Alexander Duncan ^{2 3 4}

  General Notes:

Alexander's wife and lawful children
We know from the Cullen OPR that Mr. Alexander Duncan, a surgeon in Cullen, and Miss Elspet Duncan in the Parish of Fordyce were married at Cullen on 25/2/1789.
Alexander and Elspet had two children, John (b.22/12/1789) and Katherine (b.30/12/1790), baptized at Cullen. Applying the naming convention to Alexander's two children, Alexander's father should be John and Elspet's mother should be Katherine. The Cullen OPR says that John-the-son was named for his grandfather John Duncan of Jamaica and Katherine-the-daughter was named for her grandmother Katherine Duncan in Broom. This fits perfectly if Alexander's father is named John Duncan. However, we should note that Elspet was already a Duncan before her marriage to the surgeon and the grandfather of her son John could be Elspet's father. (PTG 2006)

Alexander's will dated 1825 makes no mention of his own or his son's
spouse. Therefore Elspet was dead and John was still single in 1825 How can Elspet's death be checked?

In a breakthrough discovery I have found that Alexander Duncan, a surgeon at Cullen, died on 13/2/1826 at Broom.
The actual will provides: 400 GBP for my daughter Catherine Duncan (spouse to John Fraser Esq) as her "Bairns part of Gear", and which sum is payable at my decease by my son John Duncan Surgeon Royal Navy, presently residing at Broom, to my executors and assignees as per minute of our agreement of the 30th and 31th December 1818 (the said John Duncan having received value to an equal amount in farm stocking at the time of this agreement). The residue of the estate to be divided equally between my said son and daughter whom I hereby nominate and appoint to be the sole executors of this my last will and testament but under the burden always of my just and lawful debts ... and of my funeral charges … also ten guineas which I do hereby legate and bequeath to my natural daughter Ann Duncan (spouse to James Gray mason in Cullen) to be payable to her twelve months after my decease …

My granddaughter Rebecca and her fiancé visited the National Archives in Kew, UK, on 3/8/2006 to look up records of naval surgeons for me. Alexander Duncan became a naval surgeon on 9/1/1783 (he would then be aged 19) and appears in all later lists of active or retired surgeons up to the list dated 25/12/1825. Since he died 13/2/1826, he is not in the list dated 25/3/1826. (PTG 2006)

  Chronology:

Witness: Baptism of Alexander Grant Innes, son of Robert Innes and May Grant, 1811, Cullen, Banff, Scotland. ⁸ (described as Surgeon RN)

Alexander had a relationship with Katherine Scot, daughter of Alexander Scot and Anne Japp, about 1796. (Katherine Scot was born on 30 Sep 1771 and was christened on 1 Oct 1771 in Cullen ⁹.)

Alexander next married Elspet Duncan, daughter of John Duncan and Katherine Grant, on 25 Feb 1789 in Fordyce.¹ (Elspet Duncan was born on 26 May 1764 in Fordyce, Banff, Scotland, christened on 26 May 1764 in Fordyce ^{10 11} and died before 1826 ¹².)