Hay Duncan (1823 - 1869)

Born 18 Aug 1823 in Tayport, Fife, Scotland, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Died 18 Apr 1869 at age 45 in At Sea

Biography

Hay Duncan was born in Scotland.

Hay Duncan, son of John Duncan (1791-1874) and Mary Duncan (1790-1872), was born on 18 August 1823 in Ferry Port on Craig (Tayport), Fife, Scotland, and was baptised there on 21 August 1823.^[1][2]

On 6 June 1841, Hay was a 17 year old male living in High St, Ferry Port on Craig, occupation Merchant Seaman, with his sisters Jean, Mary and Hellen, brother Andrew, and niece Mary Ann Bruce.^[3][4]

In 1848, when Hay was just 24 years old, he was a Shipmaster and the ½ owner (32/64 shares) along with George Jardine, a Master Mariner of Perth, of the 101 ton schooner Ann, registered in Dundee, Forfarshire.^[5] They sold Ann in 1849. On the 10 April 1851, Hay was granted his Master’s Certificate of Service, having served as an Apprentice, Mate and Master in the Coasting & Foreign Trades for 15 years. Although being issued two months later, his registration number was 38.386, two before his father’s of 38.388.^[6]

Hay Duncan married Ann Anderson on 13 June 1854 in Dundee, Angus, Scotland.^[7][8]

Their children were:

• Jemima Duncan (1856-)
• John Duncan (1858-)
• Ann Duncan (1861-1861)
• Andrew Duncan (1862-1865)
• Hay Duncan (1864-1865)
• Joseph Hay Young Duncan (1866-)
• Agnes Mitchell Anderson Duncan (1868-1871)

In the 1861 census Hay was living in Dundee, Angus, Scotland aged 39, occupation "River Pilot", with his wife Ann (age 34), and children Jemima (5), John (3) and Ann (0).^[9]

In 1869 Hay was Mate on the Elizabeth, a schooner engaged in carrying coal from Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England, to Dundee, Angus, Scotland, when it foundered off Dunstanburgh, Northumberland, England on 18 April 1869, with Master John Hay and Hay Duncan, both of Perth, drowned.^[10]

DUNDEE SHIP TRAGEDY

The steam tug "Rennard" has brought into the river Tyne two survivors of the Dundee schooner "Elizabeth", registered in London, which foundered in heavy seas off the Northumberland coast en route from Sunderland to Dundee. The survivors, picked up after floating for an hour and a half, holding onto part of the galley, are George Square[Squire?] of Perth and David Lowe of Dundee.

Lost were the master, John Hay of Perth; the mate, Hay Duncan of Perth; and a Lancashire sailer living in Berwick St., Dundee.

The vessel's owners have started an appeal fund for the families - two of the widows have four children each, and the third has two children, and the fund stood at 15 pounds within a few days.

By 30th April the owner of the cargo of 180 tons 4 cwts. of coal, Mr. P.M. Duncan, coal merchant, Dundee, had raised a court action against the ship owner, Mr. John Isles, castle Court, Dundee, for the value of the cargo, £83-6s-10d, claiming that the "Elizabeth" was unseaworthy, causing her to founder.^[11]

Drowned at sea off Dunstanburgh on 18th April while in passage from Sunderland to Dundee. Hay DUNCAN, Dundee, of the schooner Elizabeth.

Australian papers please copy. ^[12]

THE LOSS OF THE DUNDEE SCHOONER ELIZABETH.

Subscription for the families of the sufferers.

It will be recalled that this vessel-while on passage from Sunderland to Dundee- foundered off the Northumberland coast on the night of Sunday 18th April, and the master and two of the crew lost their lives. All the sufferers were married men. Two of them have left widows and four children, and the third a widow and two children. Of the ten children only one is able to do anything towards earning a livelihood. The owners of the vessel have commenced a subscri ption in aid of the destitute families, and it is to be hoped a goodly sum will be obtained for a case so deserving public sympathy. A subscription sheet lies at our office.^[13]

Research Notes

Hay was identified as a "daughter" on the baptism record. Some indexes had birth date of 13 August 1823 but the Parish Record is clearly 18 August 1823.^[2]

Another possible child was Hay Duncan (1853-1915) who died in Victoria, Australia in 1915. His parents were identified as Hay Duncan and Anderson on his death registration. His birth before his parent’s marriage, no baptism record, and absence in the 1861 census, and a younger brother also named Hay suggests that he may have instead been Hay Higgins, son of Hellen Dempster Duncan and John Higgins, who was 6 years old living with his grandparents in 1861.

Sources

1. ↑ "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950," database, FamilySearch Record: XYC6-5FH (accessed 8 July 2023), Hay Duncan baptism on 21 Aug 1823 (born 18 Aug 1823) "Church of Scotland: Old Parish Registers - Births and Baptisms," database, National Records of Scotland, Parish Number: 429; Ref: 30/19; Frame: 529, https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ (accessed 8 July 2023), Hay Duncan born or baptised on 21 Aug 1823, daughter of John Duncan & Mary Duncan, in Ferry Port On Craig, Fife, Scotland.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} "Church of Scotland: Old Parish Registers - Births and Baptisms," database, National Records of Scotland, Parish Number: 429; Ref: 30/23; Frame: 527, https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ (accessed 8 July 2023), Hay Duncan born or baptised on 21 Aug 1823, daughter of John Duncan & Mary Duncan, in Ferry Port On Craig, Fife, Scotland. Transcript:

   Duncan Augt 18. 1823 Born Hay daughter of John Duncan and Mary Duncan & Baptized on Augt 21st

3. ↑ "Scotland Census, 1841," database, National Records of Scotland, Ref: 429/ 1/ 31, https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ (accessed 8 July 2023), Hay Duncan (17) in Ferry Port On Craig registration district in Fife, Scotland.
4. ↑ "1841 Census of England, Scotland and Wales," database, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey, England; Reference: HO 107; Piece: 429; Page: 31, FreeCen Transcription (accessed 8 July 2023), Hay Duncan (17), Merchant Seaman, on High Street, Ferry Port O Craig in Ferry Port o Craig registration district in Fife, Scotland. Born in Fife, Scotland.

   Name	Sex	Age	Occupation	Birth Place
   Jean Duncan	F	25	Sempstress	Fife
   Mary Duncan	F	20	Sempstress	Fife
   Hay Duncan	M	17	Merchant Seaman	Fife
   Helen Duncan	F	13		Fife
   Andw. Duncan	M	9		Fife
   Mary Ann Bruce	F	3		Fife

5. ↑ Phillip J. Duncan. Tay Valley Family History Society. “Owners & Vessels associated with the small ports of the River Tay 1824-1854.” ISBN 1 903179 17 3. Transcript:

   118; Owners: George Jardine, 32/64 Master Mariner, Perth; Hay Duncan, 32/64, Shipmaster, Ferry Port on Craig; Vessel: Ann; Type: Schooner; Tonnage: 101. 780/3500; Owned: 1848; Sold registered Dundee 1839

6. ↑ "UK and Ireland, Masters and Mates Certificates, 1850-1927," database with images, Original data: Master's Certificates. Greenwich, London, UK: National Maritime Museum; Certificate Number: 38.386, Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry au Record 2271 #564077 (accessed 8 July 2023), Name: Nay Duncan; Estimated Age: 28; Birth Date: 18 Aug. 1823; Birth Place: South Ferry, Fife; Issue Date: 10 Apr. 1851; Issue Port: Custom House, Newcastle Upon Tyne.

   Masters Certificate of Service

   No 38.386

   Number thirty eight thousand three hundred and eighty six

   Hay Duncan

   Born at South Ferry County of Fife on 18th Augt 1823

   Has been employed in the capacities of App, Mate & Master 15 years in the

   British Merchant Service in the Coasting & Foreign trades.

   Bearers Signature Hay Duncan

   Granted by the REGISTRAR GENERAL OF SEAMEN, LONDON by order of the BOARD OF TRADE

   Issued at Custom House Newcastle

   This 10th day of April 1851

7. ↑ "Scotland Marriages, 1561-1910," database, FamilySearch Record: XTVH-X4W (accessed 8 July 2023), Hay Duman marriage to Ann Anderson on 13 Jun 1854 in Dundee, Angus, Scotland, United Kingdom.
8. ↑ "Church of Scotland: Old Parish Registers - Banns and Marriages," database, National Records of Scotland, Parish Number: 282; Ref: 230/489, https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ (accessed 8 July 2023), Hay Duman marriage to Ann Anderson on or after 13 Jun 1854 in Dundee, Forfarshire, Scotland.
9. ↑ "Scotland Census, 1861," database, National Records of Scotland, Ref: 282/1 33/ 8, https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/ (accessed 8 July 2023), Keay Duncan (39) in Dundee First District registration district in Angus, Scotland.

   Foundry Lane, Dundee

   Name	Relation	Status	Sex	Age	Occupation	Birth Place
   Heay Duncan	Head	Married	M	39	Rivle Pilot	Tayport, Fifeshire
   Ann Duncan	Wife		F	34	Married	Dundee, Forfarshire
   Jemima Duncan	Daughter		F	5	Scholar	Dundee, Forfarshire
   John Duncan	Son		M	3		Dundee, Forfarshire
   Ann Duncan	Daughter		F	1 Mo		Dundee, Forfarshire

10. ↑ "UK, Registers of Births, Marriages and Deaths at Sea, 1844-1890," database with images, The National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Registers of Wages & Effects of Deceased Seamen; Class: BT 153; Piece: 9. Transcript:

    1869 Register of Accounts of Wages and Effects of Deceased Seamen, &c., received and disposed of.

    Date: May 18

    Port: Dundee

    Name of Ship: Elizabeth

    Official Number: 4080

    Name: Duncan Hay

    Rating: M

    Age: 46

    Date of Engagement: 14.4.69

    Date of Death: 18.4.69

    Place: At Sea

    Cause: Drowned

11. ↑ The Scotsman, April 1869
12. ↑ Dundee Courier Saturday 24 April 1869
13. ↑ Dundee Courier and Argus, April 1869