Clan Duncan#Branches

{{Short description|Scottish clan}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2015}}

{{Use British English|date=July 2015}}

{{Infobox clan

|clan name = Clan Duncan

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|region = Perthshire, Tayside, Angus, Fife, Aberdeenshire.

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|gaelic names = Dunchad / Donchadh / Donnachadh

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|septs = Duncan,{{cite web | url=http://www.donnachaidh.com/ | title=The Official Clan Donnachaidh Web Site | access-date =20 September 2007}} Duncanson, Dunkeson{{cite web | url=http://www.duncanson.org/info/name.htm | title=The Origin of The Duncanson Name | access-date=29 July 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081119153849/http://www.duncanson.org/info/name.htm | archive-date=19 November 2008 | url-status=dead }}

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The personal name Duncan can be found in Scotland’s oldest records in its Gaelic form Dunchad/Donchadh/Donachie/Donnchadh and other spelling variants.

==Origins==

The Clan Donnachaidh is the official registered Clan With Chief appointed, this site refers to Duncan one particular branch only

(Dunchad) Duncan, originally a forename{{cite book|last=Black|first=George F.|title=The Surnames of Scotland|year=1996|publisher=Birlinn Ltd. Edinburgh|isbn=1-874744-83-1|page=228}} is one of the earliest names in Scotland – and originates from the Dalriadan Celtic Celtic Scotii (Scots) from Ireland who colonised the south west of Scotland from about the 4th century AD. Dúnchad (Duncan mac Conaing) co-ruled Dalriada with Conall II (c.650 - 654).{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/annalauladhannal01royauoft/annalauladhannal01royauoft_djvu.txt|title=Full text of "Annala Uladh = Annals of Ulster |access-date=2009-08-15|work=Internet Archive}}

Other early accounts of the name include the {{convert|9|ft|m}} inscribed ‘4th century AD Turpillian Stone’ located at Crickhowell, Wales. A particularly early mention of the name Duncan. Inscribed in Ogham (an early form of Celtic writing) on the stone also carried the Latin translation "TURPILLI IC IACIT PUUERI TRILUNI DUNOCATI" which roughly translates as 'The Fort Warrior'.{{cite web|url=http://www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology/cisp/database/stone/crckh_1.html|title=The Turpillian Stone, Macalister/1845, Nash-Williams 1950|access-date=2009-08-15|work=University College London}} Mention is also made of Dunchad (Duncan) the 11th Abbot of Iona, 707 – 717AD (later St. Dunchadh) and Dunchad (Duncan) the 39th Abbot in 989AD.{{cite web|url=http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/PSAS_2002/pdf/vol_010/10_202_214.pdf|title=History of the Ruins of Iona by William Forbes Skeen|access-date=2009-08-15|work=Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (April 14th 1873)|archive-date=11 June 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070611210951/http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/PSAS_2002/pdf/vol_010/10_202_214.pdf|url-status=dead}}

Records from this time are scant and it is not until after the unification by Kenneth MacAlpin around 843 AD of the Celtic Scots of Dál Riata (Dalriada) and the aboriginal Picts of northern Britain do we start to see the name significantly being used in other parts of Scotland. One of the earliest references to Dunchad/Donchad, is found in the margins of the 11th century Book of Deer the oldest writings in Scots Gaelic known in Scotland today, These manuscripts were written by the early Christian Monks of the Abbey of Deer in Aberdeenshire.{{cite web|url=http://www.cushnieent.force9.co.uk/NewDeerBook/index.htm|title=The Book of Deer, Aberdeenshire, Folio 5|access-date=2009-08-15|work=Firths Celtic Scotland}}

When Duncan I took the Scottish throne, unlike the "King Duncan" of Shakespeare's Macbeth, the historical Duncan appears to have been a young man. He followed his grandfather Malcolm II as king after the latter's death on 25 Nov. 1034, without apparent opposition. He may have been Malcolm's acknowledged successor or tánaise as the succession appears to have been uneventful. Duncan would have been wise to pacify his remaining family, especially his cousin Thorfinn the Mighty, Earl of Orkney; his other cousin, Macbeth; and the person closest to his throne, Queen Gruoch, Macbeth's wife. By 1040, however, Duncan had been defeated in battle and the crown was in the hands of Macbeth.File:Scottish clan map.png

Fifty-four years later, despite being the son of Malcolm Canmore, Duncan II was also dead at the hands of his relatives. Although Duncan had left a son, the throne was seized by his younger half-brother, one of the children of English Queen Margaret.

Ewyn (Ewan) fitz Duncan was one of the signatories on ‘The Ragman Rolls’, the deed of homage draughted by Edward I of England to bind the King and nobles of Scotland.{{cite web|url=http://www.electricscotland.com/history/articles/ragman_rolls.htm|title=Ragman Rolls Of 1296 and 1291|access-date=2009-08-15|work=Gayla Tempelton, Electricscotland.com}}

John Duncan was the owner of property in Berwick in 1367. The mayor of this Border port is recorded as John Duncanson, in all likelihood the formers son.

According to one account, a Clan Donachie/Donnachadh{{cite book|last=Maclauchlan|first=Thomas|title=A history of the Scottish Highlands, Highland clans and Highland regiments|url=https://archive.org/details/historyofscottis003kelt|year=1875|publisher=A. Fullarton, Edinburgh|page=252}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xHA6XMGp5EIC&q=Clan+Donnachie&pg=PA177|title=The Clans, Septs and Regiments of the Scottish Highlands 1934 page 177|access-date=2009-08-16|work=by Frank Adam and Thomas Innes|isbn=9781417980765|last1=Adam|first1=Frank|date=October 2004|publisher=Kessinger}}{{Dead link|date=December 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} had emerged in the early 14th century from the Earls of Athole. The clan name is said to come from Donnachadh Reamhar -‘Stout Duncan’. Legend has it that this chief led the clan into Battle at Bannockburn in 1314. Both the Duncans and the Clan Donnachaidh (Robertsons) descend from the 4th Donachie/Donnachadh Chief.

The predominant Duncans of the East of Scotland were the Duncans of Lundie in Forfarshire. Their extensive property included not only the Barony of Lundie but also the estate of Gourdie. In 1764, George III’s physician, Sir William Duncan was created a Baronet. The 1st and last Baronet.{{citation needed|date=October 2020}} By 1795, Adam Duncan of Lundie had become Commander of the Fleet in the North Sea and Admiral of the Blue. With a glorious career of victories he was created 1st Viscount Duncan of Camperdown in 1797 and his son was made the 2nd Earl of Camperdown in 1831.{{cite book|last=Camperdown|first=The Earl of|title=Admiral Duncan|url=https://archive.org/details/admiralduncan00campiala|year=1898|publisher=Longmans, Green and Co. London, First Edition}} The title became extinct in 1933 with the death of George Alexander Philips Haldane Haldane-Duncan, 4th Earl of Camperdown (1845–1933) in Boston, Massachusetts.Burk's Peerage and Gentry The Duncan name in Scotland is most prominent in Aberdeenshire, Dundee & Angus, and Fife.{{cite web|url=http://www.nationaltrustnames.org.uk/Surnames.aspx |title=Surname Profiler |access-date=2009-08-15 |work=The National Trust |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081219042927/http://www.nationaltrustnames.org.uk/Surnames.aspx |archive-date=19 December 2008 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/|title=National Records Office Edinburgh|access-date=2009-08-15|work=General Register Office for Scotland (GROS)}}