early 1700s - 1771
Scotland - New York
ALL of this information comes from Una Bowman.
Duncan was born in the early 1700s in Scotland. It may have been on the island of Ulva - the McQuarries were the "owners" of Ulva in the early records; it may have been on the island of Mull, where the McQuarries also had some land; it may have been somewhere else entirely - but it was most likely in Argyllshire and probably on one of the islands. If you look at the map of Scotland, Mull is the large lumpy island at the western end of the Caledonian canal waterway; Ulva is sheltered between two arms of Mull. Iona, Columcille's island, is at the southwesten end of another arm. Ulva was described - in 1773, long after Duncan had left - as a rough and barren island, so possibly the McQuarries were fishermen???
Duncan married Effie or Eva (Eoife?) McIlepheder and together they had five children that we know of:
Donald or Daniel
John
Gilbert
Christian (daughter)
Archibald (our next ancestor)
The first four children were born before1739; Archibald sometime after.
Meanwhile, in America, the government of New York was wishing for some hardy souls to settle in the northern part of the state, to form a buffer against the French and Indians from Canada. In 1734, the Provincial Governor made a proclamation offering 100,000 acres near Lake George for settlement by loyal Protestants - 1000 acres to every adult, 500 acres to every child old enough to have to pay for passage. In 1737, Laughlin Campbell of Islay, after looking over the land, decided to accept the offer (for 50,000 acres). He returned to Scotland, sold his estate, and gathered together 490 (another source says 472) immigrants, who came over in three trips, in 1738, 1739, 1740. Duncan and family arrived with the second group.
Unfortunately, the contract was not kept, and the immigrants were left to their own devices.
When the first settlers came in 1738, Governor Clark began to renege on his promise of land. Some of the later settlers, those landing in 1739, and in 1740, never went to the "promised land," but stayed in and about Tappan and Orange county. Since Campbell was unable to obtain the lands promised him and to get the Assembly or the Board of Trade to help him in this matter, he returned to Scotland to fight for the Hanoverian cause.
In the meantime the colonists were left to care for themselves . . . Some of the Islay immigrants obtained land on their own initiative and settled. Others scattered to other parts of New York. Others went to Pennsylvania, New Jersey, South Carolina, [the] island of Jamaica and even Cuba.
Una Bowman manuscript - Duncan McQuarrie alias Brown, p. 2
Duncan apparently was one of the ones who remained in and about Orange county - he was living in Walkill, in Ulster County (just north of Orange) when he wrote his will. However, he did finally get (at least some) of his promised land.
"In 1764 a large number of colonists, led by Alexander McNaughton, succeeded in securing a grant of 47,450 acres, known as the Argyle Patent, in the township of Argyle and in parts of the towns of Fort Edward, Greenwich and Salem, in Washington County, upon which the Scotch colonists and their descendants took up their abode." (from the preface to the Argyle Patent, quoted on this webpage.)
There is a map of the Argyle Patent online - link here. You can see Duncan's land in the upper left (lot #81) - there are two streams going across his property, and he is listed as Duncan McQuire - which was read by the indexer as Duncan McGuire. But it is really McQuire - Una did some handwriting comparisons, and that is a Q, not a G. In addition to his farm land, 475 acres, he also received a town lot (50 acres).
It appears that he may have never actually lived on this land. He wrote his will in 1769, and, as mentioned before, he referred to himself as "Duncan Brown, of the Precinct of the Walkill in Ulster County."
I don't know why - or when - Duncan McQuarrie took the name Brown. He appeared on the 1739 shiplist as Duncan McQuarie alias Brown (the full listing was: Duncan McQuarie alias Brown & Effie McIlepheder his wife, Donald, John, Gilbert & Christian his 4 children); he was on a list of Argyle Patent people as Duncan McQuore (& wife & 5 children, & 4 sons, & 1 daughter are living. Sons are married); he was on the map as Duncan McQuire/McGuire; and he wrote his will as Duncan Brown. It can hardly have been an attempt to confuse his identity - if everyone knows you as McQuarrie alias Brown, it's not much of a disguise. I imagine it made things a little more interesting for Una when she started researching him, though.
Duncan wrote his will in 1769; his death was recorded in 1771 by the Presbyterian Church at Goodwill (Orange Co, NY):
Duncan Brown aged man of Goshen Congregation buried 25 September 1771
[According to Una, the cemetery is located in Montogmery, NY and is also known as the Goodwill Evangelical Presbyterian Cemetery.]
Will of Duncan Brown
In the name of God, amen. I, Duncan Brown, of the Precinct of the Wallkill, in Ulster County, being in Health.
I leave to my son John all that farm or tract of land where I now live, except that part which I have sold to Duncan Dove.
I leave to my son Gilbert the Town lot, which belongs to me in Argyle Township, in Albany County, being 50 acres. Also 1/3 of all my remaining lands in Argyle Township.
I leave my son, Archibald Brown, 1/5 of all my lands in Argyle Township.
I leave to my daughter, Christian McLacklin, 1/5 of my lands in said Argyle patent.
I leave to my two grandsons, Daniel and John Brown, sons of Daniel Brown, deceased, 1/5 of said lands.
To Duncan Brown, son of said John Brown, 1/5 of said lands.
After paying all my debts I leave the remainder of my estate to my four children. John, Gilbert, Archibald and Christian, wife of Peter McLacklin.
I leave to my wife Effy 10 pounds a year, to be paid by my children.
I make my son John and Daniel Gillespy, executors.
Dated August 21, 1769.
Witness, Neal McLacklin, Archibald Brown, Patience McLaughlin.
Proved June 4, 1772.
Duncan Brown made his mark. At the probate of the will Archibald Brown and Neal McLaughlin of Precinct of Wallkill, Ulster County, New York appeared. John Brown appeared as executor.
Effie lived on for several more years, until about 1778. In 1778 (June 26) letters of administration were issued to Effie's son-in-law Peter McLachlin (if there is no will, an administrator is appointed by the court; if there is a will, the estate is administered by an executor).
To children of Duncan and Effie
To next ancestor, Archibald Brown
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Questions, comments, suggestions, additions? Contact me at: lee@leesgenes.com
Page last updated 3 April 2006