Career
John Duncan came from Glasgow, but nothing has so far been found about his ancestry. He was the inventor of a patent tambouring machine (Patent Number 2769, of 1804). This was an early sewing machine, for "raising flowers, figures and other ornaments on muslins, lawns, silks, woollens, or mixed cloths".
Duncan may have used the chain stitch, which was employed for tambour lace, as was later done by Barthélemy Thimonnier.
Sometimes Duncan"s invention has been described as the first embroidering machine. As with other pioneering machines of the period, it was unsuccessful.