Goodloe Genealogy

A plunge into the Goodloe gene pool, my grandmother Susie’s family. And we end up learning more about the Duncans, too.

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I was a year-and-a-half into this website before I started tackling our family history, starting with Sue’s Memory Book for Mom and Dad. At that time, I remembered seeing a thick book on Goodloe Genealogy at Mom and Dad’s house but I lost track of where it was. I tried contacting Leecy Barnett about it, but to no avail. I was reconciled to having only a sparse set of anecdotes and photos, no real sense of our family’s story beyond Mom and Dad’s parents.

A year later, in 2020, I stumbled upon the family album by Barb’s grandmother, Helen Fisher, which opened the door to generations of her history. Through compiling posts about her ancestors, I started to find more online family trees and resources, including a tree for the Goodloes, and started to incorporate more into this site.

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In February, 2021, I found our copy of the Goodloe Genealogy, hiding in plain sight on one of the bookshelves in our living room — the forbidden room we rarely enter. The book of more than 450 pages was published in 1982 by Paul Miller Goodloe II, PhD. (Gateway Press, Inc., Baltimore, Library of Congress number 81-85541). Tucked inside were a handful of other notes and articles I’ve included in this post.

Herewith, my attempt at a summary of Goodloe side of the family, cribbing generously from other sources along the way.

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Goodloe Ancestry

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The Goodloe family, in various spelling permutations, goes back to the 13th century in Aspull, Lancashire, England. The Genealogy book focuses on the American side of the family but does include a tree going back to Rauf (Ralph) Gidlow, born 1477 in Aspull (page A-2). The geni.com Goodloe tree goes a few generations further to a John Gidlow born before 1400, if you track back to its source.

There is still a Gidlow Hall, a moated estate house, in Aspull dating to 1574. The source documents for this building trace the family even further to “Robert de Gidlow, freeholder of Aspull in 1291.” This was roughly the dawn of English family surnames. (see more in web archive).

It’s remarkable to me that there’s a record of more than 350 years of this family living in the English region of southern Lancashire and then more than 350 years in America in Virginia, Kentucky and Georgia.

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The name Goodloe/Goodlaw comes from Old English and translates to “good hill” or “holy hill” or “good place.” The family coat of arms dates to this drawing in the British Museum recognizing the family’s strong support of Queen Elizabeth vs. King Phillip of Spain in 1581. The signature of Thomas Gudlawe is at the bottom. The heraldic description indicates at least one Goodloe participated in the Crusades, but no more detail is known (Genealogy preface p. x-xi).

The Goodloe motto, “Vis Unita Fortior,” translates to “Strength United is Stronger” or “Power stronger by union.” It’s been used by many others, including the state of New Hampshire, the English town Stoke-on-Trent, and the title of a Led Zeppelin bootleg album (from a 1973 concert at Stoke-on-Trent).

By the time of the English Civil Wars (1642-1651), Lancashire was noted for its Royalist or Cavalier sympathies and also the site of many battles. The Goodloes were evidently both Royalist and Catholic, supporters of Charles I and Charles II. According to the Genealogy, as a result of the English Civil Wars which “destroyed or confiscated the Catholic Goodlaw’s Aspull (and other) property” (page B-5), the family dispersed. There are few records of the family in Lancashire after the mid-17th century.

Goodloes in America

George Gudloe, born in 1637 in Aspull and the only son of Thomas Goodlaw, joined a tide of Cavalier exiles coming to Virginia. The total Virginia colony population grew from 8,000 in 1642 to 38,000 in 1670. At age 18, George came to Virginia on June 20, 1655 aboard the “Philip” with his half-sister (or aunt) Margaret Gudloe (what happened to her is uncertain). He received 50 acres of land, as was common under the “headright” system for new colonists, on the south shore of the Rappahannock River in what became Middlesex County. He would have been among the early English settlers in this area and probably began growing tobacco. There’s a hint that he hid (or dropped) his Catholic background at a time when Catholics were particularly unwelcome in Virginia (page B-5).

George married Mary (whose family name is unknown but was born in 1651 in Gloucester County, Virginia…so from an even earlier immigrant family), probably around 1671 when he was 34 and had been in Virginia for 16 years; she was maybe 20. They prospered in Middlesex County where George added grants of 250 acres in 1674, 60 acres in 1679, and 113 acres in 1702. They had three children: Mary (born 1672), Henry (born 1675) and Anne (born 1681). George became constable (the highest elected office) of Middlesex County in 1686 and was noted in “Planters of Colonial Virginia” in 1704 (though only with 50 acres, so I’m not sure what’s up with that; originally published in 1922, the Planters book is remarkable and free online). George lived until 1710 and Mary died a year later; his actual will is on Genealogy page B-6.

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Note: The Goodloe Genealogy uses a two-digit notation system to designate direct family members (spouses don’t count). The first digit represents the generation in America and the second digit the sibling sequence in the particular family. So, George Gudloe is 1-1, his son Henry is 2-2, I am 11-4, Allie is 12-1 (though she’s not in the book). This number is typically placed before a name, so “11-4 William Howard Duncan.”

Furthermore, the Genealogy book is itself divided into Parts representing the principal lines of descent, and pages are numbered within each Part. So, our immediate family starts on page C-25.

George’s only son, Henry Goodloe (2-2, p. B-11, 1675 – 1749), flourished over his 74 years, amassing more than 3,000 acres of land in Spotsylvania County along with a number of enslaved people according to his will on page B-11 of Genealogy. Here are the names of those enslaved that he identifies: Peter, Hannah, Nancy, Sam, Matt, Han, Yeoman, Jugg and Jack. I think it’s possible there were unnamed others in the catchall, “All the residue and remainder of my of my estate of what kind or quantity soever.”

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Henry and his wife, Elizabeth (family name unknown, born in 1678; they married in 1698) built the “Goodloe Plantation” home near Thornburg, Virginia, in Spotsylvania County south of Fredericksburg. His descendants lived in that house (with various additions) until 1910.

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This home was mentioned in connection with the book and TV show Roots, but it turns out that Alex Haley’s ancestor, Kunta Kinte, was owned by the Waller family who were neighbors and friends of the Goodloes. Henry’s great-grandson, Thomas (my great-x4 grandfather) married Dorothy Waller. This is the extent of our family connection to the Roots saga.

I found a note online written by Susan Rech in 2003: “Last May, my Mom, sister and I visited this home, still owned by a distant relatives. They were very gracious and showed us all around. They’ve done a good job of restoring the home which was vacant for several years.” Susan was very active on the Genealogy.com site; I haven’t looked into all her posts and comments yet, but will. I knew that Susan had done a lot of research into the family genealogy but I hadn’t run into any of it until now — I’m glad to have this new connection to her memory.

This find led me to a forum on the Goodloe line that I haven’t really plumbed yet. For example, it leads me to believe the address for the Goodloe home is 6301 Marye Road, Woodford, Virginia 22580. This address is near (within a mile) but not exactly where the Genealogy places the home. I may have to make a field trip sometime to check on the place.

Our Family Branch

I’m not going to track through all the details of the nine succeeding generations to get to me. They are in the Genealogy as well as the Goodloe Geni.com tree, but as a guide, here is my direct line (which was challenge enough to figure out):

• 1-1 George Gudloe (b. 1637, Aspull, Lancashire – d. 1710, Middlesex County, VA)
• 2-2 Henry Goodloe (b. 1675, Middlesex County, VA – d. 1749, Spotsylvania County, VA)
• 3-2 George Goodloe (b. 1701, Middlesex County, VA – d. 1741, Caroline County, VA)
• 4-1 “Parson” Henry Goodloe (b. 1730, Caroline County, VA – d. 1820, Spotsylvania County, VA)
• 5-2 Thomas Allen Goodloe (b. 1754, Spotsylvania County, VA – d. 1813, Fayette County, KY)
• 6-5 John Waller Goodloe (b. 1789, Fayette County, KY – d. after 1860, Hopkins, KY)
• 7-9 William Hamilton Goodloe (b. 1829, Madisonville, KY – d. 1886, Valdosta, GA)
• 8-2 Lester Goodloe (b. 1857 Madisonville, KY – d. 1909, Valdosta, GA)
• 9-2 Martha Susan “Mattie Sue” Goodloe Duncan (b. 1893, Valdosta, GA – d. 1979, Valdosta, GA)
• 10-1 Conrad Howard Duncan (b. 1918, Valdosta, GA – d. 2014, Gainesville, FL)
• 11-4 William Howard Duncan (b. 1958, Short Hills, NJ)
• 12-1 Alexandra Fisher Duncan (b. 1995, Columbia, MD)

The inside cover of the Genealogy has a tree of the first five generations of the Goodloes in America. Our branch is on the left, Section C, via 5-2 Thomas Allen Goodloe.

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I had hopes of learning more about my great-x5 grandfather, “Parson” Henry Goodloe (4-1, p. C-5, 1730-1820) but the references are a bit sparse, other than the impressive fact that he and Frances Kemp had 17 children. He was known as the “Marrying Parson” because he performed more than 1,000 weddings in his 50 years as a Baptist minister. He was a close associate of fellow Spotsylvania gentry and rabid Baptist proselytizer, John Waller (from the same family that purchased Kunta Kinte). Henry was jailed and declared insane (huh?) for letting Waller preach in the Goodloe’s home. Henry served in the Revolutionary War for a year, rising to the rank of Sergeant. In 1782, Henry paid 18,000 pounds for 11,250 acres of land in Bourbon County, Virginia which became part of Kentucky when it became a state in 1792. I don’t know if Henry went there but I’m pretty sure that land became the home of several of Henry’s children, including 5-2 Thomas (my great-x4 grandfather) and 5-6 Vivian.

I think Henry’s Revolutionary War service makes Allie eligible for the Daughters of the American Revolution if she ever so chooses, and the same holds for my sisters and their girls (Henry is DAR#A046440). Go for it, girls — you know you want to! I guess, by the same token, I could consider joining the Sons of the American Revolution, a group I didn’t even know about.

My great-great grandfather, William Hamilton Goodloe (7-9, p. C-24, 1829 – 1886), was a minister in the (Campbellite) Christian Church who moved his family from Madisonville, Kentucky to Valdosta, Georgia, in the 1870’s. His son, Lester Goodloe (8-2, p. C25, 1857 – 1909), married Helen Pardee (with her own extensive family background going back to the founders of Yale University) and became an accountant for the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. Their second daughter, Martha Susan “Mattie Sue” Goodloe Duncan (9-2, p. C-25, 1893 – 1979) was my Dad’s mother. Here we all are on our pages in the Genealogy, details more or less accurate as of 1982.

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It seems worth having a closer look at the photo, probably taken in 1904 or so. The youngest child, William (9-5 William Lester Goodloe, p. C26), is my great uncle William for whom I’m named, according to Mom. He married Ann Paulk and had two children, “Woot” (10-1 William Lester Goodloe, Jr., aka “Dynamite”; see more info below) and 10-2 Leecy Ann Goodloe (p. C-28). Their little corner of the family were among our favorites to visit when we went to Valdosta. I only saw Uncle William a few times and he was pretty much glued to a recliner by then, but Ann Paulk was lively and very sweet. See more about our visits to Valdosta.

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It seemed like Mom, Dad, Leecy, Woot, and Helen all grew up together in Valdosta, sort of a little “Our Gang” group (but no Buckwheat).

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Leecy is the last survivor of this generation, living (as far as I know) in Greenwood, SC, as of this writing in 2021. She is another very gracious Southern lady who pops into our family story from time to time but I haven’t actually contacted her in decades. She was born in 1920 and first married George “Tony” Henry whom I think she met at Moody Air Force Base just like Helen Duncan met Joe Barnett. Leecy and Tony had two children, “Bunky” Henry who became a professional golfer (he was Woot’s protege), and William Henry who lived in Atlanta. Leecy eventually divorced Tony and married John Coleman.

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Woot was one of the most fun and notable Goodloe relatives, a true character, as described in a 1970 Sports Illustrated article: “Even in repose he was a striking figure, almost a perfect square, maybe five six or seven, 240 pounds. Despite his physique, he had been an outstanding athlete: football at Georgia Tech and an enviable record in amateur golf.” Here are more articles about Woot, and his Georgia Sports Hall of Fame profile. They are each worth a read.

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Mom, Dad and I played golf with Woot a few times. Watching him hit the ball was a sight. His drives were like low missiles that whizzed along the ground for about 100 yards then rose majestically in the air, sailing almost beyond sight. They made the most extraordinary noise, and always went straight. He joked that he used to envy Dad when they played together growing up, “Howard’s shots were always bending to the left or bending to the right, and all mine ever did was go straight,” he’d say in a thick Southern drawl. Another time, trying to convince Mom to hit the ball more forcefully, he stood next to her and said, “Sara, you’ve got to get your HIPS into it” as he forcefully hip-checked her, almost knocking her over and giving her a bruise the size of a melon. Valdosta long held (still holds?) an annual golf tournament honoring Woot.

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Goodloes and the Civil War

The author of the Genealogy, Paul Miller Goodloe II, includes an interesting self-penned essay about Goodloe participation in the Civil War — more than 50 Goodloes fought for the Confederacy and Paul was not happy about it. His own family was sharply divided, as he explains below, but on balance there were far more Confederate Goodloes than Union sympathizers.

He notes in his Introduction (p. xv) to the Genealogy, “Much is to be found in the records of Granville Goodloe [more] and Hallum Wood Goodloe [more, more] on the service of the Goodloes in the army of the Confederate States of America (more than fifty served in the Southern Army during the Civil War), but all this data has been omitted consciously from the present Goodloe Genealogy.”

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Here is an excellent article on Daniel Reaves Goodloe who indeed had an interesting career as an abolitionist author, U.S. Marshall in North Carolina during Reconstruction, and Washington correspondent for the NY Times and other papers for decades to follow; this article includes links to Goodloe’s most notable writing, much of it available free online. A collection of more of his papers, some online, is available through UNC Libraries. Goodloe collaborated with Frederick Law Olmstead on his book, The Cotton Kingdom. We can be happy that at least one Goodloe was on the right side of history, more or less.

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Notable Goodloes

Out of the thousands of Goodloe names that pop up through the Genealogy and family tree, most remain anonymous — simply names and dates (even us!). We’ve touched on some key Goodloes above. Here are a few other notables.

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One of the most interesting is Robert Goodloe Harper (5-5, p. B-47, 1765-1824), a U.S. Congressman and Senator, Federalist candidate for Vice President (1816) and proponent of the idea of repatriating negroes to Liberia. He fought in the American Revolution, attended Princeton and studied law in Charleston, SC. He became a Congressman from South Carolina from 1795-1801. He married Catherine, daughter of Charles Carroll, signer of the Declaration of Independence (“who violently opposed the match”) in 1800 and moved to Baltimore where their estate, Oakland, later formed part of Roland Park. Wikipedia says Harper is “best remembered for the phrase, “Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute”^[1] in connection with the XYZ Affair,” but if you can figure out why he’s best remembered for that, more power to you.

Harper fought in the War of 1812, attaining the rank of Major-General and became a Maryland State Senator. After less than a year as U.S. Senator in 1816 he resigned “on the grounds that his business engagements would not allow him to serve.” He was one of several Federalist candidates for Vice President in 1816 and also received a vote in 1820.

In his later years his greatest interest was the negro problem. In 1800 he had opposed the emancipation of slaves, though he favored abolition of the slave trade. By 1917 [sic…should be 1817] he had become actively interested in the matter of colonizing the negroes outside the United States, hoping that it might lead to the establishment of a system of free white labor in the South. He was one of the original members of the American Colonization Society and defended it against pro-slavery and abolitionist critics. He was influential in the selection of Africa as the place for the colony and it was he who suggested Liberia and Monrovia as suitable names for the colony and its capital.

Genealogy, p. B-47

Ten years after his death, the Republic of Maryland was founded in present-day Liberia with the town of Harper, named in his honor, as its capital.

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Multiple generations of Goodloes settled around Lexington, Kentucky and throughout the state through the 19th century; other branches sprouted in Tennessee and Arkansas. There’s a small town named Goodloe in Floyd County, KY (“town” is being generous — it’s a couple of trailer homes at a fork in the road) named for John Kemp Goodloe, a state legislator and Mexican War veteran.

There is a historically Black section of Lexington named Goodloetown after William Cassius Goodloe (&-3, p. E-53, 1841-1889) — I haven’t figured out exactly why yet but he was the great-nephew and personal secretary to Cassius M. Clay while Clay was ambassador to Russia. Goodloe fought for the Union and became an outspoken Republican state legislator during Reconstruction. He died proving the adage “don’t bring a knife to a gunfight” (see “A Dark Kentucky Tragedy“).

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There was a successful author in the family, Abbe Carter Goodloe (1867 – 1960). You can read four of her books for free, including College Girls, if you wish. One of her stories was made into a 1935 Joan Crawford movie. Hot dog!

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Other Documents

The rest of this post deals with other documents found tucked into the Goodloe Genealogy book.

Helen Barnett corresponded with Paul Miller Goodloe II, author of the Genealogy and received this nice letter from him in May 1979. It recaps much of the information ferreted out above — my job would have been easier if I read this letter in more detail to begin with. It’s an interesting coincidence how Paul’s career sort of paralleled Dad’s. I don’t guess they ever got in touch.

Paul suggests there may be more links between the Goodloe and Duncan families — but I think it might be through a different Duncan, Emily, the daughter of John and Lucy (White) Duncan who don’t appear to be in our branch (though, as we’ll see below, there were multiple John Duncans floating around Tennessee and Kentucky in the early 1800’s so it’s a little fuzzy).

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Goodloe and Duncan Family Notes

Joe Barnett sat down with Susie (and maybe with Pops) in 1978 and recorded the information below regarding her family. This includes a few more tidbits that aren’t in the Goodloe Genealogy and some clues on the Duncan side of the line, starting with page 4. Based on this information, I’ve begun to update the Duncan Family Tree. It will take me a while to add all the details.

With this information, we can more clearly trace the Duncan family line. Here is more on the Gadsden, Alabama grave of Pop-pop’s father, Franklin “Frank” Pierce Duncan. Franklin Pierce Duncan first married Linda deYampert (D’Ampert?) in 1878 but she died in childbirth two years later. Two years after that, he married Kate Cunningham from Atlanta whose father was a writer for the Atlanta Constitution. They had six children including Carl Howard Duncan (Pop-pop). It finally makes sense to me that he had a sister Kathleen who married Ford Hopson and founded the Miami Hat Company. Their son is Howard Hopson, Dad’s cousin and the source of my fine hat — I never knew how he was a cousin.

Franklin Pierce Duncan came from Kingston, TN to Gadsden, AL where he ran a general store for most of his life. He was a “widely known business man,” a practical joker and a ventriloquist. Franklin’s first son, Frank Augustus Duncan, ran a large department store in Gadsden (the same store?). Pop-pop started selling shoes in Frank’s store before becoming a traveling shoe salesman and eventually moving to Valdosta. In Valdosta he ran the shoe department at Varnedoe’s (#8 on your driving tour of historic Valdosta and here’s more) before opening his own Duncan’s Shoe Store.

Despite Franklin Pierce Duncan having six children including four sons, it appears pretty certain that Allie and I are the last of this particular Duncan line. So be it.

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But wait, there’s more. We have a somewhat clearer picture of other Duncan ancestors before Franklin Pierce Duncan. Here is more on the Duncan family from Tennessee (search for “7.4.6.5 Franklin P. Duncan” to find the family of 7.4.6 Robert D. Duncan, Jr. (1808 – 1885; grave) and Nancy K. Liggett (1820 -1887; grave). They lived in Roane County, Tennessee near Knoxville and had six children: Margaret, John Winfield, Isabella, Robert Houston, Franklin Pierce and Mary Matilda.

Things are a little bit hazy before that. Robert’s father was Robert D. Duncan who probably lived from 1776-1814 but there were other Robert Duncans floating around the area. The name of his wife is not certain (possibly Elizabeth Evans, 1776-1850) and they evidently had eight children: Evan, Joseph, William, Frances, Elizabeth, Robert, Jennett, and Jesse. Or maybe there was only one son, Evan. [I have to check further into this…]

One way or another, it seems likely this Duncan line goes back to Rice Durron Duncan (1741-1777, grave, more; pioneer family of Knob Creek, TN) and to his father, Marshall Duncan (born 1710 in Prince William County, VA, died 1777 in Snow Creek, NC; grave; more). See Table of Contents for Tennessee Duncan family. Marshall’s father was William Robert Duncan, Jr. (1659-1720, died in Culpeper, VA; grave).

And (drumroll, please), William Jr.’s father was William Robert “The Martyr” Duncan (source), detailed below. It should be noted that other sites advise that information about this Duncan should be “viewed with extreme skepticism.” But still, it’s interesting to consider. [I need to research these connections further as well…here’s another site to chase, and this, and this. See more at end of this post.]

William Duncan’s Stand Against the Jacobites
Reverend William Robert Duncan was born January 7, 1628 in Perth, Firth Of Tay, Perthshire, Scotland and died January 1, 1690 in Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland – Beheaded. He was buried at the Foot Of Mount Schiehallion, Perthshire, Scotland. He was a Covenant Presbyterian
Minister of Glascoe, Scotland who refused to take a Jacobite Oath when ordered to do so by King Charles of England. In accordance with the King’s orders he was beheaded and buried as a martyr and his family fled the country to the Northern Neck of Virginia in the United States. He married August 29, 1657 in Scotland to Susan Sarah Haldane who was born 1635 in Perthshire, Perth, Scotland and the daughter of Richard Haldane (b. about 1609 in Gleneagles Pass, Killiecrankie,
Scotland) and of Mary Kennet (b. about 1610 in Scotland).

William Duncan, the son of John Duncan, was born January 7, 1627/28 in Perth near the Firth of Tay, Perthshire, Scotland. He was beheaded January 2, 1690/91 near Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland. William was also known as the Reverend William Duncan. He fell martyr during the religious troubles that afflicted Scotland at the time Charles the second was restored to the throne and William refused to take the Jacobite oath. He received his degree in theology from the Kings College at Aberdeen in 1648. When William was ejected from office for informing
against members of the resistance to Episcopalianism, his children fled to Virginia where they settled in the region of Northern Neck. He married Sarah Haldane, daughter of Richard Haldane and Mary Kennett, on August 29, 1657 in Scotland.

William Robert Duncan and Susan Haldane had the following children
William H. Duncan 1659 – George Duncan 1660 – Alexander Duncan 1661 – Susan Duncan 1661 – Charles Duncan 1662 – Henry Duncan 1663 – Thomas Duncan 1665 – John Duncan 1675

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/60040920/william-robert-duncan

Going even further back, William Robert Duncan’s father was John Duncan who died in 1684 in Dundee City, Scotland (grave). His father was Dr. William Duncan (1556-1608, Dundee City (grave). “Here sleeps an honourable man, WILLIAM DUNCAN, Physician and Citizen of Dundee, who died of May in the year 1608, and of his age 52. – Heir lies aleswae ane godlie honorabil voman, Katerin Yedderburne, spous to Villiame Dvncane, who departit this lyif ye day of 1609.”

There’s a tantalizing reference buried in one site that links the family back even further, “

The Reverend William Duncan was a man who came from a well to do family,however because he was the second son he did not inherit the family's wealth. Instead he was trained to become a minister, a position of some influence, although his older brother would have lived much better. He received his degree in theology from the King's College at Aberdeen on 1648. His Duncan family's arms are also the arms of the ancient Duncan family who ruled Scotland as kings. The first of his family by that name was Duncan " The Meek " King of Scotland, who reigned 1034 -1040.

We should take all these connections before 1800 with a large grain of (unconfirmed) salt, but if you choose to believe we are descended from King Duncan (yes, that King Duncan from Macbeth), who am I to stop you?

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Also tucked into the book were this one typed page and a series of handwritten notes that seem to repeat much of the same information. It’s not clear to me who made the notes but it’s Susie’s maternal grandmother’s line, tracing back to Christian Dasher from Salzburg, Austria. See more on Christian Herman Dasher (and more, and more) who brought the family to Valdosta, Georgia. Helen Goodloe Pardee’s mother, Susan Smith (first daughter of Margaret Amanda (Dasher) Smith), married Adolphus Pardee. I include all these notes here, even though it’s repetitive. Here is the Dasher line on Geni.com.

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A further look into the story of William Robert “The Martyr” Duncan:

William was beheaded in 1690, more than 50 years before Bonnie Prince Charlie and the final phase of the Jacobite Rebellion. So there’s no real connection to that phase of the rebellion. William’s refusal to take a Jacobite Oath seems more directly related to the Jacobite rising of 1689, the first of a series of Jacobite rebellions that culminated in Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Battle of Culloden. The description of his death says, “He fell martyr during the religious troubles that afflicted Scotland at the time Charles the second was restored to the throne and William refused to take the Jacobite oath.” This is confusing because Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660 and ruled until his death in 1685. So did William get in trouble sometime before 1685 and not get beheaded until 1690? It doesn’t make much sense.

For my purposes, because I get hopelessly confused by all this, let’s take a step back. Jacobitism originates with James VI and I (James Charles Stuart, son of Mary, Queen of Scots), first monarch of the combined union of England, Scotland and Ireland begun in 1603. His reign until 1625 was known as the Jacobean era. He was succeeded by his son Charles I who was beheaded by Cromwell et.al. in 1649. Charles II was restored to the throne in 1660 and ruled until his death in 1685. He was followed by his younger brother and convert to Catholicism, James II and VII, for only three years before James II and VII was deposed via the Glorious Revolution of William and Mary (James II’s daughter, Mary II or Mary Stuart) in 1688.

So, with all that said, why was Rev. Duncan, a Covenant Presbyterian minister, beheaded in 1690 for not taking the Jacobite Oath? Does it have to do with his being a “Covenant Presbyterian”? This site helped me understand that Presbyterians believed in a church governed by ministers and elders, under Jesus, while the Stuart kings believed the king should be sovereign over the church. In the Stuarts’ view, going back to James VI and I, the church should be run by bishops under the authority of the king (Episcopalian). The Covenanters resisted changes imposed by James and then Charles I and ended up joining the First English Civil War on the side of Parliament. They shifted sides in the Second English Civil War but when Charles II was restored, he went after the Covenanters. This ushered in “The Killing Time” from 1679-1688 when Covenant ministers were killed if they did not swear an oath to the king and reject the Covenants. That sounds very like a Jacobean Oath, but is it really the same thing? It would make sense that Rev. Duncan might have fallen in this category but Charles II died in 1685 and the last of the Killing Time martyrs died in 1688. So why was Duncan beheaded years later on Jan. 1/2, 1690? 

I found this interesting summary which provides background and confirms much of what I found from other sources. It doesn’t really clarify William’s stand against the Jacobites, but it’s a fun read. I especially enjoy the last paragraph about the Battle of Killiecrankie which I think is best read aloud with a strong Scottish burr. Give it a try.

William Duncan's Stand Against the Jacobites

Reverend William Robert Duncan was born January 7, 1628 in Perth, Firth Of Tay, Perthshire, Scotland and died January 1, 1690 in Glasgow, Lanard, Scotland - Beheaded.  He was buried at the Foot Of Mount Shiehaliob, Perthshire, Scotland.  He was a Covenant Presbyterian Minister of Slascoe, Scotland who refused to take a Jacobite Oath when ordered to do so by King Charles of England. In accordance with the King's orders he was beheaded and buried as a martyr and his family fled the country to the Northern Neck of Virginia in the United States. He married August 29, 1657 in Scotland to Susan Sarah Haldane who was born 1635 in Perthshire, Perth, Scotland and the daughter of Richard Haldane (b. about 1609 in Gleneagles Pass, Killiecrankie, Scotland) and of Mary Kennet (b. about 1610 in Scotland).

William Duncan, the son of John Duncan, was born January 7, 1627/28 in Perth near the Firth of Tay, Perthshire, Scotland. He was beheaded January 2, 1690/91 near Glasgow, Lanard, Scotland. William was also known as the Reverend William Duncan. He fell martyr during the religious troubles that afflicted Scotland at the time Charles the second was restored to the throne and William refused to take the Jacobite oath. He received his degree in theology from the Kings College at Aberdeen in 1648. When William was ejected from office for informing against members of the resistance to Episcopalianism, his children fled to Virginia where they settled in the region of Northern Neck. He married Sarah Haldane, daughter of Richard Haldane and Mary Kennett, on August 29, 1657 in Scotland.

The word Jacobite comes from the latin Jacobus (Jacob's), or James' from the Royal House of Stuart. The followers of the James' (James V through to VII) were therefore known as Jacobites. Jacobitism is, however, more than merely a belief that a different person has best right to the throne. It is also a radically different understanding of the place which the monarch and the monarchy have within society. Jacobites reject the idea that the king has his authority delegated to him by Parliament. Many hold that the king's authority comes directly from Almighty God.

Jacobites were adherents of the exiled branch of the Stuart Dynasty who sought to restore James II and his descendants to the English and Scottish thrones after the Glorious Revolution of 1688. Theoretical justification for the Stuart claim was found in the writings of the Nonjurors, who maintained the principles of hereditary succession and the divine right of kings. But the Stuarts' continued adherence to Roman Catholicism, the rash and incompetent leadership of their military ventures, and the duplicity of foreign courts cost the Jacobite cause much support.

The situation was like this: England had been ruled by Protestant Queen Elizabeth I, she was succeeded by James I of England (James VI of Scotland). Catholic and Protestant divide not only in England but also in Scotland, Ireland and to a lesser degree France and Germany was the worst it had ever been. Support within all these countries for one family over another was across the board. Protestant support in Scotland and England was heavier than that of the Catholics. Both countries were under the rule of the Stuarts and this did not run well with the protestant parliament of the more powerful English. The Stuarts were eventually exiled and forced to retire to France due to the support of the Act of Union which basically forced Scotland to accept a situation that was not in their favour. Queen Anne died without an heir and the Act of Union, amongst other things, allowed the German House of Hanover to take the crown. This was something that the English desperately wanted, as it was regarded then that Catholicism was closer to evil than good.

Jacobitism also has its roots, in a way, in the religious situation of the time. Scotland and England of the seventeenth and eighteenth century were predominantly Protestant, but from 1685 to 1688 they had a Catholic king, James VII of Scotland and II of England. The people were highly suspicious of him, and were afraid of how safe their Protestant faith would be under a Catholic king. William of Orange was therefore called by the Whig party to invade England, and he became the new, Protestant king in 1689. James then fled to France. Most of England and the Lowlands(The Nobility) of Scotland supported the new king, but there were those, especially in the Scottish Highlands (The Local Clans), who remained true to James, whom they thought to be their legitimate monarch, and eventually acted to have him restored as the king. This was the beginning of the Jacobite movement. (Fitzroy Maclean, Scotland: A Concise History, pp. 138-139)

The first Jacobite attempt at the restoration of James VII came in 1689. Highland clans loyal to James had been assembled, and troops were sent by William to pacify them. In the battle in Killiecrankie, the Jacobites managed to drive the government troops away, but the commander of the Jacobites, Viscount Dundee, was killed in the battle, and because the army was left without a leader, they lost the advantage they had gained by the victory in the battle, and had to withdraw. However, the government remained uneasy about the situation in the Highlands, and tried to take control of the area with measures which included an order that the chiefs of the clans had to take an oath of allegiance to King William. Only two chiefs failed to take the oath by the date required, and one of them, MacIan of Glencoe, was made a threatening example to the rest of the clans: many of the members of his clan were murdered by government troops in what became known as The Massacre of Glencoe. The king did gain some more control over the Highlands with his measures, but especially the Massacre of Glencoe also turned many Scottish people against the king and was a source of very critical comments. This probably served to increase the popularity of the Jacobite cause in Scotland, even in the Lowlands, and probably was one of the reasons why the most serious rebellions, those of 1715 and 1745-6, came about. (Maclean, pp. 139 - 146.)

The Glorious Revolution in English History: The events of 1688-89 that resulted in the deposition of James II and the accession of William III and Mary II to the English throne. It is also called the Bloodless Revolution. The restoration of Charles II in 1660 was met with misgivings by many Englishmen who suspected the Stuarts of Roman Catholic and absolutist leanings. Charles II increased this distrust by not being responsive to Parliament, by his toleration of Catholic dissent, and by favoring alliances with Catholic powers in Europe. A parliamentary group, The Whigs, tried to ensure a Protestant successor by excluding James, Duke of York (later James II), from the throne, but they were unsuccessful. After James's accession (1685) his overt Catholicism and the birth of a Catholic prince who would succeed to the throne united the hitherto loyal Tories with the Whigs in common opposition to James. Seven Whig and Tory leaders sent an invitation to the Dutch prince William of Orange and his consort, Mary, Protestant daughter of James, to come to England. William landed at Torbay in Devonshire with an army. James's forces, under John Churchill (later duke of Marlborough), deserted him, and James fled to France (Dec., 1688). There was some debate in England on how to transfer power; whether to recall James on strict conditions or under a regency, whether to depose him outright, or whether to treat his flight as an abdication. The last course was decided upon, and early in 1689 William and Mary accepted the invitation of Parliament to rule as joint sovereigns. The Declaration of Rights and the Bill of Rights (1689) redefined the relationship between monarch and subjects and barred any future Catholic succession to the throne. The royal power to suspend and dispense with law was abolished, and the crown was forbidden to levy taxation or maintain a standing army in peacetime without parliamentary consent. The provisions of the Bill of Rights were, in effect, the conditions upon which the throne was offered to and accepted by William and Mary. These events were a milestone in the gradual process by which practical power shifted from the monarch to Parliament. The theoretical ascendancy of Parliament was never thereafter successfully challenged.

Battle of Killicrankie: Prior Events: John Graham of Claverhouse, Viscount Dundee ("Bonnie" Dundee) heard that Blair Castle had been taken by Patrick Stewart of Ballechin and made for the castle. Whoever had the castle controlled the Garry pass. General Mackay, the Redcoat's army commander was also aware and made to retake the castle. The scene was set! The year was 1689 and the 17th century was a troubled time in Scotland. James II of Scotland/VII of England had fled to France on William of Orange's, invited, invasion. England was happy for William to be king but Scotland was divided. The Stuart line had ruled for 300 years and the Jacobites (mainly Highlanders) were not ready for a Protestant king. A convention was called in order to decide who Scotland should have as monarch (it was to finally to opt for William and Mary). When Claverhouse was summoned to the convention, in Edinburgh, from his home, at Dudhope, he refused to attend and left with his supporters. He then set about gathering an army. The Battle: After much chasing around, by Mackay, they eventually waged battle that day, 27th July 1689. Dundee had reached Blair first and headed South for the pass. He took up a position, on a ridge, up to the right of the pass exit. Mackay, meanwhile, turned to face the threat and advanced to level ground below the Jacobites. He could not attack, only a madman would contemplate attacking uphill. Dundee waited. Remember, he is to the right of the pass, facing West, into the sun. He waited hours, until the sun had gone down enough to be out of his troop's eyes. Mackay had 3,000 troops and cavalry, Dundee had 2,500 troops (4 clans and 300 Irishmen). He offset this rather one sided balance by thoughtful tactics. At the right time the Highlanders loosed off what musketry they had and charged. Now, the government troops were mainly raw recruits and probably unused to their new weapon, the bayonet. Imagine it, you have fired a hail of bullets at this screaming, broadsword wielding mass of Highlanders and they're still coming at you. You fumble with a new-fangled piece of kit, trying to screw it on the end of your musket and they're still screaming, still charging hell for leather down at you. By the time you start to react to this threat they're on you. What do you do? You run for it, that's what you do, and that is precisely what the government troops did! The government line broke and the Jacobites began a rout toward the River Garry, the water of which turned red that day. Mackay, a typical British army officer of the time, called his troops cowards for breaking so easily while he effected a hasty retreat. The victorious Highlanders did not know that their leader, Dundee, had been mortally wounded. They had lost 900 men while the Government side lost 2,000 men, half his army. Unfortunately this was a case of winning the battle but losing the war as, without their leader, the Highlanders were lost and went on to eventual defeat at Dunkeld.

So, despite hours of digging, some fragments of information just don’t fit together. We may have to settle for the admonition that “there is a great deal of conflicting information surrounding William.” That’s where I am at the moment. I’m not 100% sure he’s a direct relative anyway, but at least now I know a good deal more about the Jacobean era and a century of English and Scottish history that always confused me. And I choose to believe we are descended from King Duncan. Prove me wrong!