Andrew Duncan (1755–1827) was an 18th/19th century

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...

minister who served as

Moderator of the General Assembly The moderator of the General Assembly is the chairperson of a General Assembly, the highest court of a Presbyterian or Reformed church. Kirk sessions and presbyteries may also style the chairperson as moderator. The Oxford Dictionary states th ...

in 1824.

Life

The grave of Very Rev Dr Andrew Duncan DD, Ratho churchyard

He was born in 1755 the son of Rev Patrick Duncan, minister of

Tibbermore Tibbermore is a small village situated about west of Perth, Scotland. Its parish extends to Aberuthven; however, the church building is now only used occasionally for weddings and funerals. Previously known as Tippermuir, it was the site of t ...

. He was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Perth in July 1778. He was ordained as minister of

Auchterarder Auchterarder (; gd, Uachdar Àrdair, meaning Upper Highland) is a small town located north of the Ochil Hills in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, and home to the Gleneagles Hotel. The High Street of Auchterarder gave the town its popular name of "Th ...

in September 1781. In September 1802 he was presented to the congregation of

Ratho Ratho ( gd, Ràthach) is a village in the Rural West Edinburgh area of Edinburgh, Scotland. Its population at the 2011 census was 1,634 based on the 2010 definition of the locality. It was formerly in the old county of Midlothian. Ratho Statio ...

West Lothian West Lothian ( sco, Wast Lowden; gd, Lodainn an Iar) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and was one of its shires of Scotland, historic counties. The county was called Linlithgowshire until 1925. The historic county was bounded geogra ...

by his colleague Rev Dr

Thomas Randall Davidson Thomas Randall Davidson (1747–1827) was a Church of Scotland minister and landowner. Life He was born Thomas Randall in July 1747, the son of Rev Thomas Randall (b.1710), minister of Inchture west of Dundee. Early education was at least ...

of Muirhouse and in March 1803 he translated to this new ministry. In 1807 he was appointed as Principal Clerk of the General Assembly. In 1811 Edinburgh University awarded him an honorary

Doctor of Divinity A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity. In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ran ...

. In 1824 he succeeded Rev

Alexander Brunton Alexander Brunton FRSE FSA (2 October 1772 - 9 February 1854) was a Scottish minister in the Church of Scotland who rose to its highest rank, Moderator of the General Assembly in 1823. He was a noted academic, as Professor of Hebrew and Orie ...

as Moderator of the General Assembly. He was succeeded in turn in 1825 by George Cook. He died in Ratho on 29 July 1827. He is buried in the graveyard of his church with a large cuboid gravestone just north-east of the church.

Family

In August 1786 he married Margaret Bethune, daughter of Rev Neil Bethune of

Kennoway Kennoway is a village in Fife, Scotland, near the larger population centres in the area of Leven and Methil. It had an estimated population of in . It is about three miles inland from the Firth of Forth, north of Leven. This position gave it i ...

. Their ten children (eight daughters and two sons) included: *Jean Duncan (b.1790) married Captain Duncan Ogilvy, died 1821 in India *Christian (b.1791) *Janet (b.1793) *Hannah (b.1793) married Captain H A Montgomerie *Margaret (b.1795) *Catherine (b.1796) * Andrew Bethune Duncan (b.1797) minister of Culross *Susan (b.1798) *Ann Mercer Duncan (b.1800) married James Craig surgeon in Ratho *Grace (b.1802) *James (b.1806)

Publications

*The Benefits of Christianity (1806)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Duncan, Andrew 1755 births 1827 deaths People from Perthshire Moderators of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland