Robert Duggan (@1768-1844) (Robt2)

Robert Duggan1 (born @1768-died @1844) (Robt2) was born in Ireland, one of the eldest
children of Hugh Duggan b. @ 1740 (Hugh1) and his wife Margaret Wilson. When Goodspeed
wrote about the area, he referenced Robt2 as the representative for the family, for of the six
sons of Hugh1, only Robt2 remained in Sevier Co. at the time. His brothers having moved on to
Monroe Co. and/or predeceased him, Robt2 was left as the elder Duggan in Sevier Co. The home
of Robt2 has been known as the Duggan homeplace.
Robt2 married MARGARET DUNN2 in Greene County, then part of the Territory South of the River
Ohio (at one time Greene County, North Carolina, later Greene Co., TN) on 7 Mar 17923 This may
have been physically in what is today Sevier County, as Greene County was then a huge area.
Margaret Dunn was born about 1770 in Virginia. They had eight known children.
In 1968, Duggan relatives erected a monument in honor of Robt2 and his wife Margaret Dunn--
a bronze plaque on a marble base placed in the Duggan Cemetery, which is located on land still
held by descendants of Robt2 in Sevier Co. It states:
In Memory of Robert Duggan and His Wife Margaret Dunn Who Settled on this
Farm in 1784 and Their Sons and Daughters.”
The children are listed with birth dates on the plaque: 4

1
This Robert Duggan is often confused with a Robert Duggan/Duggar of Virginia who was a
revolutionary soldier, which may have led to the assumption that the Duggans lived in Virginia for a time,
and also lead to a tendency push his birthdate back, in an effort to make him old enough to have served
in that war. Despite earlier reports to the contrary, there is no evidence that this Robert Duggan served.
As a Justice of the Peace, he helped veterans file Rev. War Claims, without ever filing one for himself.
2
Her exact ancestry is not yet known with certainty, but the William Dunn whose Land Entry certificate
was next in number sequence to that of Robt2 in Sevier Co. may have been her close relative. The
Cassandra Dunn who married their son Robert Jr. was likely her kinsman. DNA studies have shown that
Cassandra was the daughter of James Richard Dunn (1776-1850), also born in Virginia, and his wife Hannah
Hale (1776-1855).
3
Documentation of their marriage is available in the Greene County marriage record (p.57). U.S. and
International Marriage Records, 1560-1900, available on Ancestry.com. This is the only one of the five
sons for whom a marriage record survived.
4
The information on the plaque was taken from notes written into blank pages of a book found at the
Robert Duggan homeplace, which has been continually occupied by family members. The book was “ACTS
PASSED FIRST SESSION OF THE SEVENTH CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES-1802,” and was in a collection
of old books found in the home on August 27, 1956. Robert Duggan, Revolutionary Soldier, by Bulah
Duggan Linn, Sevier County News Record, June 10, 1976 (the “Linn Article”). Notwithstanding the title of
the article, which incorrectly assumed that the Robert Duggan of Sevier Co. one the same Robert Duggan
who was a Rev. War soldier, Bulah’s article provides a wonderful background of the family, and she is a
renowned local historian.

1
 NAME BIRTH DATE
Duggan, George 24 Nov 1793
Duggan, Mary Jane 24 Aug 1796
Duggan, Margaret 21 Oct 1798
Duggan, Wilson 25 Sep 1802
Duggan, Robert Jr. 5 Mar 1803
Duggan, Elizabeth 11 Dec 1807
Duggan, James 15 Aug 1812
Duggan, Campbell 24 Jun 1815
The family of Robt2 is well documented.
• In 1821, Robt2 was a Captain in the 11th Regular Militia of Sevier Co.
• In 1826, he was one of the signers of a petition to the Tennessee legislature concerning
Mr. Brabson’s Mill.
• Robt2 served as Justice of the Peace of Sevier Co. He wrote several pension applications
for men seeking Revolutionary War pensions.
• Robt2 died in Sevier Co. between 1842 and 1846.5
• His wife Margaret died in Sevier Co. between 1840 and 1846.
• Both are buried in the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Sevier Co.
In 1830, Robert appeared on p. 93 the 1830 census for Sevier Co. -- he in his 60s, with a wife
(Margaret Dunn) in her 50s – The other males in the home are the right ages to be Robert Jr.,
James, Campbell, and one male 5-9 who is not accounted for. This could be a late child who died
young, and for whom there is no record, or a grandson or nephew was living with him at the time.

Robt2’s oldest daughter Mary Jane “Jennie” Duggan (“MJ3”) was married to her cousin Hugh
Duggan (Hugh3-1790) and living with her family nearby, as recorded on the same page of the
census. On that same page is neighbor Joseph Keeler, whose daughter had recently married
Robt2’s son Wilson L. Duggan. The young couple appear to be living in the Keeler household,
which explains why Wilson is not otherwise found on the 1830 census. Robt2’s daughter
Elizabeth had married John McNabb. They were on the Cocke Co. census, p.271, with a new baby.

That accounts for all of Robert’s children other than (i) the oldest son George, who would have
been 37 (family lore is that he left for Missouri, never to be heard from again), and (ii) Margaret,
who married William Phariss – they were on the 1830 Jackson Co., MO census with 5 small boys.

5
Wilson Duggan, son of Robert and Margaret Dunn, was executor of their estate. It was settled in
Oct 1846.

2
By 1837, Robt2, Robert Jr., Wilson and James were all listed on the Sevier County tax list.6

In 1840, Robt2 was on the census for the last time in Sevier Co. p.4/159, in his 70s with his wife
in her 60s. Living with them are a male in his 20s and a female 18-19, probably James or Campbell,
newly married.

1840 TN Sevier 4/159 Duggan Robert 1 1 1 1

1840 TN Sevier 19 Duggan Wilson - 1803 2 1 1 1 1 1 1

Duggan family Historian, Hazel Vineyard Burton, provided much of the information about the
children of Robt2 in 1976, which was included in the Bulah Linn newspaper article about the
family. That information, together with supplemental information gleaned from further research,
is included below.

Children of Robert Duggan (Robt2) and Margaret Dunn

R1 - George (Geo3-1793) - born 24 Nov 1793 in Greene County, TN (now Sevier Co.), left as a
young man for Missouri, was not heard from again.

R2 - Mary Jane “Jennie” (MJ3) - born 24 Aug 1794, married Hugh Duggan (Hugh3-1790) in 1811,
a 1st cousin. They were on the 1830 Sevier Co. census, near her parents. In 1840 they were
living in Polk Co., near her husband’s brother, Sam3-1799.7 Ultimately, they settled in Bradley
Co., TN although it is not clear whether this was a later move, or whether they were simply
on the Bradley Co. side of the line, when Polk Co. was divided. A widow by 1845, MJ3 appears
on the 1850, 1860, and 1870 Bradley Co. censuses. Much is known of this family from the
detailed affidavits filed by MJ3 in connection with pensions applications related to the
military service of her husband after his death.

6
The only other Duggan listed was Dan3-1793, son of Dan2, who remained on his father’s Sevier Co.
land when Dan2 left for Monroe Co. The other brothers had all sold out and moved out of county by then.
7
Hugh3-1790 and Sam3-1799 were children of Robt2’s brother, Wm2, as recently established by DNA
evidence. A separate report on the children of Wm2 provides details on that study.

3
R3 - Margaret (Marg3-1798-Phariss) – born 21 Oct 1798, was listed on the family record of births
for the children of Robt2, but at that time they had no additional information on her.
According to an affidavit filed by her husband in Tarrant Co., TX in 1873, Margaret married
William W. Phariss (1796-1880) in Sevierville on 18 Mar 1818.

Census records show them in Jackson Co., Missouri in 1830, Barry Co., MO in 1840, and back
in Murray Co., GA (adjacent to Bradley Co., where her sister MJ3 resided, by 1850. They were
in Freestone Co., Texas in 1860, where Margaret died around 1868. They had nine children –
one named Campbell, which was a recurring given name among descendants of Robt2.

4
R4 - Wilson (Wilson3-1823) – born 23 Sep 1802, died 10 Feb 1875, married Elizabeth Keeler in
1822, a daughter of Joseph and Catherine (Fox) Keeler, both from families that helped settle
the area. Wilson was a prominent citizen of Sevier Co. and a Representative to the Tennessee
legislature for many years; he was a teacher; studied law under General John Cocke; practiced
law in Sevier Co. until his death, served as Clerk and Master, Sevier County Court 1840. His
children were: Simeon, Lemuel, Pryor L, Liza, Jason, Margaret C, William H.H, Elizabeth,
Wilson L, and Robert Campbell.
R5 - Robert Jr. (Robt3-1805) -- born 5 Mar 1805, died 1853 in Jefferson Co., TN, married
Cassandra Dunn, born 1809 in Kentucky, a daughter of James Dunn and Hannah Hale
(believed to be a first cousin through his mother’s brother). Their children: Malissa Jane (m.
Benjamin Garner), Stewart Hamilton, Campbell (no issue), James Calloway, Andrew Jackson,8
Robert, Lemuel Leonidas, and Elizabeth (m. James Poe).

R6 - Elizabeth (Eliz3-1807) -- born 11 Dec 1807, married John McNabb about 1828. They were
living in Cocke Co., TN in the 1830 census, and thereafter through 1880. Their children were:
Elvira, James W, Louisa (m. Austin Frazier), Samuel, William Campbell, Harriet McNabb Taylor,
Mary McNabb Ball, and Elizabeth McNabb Gray.

R7 - James (Jas3-1812) - born 16 Aug 1812, died about 1885 in Sevier Co., married Mary Evans.
Their children were: James Calloway, William M, Wilson Lafayette, Robert B, Martha Jane (m.
James Robert Killian), Mary L (m. Robert Cardwell), and Joseph.

R8 - Campbell9 (Campbell3) - born 24 Jun 1815, believed to have died young.

8
Andrew Jackson Duggan left descendants through his relationship with Sarah Bush, of Jefferson Co.
More detail on the Bush-Duggan line is set out in a separate report.
9
Family historians have long speculated about a connection between the Duggans and the Campbells.
The Duggans used maternal surnames frequently for their children’s given names. Wilson was frequently
used, for several generations. Campbell was also a common given name or middle name. What was the
connection there? Some speculate Robt2 had Campbell as a middle name because it carried on most
notably in his line, but it could easily have come from Margaret Dunn’s side. There are at least two Robert
Campbell Duggans in his line, two John Campbell Duggans, a William Campbell McNabb, a Campbell
Phariss, and at least two Campbell Duggans. But Robert was not the only child to pass on the name
Campbell. Anna Duggan Bird also passed on the name, although their affinity for the name could have
related to their affection for a favorite cousin who died young, Robt2’s Campbell Duggan. Given the great
number of instances where the name Campbell was used among descendants of Robt2 and Margaret
Dunn, and the scant use of the name otherwise, the inference is that the Campbell name may exist upline
from Margaret Dunn.