Duncan 'Roy' Moon and Elspeth Stewart in Balinuarain

The few facts know about Duncan Moon are as follows:

1. Duncan 'Roy' Moon and Elspeth Stewart in Balinuarain had a child baptised 18th February 1723, named Jannet.

2. The Blair Atholl Kirk Session Minutes for 12th May 1723 record that a testificate was given to "Duncan Moon, a distressed, sick man in Balinuarain. One eye is lost and the other in hazard".

3. The Atholl Estate rentals for 1725 show that 'red-haired' Duncan 'Roy' Moon and James McMillan were equally sharing the 1 merk land of Balinuarain. However Duncan must have died soon afterwards as, in 1726, the Atholl Estate Factor noted that the land formerly possessed by James McMillan and Duncan Moon's relict was to be re-let.

If Duncan Moon had been born before 1690 he would have qualified to be a fencible man in 1705, in which case he would have been the same fellow as 'Duncan Moon in Toldunie'. There were two fencible men by the name of Duncan Moon, but the background of the other Duncan Moon, who was 'in Drumnacrich' is well documented.

If Duncan had been born in 1690 he would have been 32 years old if he married Elspeth Stewart in 1722. However, this is just an estimate based upon the birth of his daughter Janet. If he had married earlier, he would have been younger than 32 and men normally didn't marry before the age of 30.

In a similar manner, if he was born in 1690, making him a 15 year old youth in 1705, who and where was his father? There is no mention in the Fencible List of someone who might have been his father in Balinuarain. Likewise his description in the Kirk Session minutes of 1723 does not sound like a young man in his early thirties and, of course, he was dead three years later.

Taking all things into consideration Duncan Moon 'in Toldunie' probably was Duncan 'Roy' Moon.

As Balinuarian was re-let after his death it would appear that Duncan 'Roy' Moon and Elspeth Stewart had no sons, as the widow could have managed the croft using hired men until her son was old enough to take over.

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