View source for Charles Duncan

''Not to be confused with [[Charles Gilbert Duncan Sandison]].''

'''Charles Gilbert Duncan''' (b. [[1816]], [[Lerwick]], d. 11 November [[1884]], Lerwick) was the eldest son of [[Gilbert Duncan]] (b. [[1787]]), a solicitor in the town, and Elizabeth Ogilvy, daughter of a prosperous merchant. Charles became an apprentice to a writer to the signet in Edinburgh, and eventually began to practise the law in his native town. He became a popular solicitor for ordinary people. In the 1850s he was appointed Procurator Fiscal. After his death Sheriff Charles Rampini referred to his 'acute mind, his singularly lucid judgment, his profound knowledge of law, and the keen interest which he took in all pertaining to the functions of the Procurator Fiscal's office'.

Duncan eventually became a town councillor in [[1850]], spending 3 years as junior Baillie, between [[1856]] to [[1862]] and [[1865]] to [[1874]] as senior Baillie. In those offices he became a reformer. 

He and his supporters introduced a water and drainage system in the town, against opposition from some ratepayers. He set up a competent police force and improved Lerwick's Hillhead with pavements and grass. It is also said by some that it was Duncan's influence that was behind journalist Donald Stephen moving to Shetland in [[1872]] and founding The Shetland Times.

Duncan was knighted by the King of Belgium and the King of Holland for services rendered to visitors from those countries. He died in Lerwick in November 1884 of asthma.

His father [[Gilbert Duncan|Gilbert]] and uncle [[Andrew Duncan|Andrew]] were also Lerwick Town Councillors. 
==Political Career==
*[[Lerwick Town Council Election September 1850]]
*[[Lerwick Town Council Election September 1853]]
*[[Lerwick Town Council Election September 1856]]
*[[Lerwick Town Council Election September 1859]]
*[[Lerwick Town Council Election September 1862]]
*[[Lerwick Town Council Election September 1865]]
*[[Lerwick Town Council Election September 1868]]
*[[Lerwick Town Council Election September 1871]]

==External links==
[http://www.bayanne.info/Shetland/getperson.php?personID=I10511&tree=ID1 Bayanne genealogy page]

{{Provosts2|Preceded by<br>'''[[William Sievwright (i)|William Sievwright Snr]]'''|'''Senior Bailie<br>for [[Lerwick Town Council]]'''<br>1856-1862|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Joseph Leask]]'''|Preceded by<br>'''[[Joseph Leask]]'''|'''Senior Bailie<br>for [[Lerwick Town Council]]'''<br>1865-1874|Succeeded by<br>'''[[William Sievwright (ii)|William Sievwright]]'''<br>[[File:William Sievwright Jr.png|40px]]}}{{Template:LTCProvosts}}

[[Category:Lerwick Town Councillors]]
[[Category:Councillors - Missing B/D]]
[[Category:Councillors - Missing Birth Date]]
[[Category: 1816 Births]]
[[Category: 1884 Deaths]]