Joshua J. Duncan

Joshua J. Duncan (1833-1909) was a resident of the Buffalo area and an early judge of Scott County.

See Also: Mayors of Scott County
Preceded By: N/A • Succeeded By: John M. Cordell

Early Life

Born Dec. 16, 1833, Joshua Duncan was the son of Champion Duncan and Emily Baker of the Buffalo community in what was then Campbell County but would become eastern Scott County in 1849. He was the second of 11 children.

Duncan married Mary Cross (1831-1888) in 1854. (Following her death in 1888, he married Harriet Cross, who lived in their household. Her father, Larkin Cross, had been murdered by Confederate soldiers during the Civil War.)

Duncan was a distant relative of U.S. Congressmen John J. Duncan Sr. and Jimmy Duncan. The elder Congressman Duncan’s second great-grandfather was Joshua L. Duncan, a brother to Champ Duncan. (Judge Joshua J. Duncan and Congress John Duncan would have been first cousins three times removed.)

Civil War service

During the Civil War, Duncan served as a 1st lieutenant in Company A of the Tennessee National Guard. His father, Champ Duncan, also served in Company A of the Tennessee National Guard during the Civil War.

Judge of Scott County

Duncan was elected Scott County Judge in 1869, at the age of 35. He served one four-year term and left office in 1873, replaced by John M. Cordell.

Death

Duncan died on March 17, 1909 at the age of 75. He is buried at Duncan Cemetery on Stanley Creek.