Born at Plumbridge, County Tyrone, Ireland, in 1836, Duncan was educated at Castledamph National School.

In 1858 he went to Victoria where he worked on the goldfields, and then in 1862 followed the gold rush to Central Otago in New Zealand.

After little success, he began farming at Pukeuri, north of Oamaru, and lived there for the remainder of his life.

[3] He was appointed to the New Zealand Legislative Council on 13 June 1912 and served until his death in 1914.

This article about a New Zealand Liberal Party politician is a stub.