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Duncan of Sketraw
Arms: Gules a chevronel Or in chief two cinquefoils and in base a dragon’s head couped holding between its teeth a sword in bend sinister hilt upward Argent hilt Or pommel Argent.

Crest: On waves of the sea Argent a lymphad proper under sail Or flagged Gules the sail charged with a clarion Gules.

Motto: Savour the Moment

Pennon: Upon a Pennon of 120 centimetres long to these Liveries Or and Gules Arms in the hoist bearing the motto 'Savour The Moment' in two lines counterchanged.

SOURCES, NOTES & CREDITS: Grant: The Court of the Lord Lyon, 14th December 2007. Register, volume 88, folio 7. Conferral: by S. A. R. Don Carlos de Borbón-Dos Sicilias y de Borbón-Parma, Duque de Calabria, Conde de Caserta, Infante de España as a Knight Jure Sanguinis, Motu Proprio, Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St George. 28th November 2006, Book 4, Folio 56, No. 3002. Burke’s Peerage & Gentry International Register of Arms, Volume One page 74, PRAABS, Vol 1 1672-77, page 56, no. 821; Roll of Scottish Arms, Vol1, Part 1, page 114.

John Alexander Duncan of Sketraw, KCN, FSA Scot. He was born on 19 Dec 1953 in Edinburgh, the eldest son of John Duncan and Margaret Joan Stark. After his 13 years National Service with the Royal Dental Corps, John then became a farmer in Banff, County of Aberdeen and a software expert, website designer and company director. He made a career as a website designer. He designed the websites for the Society of Scottish Armigers and the Heraldry Society of Scotland remaining the webmaster of each until his passing.

Working with his friend Martin Goldstraw of Whitecairns, he founded The Armorial Register – Intl Register of Arms, which amongst other things registers arms of interested persons and as a publisher of books especially reprints of older works as well as new books having to do with heraldry and allied subjects.

John Married in Aug 1986 Linda Helen Smith, they have one son Gavin George Duncan of Sketraw, Ygr., who was born in Oct 1988. John then married Susan Teresa Fulford and they have two sons: Euan Michael Duncan and Angus James Duncan. The Duncan family reside on their lands of Sketraw in Banff, Aberdeen, farming and raising horses.

John based his grant of arms on a version of those of Duncan of Seaside PRAABS 1672-77.
(Gules, a chevron Or between two cinquefoils in chief and a hunting horn in base Argent garnished Azure).

John Duncan of Sketraw was made a Fellow of the Antiquaries of Scotland on 30 Nov 2005 and conferred with the honour of the Constantinian Order of St. George (Madrid) in the Grade of Knight of Jure Sanguinis, a noble grade, on 28 Nov 2006. In addition, John has been a Member of the Society of Scottish Armigers since 2007. On May 9, 2022, he was posthumously elected a Fellow of the Society.

Until a couple of years ago John and I had many happy conversations via Skype. After a long illness John died on 4 May 2022, age 68.

Pray for his soul ! May you Rest in Peace John !

The artwork is an interpretation by Mark D. Dennis used by permission.

2022 0507

dqw266@gmail.com
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