Individual Details
Dolly H. DUNCAN
(24 Feb 1811 - 26 Nov 1846)
On 08 Jun 1995, copied information from the record at Morman Winter Quarters that gave death date, age at death as 35 yr 9 mo 2 days, birth date and place. Stated she was wife of William A. Duncan and grave number. Stated that cause of death was canker. Note that her birth date was calculated from death date based on the information above and matches the date in the handwritten original endowment record, FHL #183372.
The book "Winter Quarters" by Conrey Bryson, Deseret Book Company,Salt Lake City, UT, at the LDS library in Salt Lake, lists Dolly H.Duncan, 38, as one of 36 whose deaths were ascribed to canker. A doctor with the Mormans wrote a description of it: "Here a disease called by the Council of health black canker began to spread. The patient, stricken with a bilious colic, suffered from chills and fever. A Vitiated mucous membrane affected his stomach and bowels. His toes turned black, and as a result of the disturbed circulation, the black stain moved further up the legs. The whole nervous system became involved." It was apparently a vitamin deficiency disease. This book contains a list of those who died at Winter Quarters as well.
It was submitted to the LDS and is included in the records at Nauvoo that Dolly was Mary Hollingsworth. There is a marriage in Todd Co.,KY, between William Duncan and Mary Hollingsworth on 13 Feb 1831. However, (1) That is too late to have son James in 1828 (2) There is a William and Mary Duncan, still in Todd Co., KY, in 1850 and 1860. In 1850, William was 41 (1808-09) born KY and Mary was 35 (1814-15) born TN. In 1860, he was listed as 52 (1807-08) and Mary was 45 (1814-15) born KY. Their oldest child in 1850 was listed as 19 (1830-31), which is reasonable with the marriage date of 1831 AND their two oldest sons were John and Jeptha, which were names of Hollingsworth men.
It doesn't seem possible that the couple who died at Winter Quarters could be the William and Mary who married in Todd County, KY. Additional support comes from the files of Mary Ann Duncan Dobson, who has collected vast amounts of Duncan material. She has this on her Todd Co., KY, page of material:
"Handwritten page with very faint handwriting (from Richard Offutt to Margie G. Brown, from Margie G. Brown 10/2003)
(Handwritten on copy outside the edge of the copied list: Sent to me by Aunt Alma. This was in a letter written to Captain John W. Duncan in abt. 1864 while he was a prisoner in Union Army Camp in Civil War from his mother Mary Hollingsworth Duncan listing her children. The two death entries of Virgil and J.W. Duncan were made many years later by my grandmother William Houston [Duncan]'s wife.)
We have just received your letter. I will give you the list of the children.
J. W. Duncan November the 27, 1831 - 1864 = yrs 33
J. H. Duncan September the 7th, 1833 = 31 dead (MGB: Jeptha's probate recorded in Morrilton, Conway Co. AR, date of death given as Nov.1876, not dead in 1864)
S. E. Duncan February the 3rd, 1836 = 28
S. K. Duncan May the 16th, 1838 = 26
J. T. Duncan January the 18th, 1842 = 22
J. Duncan July the 18, 1844 = 20
E. A. Duncan November the 17th, 1847 - 17
W. S. Duncan September the 2, 1849 - 15
M. E. Duncan Aprile the 18, 1853 - 11
L. V. Duncan July the 17, 1855 - 9
N. M. Duncan October the 17th, 1857 - 7
(different handwriting:)
Virgil died Dec 6/92
J W Duncan died Nov 12/1892
(different handwriting:)
Written by Mary Hollingsworth Duncan wife of William Duncan mother ofthe above children. (MGB: I think the addition and subtraction were added by someone other than John W. Duncan, possibly by his wife Alma.)
(Margie G. Brown comment, giving full names: John William Duncan; Jeptha Hollingsworth Duncan; Sarah Elizabeth Duncan; Samuel King Duncan; James Thomas Duncan; Jasper David Duncan; Emma (Emily) AnnDuncan; Winfield Scott Duncan; Mary Esther Duncan; Leander Virgil Duncan; Nannie M. [Ann Martha] Duncan.)"
December 2008 at the Family History Library, a staff member found a reference in the Temple Index Bureau to Dolly Duncan. I located FHL #184090, Endowments for the Dead, Salt Lake Temple, Book G page 442, heading has date of 22 Feb 1899, which has this: "#15615, Dolly Duncan, born Abt. 1805, [place of birth not given], died Nebraska Jan.1847 [sic]; Under the heading "When Baptized and Confirmed", instead of a date is says "In Ch.", Proxy Huldah C. D. Naylor, Dau."
Where did the information for Dolly of Christian County, KY as her birthplace and the marriage date of 12 Feb 1827 for her and William come from? Christian County is next to Todd County, but it is on the opposite side of KY from Fleming and Mason Counties, where Martin Duncan has been located.
The book "Winter Quarters" by Conrey Bryson, Deseret Book Company,Salt Lake City, UT, at the LDS library in Salt Lake, lists Dolly H.Duncan, 38, as one of 36 whose deaths were ascribed to canker. A doctor with the Mormans wrote a description of it: "Here a disease called by the Council of health black canker began to spread. The patient, stricken with a bilious colic, suffered from chills and fever. A Vitiated mucous membrane affected his stomach and bowels. His toes turned black, and as a result of the disturbed circulation, the black stain moved further up the legs. The whole nervous system became involved." It was apparently a vitamin deficiency disease. This book contains a list of those who died at Winter Quarters as well.
It was submitted to the LDS and is included in the records at Nauvoo that Dolly was Mary Hollingsworth. There is a marriage in Todd Co.,KY, between William Duncan and Mary Hollingsworth on 13 Feb 1831. However, (1) That is too late to have son James in 1828 (2) There is a William and Mary Duncan, still in Todd Co., KY, in 1850 and 1860. In 1850, William was 41 (1808-09) born KY and Mary was 35 (1814-15) born TN. In 1860, he was listed as 52 (1807-08) and Mary was 45 (1814-15) born KY. Their oldest child in 1850 was listed as 19 (1830-31), which is reasonable with the marriage date of 1831 AND their two oldest sons were John and Jeptha, which were names of Hollingsworth men.
It doesn't seem possible that the couple who died at Winter Quarters could be the William and Mary who married in Todd County, KY. Additional support comes from the files of Mary Ann Duncan Dobson, who has collected vast amounts of Duncan material. She has this on her Todd Co., KY, page of material:
"Handwritten page with very faint handwriting (from Richard Offutt to Margie G. Brown, from Margie G. Brown 10/2003)
(Handwritten on copy outside the edge of the copied list: Sent to me by Aunt Alma. This was in a letter written to Captain John W. Duncan in abt. 1864 while he was a prisoner in Union Army Camp in Civil War from his mother Mary Hollingsworth Duncan listing her children. The two death entries of Virgil and J.W. Duncan were made many years later by my grandmother William Houston [Duncan]'s wife.)
We have just received your letter. I will give you the list of the children.
J. W. Duncan November the 27, 1831 - 1864 = yrs 33
J. H. Duncan September the 7th, 1833 = 31 dead (MGB: Jeptha's probate recorded in Morrilton, Conway Co. AR, date of death given as Nov.1876, not dead in 1864)
S. E. Duncan February the 3rd, 1836 = 28
S. K. Duncan May the 16th, 1838 = 26
J. T. Duncan January the 18th, 1842 = 22
J. Duncan July the 18, 1844 = 20
E. A. Duncan November the 17th, 1847 - 17
W. S. Duncan September the 2, 1849 - 15
M. E. Duncan Aprile the 18, 1853 - 11
L. V. Duncan July the 17, 1855 - 9
N. M. Duncan October the 17th, 1857 - 7
(different handwriting:)
Virgil died Dec 6/92
J W Duncan died Nov 12/1892
(different handwriting:)
Written by Mary Hollingsworth Duncan wife of William Duncan mother ofthe above children. (MGB: I think the addition and subtraction were added by someone other than John W. Duncan, possibly by his wife Alma.)
(Margie G. Brown comment, giving full names: John William Duncan; Jeptha Hollingsworth Duncan; Sarah Elizabeth Duncan; Samuel King Duncan; James Thomas Duncan; Jasper David Duncan; Emma (Emily) AnnDuncan; Winfield Scott Duncan; Mary Esther Duncan; Leander Virgil Duncan; Nannie M. [Ann Martha] Duncan.)"
December 2008 at the Family History Library, a staff member found a reference in the Temple Index Bureau to Dolly Duncan. I located FHL #184090, Endowments for the Dead, Salt Lake Temple, Book G page 442, heading has date of 22 Feb 1899, which has this: "#15615, Dolly Duncan, born Abt. 1805, [place of birth not given], died Nebraska Jan.1847 [sic]; Under the heading "When Baptized and Confirmed", instead of a date is says "In Ch.", Proxy Huldah C. D. Naylor, Dau."
Where did the information for Dolly of Christian County, KY as her birthplace and the marriage date of 12 Feb 1827 for her and William come from? Christian County is next to Todd County, but it is on the opposite side of KY from Fleming and Mason Counties, where Martin Duncan has been located.
Events
| Birth | 24 Feb 1811 | Maybe, Christian Co., Kentucky |  | ||
| Marriage | 12 Feb 1827 | William A. DUNCAN | |||
| Death | 26 Nov 1846 | Winterquarters, Florence, Douglas Co., Nebraska | | ||
| Burial | Aft 26 Nov 1846 | #12, Winterquarters Memorial, Florence, Douglas Co., Nebraska | |||
| Reference No | 850 |
Families
| Spouse | William A. DUNCAN (1803 - 1847) |
| Child | James Madison DUNCAN (1828 - ) |
| Child | George Washington DUNCAN (1832 - 1911) |
| Child | Oliver Hazard Perry DUNCAN (1836 - 1889) |
| Child | William Pekin DUNCAN (1840 - 1907) |
| Child | Hulda Caroline DUNCAN (1845 - 1921) |
Endnotes
1. LDS - Nauvoo, Nauvoo Temple Endowment Register.
2. Washings and Annointings 1845-1845, Book A, Pg. 260.
3. WinterQuarters records.