Jersey.

3. MARY called Maisy. Married George Bassett at South Cairo. Had a daughter, Beatrice. (Beatrice married Ed. Marvin and had our cousins Joan and Edward). Later Aunt Maisy married Charlie Halpin. They lived in Flatbush not far from N.Y.C. I remember Charlie was an ice man and went from house to house with his horse and wagon. Aunt Maisy lived to be 103 years.

4. SARAH married Frank McGifford from Green Lake. Frank died young and is buried in Jefferson. Aunt Sadie then lived in N.Y. where she made a career at Wannamakers in the ladies dress department. She had no children. Died at 101 years and is buried in Jefferson.

5. PHILIP 1862-1906 married Margaret McCasey (1860-1934). Their children were Marion and Lilly. Marion married Herman Koenig and they had Kenneth K. and Phillis. Lillian married Jack Wynans who had the Wynans Mens Wear store in Catskill. Lilly's daughter, Virginia, married Eldon D. Moore and they lived in Jefferson. Lilly also had two sons.

Philip and Ruth also had two other girls. Emmal was born 11/19/1862 and died at fourteen years February 15, 1892. Lillie born 9/27/1872 and died at twenty-two years July 3, 1894.

Ruth Robins and V.K. Duncan had four children.

Grace married George Calhoun and had Jean..

Ruth maried Carl Ahles and had Ruth and Robert

Laura married Floyd Haines and had Janet, Donald and Richard.

Lamont married Helena Fiero and had V. Lamont Jr. , Bud

He also married Dorothy Parker and had John P. Duncan

These gleanings bring us to the generation for which this is written.

Jean Calhoun married John Goodrich and had Sally Jane and Judith Ann.

Janet married Charles Bold and had Nancy Martina.

Ruth married Ralph Bates and had twin sons Richard and Robert. Her other son is Russell.

Donald Haines married Madeline Lewis and had Linda, Laurel, Mark and Richard.

Richard Haines married Margaret Ormond and had Charlotte, Janet, Richard and David

Robert Ahles married Betty and adopted four children

Bud Duncan married Eleanor Powell and had Helena ,Edward and Douglass.

John P. Duncan married Agnes and had Kevin and Lisa.

"Grandpa's Other Cousins"

Something else. Do you recall Clarence Duncan who ran the farm, four houses towards Leeds from our grandparents? I asked Grandpa one day if he and Clarence are related. "Yes," he said, "cousins." But he didn't know the connection how they became cousins. Let us look into this. There is a stone in Cairo Cemetery belonging to David W. Duncan born 1820 and died 1891. He married Jane Stewart in the Reformed Church in Kiskatom 1/29/1848. In 1854 David W. Duncan became Superintendent of the poor in Cairo. By 1885 he was living in Leeds. His house cuaght fire and the church records he was caring for were lost. It was quite a fire. Thirteen establishments burned. David W. and Jane had two sons and three daughters. Their son Sylvester Luther Duncan 1850-1916. Sylvester was a butcher in Leeds. His wife was Sarah J. Cook born in Coxsackie, NY. Their son was Davd S. 1895-1964.

David W. and Jane's son Sanford Duncan 1856-1939. His wife Helen C. Mower 1858-1947. Buried in Jefferson. They were married at West Camp near Saugerties May 31, 1882. Sanford and Helen's two sons were Percy and Clarence Duncan. 1. PERCY had a fruit farm at Sandy Plains 1891-1964. His wife was Gladys Wetmore 1896-1954. Gladys played the organ at the South Cairo Methodist Church. They had a son, Dean. 1919-1958. All buried at Jefferson..

2. CLARENCE 1897-1972; is wife Myrtle 1900-1976. Buried at Greenville. Clarence lived the fourth house from V.K.D's toward Leeds. He ran a dairy farm. When I knew them his wife took in Summer boarders and he farmed while Sanford helped a bit gardening.. Clarence and Myrtle had two daughters, Lois and Carol.

Clarence was a twin. His sister Nellie Gertrude born 7-20-1897. She died at one month, nine days of malnutrition

The only way the children of George who married Lavina Barlow and the David W. Duncan who married Jane Stewart bcame cousins is if George and David were brothers.

Something I should include for those of you who have followed this have become interested enough:

There was living in South Cairo a Cyrus Myers born in Ulster County, Jan. 30, 1815. He died June 5th, 1874. (He was a comfort and help to Lavina (during her Civil War days). Cyrus' wife was Lucretia Duncan/kin.1829-1888. According to 1855 Cairo census living with Cyrus and Lucretia was her mother, Rebecca Duncan/.kin. Rebecca was sixty-seven and born in Dutchess County, had lived in Greene County forty years and was a widow. She came to Greene County about 1814-1815. Our great great grandfather was born in Dutchess county 1810. I can only conclude that this Lucretia is a sister of George and David W and who know how many other sibling they had.

One day while I was home in South Cairo a black shining buggy drawn by a jet black high stepping horse and driven by an older man dressed in a black coat and hat and had a face full of black whiskers stopped in the driveway. I ran out to see what he wanted. "Is Vol home? " When I asked grandma, "Who was that?" she answered, "That's old Frank Myers, Gramp's cousin."

Okay, in delving into genealogy I discovered old Frank Myers is the son of Cyrus Myers and Lucretia Duncan. Being Grandpa's cousin leads me to believe Lucretia was George and Davids' sister. Their mother, Rebecca? And was their father Daniel? If so it is Daniel who sailed from Edinburgh, Scotland and arrived in New York 1798."

The following information was gleaned by me over a period of four years. I searched courthouses, town clerks offices, libraries, church records, individual historians, historical societies, state counties of Ductchess, Greene, Ulster, Albany, Columbia and Orange. My travel took me from Dumont, NJ to Vanier, Ontario, Canada. I have met oodles of very fine Duncans.

It has been facinating often frustrating but mostly a joyous experience tracing family branches.

Jean D. Snyder

Saugerties, NY

Year 1989