Manatee bios  1513- 

Sent to Jeff Kemp on 9/18/20
Source for Biography:  Chapin, George M., Florida,
1513 - 1913, Past, Present and Future, Four Hundred Years of War and Peace and
Industrial Development, (c) 1914, Volume 2, p. 474-475

HON. ALLEN ELISHA CURRY. 

Judge Allen Elisha Curry is a native of Key West, 
where he was born March 12, 1858, and a descendant 
of an old resident family whose record is closely in- 
terwoven with the history of this city. Members of 
the Curry family settled here when Key West was 
but a fishermen’s abode and conspicuously participated 
in the upbuilding of the city. As police judge of the 
city of Key West, Allen E. Curry holds an important 
official position, having administered his office with 
such fairness and impartiality that he receives the 
highest commendation from his constituents. His 
father is William Samuel Curry, also a native of Key 
West, who still resides here at the age of seventy-six. 
Despite the fact that he is several years past the al- 
lotted three score and ten, he is yet active and in the 
best of health, being still able to pursue his usual voca- 
tion. He formerly was a ship mechanic but later a 
merchant and now conducts a collection agency. He 
participated importantly in the public life of the city, 
serving for several terms on the board of aldermen 
and also was- city marshal for two terms. He is a son 
of John Curry, a native of Green Turtle Key, one of 
the Bahama islands, who moved to Key West when 
it was a mere hamlet made up of a few dozen fisher- 
men and wreckers. Later, about 1859 or i860, the 
grandfather removed to Manatee county and there lie 
passed the remainder of his life, making his home in 
the village of Manatee. On the paternal side Judge 
Curry is of Scotch-Irish descent and before coming 
to the Bahamas his ancestors lived in Virginia. The 
mother of Judge Curry was before her marriage Alicia 
Pinder, who with her parents, William and Martha 
Pinder, came from Cherokee Sound in the Bahamas 
to Key West when a, young girl. She died at the age 
of seventy-two. Judge Curry of this review is the 
only living son of this marriage. He has three sis- 
ters, all of whom are married, as follows: Mrs. 
Martha Sawyer, Mrs. Sarah Roberts and Mrs. Mamie 
Roberts, the two latter having married brothers. 

Allen E. Curry has lived in Key West all his life 
and is therefore well known to its inhabitants, who 
appreciate him for his substantial and manly qualities 
of character. He obtained his early education in the 
local schools, later supplementing his knowledge in a 
more practical way by a course in Moore’s Business 
University of Atlanta, Georgia. After completing his 
course he was twenty-one years of age and, returning 
home, learned the cigar-maker’s trade, working at 
the bench for two years. He then had charge of a 
grocery store for five years, after which he embarked 
independently in the commission business, so continu- 
ing until 1887. In 1886 he sustained a severe loss 
when his store was completely burned out in the big 
fire. Following his retirement from the commission 
business he acted for eight years as manager of the 
Standard Oil Company depot at Key West, returning 
to his former vocation at the end of that time. With 
ever increasing success he handled merchandise on 
the commission basis until January, 1911, and in the 
following November was elected to the office of police 
judge, which he has since held, discharging his duties 
with conspicuous ability. His decisions are fair and 
impartial, based upon the law, and in him the people 
place full confidence. While lenient to first offenders, 
he is unbending in prosecuting the lawless and has 
done much to preserve law and order by his just de- 
cisions. Dignified in court, he preserves that heart- 
winning geniality Adiich has made him so many friends. 

Previous to holding his present office Judge Curry 
served with beneficial results on the board of aldermen 
for six years, promoting and inaugurating many im- 
portant measures. He also was formerly a member of 
the board of education. Besides his police judge 
duties Mr. Curry is the resident agent of the Ameri- 
can Surety Company of New York and is also the 
buyer in Key West for the Greek-American Sponge 
Company of Chicago. He is the owner of some valu- 
able business property, having in 1913 erected a two- 
story concrete building, thirty-eight by fifty-two feet, 
which will be occupied, when completed, by a drug 
store. The second story is finished up to serve as a 
modern flat. 

On December 2, 1883, Judge Curry was united in 
marriage to Miss Charlotte Florence Roberts, of Key 
West. Her parents were Joseph W. and Ann Roberts, 
who came to Key West from Green Turtle Key, which 
was also the former home of the Curry family. Both 
parents of Mrs. Curry are now deceased. Judge and 
Mrs. Curry have one son living, Leslie Anthony Curry, 
a well known druggist of this city. Two other sons 
and one daughter are deceased. The family attend 
the Methodist Episcopal church, South, of which 
Judge Curry is a member. 

In his political affiliations Mr. Curry is a democrat, 
stanchly upholding the principles and candidates of 
that party and ever keeping intelligently informed 
upon the great issuts that affect the nation, state and 
his community. Fraternally he is a Mason and a past 
master in the order. He also belongs to the Knights of 
the Golden Eagle and to its ladies’ branch, known as 
the Ladies’ Temple. For fourteen years Judge Curry 
served efficiently on the Key West fire department, 
being assistant chief for a part of that time, and for 
two years he was president of the Law and Order 
League of Key West, doing conspicuous service in 
that connection. He was formerly president of the 
Anti-Saloon League, which fact indicates the position 
he takes in regard to the liquor question. Public- 
spirited in his citizenship, Judge Curry has been one 
of the most useful factors in promoting the welfare 
of Key West along material, moral and intellectual 
lines and his influence has been felt in the upbuilding 
of the city and still plays an important part in its 
development and administration. 

398-399   


JOHN J. DUNCAN. 

John J. Duncan, one of the progressive and success- 
ful farmers of Jackson county, is engaged in the culti- 
vation of one hundred and forty acres of land near 
Marianna and is numbered among the men whose prac- 
tical and well directed labor makes them forces in 
general agricultural development. He was born in 
Georgia, November 28, 1851, and is a son of Joseph 
R. and Nancy J. (Alegood) Duncan, natives of that 
state. The father engaged in farming and upon the 
outbreak of the Civil war joined the Confederate army, 
in which he served until he was taken prisoner and 
placed in Fort Delaware, where he died. His widow 
survived him until March 18, 1906. To their union 
were born seven children: Edward, deceased; John J., 
the subject of this review; Ellen, who married John 
Warren, of Georgia; Daniel E., of Georgia; Lisa J., 
who became the wife of B. Hanley, also of Georgia; 
Nancy A., the widow of Hiram Gay, of the same state; 
and William T., who also makes his home in Georgia. 

John J. Duncan spent his childhood and youth in 
Georgia, acquiring his education in the public schools 
of that state, and in 1875 he moved to Florida, where 
he has since resided. He settled first in Manatee 
county, where he engaged in farming, removing to 
Jackson county in 1886. Here he purchased one 
hundred and forty acres of land and upon this property 
carries on general agricultural pursuits, his success 
being entirely the result of his practical, progressive 
and modern methods. 

Mr. Duncan married Miss Nancy Jackson, a native 
of Georgia, and they became the parents of seven 
children : Harmon, who makes his home in Jackson 
county; William R., of Columbus, Georgia; Sally L., 
the wife of B. W. Roberts, of Calhoun county, Florida ; 
Daniel E., deceased ; Luther, who resides in Southport, 
Florida; Lizzie, who married N. Duncan, of Calhoun 
county ; and Ellis, of Jackson county. 

Mr. Duncan professes the Baptist faith and gives his 
political allegiance to the democratic party. He has 
held office in connection with the county committee, 
although he is not in any sense an office seeker. As a 
resident of Jackson county for over a quarter of a 
century he has been loyal in his advocacy of everything 
pertaining to the welfare of the community and has 
made substantial contributions to its development and 
progress. 

606-607