GRECIAN URN
East side
To
the memory
of
WILLIAM DUNCAN
born in 1741
died in 1799
and AMELIA GUTHRIE his wife
born 1754, died in 1817
DAVID DUNCAN born in 1781, died in 1802
West side
In memory of
GEORGE DUNCAN of the Vine Dundee
Born 11th March 1791 died 6th January 1878
he entered the House of Commons in 1841 as member
of Parliament for Dundee, his Native town
and for sixteen years faithfully represented the constituency, his services were highly valued and publicly
acknowledged
to the end of his long life he enjoyed the esteem of the
whole community and the warm affection of his friends
he left the greater part of his means to the Royal Infirmary, The industrial Schools
and the Orphan Institution of Dundee
"seest thou a man diligent in this Business ? he shall
stand before kings, he shall not stand before mean men"
proverbs XX II.29.
Also in memory of HESTER ELIZA WHEELER
his wife
who died 27th May 1834 aged 32 years
GEORGE DUNCAN, who occupied a leading place in the civic history of Dundee
for more than half a century, was born in the Burgh in March, 1791. His father
was a maltman in the Nethergait, and some interesting particulars as to his
parentage and family are afforded by the tombstone that marks their resting
place in the Howff (No. 265 - This stone is no longer in existence)
GEORGE DUNCAN was left fatherless at a very early age, the only support of
his widowed mother. He was educated at the Dundee Academy, and began business in
1813 as a haberdasher, in company with Mr JOHNSTONE, the designation of the firm
being JOHNSTONE & DUNCAN. While the long struggle between the Town Council and
the Guildry, which was only terminated by the Burgh Reform Act, was in progress,
he took a lively interest in Burgh affairs, and his public life began in 1825,
at which time he entered the Council as Merchant Councillor. Three years
afterwards he was elected Councillor of the Guild, and held the office of Dean
of Guild from 1833 till 1836. During, this time his attention had been specially
directed towards the reform of Scottish Prisons, both as to their internal
arrangements and as to the means adopted for their maintenance. His efforts in
carrying forward the Prisons Bill, which necessitated frequent visits to London
at a time when such a journey was both expensive and dangerous, were gracefully
acknowledged by the authorities ; and on 5th July, 1839, he received a vote of
thanks from the Town Council for his exertions in this matter. On 16th April,
1841, he was elected First Bailie of Dundee, and on the retirement of SIR HENRY
PARNELL from the representation of the Burgh in the same year, Mr DUNCAN was
returned as Member of Parliament for Dundee. This position he continued to
occupy without intermission for sixteen years, and though his introduction to
this honourable place was at first regarded with dubiety by some of the extreme
Radical party in the Burgh, his conduct during his term of office convinced the
most doubtful of his single minded philanthropy and devotion to the interests of
the country. He was the first Scottish Bailie who sat in the House of Commons,
and his support was consistently given to the Liberal party both in and out of
office. He voted in favour of free trade in corn, he opposed monopolies, he
proposed an increase of the Education Grant, and advocated an extension of the
Franchise. On 20th May, 1842, he obtained a grant from the Treasury of £300 for
the improvement of Magdalene Green, and again received the thanks of the Council
for his successful efforts in this affair. The Seamen Fraternity of Dundee
presented him with a silver salver "as a mark of respect for public services,"
in August, 1845, and on 8th January, 1847, shortly before the dissolution of
Parliament, he was entertained to a public dinner in Dundee, and received the
unqualified approbation of his actions in the House of Commons from his
constituents. At the General Election in 1847 he was again returned as Member
for Dundee, and after the dissolution on 1st July, 1852, it was proposed to
present him with a testimonial by public subscription. On 13th October, 1852, he
received the gift of a piece of plate and 1,000 guineas; and in that
philanthropic spirit which had marked his career, he devoted £1,000 of this
money towards the founding of an Industrial School in Ward Road, which was
opened in December, 1856, under the name of the "Duncan Testimonial." He entered
Parliament for the last time in 1852, but after the dissolution in 1857 he did
not seek re election. The remainder of his life was spent in seclusion from
public affairs at his house of "The Vine," near Magdalene Green, though he still
took an active part in the promotion and support of the charitable institutions
which he had founded and fostered. He died on 6th January, 1878, in the eighty
seventh year of his age. As his father was born in 1741, these two lives
comprehended the very unusual period of 137 years. Mr DUNCAN'S wife, HESTER
ELIZA WHEELER, a lady possessed of considerable literary ability, predeceased
him on 27th May, 1834, and he left no children. Portraits of himself, his
mother, and his wife are now preserved in the Baldovan Industrial School,
towards the foundation of which he largely contributed.
Source E.B
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