Maryland

It is commonly believed that Richard Duke of Otterton, born 1599 to Richard Duke and Margaret Bassett, was an Ark and Dove colonist in Maryland, and the same individual who established the Brooke Manor family there. One Richard Duke who immigrated to Maryland has been identified in Colonial Families of the United States, Vol. V, List of the Ark and Dove Passengers, page 597, as follows:

“Richard Duke, 1633

Warrants, Lib. Lib. I, p. 20, 28, and Lib. A. B. H. p. 66,

Born in England about 1613, Deposition abt., 35 yrs. June 20—1648).

Md. Arch. Vol. 4, p. 392. Married in Eng. Son Richard Duke, born abt. 1633. Deposition, St. Mary’s Co. Md. Jan. 19—1665, abt.32 yrs. Of age – Pro. Court Lib. F. F. P. 161. Returned to Eng., & makes a deposition being abt. 47 yrs. Of age. Aug. 14, 1664 as a scrivener & citizen of London. Pro. Court—Lib. B. B. 393, 395.”

The birthdate suggested for this individual by his deposition does not conform to that of Richard Duke of Otterton.

Early Families of Southern Maryland, Vol. 5, Duke, Page 6, states that:

"Richard Duke (1), b. ca. 1613, age 35 in 1648 (MD); d. by 1681; married Mary ______; d. after 1681 Calvert Co.; Richard witnessed the will of John Speed of St. Mary's Co., which was probated 6 Oct 1639 (MCW I.1). Their known children:

 1. Richard Duke (2)

 2. James Duke

Mary's Dukedom (also called Mary Duke's Doom) or 100 acres surveyed 19 Dec 1681 for Mary Duke on the north side of the Patuxent; possd. by James Duke; Leonard Creek Hundred (CaCRR & SOM 24/358; 31/24) [note: this is a Calvert Co rent roll, undated]. . . .

James was among the legatees of William Jennings of Prince George's Co. written 23 May 1711 . . . "

From Colonial Genealogies #1, 1607-1920, Colonial Families of the United States, Vol. VI, Duke Family, Pages 197-198. MyFamily.com, Inc. Dec. 2, 2003, edited by George Norbury Mackenzie, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1912:

“The Dukes of Maryland are supposed to have originated in Devonshire, England, and Duke of Lake is presumed to be the head of the American branch. Richard Duke came to Maryland with Father White’s party in 1734, and settled at St. Mary’s; it is family tradition that he was Father White’s private secretary; he was also a close friend and advisor to Governor Leonard Calvert, who called him “my trusted friend;” he was on Kent Island in 1641; he was a Member of the Assembly 1637 to 1653 and a leading spirit thereat and was otherwise a prominent man in the affairs of the colony; his wife’s name is unknown; in 1653 he retured to England with his wife and sons Thomas and Richard, who d. young, it is believed in London, and never returned to Maryland.

Issue:

Richard, returned to England, no further record.

Thomas, returned to England, no further record.

Andrew, no record

James I, died after 1672, of whom later.

William, returned to England, no further record.

James Duke, I, of Calvert Co., Maryland, in 1652; will proved there in 1672; m. Margaret, surname unknown.

      Issue

      James II, d. 1693, of whom later.

      John, no record.

      Joseph, no record.

      William, no record.

The age of the older Richard Duke of the Ark and Dove is too young to be the disinherited individual from Devonshire (born 1599, before his younger brother Robert in 1600) and besides, his son left the colony. The Devonshire individual could still have been the Richard Duke of Brooke Manor Place.

The Dr. Lois Green Carr files at the Maryland Archives provide documentary evidence:

1213-01Duke, Richard, b. 1618, arr. 1634, free by 1639; selling Indians

1213-011649 patent for 100 acres, Dukes Place

1213-01proxy to T. Cornwallis 1642 Assembly

1213-01transported 1634

1213-01witness to will of John Speed

1213-01servant to Mr. Pulton, oath concerning bequest

1213-01present at 1641/42 assembly

1213-01action of debt

1213-01action of debt 1642/43

1213-01action of debt 1647

1213-01action of debt 1648

1213-01deposition 1648 regarding sale of Indian

1213-01age 30; deposition regarding sale of Indian

1213-01action of debt 1648

1213-01action of debt 1650/51

 

1214-01Duke, Richard, immigrated 1653 with wife and two children, unnamed

1214-01demands 200 acres land

1214-01demands 200 acres land

1214-01age 32 in 1665/66; witness to sale

 

1215-01Duke, Thomas, b. 1651, servant to Wm. Hatton

1215-01No information on land

1215-01Servant to Hatton, age judged by court to be 16 years in 1667

Richard Duke of Otterton, disinherited, was admitted to the Inner Temple (as son and heir of Richard, of Otterton) in 1619 and was buried at Otterton 27 Mar 1653. (See Foster’s Inns of court Reg. The disinherited Richard had a son, Richard, who also matriculated at Exeter College, on 21 May 1669, aged 17; of the Inner Temple 1670, buried at Otterton 1 Oct. 1716. (See Foster’s Inns of Court Register).[1]

A Richard Duke, “citizen and scrivener of London”, died in England and his will was probated in 1670 (PRO Reference: Prob/11/332). His principal heir was a son, Richard Duke, but he listed “all my children” as Richard, Robert, Anne, Sara, Suzanne, and Elizabeth.  His estate included stock in the East India Company.  He does not appear to be the Maryland individual.

Another Richard Duke was indentured by his mother Jane Duke to John Dodman of Westmoreland Co on 1 Aug 1655 (Genealogy.com. Colonial Abstracts, Volume I, Westmoreland County, 1653-1657, page 669.) Richard Duke appears in an account from Westmoreland Co. in 1652 (Virginia Colonial Abstracts, Volume I, Westmoreland County, 1653-1657, Page 663).

Virginia: On the North Side of the James River

Thomas Duke of James City County, VA

Thomas Duke apparently arrived in James City County Virginia by 1651, or at least received land there by that date. He received at least one land grant with Thomas Hampton of that county. William Byrd’s title book indicates that on 6 Jun 1651 Thomas Duke and Thomas Hampton received 430 acres lying on Warreny Creek on the east side of the Chickahominy River, bounded northwest and SSE on a swamp dividing it from Edward Cole, and ENE on Soane’s land. The grant was due for transportation of nine persons into the colony by William Barret. In 1671 Thomas Hampton sold this land to Daniel Parke”[1]

A patent was issued on 20 Apr 1682 to Mrs. Mary Wade, widow of Thomas Duke, for lands assigned by Thomas Hampton. She had by then married a Wade, after the death of Thomas Duke. The patent was for 463 acres on a branch of Tiaskun Swamp, with boundaries on Tiaskun Swamp, down Warreny Run, Preston’s Spring Branch, and the land of Capt. Henry Duke, formerly patented to Mr. Thomas Hampton who sold 100 acres to Preston and assigned the remainder to Mary Wade, by name of Duke, under date of 30 Nov 1670 (VPB 7:174). This is the strongest evidence that Mary Duke, wife of Thomas Duke, was a daughter of Thomas Hampton.

The history of Thomas Duke of James City County has been confused with that of Thomas Dew of Nansemond County VA (for example, see Evelyn Duke Brandenberger’s The Duke Family). Col. Thomas Dew of Nansemond County was the founder of the Dew family in that area and a prominent citizen of Virginia in his own right. Thomas Dew was a Charles City County justice in1755, speaker of the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1652. He had a son, John Dew of Isle of Wight County, whose daughter Sarah was the third wife of William Bridgers. Her second husband was a Cotton.[2] Thomas Dew’s son, John Dew, died in Isle of Wight County, where his will was proved in 1678.[3]

Thomas Dew and other prominent citizens were publicly converted to the Society of Friends by George Fox in 1672.[4] This was one year after Thomas Hampton sold James City County land to Daniel Parke, noting that the Thomas Duke who had received the grant with him was “long deceased.”[5] Col. Thomas Dews was certainly not the same as Thomas Duke who received a grant with Hampton.

The error was doubtless encouraged by the proximity of Hampton and Dew lands in Nansemond County: [6]

6 Jan 1642 Mr William Brookes, 300 acs. Up.Co. New Norfolk. "Upon the W. side of the Southern Br. of Nansamund River, beg. opposite land of Thomas Dew & adj. Thomas Hampton, Clerke."

However, Hampton family histories say that this Thomas Hampton was not the same individual who was in James City County with Thomas Duke. The Thomas Hampton of Nansemond is sometimes said to have been the father of the Thomas Hampton of James City County, but this has also been rejected by family researchers. The relationship between these individuals with the same name is said to be unknown.[7]

These are the relevant documents that are frequently cited as evidence of Thomas Duke’s presence in Nansemond County:

25 Jan 1634 Tho. Dew was a witness to a grant (no county mentioned) concerning four persons transported (I pa 56)

1 Aug 1638 Thomas Dew was granted 400 acs. "in Nansamund River, Up. Norf. Co. -- lying about one line from the plantation of Thomas Powell. 200 acs. by assignment of Thomas Powell & 200 acs. due from Trans. of 4 pers." (I pa 95)

22 Apr 1640 John Geary, 250 acs. Up. Norfolk Co. "Bet. land late in the possession of Mr. Thomas Dew and by him assigned to Thomas Davis & land now in possession of Thomas Powell bounded N. W. on the S. branch of Matravers." (I pa119)

10 Oct 1638 Thomas Dew 300 acs. Up. Norf. Co. "In Nansamund Riv., beg. at a small Cr. at the old Indian Towne, S.E. into the woods a small island being opposite against sd. land. Due for Trans. for 6 pers. (Renewed 18 Jan 1643 & 450 acs. added)

8 Jan 1643 Thomas Dew Gent. 750 acs. Up. Norf. Co. "Upon the Ewd. side of the Swd. br. of Nansamund River, beg. at the mouth of Craney Cr. opposite to 2 small islands called Craney & New Haven river , & adj. Mr. Randel Crew." 300 acs. by former patent & 450 acs. due for Trans. of 9 pers. His own Per. adv. Georg Speevy -- and others" (1 pa151)

10 Oct 1670 Col. Thomas Dew 750 acs. Up. Norf. Co. "one the E’wd side of the S’n br. pf Nanzemond Riv., S’wd side of Crany Cr. opposite Crane & Nehokin Islands ; & adj. Mr. Randall Crew; 10 Oct 1670/ Granted sd. Dew 8 Jan 1643. (II pa83)

In 1671 Thomas Hampton of JCC wrote in a deed that Thomas Duke was “long since deceased.”(Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. XXXXX, p. 25.).

In 1672 Thomas Dewe of Nansemond converted to the Society of Friends.

23 Apr 1681 Col Thomas Dew 450 acs. "in Uper. Par. of Nazemond, at head of Crany Cr. issuing out of the Southern Br. Beg. in line of Hood’s neck pattent, now Francis Parker’s; to Georg Spivey, Senr., crossing Beaver Dam, into the maine Pocoson; and Granted to Randall Crew 12 Nov. 1640, which, after severall surrenders & descent, is in possession of sd. Col. Dew. (II pa221)

25 Mar 1700 Daniel Pugh Sr. (will dated 25 March 1700) is listed as a headright "twice imported" of Nicholas Stallings in a patent of 25 April 1701 (Va Pat. Book 9 , p303). Daniel Pugh Sr patented land in Nansemond Co. in 1695, 1698, 1699 and 1700. By his wife Ann, Daniel Pugh had issue: Ann Pugh who married John Duke, as well as other children John Pugh, Francis Pugh, Theophilus Pugh, and Daniel Pugh. Daniel Pugh Jr. died intestate leaving 450 acs of land (part of a patent for 750 acs granted Col. Thomas Dew 10 Oct 1670, on which today lies the city of Suffolk) inherited from his father Daniel Pugh , to his son Daniel Pugh III who in turn left the land to his mother and three sisters. (Daniel Pugh died 1745, was a vestryman in 1743) (Va Gen. Mag. II p102)

25 Mar 1700 Daniel Pugh willed 250 acs. adj. Cross Swamp to his grandson , John Duke "being the son & heir of his daughter Ann (Pugh) (Nansemond Co. Norfleet)

22 November 1739: John Duke of Nansemond Co., sold to Richard Newsum, 250 acress of land adjoining the Cross Swamp on Richard Newsum’s land. "which my grandfather, Daniel Pugh , bought of James Peters and gave to me being the son and heir of his daughter Ann (Pugh) according to his will made 25 March 1700.” Signed by John Duke (no witnesses) (From the papers of the Riddick Family of Nansemond Co Va 1720-1856) (Virginia State Library)

10 Oct 1638 John Wright was granted 200 acs. Up. Co. New Norfolk. "Beg. at the miles end of land of Thomas Dew , Gent. (I pa116)

7 Nov 1640 Thomas Dew 250 acs. Up. CO. New Norfolk, " Upon his own land, running E. by S. through a reedy Poquoson etc. 50 acs. for Trans. of 1 per. & 200 acs. by assignment from John Wright. " (I pa118)

23 Apr 1681 Thomas Duke 430 acs. Up Par. of Nazemond: "Neare Thomas Harrell: adj. Thomas Parker: the Cross Sw.; & 200 acs. formely belonging to William Wright & 200 acs. granted sa. Wright 18 Mar 1662 who conveyed to sd. Duke; 230 acs. for trans. of 5 pers. Tho. Duke , Tho. Duke, Fra. Marr, Jno. Deverett, Wm Harring. (II pa221)

10 Nov 1678 176 acs. part therof patented 10 Nov 1678 to Wm. Speight "at a place called "Barbicue" ..adj. Humphry Griffin . . . to an island in Cross Swamp, to the land of James Duke. (Virginia Genealogical Society pq 101, Norfleet Riddick papers ,Nugent II 193-194)

24 Apr 1682 Thomas Duke 350 acs. in the Up. Par. of Nanzemond, att Cross SW of Barbecue. Trans. of 7 Pers." (II pa 240)

28 Oct 1702 Thomas Duke Jr. 350 acs. Up. Par. of Nansemond Co. at place called Saram, beg. at Peter Pheebus, cor. of Richard Barefield; up Saram Swamp. Trans. of 7 pers. (III pa63)

24 Apr 1703 John Duke 113 acs. Up. Par. of Nansemond Co.; "on SW side of the Cyprus SW., a br. of Summerton Cr.; adj. Thomas Allman’s land. Trans. of 3 pers." (III pa 68)

14 July 1718 Francis Duke 231 acs (N.L.) Up. Par. of Nansemond Co.; "on SW side of Barbicue Swamp: adj Joseph Baker; Thomas Duke; Imp. pf 5 pers." (III pa207)

1704 Land Records for Nansemond Co. Va. From: English Duplicates of Lost Va. Records. :Jno Duke 113 acs. Tho. Duke Jr 930 acs. Tho. Duke 400 acs.

Except for those grants in which the name is spelled “Duke” these are indeed grants to the Dewe family. Part of the land identified here was known until recently as “Dew’s Point.” When the Duke family appeared in Nansemond County they acquired land immediately adajcent that of Col. Thomas Dewe. Col. Thomas Dew’s estate was handled in York County VA courts in 1691, identifying debts to a number of individuals including “Tho. Jefferson” [an ancestor of the more famous individual of that name] and listing his family as sons Andrew, John, Thomas, and Richard and daughters Elizabeth and Ann. A careful review of the grant information will show that no land granted to Thomas Dewe was ever inherited by anyone named Duke. Even the inheritance involving Daniel Pugh, father-in-law of John Duke, was land bought from Col. Thomas Dewe.

And so, it would appear that there is no evidence that Thomas Duke I, who was first documented in James City County in 1651, ever set foot in Nansemond Co VA. He appeared in James City County records in 1751 and died sometime before 1771.

John Duke of James City County

On 13 May 1673 there was a grant to John Duke for 486 acres on the east side of the Chickahominy River abutting northwest on Tyascon Swamp, to William Dormers land, David Nowell’s land, then south to Robert Hubert’s land, then north to Tyascum (VPB 6:452). On 15 Dec 1673 there was another for 136 acres beginning at Jos. Wade’s corner gum and extending north to Edward Gyllies land, down Miry Branch to a corner hickory by Tyascum Swamp in the mouth of the small branch “where the said John Duke now lives” (VLP Bk 6:504). These are very close to the early grants to Thomas Duke in James City County. Diascond Creek at its mouth forms the boundary between New Kent and James City counties, and it then extends northwest into New Kent County.

It is certain that the James City County grants were to John Duke, a son of Thomas Duke. Evelyn Duke Brandenberger believed that John Duke of York Co VA was that individual.[8]

John and Henry Duke of York County VA

Brandenberger equates John Duke of James City County and John Duke of York Co VA. There is no evidence for  or against this. On 19 Jul 1670/71 Bryan and Dorothy Smith assigned to John Duke 107 acres in York County on the east side of Otter Dam. This was witnessed by Thomas Bushrod and John Scarsbrook.[9] John Duke married Jane Scarsbrooke, daughter of Col. John Scarsbrooke and his wife Mary Martinau, in about 1669. Mary was the daughter of Capt. Nicholas Martinau and his wife Jane, widow of Edward Berkley. Capt. Martinau died in 1657 leaving three daughters.

Col. John Scarsbrook’s estate, which included a bequest to Jane Duke, was proved by Henry Power and Thomas Munford in 1679.[10] Thomas Muntford married Jane Duke after the death of John Duke. Duke was still alive on 27 Aug 1678 when he appraised the estate of William Major.

On 24 Jan 1692/93 John Duke II of York County deposed that at the house of Thomas Mountfort he heard Francis Read say that they had difficulty persuading Benjamin Read to make his will.[11] He married Susanna Goodwin, daughter of Major James Goodwin. A Henry Duke witnessed a 3 Oct 1694 deed in which John Duke sold to Thomas Mountford 107 acres previously owned by his father.[12] Rachel Porter Goodwin, mother of Susanna Goodwin, left bequests to grandchildren James and Elizabeth in her 1701 will.[13]

Henry Duke appears on the 1704 York Co Quit Rent Roll with 25 acres next to Hansford lands. Charles Hansford, in his will of 1702, left a bequest to his daughter Lydia Duke. Henry Duke is mentioned in York Co. records through at least 1736.

Henry Duke of James City County (Henry Duke, Councillor)

Henry Duke acquired lands adjacent those that had belonged to Mary Hampton Duke Wade, and other patents in addition. The earliest record is the reference to a 1670 grant adjacent Mary Wade (VPB 7, p. 174). On 23 Oct 1690 he received 1000 acres on the south side of the Chickahominy River, touching Webb’s Run (VPB 7, p. 123.) On 20 Apr 1694 Henry Duke, Gent., received 736 acres on Warreny Creek and  dBirchen Swamp adjacent John Aylor [possibly Aylett], Wm. Elcome, Edward Chilton, and Mr. Burwell (VPB 8, p. 321). (Burwell’s land was in New Kent County; Diascond Creek at its mouth forms the boundary between New Kent and James City counties.) On the same date he received 90 acres in Diaskun Swamp adajcent Wm. Manning, to Warreny Creek (VPB 8:322). On 20 Oct 1704 he received 1168 acres of land on Licking Hole Swamp in New Kent County (VPB 8, p. 611). On 8 Apr 1711 he received 80 acres on the southwest side of the Chickahominy River in James city County adjacent John Soane (VPB 10, p. 4).

On 25 Jul 1690 Henry Duke was appointed a commissioner for taking subscriptions toward the establishment of William and Mary College.[14] He led a militia troup in 1698. By 1694 he was a member of the House of Burgesses. In 1702 he was appointed to the Royal Council of Virginia.

Henry Duke Jr. of James City County VA

Henry Duke Jr. held 1000 acres of land, apparently acquired from his father since no patents in his own name have been found, in the 1704 quit rent rolls of James City County VA. Many equate him with Capt. Henry Duke of Prince George Co VA, of which more later. No further clear references to this Henry Duke have been found on the north side of the James River.

Much later –

“Last Thursday evening, as mr. Robert Norris, and  Mr. Henry Duke, were crossing James river, on their return from a sale in Isle of Wight county, by a sudden squall their boat overset, when they unfortunately perished, with two negro men. “(Virginia Gazette, Publisher Purdie,  Page: 4, Column: 3, 1776-04-05).

A notice asking for any claims against the estate of Mr. Henry Duke of James City County was published 14 and 18 Jul 1777. The notice was signed by William Jones. (Virginia Gazette, Publisher Purdie, Page 1, Column 2, 1777-07-18).

Henry Duke’s personal estate, including considerable livestock, household and kitchen furniture, and field crops, were sold at auction. (Virginia Gazette, Publisher: Purdie  Page: 2, Column: 3, 1776-12-13).

 

James Duke of James City County VA

James Duke was the son of Col. Henry Duke. William Byrd, in his diaries, makes it clear that James Duke married Byrd’s sister Mary Byrd. They lived in James City County and were frequently visited by Byrd. Mary Byrd died young, and was last mentioned in Byrd’s diary on 6 Apr 1721.

Brandenberger provides a reconstruction of the history of James Duke that appears badly flawed, perhaps in part because she conflates the son of Col. Henry Duke with James Duke, the son of the older John Duke of York County VA, or with a son of James and Mary Duke named James. Further, Brandenberger identified James and Mary Duke as parents of William Duke of Brunswick Co VA and Warren Co NC. It will be shown that this is very unlikely. There is actually no evidence supporting her hypothesis, and a great deal of circumstantial evidence placing William elsewhere in the Duke family.

The Ludwell Manuscripts mention in 1724 Elizabeth, widow of Henry Duke, and James Duke. Gent., surviving executor.

James Duke of Hanover

On 6 Dec 1769 the Virginia  Gazette published a notice regarding James Duke of Hanover (Virginia Gazette, publisher Purdie and Dixon, Page 3,  Column 2, 1769-12-07).

 

Thomas Duke of James City County VA

In 1704 Thomas Duke was listed with 750 acres of land in James City County adjaajcent his father with 2986 acres and Henry Duke Jr. with 1000 acres. The 1729 will of his wife, Elizabeth Marston Duke, provides for her son Marston Duke, her daughter Susanna Sherman, her granddaughter Elizabeth Sherman, daughter Sarah Lide, and daughter Mary Duke. Marston Duke and William Brown of James City County were executors, and the will was witnessedf by Robert Hickman, Joseph Hix, and Joseph Day.[15]

Edmund Duke of William and Mary College

Edmund Duke gave testimony on 17 Jul1705 as a subscriber to the grammar school at William and Mary, saying that the barring of the masters from the school in a raucous incident was not accompanied by violence. Edmund Duke’s oath was taken before John Smith and John Lewis, but Henry Duke took many of the students’ oaths.[16] Edmund Duke may be a son of Col. Henry Duke. Duke’s role in establishing the school only a short time before lends credibility to this interpretation. Brandenberger asserts that Edmund Duke may have died young. This is possible, or he might have gone elsewhere in adulthood.

A Henry Duke advertised in the Gazette regarding a horse obtained from Edmund Duke in Goochland (Virginia Gazette, Publisher Purdie, Page: 4, Column: 3, 1776-04-05).

New Kent Co.

Who was this Richard Duke in New Kent Co?

GRANTEE         Duke, Richard. grantee.

DATE   23 April 1679.

NOTE   Location: New Kent County.

NOTE   Description: 400 acres on the branches of Horocock Swamp on the Kings Road to Pascataway.

NOTE   Source: Land Office Patents No. 6, 1666-1679 (pt.1 & 2 p.1-692), p. 674 (Reel 6).

NOTE   Part of the index to the recorded copies of patents for land issued by the Secretary of the Colony serving as the colonial Land Office. The collection is housed in the Archives at the Library of Virginia.

OTHER FORMAT          Available on microfilm. Virginia State Land Office. Patents 1-42, reels 1-41.

SUBJECT          Land titles -- Registration and transfer -- Virginia -- New Kent County.

SUBJECT          New Kent County (Va.) -- History -- 17th century.

SUBJECT          Land grants -- Virginia -- New Kent County. aat.

ADDED ENTRY             Virginia. Colonial Land Office. Patents, 1623-1774.

ADDED ENTRY             Library of Virginia. Archives.

We also have:

EDB completely ignored thisone early Duke family land grant in Virginia -- to a Richard Duke. Smyth (Smyth, Samuel Gordon. A Genealogy of the Duke-Shepherd-Van Metre Family. Lancaster, PA: The New Era Printing Co., 1909, p. 267) lists this Richard Duke who with his wife and son obtained a grant on the King’s Road to Piscataway in New Kent Co VA in 1679, as follows:

" The probabilities are that the above mentioned John and Henry Duke were brothers; and it may be reasonably assumed that Richard and Thomas Duke, who were also grantees--the former for 400 acres on the King's Road to Piscataway in New Kent Co., granted in 1679; and the latter for 430 acres in the Upper Parish of Nansemond, granted in 1681--were also brothers or closely related to John and Henry. Richard Duke received head rights for himself, his wife, "Ma. Duke" and his son (prob.) George Duke; while Thomas's grant included head rights for himself and his son Thomas Duke, Jr. In the description of a subsequent grant of land in Nansemond made by Governor Spottswood, the relationship is more clearly defined, as the record reads: "to Thomas Duke, Jr., and his brother, John Duke," the land-mark standing at "their father Thomas Duke's line" next to land of Francis Mace (Mace was "imported" by the elder Thomas Duke and had obtained head rights from him in the previous year). Francis Duke obtained a grant of land in Nansemond Co. of 231 acres in 1718; this grant adjoined Thomas Duke's land. The presence of Francis Duke's name in the colony and the repetition of the hereditary family names, as those above, indicate the origin of this line among the Dukes of Devonshire, England."

The Duke Family South of the James River

Thomas Duke of Nansemond

On 22 Oct 1667 Thomas Duke in the Parish of Chucktuck, Nansemond County, gave power of attorney to William Epam [Exum] to receive cattle belonging to his wife Margaret that were in the care of Silvester Thacker in Rappahannoch (Old Rappahannock Co VA Deeds Bk 3: 345). Thatcher or Thacker as first granted land in 1643 on Pagan Point in Isle of Wight Co VA, with Anthony Fulliam.[17] However, he soon moved on. In 1650 Thacker was granted a thousand acres on the Rappananock.[18] In 1656 Thacker acquired 1000 acres on the Rappahanock,[19] and again in 1660.[20] Brandenberger speculates that Thacker was holding an inheritance for Margaret Duke.

The Exums were also from Isle of Wight Co VA. William Exum was the son of immigrant Thomas Exum. William’s son, William Exum Jr., obtained land on the south side of the main Blackwater Swamp at Round Hill in 1723.[21] His grandson Joseph Exum married Elizabeth Kinchen, daughter of William Kinchen and sister of Patience Kinchen who married Ethelred Taylor II. Joseph’s brother Robert Exum married Patience Williamson, daughter of George Williamson and Hester Bridger, and was party to a 1737 deed for land north of the Blackwater Swamp, also signed by various Williamsons and Elizabeth Joyner and witnessed by John Clayton. Thomas Hardyman (of the Surry Co family that intermarried with the family of Elizabeth Taylor Duke), and Thomas Morein.[22]

All of these connections indicate that Thomas Duke of Nansemond County had his closest ties in neighboring Isle of Wight Co VA, in the same local areas where both Elizabeth Duke Taylor and John Duke of Isle of Wight lived and with families closely associated with the Duke and Taylor families.

In 1702 Thomas Duke was granted 350 acres at Barham in Nansemond County adjoning Peter Phalus, a atree in the line fo Richard Barfield to a branch on the side of Barham Swamp (VPB 19: 479).

Chuckatuck was the site of a substantial Quaker settlement.[23]

In 1678 the following patent is of interest: “10 Nov 1678. 176 acres part therof patented 10 Nov 1678 to Wm. Speight “at a place called Barbicue” . . . adj. Humphry Griffin . . . to an island in Cross Swamp, to the land of James Duke.”[24]

John Duke, son of Thomas, had 400 acres by patent in 1703, and on 8 Apr 1711 Thomas Duke, son of Thomas, and John Duke acquired a grant along the line of Thomas Duke next to Francis Mace (VPB 10:397).

William Duke and Hannah Grendon

William Duke was assigned 600 acres of land on Chippokes Creek between Surry and Prince George Counties, later identified as escheated and claimed by his widow Hannah Grendon and her fourth husband, William Archer. William Duke was referred to as“of Martin’s Brandon.” Martin’s Brandon is immediately east of Flowerdew Hundred in Prince George Co. VA, and immediately west of Upper Chippokes Creek. This may have been the same individual for whom Justinian Cooper claimed credit for transport in 1639.[25] Cooper received land at the head of Lawnes Creek in eastern Surry Co, but this would not necessarily dictate where William Duke settled, and the distance between the two locations is not great in any case.

In 1671 William Bird, agent for Sadler and Quiney in the colony, purchased a grist mill at the head of Chippokes Creek, which divides Prince George and Surry counties (Surry Co VA Deed Bk 1, p. 387). Bird was married to Hannah Grendon, widow of Thomas Jennings. By 29 Sep 1672 records show that his son Thomas Bird had inherited the mill.

(Thomas Bird died by 5 Jan 1688, when his widow Mary had remarried to George Nicholson. He left three daughters, among them Elizabeth, wife of John Lanier, who with her sisters inherited Bird’s land on the South Branch of Upper Chippokes Creek. The Lanier connection will later be of interest.)

By 1772 William Duke had married the widow of William Byrd, Hannah Grendon:[26]

Abstract. William Duke and Hannah his wife, relict and admrx of William Bird, dec’d., to put in security for sd administration, exhibit inventory, etc. Also appointed guardian of her daughter Elizabeth one of the orphans of Thomas Bird decd and ordered to put in security for her part of the estate. Also that Nevet Wheeler guardian of Thomas Bird one of the orphans of Thomas Bird put in security.

Duke was further involved in settling the affairs of Byrd’s estate:[27]

Ordered -- Robert Wynne and Nicho Wyatt to meet at Martins Brandon, examinek, witness, and prepare for trial the case of John Sadlier and Thomas Quiney by Tho Blayton their atty against Wm. Duke & Hannah his wife, admx of Wm. Bird decd.

And further: [28]

20th Aug. 1672

"Mr. Sherwood: Pray appear and Prosecute an Action agt (against) Mr. Richd Welback att my Suitt on Marring ye relict of Mr. Bird, dec'd, at ye Next Court to be held for Surry County & what ye doe therein shall be allow by"

                                             yr friend

                                             Wm. Duke

         25th 9br 1672

"At a Court held at Southwark for the County of Surry 25th 9br 1672 Judgment granted Wm Duke as Maringe ye Relict of Wm Burd agt: Thos. Busby for paymt: of one hundred and fifty fox skins due by bill & fifteene shillings sterling with costs. alias Exec: but Liberty granted ye sd Busby to discount what he can make apeare befoe Capt. Wyat that he hath satisfied out of ye sd Debt."

And another transaction:[29]

At a Court held June 3, 1673, William Duke and Hannah his wife Administrix of William Bird decd being an action of debt against Thomas Meriton on a bill of 454 pounds of tobacco etc.

Boddie described the family of Hannah Grendon.[30] She was the daughter of Thomas Grendon, Sr., a London merchant who often lived in Virginia. He married Elizabeth Stegge, widow of Col. Thomas Stegge, Puritan Commissioner to Virginia. The Stegges were the parents of Grace Stegge who married John Byrd, goldsmith of London, father of the first Col. William Byrd of Westover.

Hannah Grendon married first Thomas Jennings of London, Merchant, by whom she had a son, Thomas, also a London merchant, said to have become a distiller in Isle of Wight Co VA. She married second William Bird of Martin’s Brandon in Charles City, on the south side of the James, now in Prince George County. This William Bird represented the London merchants John Sadler and Thomas Quincey in Virginia, and was probably closely related to John Bird of London.

The will of Thomas Grendon, Jr., of Staffordshire, proved in the Principal Court of Canterbury on 29 Oct 1680, provides for sister Rebekah Grendon Symonds, for Hannah (as Hannah Archer) and for Hannah’s child with her first husband, Thomas Jennings. Thomas Jennings is listed in the records of the Company of Drapers, London, as living at Isle of Wight Co, VA, from 1616-1620, and a note in the records indicates that he died there. However, Hannah Grendon also had Thomas Byrd and Elizabeth Byrd, children of her marriage to William Byrd. Grendon’s will mentions William Byrd Jr., son of William Byrd Sr. of Henrico Co VA, but does not mention Hannah’s children with the other (third) William Byrd, of Martin’s Brandon, VA.

Elizabeth Byrd is said in Murphy family oral tradition to have married Richard Murphy. I have no evidence in support of this or subsequent parts of their family oral tradition. It is interesting, and has multiple points of intersection with the Byrd and Duke families, but is very unlikely to be completely accurate.

William Duke served on a jury that found William Caswell, mariner, guilty of defaming Anthony Wyatt. John Stith was foreman of the jury (Charles City County Court Order Book 1664-1696, p.610).[31] Legal resolution of some of William Duke’s business affairs are also reflected in the Charles City County Court Order Book 1664-1696, for example pp. 513, 543, 595).[32] Duke was found to be concealing five titheables, presumably to avoid taxes.[33]

The Virginia Colonial Records Project includes references to a William Duke, merchant, in a list of exports from the Port of London. Duke shipped goods in the Recovery, John Wood master, in 1674.[34]

Wm. Duke ind.; 400 ells nar. Ger. llinen, per Peter Causton, 2 June last; 18 ells linen per William Jarrett; 3 June last; 2 pos. lockrams per William Berry, 16 April last; 75 ells Vittry canvas per David Conyard, 15 April last; late etc. dat. 8 Sept.

The individuals for whom Duke was shipping have not been specifically identified. However, the Jarrett family owned land near the Sunken Marsh Path in Lawnes Creek Parish, Surry Co, VA, near William Newsum, Robert Ruffin, William Harris, William Gray, William Carter, and Matthew Swan.[35]

In 1676 William became involved with Nathaniel Bacon, Jr., in his uprising against the Virginia governor. (If William was one of the Suffolk Duke family, then Bacon was his brother-in-law.) William and others presented a petition of complaint against a colonel in the governor's militia. [36]

Besides of the unlawful proceedings of the s'd Hill, about the estate of Thomas Grendon, of which yo' honors are already partly informed, and besides the s'd Hill's placeing and constituteing the s'd Grendon's House a Prison, keeping therein (guard and all) about thirty persons for the space of three weeks, killing of his stock and destroying his provisions and coverting other of to the use of himselfe and family to the great wrong and oppression of the s'd Grendon, Hee the s'd Hill unlawfully and unwarrantably seized the goods, etc. Signed May 10, 1677.

                                                                        Bern'd Sykes

                                                      James Minge

                                                      Tho. Blayton

                                                      N. Wyatt

                                                      Wm. Duke

                                                      Thos. Grendon

                                                      James Biss

Hill responded to the charges: [37]

Edward Hill in answer to diverse false scandalous article draune (drawn) up against him my the (above) hands...as from the hands of the people of Charles City County humbly answearith: . . . Mr. Duke was one of Bacons good Justices in hastening forwarding, taking and giving of Bacons oathe, and because Bacons captain, Newt Wheeler should not want force to fight & destroy the Governrs soldiers, (Duke) sends two of his own servants that shed the first Christian blood and also before that sent one to go with Bacon on the Occaneechee march... As for Mr. Grendon, although he was not in the country, yet his good wife was & therefore is engaged, but I shall be silent . . .

Duke died in 1678 and on 28 Nov 1681 Hannah’s fourth husband, William Archer, was granted 600 acres of land that had been due his predecessor, William Duke.[38] The sale of a slave girl to William Duke was also dealt with: [39]

To all People to whom these presents shall come, Greetings Whereas upon the one & twentieth day of June in ye yeare of our Lord one thousand six hundred Seaventy & Seven, I Tho. Busby of Surry Co. did barguaine & Sell unto mr wm. Duke of Martin Brandon, one Indyan Girle of about Nine yeares of age as a Slave for her life & did covenant to & with the sd Mr Duke to make full firme & good assurance of the sd girlle unto ye sd mr Duke, his heirs, Exors (executors), Admrs (administrator), & etc. And whereas by the hand of Almighty ye sd mr Duke departed this life before ye same was affected & whereas Wm. Archer has marryed ye relict & Administratrix of the sd Mr Duke, Know yee That I the said Thos. Busby haveing reced full and valuable Consideration doe hereby bargauine & Sell & firmely make over ye abovementioned Indian Girle call Bess, as a Slave for life unto sd Wm Archer...& doo hereby promise for me my heires Exors Admrs to asknowledge this bill of sale in County Cort of Charles Citty or Surry when therto required by ye said Wm. Archer.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto Sett my hand & Seal this 25th day of Janry 1678 & in ye 30th yeare of his Majties Reigne whoe God Preserve.

A William Archer served on a jury in Henrico County in 1736.[40] A later William Archer, possibly a descendant, was conspicuous in the Revolutionary War affairs of Amelia County VA, which was made from Prince George in 1734.[41]

DNA and William Duke

Upon learning that the Duke family has a new DNA branch, R1b and apparently unrelated to the I haplotype groups, and that this individual lives 20 miles from Westover and comes from a family tracing their descent from a William Duke who was said to have immigrated to VA with William Byrd, my posting to Genforum:

Very interesting! I hadn't noticed before, but in fact William Byrd I of Westover and William Duke of Martin's Brandon apparently did go to Virginia in the same year. And they were certainly connected by marriage.

William Byrd I inherited his Virginia lands from Thomas Stegge Jr. , whose will was dated 1671. So, it was probably 1672 before things were settled and WB I would have gone to see his new property. (Also, he was just 19 when he inherited.) William Duke of Martin's Brandon, third husband of Hannah Grendon, appears in Virginia records in (lo and behold) 1672.

As to their connection -- all obsessive followers of the VA Duke families (like me) will doubtless recall that William Byrd I was the son of John Byrd of London and his wife Grace Stegge Byrd, and therefore grandson of Thomas Stegge Sr. by his first wife (name unknown). Thomas Stegge Sr.'s second wife, Elizabeth, married second Thomas Grendon Sr. Thomas Grendon Sr. and Elizabeth Grendon's daughter Hannah married first Thomas Jennings, second William Byrd (unspecified relative of the other William Byrds, employed by the folks who originally owned Martin's Brandon) and she married third William Duke who appears in VA in 1672.

Although Hannah Grendon and William Byrd's father John Byrd shared no DNA that we know of, they would have sat around the same nuclear family dinner table as children of the Thomas Stegge Sr.-Thomas Grendon Sr. -various wives family. So, when Wm. Duke of Martin's Brandon married Hannah, a daughter of the same convoluted consortium of parents that produced Grace Stegge Byrd, wife of John Byrd and mother of William Byrd I, he was more or less (counting the serial monogramists as one set of parents) married to Wm. Byrd I's aunt.

And incidentally -- they didn't quit there. Thomas Stegge Jr. and Thomas Grendon Jr. married the same woman. Sort of a family tradition I guess.

Capt. Henry Duke and Elizabeth Taylor Duke

Although it is unlikely that Hannah Grendon Duke was the mother, various authors have considered William Duke the father of a later member of the Duke family in the same area, Capt. Henry Duke. Others trace Capt. Henry Duke’s parentage to Col. Henry Duke.

Henry Duke is not mentioned in any Virginia settlement of the estate of William Duke. The only reference that appears in the records is William Archer, third husband of Hannah Grendon, taking possession of a grant that was in process to William Duke before his death. There is no mention of orphans of William Duke, so the probability of minor children at the time of his death seems low. Hannah certainly attended to those legal niceties when Thomas Bird died. However, Henry could have been an adult when William died, and could have been elsewhere rather than in Virginia, making it sensible for Hannah to administer the Virginia estate. Given the relatively short time that William Duke seems to have been in Virginia, and the relatively advanced age of Hannah (her third marriage, after all) and presumably William as well, this makes sense. However, this would make Henry fairly old to be the father of John, John Taylor, and Henry Duke of Prince George Co VA.

Capt. Henry Duke of Martin’s Brandon, died in about 1718. There is ample documentation that this Henry Duke married Elizabeth Taylor, daughter of Capt. John Taylor of Flowerdew Hundred, son of Richard Taylor and his wife Sarah Barker, who was in turn daughter of William Barker and Elizabeth Langhorne. After the death of Richard Taylor his widow married Robert Lucy.

Captain John Taylor was a member of the House of Burgesses from Charles City County in 1692-99 and clerk of the county in 1699. He was captain of the ship Merchant’s Hope.         John Taylor married Henrietta Maria, commonly believed to have been Henrietta Maria Lucy. This is supported by the inheritance of land granted to Robert Lucy by Taylor, and subsequently by his daughter Henrietta Maria.[42]

John and Henrietta Maria Taylor had four daughters. Frances Taylor married a Mr. Greenhill. Elizabeth Taylor married Capt. Henry Duke and died after Oct 1732. Henrietta Maria Taylor married John Hardyman, and Sarah Taylor married Francis Hardyman. The two Hardymans were sons of John Hardyman Sr. and Mary Eppes, daughter of Francis Eppes and Elizabeth Worsham.

It is the family of William Barker, grandfather of Elizabeth Taylor Duke, that most closely links William Duke of Martin’s Brandon with Capt. Henry Duke. Barker was one of the original persons patenting the land of Flowerdew Hundred, in company with John Sadler and Richard Quinney or Quiney, London merchants.[43] It will be remembered that these were the merchants for whom William Byrd, who married Hannah Grendon, was agent in Virginia.

Capt. Henry Duke’s estate was appraised in Prince George Co VA on 22 Jul 1718 at £ 202/11/5 by John Poythress, John Hatch, and Gilbert Hay. The inventory was presented to the court by Elizabeth Duke, administrator. At the same time, she attempted to separate slaves inherited from her father from her husband’s estate.[44]

Elizabeth must have had a good head for business. On 4 Dec 1722 John Woofe of London, merchant, appointed Elizabeth Duke of Flowerdew Hundred his attorney in Virginia.[45] She was also busy with her own affairs and those of her family. On 10 Oct 1721 Elizabeth Duke witnessed a deed for land on Powell’s Creek for her sister Henrietta Maria and her husband John Hardyman. This deed includes a later memo dated 21 Oct 1721 and witnessed by William Jackson, among others.[46] On 7 May 1725 Elizabeth Duke sold land on the north side of Blackwater Swamp, bounded by William Harris, to Robert Hall.[47] On 9 Jul 1725 Henrietta Maria and John Hardyman sold 300 acres at Flowerdew Hundred bounded on the west by Elizabeth Duke’s land to John Poythress.[48] On 8 Apr 1726 Elizabeth Duke sold the remainder of her land on the north side of Blackwater Swamp to Robert Hall.[49]

It is said that Elizabeth Taylor Duke used the seal of the Duke family of Otterton, Devon, as her seal on the conveyance of her portion of her father’s estate at Flowerdew Hundred.[50] The original has apparently been lost:[51]

On 6 Oct 1732, Elizabeth Duke of the County of Prince George, widow, sold to Joshua Poythres, merchant, of the same county, “that Messauge Tenement Plantation and Tract of Land commonly known by the name fflower de hundred Containing by estimation two hundred and fifty Acres. Situate and being in the Parish of Martin’s Brandon and County aforesaid . . . Land of the said Joshua Poythres and the Line of Frances Greenhill . . . to the James River . . . heretofore in the Possession of one John Taylor Gent late of said County Deceased and Devised by his last Will and Testament unto the said Elizabeth Duke and her Heirs, etc. “ Signed by Elizabeth Duke and signed and sealed and delivered in the presence of Daniel Eelbank, John Duke, John Taylor Duke, and Henry Duke (from a copy of the original in the possession of Va., Hist. Society Library, Richmond, VA.,).

DW Duke presented the following evidence that Capt. Henry was the son of Col. Henry Duke in a Genforum listing:

Posted by: D.W. Duke (ID *****3988)   Date: November 02, 2003 at 15:29:47

Because this issue has been raised, I wanted to briefly post some notes from a rough draft of a project I am working on for the Duke family. Note that it is rough and not all sources are cited. However, I believe it is important enough to share it now since several family members are writing books on this family and we really don't need any more mistakes.

Captain Henry Duke (Henry Duke Jr.)

There has been much controversy concerning the first generation descendant of Col. Henry Duke, Henry Duke Jr. and whether he was one and the same as Capt. Henry Duke. This researcher is of the belief that there is no question that Henry Duke Jr., son of Col. Henry Duke, and Capt. Henry Duke were one and the same. The sequence of events is as follows:

1. Col. Henry Duke appears on the scene in James City County Virginia in 1680 where he is listed as a justice. (A land patent in 1682 refers to an assignment of land in 1670 that may refer to Capt. Henry Duke at that time. The record is unclear due to the language of the patent.)

2. Henry Duke Jr. appears in the quit rent roles on 1000 acres of land, apparently the one thousand acres of land owned by Col. Henry Duke.

3. In 1704 Col. Henry Duke and Henry Duke Jr. both witnessed a will of Col. William Byrd. (This will be discussed more fully below.)

4. There are no further references to Henry Duke Jr. in the records.

5. However, land records make numerous references to a Capt. Henry Duke.

6. There is no other Henry Duke in the vicinity who could be construed to be Henry Duke Jr.

Based upon the above records alone, there is a rebuttal presumption that Capt. Henry Duke is one and the same as Henry Duke Jr. and that they are the son of Col. Henry Duke. However, there exists much more corroborating evidence that must be considered. That evidence is as follows:

On January 12, 1704, the will of Col. William Byrd is witnessed by five persons including: Henry Duke, Fr. Nicholson, Littlebury Epps, Henry Duke, Jr., Joshua Wynn. The identity of these witnesses is very important in showing that Henry Duke Jr. and Capt. Henry Duke were one and the same.

It is important to recognize that each and every person who witnessed the will of Col. William Byrd, with the exception of Littlebury Eppes (Epps) had a familial relationship to William Byrd in some manner. Typically, whenever possible, family members were used to witness a will because it was very important that the witness know the testator very well. It was very important when witnessing a will that the witness know the testator very well for two reasons: 1) He should know the testator very well so that he can identify that the person who signed the will is indeed the person he purports to be; and 2) He should be able to assert, if the will is challenged, that he knows that the language of the will is consistent with the intent of the testator.

Of the five witnesses to the will of William Byrd, four of the five had a familial relationship with William Byrd. However, Littlebury Eppes lacked that familial relationship with William Byrd unless it can be shown that he has that relationship through one of the other four witnesses. It is the position of this researcher that Littlebury Eppes did indeed have that relationship through Henry Duke Jr. because Henry Duke Jr. was none other than Capt. Henry Duke who was married to the nephew of Littlebury Eppes, Elizabeth Taylor. Lets briefly look at the relationship of each of the witnesses to the will of William Byrd:

Col. Henry Duke

The relationship between Col. Henry Duke and the others is that Henry Duke’s son, James, married the daughter of William Byrd, Mary Byrd. Additionally, Col. Henry Duke’s son Henry Duke Jr. witnessed the will.

Henry Duke Jr.

Thus, Henry Duke Jr. was also related to William Byrd in that his brother James was married William Byrd’s daughter Mary Byrd. As will be seen below, Henry Duke Jr. was also related to Littlebury Epps.

Francis Nicholson:

Hannah Grendon married first Thomas Jennings, a merchant of London 1685. After Jennings dies, she married William Byrd. They had a child named Thomas Byrd who married a Mary (unknown). Thomas Byrd died and left a will. Mary, his widow, married a second husband named George Nicholson. Thomas was the cousin of William Byrd, whose will was witnessed in 1704 (above). By her marriage to George Nicholson, Mary the widow of Thomas Byrd, connected the Nicholson and Byrd families. William had no doubt become fond of his cousin’s wife, such that her new husband Francis Nicholson, was welcomed into the family. This created the relationship between the Nicholsons and the Byrds. Francis Nicholson, who witnessed the will of William Byrd was governor of Virginia.

As a footnote, it should be noted that Hannah Grendon’s third husband was the William Duke, who was no doubt an older brother or cousin of Col. Henry Duke. William Duke was justice of Charles City County in 1677. Thus, Col. Henry had a second connection to William Byrd in addition to his son James.

Wynne:

Joshua Wynne also witnessed the will of William Byrd. Robert Wynne’s widow married William Byrd and Minor Wynne, son of John Wynne and Elizabeth Minor, married Martha Ann Byrd, the wife of William Byrd. Thus, the Byrds and the Wynnes had a relationship.

Epps:

Littlebury Epps also witnessed the will of William Byrd in 1704. Unlike the other witnesses to William Byrd’s will, Littlebury Epps had no independent familial relationship to William Byrd. Or did he?

Capt. Henry Duke’s second wife was Elizabeth Taylor. It is by this connection to Elizabeth Taylor that we see the significance of Henry Duke Jr. at the witnessing the will along with Littlebury Epps. Elizabeth Taylor, Francis Taylor, Sarah Taylor and Henrietta Maria Taylor were the daughters of John Taylor and his wife Henrietta Maria. They had no sons.

Elizabeth Taylor married Capt. Henry Duke. Francis Taylor married a Mr. Greenhill, Sarah Taylor married Francis Hardiman and Henrietta Maria Taylor married John Hardiman the brother of John Hardiman. The mother of Francis and John Hardiman was Mary Epps, the wife of Lt. Col. John Hardiman and sister of Littlebury Epps who witnessed the will of William Byrd.

It is particularly important to recognize the close relationship of these families. The descendants of Capt. Henry Duke, through William Duke the elder, used the names Eppes, Hardiman and Taylor as first names for their children. This shows that William the elder was indeed the son of Capt. Henry. Additionally, the descendants of Cleavers Duke used the name Taylor in their line, in honor of the woman who raised Cleavers, Elizabeth Taylor (Duke).

Evidence that Henry Duke Jr. and Capt. Henry Duke were one and the same:

As set forth above the importance sequence of events is as follows:

1. Col. Henry Duke appears on the scene in James City County Virginia in 1680 where he is listed as a justice. (A land patent in 1682 refers to an assignment of land in 1670 that may refer to Capt. Henry Duke at that time. The record is unclear due to the language of the patent.)

2. Henry Duke Jr. appears in the quit rent roles on 1000 acres of land, apparently the one thousand acres of land owned by Col. Henry Duke.

3. In 1704 Col. Henry Duke and Henry Duke Jr. both witnessed a will of Col. William Byrd. (This will be discussed more fully below.)

4. There are no further references to Henry Duke Jr. in the records.

5. However, land records make numerous references to a Capt. Henry Duke.

6. There is no other Henry Duke in the vicinity who could be construed to be Henry Duke Jr.

Add the additional piece of evidence, that Henry Duke Jr. (Capt. Henry Duke) witnessed the will of William Byrd, thus providing a relationship between William Byrd and a fifth unrelated witness, Littlebury Eppes, and the evidence clearly shows that Henry Duke Jr. and Capt. Henry Duke were one and the same.

Still Further Evidence that Henry Duke Jr = Capt. Henry Duke

Posted by: D.W. Duke (ID *****3988)   Date: December 01, 2003 at 20:19:17

Once again, my research has turned up still further evidence that Henry Duke Jr is one and the same as Capt. Henry Duke. I post this for others who are researching and writing on this topic.

Ludwells MSS, in 1724 refers to Elizabeth, widow of Henry Duke, and James Duke, Gent., as the surviving executors of Henry Duke, Esq.

Strangely EDB misinterpreted this to mean that the widow of Col. Henry Duke was someone named Elizabeth.

Morris' interpretation is even a little stranger. She concluded that this is referring to yet another Henry Duke married to an Elizabeth Duke.

What neither EDB nor Morris recognized (I didn't bother to check Walter on this one) is that the following occurred:

Col. Henry Duke died in 1713. At that time, his son Capt. Henry Duke and his other son James Duke, became the executors of his estate. Capt. Henry Duke died in 1717. At that point, Capt. Henry's wife Elizabeth (Taylor) Duke became the executor of Col. Henry's estate in place of her deceased husband. The estate of Col. Henry was still in probate in 1724. Thus, the surviving executors of his estate were Elizabeth (Taylor) Duke and her brother in law James Duke.

In 1723 Elizabeth Taylor Duke joined with her sisters to sell land on Pigeon Swamp, south of the Blackwater River and west of Cypress Swamp, left to them by their father, Capt. John Taylor:[52]

p. 123 (p.493) 17 Dec 1723...John Hardyman and wife Henrietta Maria Hardyman, Francis Hardyman and wife Sarah Hardyman, Elizabeth Duke and Frances Greenhill to Nicholas Partridge . . . 262 acres on east side of Pidgeon Swamp and bounded by the Underground Branch and Richard Bland, decd. Wit: John Mason, John (X) Freeman and William (X) Raynes

p. 125-126 (p.529) 17 Dec 1723...John Hardyman and wife Henritta Maria Hardyman, Francis Hardyman and wife Sarah Hardyman, Elizabeth Duke and Frances Greenhill to John Mason...223 acres on east side of Pidgeon Swamp and bounded by Cattail Branch and Richard Bland, decd. Wit: Nicholas Partridge, John (X) Freeman, Jr. and William (X) Rayne Rec: 18 Dec 1723 and 15 Apr 1724

p. 126 (p.532) 17 Dec 1723...John Hardyman and wife Henrietta Maria Hardyman, Francis Hardyman and wife Sarah Hardyman, Elizabeth Duke and Frances Greenhill to Nicholas Partridge...262 acres on east side of Pigeon Swamp and bounded by Underground Branch and Richard Bland, decd. Wit: John Mason, John (X) Freeman, Jr. and William (X) Rayne Rec: 18 Dec 1723 and 15 Apr 1724

It will later be seen that the witnesses to these documents are important in reconstructing aspects of Duke family history in Virginia and in South Carolina.

On 6 Oct 1732 Elizabeth Duke of Prince George Co sold to Joshua Poythress, merchant, her share of the Flowerdew estate, inherited from her father John Taylor (copy of the original, Virginia Historical Society Library, Richmond, VA). Daniel Eelbanks, John Duke, John Taylor Duke, and Henry Duke were witnesses. Daniel Eubanks had married a daughter of Capt. Henry Duke. Shortly after this time, Capt. Henry Duke’s sons began to acquire their own land and live elsewhere.

Elizabeth Duke also had time for a lively social life, perhaps as a means of recovering from the death of her husband. The diaries of William Byrd II of Westover document her frequent appearances at Westover for dinner, some times accompanied by her attorney, John Poythress, and other times by other friends and family members, especially members of the Hardyman and Eppes families.[53] She took the ferry across the James River from her home at Flowerdew. These frequent visits appear to have begun in 1719, following the death of Capt. Henry Duke, and continued at least through 1721. Robert Munford and members of the Randolph, Bolling, Anderson and Harrison families were also frequent visitor at Westover.

One of the persistent questions surrounding Capt. Henry Duke is the identity of his sons. John Duke was his heir at law,[54] and was a son of his first wife, who has never been identified. John Taylor Duke and Henry Duke were certainly his sons with Elizabeth Taylor Duke. It is also possible that William Duke, who first appears in the records of Brunswick Co VA in 1728, was his son. There may have been others.

Evelyn Duke Brandenberger did not accept this reconstruction, instead tracing Capt. Henry Duke through Col. Henry Duke of James City County VA, and identifying William Duke as son of Col. Duke’s son James Duke and his wife Mary Byrd, daughter of William Byrd I of Westover.

John Duke , son of Capt. Henry Duke

The sons of Capt. Henry Duke were apparently living on his Prince George and Surry county properties until about 1733. They appear elsewhere with their own lands, principally in Greensville Co VA, after the sale of the Taylor’s Flowerdew estate in 1732.

On 5 Apr 1733 John Duke bought 285 acres of land on the north side of Three Creeks (Brunswick Co VA Deed Bk 1: 36-37).

On 24 Mar 1734 John Duke received land on Three Creeks, Rocky Run, adjacent William Raines, Col. [Benjamin] Harrison, and Thomas Jackson (VPB 15: 481-482). A deed dated 1 June 1750 shows John Duke adjacent Hinchee (Hinshaw or Hinchea) Mabry, John Pettaway, Charles Trunballs, and Thomas Deens on Rocky Run (VPB 29: 107-109). Others with land on Three Creeks were Jehu Peoples, Peter Simmons, Thomas Sissums, Whitmore, Richard Cocke, Richard Pace, Hambleton, Tapley, Charles Kimball, Thomas House, Isaac House, James Wyche, Robert Hix, William Batte, John Peterson, John Davis, Ralph Jackson, William Collier, John Raines, Sampson Lanier, and Richard Ransom. Specifically on Rocky Run we find land belonging to Hinchea Mabry, George Mabry, Charles Trunball, Thomas Deans, William Smith, Thomas Cocke, John Freeman Jr. (but he was still living in Sussex County in1760), Henry Freeman, Benjamin Harrison, Col. Nathaniel Harrison, William Raines, Thomas Jackson, John Cumbow, John Pettaway, John Williamson, William Collier, Hugh Drysdale, and James Washington.

John Duke had many additional land transactions in the Three Creeks area (Brunswick Co VA Deed Bk 1: 455; Bk 1: 418; Bk 1: 442; Bk 18: 434; Bk 2: 78; Bk 2:249; Bk 3: 325-327; VPB 18:434).

The House family is well represented in Three Creeks grants. Lucy House became the first wife of Maj. John Duke, as the will of James Fletcher in 1733 and the will of her father, Thomas House, show.[55] A grant in 1724/25 to John Davis “the Welchman” (VPB 12:165) is to the father of Rejoice Davis, who married John Duke after the death of his first wife. John Davis had come to Brunswick Co from Isle of Wight Co VA.

On 5 May 1743 John Duke purchased from John Taylor Duke 504 acres on Moore’s Swamp (Brunswick Co VA Deed Bk 1: 277). On 6 Nov 1747 John Duke sold this land to Major Pryor (Brunswick Co VA Deed Bk 3: 425-426).

On 8 Oct 1750 John Duke received 500 acres in Lunenburg (now Mecklenburg) Co VA adjoining John Taylor Duke on Flatt Creek (VLP Bk 30: 229). In 1748 John Duke and his son, also John Duke, were on the list of tithables for that part of Lunenburg Co. that became Mecklenburg Co, on the North Carolina border. William Taylor, Thomas Lanier, John Freeman, John Davis, Thomas Jarrett, William Tucker, Owen Myrick, and Nicholas Major were neighbors there.

In 1757 Thomas Taylor acquired land on Flat Creek in what is now Mecklenburg Co VA, adjacent that of John Duke (VPB33p368-369). In 1780 John Williamson acquired land adjacent William Taylor in Mecklenburg (MC# CGB A p598-599).

In 1752 Maj. John Duke is identified as a resident of Dinwiddie Co VA when he sold to Ephraim Mabry land on Flatt Creek in Lunenburg Co (Lunenburg Co VA Deed Bk 4: 19). The appearance of the name Charles Duke as a witness to this deed represents the first evidence of this son of John Duke. John Duke’s sons may have moved to South Carolina.

In Aug 1753 Edward Goodrich (who may have married a daughter of Maj. John Duke) petitioned Brunswick Co Court for time to render an account of the estate of Susanna Duke, daughter of John Duke, deceased (Brunswick Co VA Order Book1: 171). The account was rendered on 26 Aug 1756. (Brunswick, Co VA Orphans Account Bk 5: 28).

John Taylor Duke, Son of Capt. Henry Duke

John Taylor Duke was the son of Capt. Henry Duke and his second wife, Elizabeth Taylor Duke, and was named for his maternal grandfather. It has been proposed by Patrick Anderson to the Duke list on Rootsweb that his wife was Jane Anderson. His argument is as follows:

Descendants of Jane Anderson

Generation No. 1

1. JANE5 ANDERSON (Thomas4, Thomas3, Thomas2, RICHARD1)1 was born Abt. 1705 in "The Cattails", Charles City County, Virginia. She married John TAYLOR Duke, son of HENRY Duke and ELIZABETH TAYLOR. He was born 1705 in Prince George County, Virginia, and died 1790 in Wilkes County, Georgia.

Notes for JANE ANDERSON:

My current theory is that Jane married John Taylor Duke. The connection is unproven but substantiated by the fact that she is born within a few years of John Taylor Duke’s birth date and is a contemporary of his and her brother.

Charles witnessed the 1727 sale of Richard Taylor's 1673 patent which descended to Elizabeth (Taylor) Duke wife of Henry Duke. John Taylor Duke and Jane Anderson definitely knew each other as teenagers but I am still seeking proof that she is his wife Jane.

Jane Anderson was the daughter of Sarah Barker’s last child by her 2nd husband Robert Lucy and Elizabeth (Taylor) Duke was a daughter of John Taylor, Sarah Barker's first child by her 1st husband Richard Taylor. John Taylor, father of Elizabeth was the guardian for Mary Lucy the mother of Jane Anderson in 1694.

Richard Taylor and Robert Lucy obtained side by side patents along the Blackwater River in 1673 and in 1683 Thomas Anderson patented the land above them along Cattail Creek. ________________________________________________

Prince George County, Virginia, Wills & Deeds 1710-1713, page 161 Inventory of all Jean Anderson, daughter to Thomas Anderson, dec'd, her estate, bequeathed to her by the said Andreson in his last will & testament. One featherbed in the trundle bedstead with the furniture thereunto belonging, one cow with calf & heifer of Two years old, one chest, one silver tumbler, one small iron pott and pott hooks, two pewter dishes. Pr. Geo County Court the day of [?] 1712.

This above written acctt of estate of Jean Anderson was presented into court by Cornelius Cargill her guardian and ordererd by the justices to be truly recorded - Edward Goodrich

More About JANE ANDERSON:

Living: 1712, Prince George County, Virginia

Linda L. Clements <clements@sierra.net>

John Taylor Duke was born between 1705 and 1710 in Prince George County, Virginia, and was named after his maternal grandfather. He married Jane. He owned land and live in several different counties in Virginia. He seemed to move quite often. Before 1769 he had left Virginia and lived in both North and South Carolina. By the end of the Revolutionary War John Taylor Duke was living in Georgia. (from Duke web site (www.geocities.com/WallStreet/Market/4071/Duke.html presumably taken from a Duke family history book, accessed 7-99)

Endnotes

1. Thomas Anderson, 1711 Will of Thomas Anderson, (1710-1713 Will Book, Page 36, Prince George County, Virginia).

Patrick J. Anderson

http://members.aol.com/patander73/home.html

Like his brother John, John Taylor Duke purchased land in the Three Creeks area (later Greensville Co VA) in 1733.[56] In 1738 he made an additional purchase.[57] In 1741 he had moved on to land on Old Field Branch (VPB 20: 135). He sold that tract as well as a previous grant on 4 Feb 1733 to Richard Lanier and James Cocke.[58]

John Taylor Duke then moved on to Lunenburg (later Mecklenburg) Co VA near the North Carolina boundary, purchasing land on Flatt Creek, a tributary of the Roanoke River.[59] His brothers John and Henry joined him there. It was here that long-standing connections with the Crenshaw and McKee families were formed.

By 1769 John Taylor Duke had moved to Camden District, South Carolina. Evelyn Duke Brandenberger has identified the sons of John Taylor Duke as Robert, Henry, Thomas, James, Edmund, and John.[60] Eventually he and many of his descendants moved on to Georgia.

Page 90, Will Book 1, Mecklenburg County, Virginia: Thomas Duke lived in Brunswick County, Virginia in September of 1773 as an overseer for Henry Delony's lands.

The Taylors

The descendants of Ethelred Taylor owned land on Three Creeks, Greensville Co, near the sons of Capt. Henry Duke, through inheritance. William Kinchen purchased 750 acres on the lower side of Three Creeks from Christopher Hill, and left that land to his son Matthew Kinchen, who in turn left it to William Taylor, his cousin.[61] This appears to have been transferred to Ethelred Taylor II, and in 1775 Henry Taylor bought out his brothers’ shares of this property. Henry’s son Ethelred sold much of this land in 1786. All of these individuals seem to have continued to live in Southampton Co VA rather than moving to this property.

In 1731 Daniel Taylor of Brunswick Co VA acquired land in Lunenburg Co VA on Shining Creek (VPB14p346-347). He sold it in 1754 (BRDBk5p569-571). In 1750 Joseph Duke owned land on Shining Creek (VPB34p537).

Henry Duke, son of Capt. Henry Duke

Henry Duke bought his first land in Brunswick Co on 1 Jun 1748, on the south side of Three Creeks (Brunswick Co VA Deed Bk 3: 469). This land adjoined that of John Duke. On 6 Sep Henry Duke of Lunenburg County and his wife Elizabeth sold to Edward Goodrich the same land (Brunswick Co VA Deed Bk 3: 393). Henry Duke was on the list of tithables for Mecklenburg Co as late as 1764, along with John Davis; Edmond, James, William and Thomas Taylor; Joshua Mabry; John Freeman; and Nathaniel Edwards. The Taylors and Nathaniel Edwards were related through Capt. Henry Duke’s sister, Elizabeth.

Daughter of Capt. Henry Duke and Elizabeth Taylor Duke

A daughter of Henry and Elizabeth Duke married Daniel Eubanks or Eelbanks. Daniel Eelbanks had witnessed the sale of Elizabeth Taylor Duke’s property at Flowerdew Hundred to Joshua Poythress in 1732, as previously noted. On 9 Nov 1724 Daniel Eelbank witnessed the will of Richard Washington, recorded in Surry Co Will Bk 7, p. 583..[62] Richard Washington was the father of Elizabeth Washington, who married Sampson Lanier, Sr.

James Duke : Another son of Capt. Henry Duke? Brother of John Duke the Elder?

An individual named James Duke appears in Surry Co and Brunswick Co VA records. Who was he?

James Duke appeared in 1727 in Surry Co VA records, as a witness with Dasey Southall and John Ellerbee for a deed from William Rainey to Francis Lightfoot for 100 acres on the south side of the main Blackwater Swamp (Surry County Deeds, Wills, Etc. Bk 7, p. 759). In 1723 William (x) Rayne was a witness with Nicholas Partridge and John Freeman to a deed from Elizabeth Duke and her sisters for 223 acres on the east side of Pigeon Swamp. The property was bounded by the mouth of Cattail Branch, Richard Bland, decd., and the Underground Branch, and was sold to John Mason (Surry County Deeds, Wills, Etc. Bk 7, p. 491 and p. 529). The Raines family was also closely related to the Myricks. Mary Myrick later married John, son of William Duke. The Myricks were from an area on the boundary of Surry and Isle of Wight counties.[63] The 1727 Surry County reference to the deed from William Rainey to Francis Lightfoot therefore places James Duke in the company of associates of the family of Capt. Henry Duke and his wife Elizabeth Taylor Duke.

Raines or Rainey also owned land near the Greensville Co area where John Duke, Henry Duke, and John Taylor Duke settled for several decades. His land was on the south side of Three Creeks and the north side of Little Creek in Lawnes Creek Parish, bounding land sold by James Washington to Nathaniel Harrison on 14 Jun 1725, with Sampson Lanier a witness (Surry County Deeds, Wills, Etc. Bk 7, p.591). Raney also bought 150 acres on the south side of the main Blackwater Swamp bounded by William Jones and Henry Jones from George Pasamore (Surry County Deeds, Wills, Etc. Bk 7, p.76). Robert Wynne, Burrell Green and William Green were witnesses. George Pasamore’s land bounded that of Thomas House Jr., and William House on Three Creeks (Surry County Deeds, Wills, Etc. Bk 7, p.714).

In 1732 the following is found in the Brunswick Order Book I, page 3:

“John Ross is appointed Surveyor of the Road from Reedy Creek to the courthouse and is ordered that he with male Laboring Fit persons belonging to Joseph Warborton, John Evans, James Arnato, James Duke and William Duke, John Edwards, . . .”

EDB (Vol.II:13) interprets this James as the son of Col. Henry Duke, in keeping with her theory that William Duke was the son of James Duke and his wife Mary Byrd Duke of James County Parish. However, it seems more likely that this is the James Duke who appeared a few years earlier in Surry County with associates of the Capt. Henry Duke family.

An alternative possibility is that this James Duke is a son of John Duke of York County, VA, who in turn was probably a son of Thomas Duke who settled in that area with Thomas Hampton. A 6 Jun 1651 deed recorded by William Byrd in his title book documents this:[64] “Patent to Mr. Thomas Hampton, Clerk, and Thomas Duke for 430 acres containing two necks of land lying on Warreny Creek on the east side of the Chickahominy River, James City County, bounded NW and SSE on a swamp dividing it from land of Edward Cole; ENE upon land of Mr. Soane’s; and due said Hampton and Duke by assignment of rights of transportation of nine persons into the colony by Mr. William Barret. Dated June 6, 1641.” Thomas Duke’s widow subsequently married, after his death, a Wade. A patent was issued to Mrs. Mary Wade for 463 acres on a branch of Tiaskun Swamp, formerly patented to Thomas Hampton who assigned his patent to her (VPB 7: 174). It is likely that Mary Duke Wade was a daughter of Thomas Hampton, to receive hundreds of acres of land from him. (It is said that Thomas Hampton I’s tombstone is on the land of Nathaniel Bacon I on the York River.) In “The Hamptons”, Chapter 12, from Tidewater Virginia Families—A Social History, by Virginia Lee Hutchinson Davis, Urbanna, VA, 1989, it is said that the children of Rev. Thomas Hampton were John (marr. 1. Mary Mann, 2. ___ Cary), Mary (marr. 1. ___ Duke, 2. ___ Wade), Thomas (marr. Elizabeth Bridle).

A probable son of Thomas Duke and Mary Hampton Duke, John Duke, received land on Tyaskon Swamp in 1673. This was on the line dividing New Kent and James City counties. On 15 Dec 1673 he received an additional 136 acres in the same area bounded in part by Joseph Wade (VPB 6:504).

On 19 Jul 1670/71 John Duke received 107 acres in York County VA on the east side of Otter Dam. This was witnessed by Thomas Bushrod and John Scarsbrook (York Co VA Records 1664-1672: 436). John Duke’s wife was Jane Scarsbrook. When the will of John Scarsbrooke was proved in York County Court, John Duke Sr. was already dead, and his widow had remarried, to Thomas Mountfort (York Co VA Probate & Adm. Bonds beginning 1679, p. 174). The will mentioned minor children of John and Jane Duke, but not by name.

On 24 Jan 1692/93, John Duke, son of John Duke of York Co., dec’d, age 21 years of thereabouts, provided a deposition for York County courts (York Co VA 1690-1694, p. 196). John Duke Jr., married Susanna Goodwin, daughter of Maj. James Goodwin. In 1694 a Henry Duke was witness for a document relating to John Duke Jr., suggesting that he might be another son of John Duke Sr. (York Co VA 1693-94, p. 272).

James Duke and Susanna Duke, children of John Duke and Susanna Duke, were mentioned in the will of Rachel Porter Goodwin, second wife of Maj. James Goodwin, father of Susanna (WMQ ). Although Henry Duke continues to appear in York County records for many years, there is no further record of this James Duke in York Co. VA, or of his father John Duke Jr. The James Duke of Surry could be this James Duke of York Co VA.

Elizabeth Duke and James Mason, Ethelred Taylor, and William Edwards

Elizabeth Duke has been identified by EDB as the sister of Capt. Henry Duke of Prince George County, VA. She married first James Mason of Matthews Mount in Surry Co. James Mason was the son of Francis Mason, who was born in 1594 and died about 1648, and who came to Virginia in 1613. Francis Mason was a magistrate, vestryman, and sheriff in Lower Norfolk.[65] He received a grant in Lynhaven, Lower Norfolk, in 1745.[66] This was very near the area where Thomas Duke of Nansemond County lived. In 1678 Francis Mason received land on Tappahanock or Crouches Creek, in Surry Co.[67] The Petway family was on Crouches Creek from at least 1652.[68] In 1682 Richard Bennett was granted land on Polantink Swamp adjacent Francis Mason and William Edwards,[69] Elizabeth Duke’s first father-in-law and her third husband.

James Mason of Southwark Parish, Surry County, and Elizabeth Duke had a son James Mason Jr., who married Mary Petway, daughter of Robert Petway Sr. and Ruth Gwaltney.[70] They also had sons Francis and John Mason. James Mason Jr. became prominent in Greensville Co VA affairs; Greensville Co Order Book 1 contains numerous references to his public functions and offices. James Mason died in about 1701. Elizabeth probated his estate on 18 Jul 1701.[71]

Elizabeth then married Ethelred Taylor. [72] On 2 Mar 1702 Ethelred and Elizabeth Taylor presented an inventory of the estate of James Mason, deceased. Ethelred was a first-generation English emigrant, appearing in the Surry Co VA records in 1702. In 1714 he purchased 332 acres in Lawnes Creek Parish from Nathaniel Harrison, William Robinson, and Nathaniel Ridley. William Edwards witnessed the deed.[73] Nathaniel Harrison’s grants were in the upper parish adjacent Owen Myrick and William Simons (VPB 9 p496) and near Charles Jordan on Stony Run (VPB 10 p152-153).

Elizabeth and Ethelred Taylor had sons Ethelred, Henry, William, and Samuel. Ethelred Taylor owned many hundreds of acres of land in both Surry and Isle of Wight counties. In 1710 he posted bond as sheriff of Surry County.[74] He was frequently called upon for public functions.[75] With Robert Lancaster he witnessed a deed for land on the south side of Blackwater Swamp (Surry County Deed & Will Book 7 p. 685).

He died in 1716. His will gave lands on Poketank or Pohatink Swamp and the same side of Coker’s branch, purchased from the trustees of Joseph John Jackman, to son Samuel. He gave land on Coker’s Branch adjoining John Bruton and Samuel Cornwell to son Henry, and to Ethelred Taylor II he gave land on Lightwood Swamp (south of the Blackwater River, on the boundary between Surry and Isle of Wight Co VA), and other locations (Surry Co VA Wills and Administrations Book 7, p. 19).[76]

All of these place names have not been relocated. However, Jackman bought his property from William Butler in 1713 (Surry Deed & Will Book 6 p155). William Butler obtained his grant in 1643 adjacent William Lawrence at the head of Lawnes’ Creek (VPB 1 p900). On 6 Apr 1647 William Lawrence had been granted “300 acres. On south of Mr. Thomas Stamp, north towards Shippeaks Creek. Lying on Hogg Island main.”[77] This places the Ethelred Taylor family very near Silvester Thacker (who cared for the cattle of Thomas Duke of Nansemond’s wife), Justinian Cooper, Anthony Ffulgham, and other familiar names. In 1641 Richard Jackson received land on Seawards Creek adjacent Justinian Cooper, in part by assignment from Thomas Stamp and John Sweete.[78] John Coker, who may have given his name to Coker’s Branch, was listed in 1635 as transported by Justinian Cooper in exchange for land at the head of Lawnes’ Creek.[79] We shall see that this was also very close to John Duke of Isle of Wight Co VA.

Ethelred Taylor II lived on Lightwood Swamp in Southampton Co and married Patience Kinchen, daughter of William Kinchen and Elizabeth Joyner. In 1735 he was granted land on the Nottoway (IW DBk 4 p476-477). They had numerous children: Ethelred, Henry (married Temperance Peterson), William, John, Kinchen, Jane, James, Mary (m. Batte Peterson), Sarah, Elizabeth (m. Miles Cary), and Richard. These children and their descendants are subsequently found in close proximity to the Duke family in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Ethelred Taylor II served in the House of Burgesses from Southampton Co in 1753, 54, 55, and 1756-58. His son Henry Taylor served there in later years.

The Kinchen connection is particularly interesting. The children of William Kinchen married families with other Duke family ties. Patience Kinchen Taylor’s sister Elizabeth married Joseph Exum, son of William Exum Sr. who was entrusted with the cattle due to Margaret Duke, wife of Thomas Duke of Nansemond Co VA.

Patience Kinchen’s brother, William, married Sarah House, daughter of Robert House who was the earliest founder member of the House family in the area.[80] Thomas House Jr. of Surry County was the father of Lucy House who married Maj. John Duke, eldest son of Capt. Henry Duke. His (gr?) nephew Isaac House married Mary, daughter of William Duke. Jr. and Mary Green. The following references relate to these early Houses. Robert House was the earliest founder member of the family in the area. He was granted land on Johnchecohunk Swamp.[81]

10 Sep 1695...Robert Howse (House), Sr of Southwarke Parish to Bartholomew Andrews of the same...250 acres on east side of Johnshohoun Swamp adjoining Robert Owins (Owen?) old line, Richard Jordan, Sr. and the Hickory Branch. (Margrett Howse wife of Robert Howse, relinquished her Right of Dower.)

Robert (X) Howse

Margrett (X) Howse

Rec: 10 Sep 1695

Thomas House Sr. was the father of Isaac House Sr., whose son Isaac House Jr. married Mary Duke. In 1723 he gave Isaac House Sr. land on Three Creeks in what became Greensville Co VA:[82]

7 Nov 1723 . . . Thomas House, Sr to Isaac House . . . 60 acres on south side of Nottoway River in Lawnes Creek Parish and bounded by Three Creeks, said House, said Isaac House and Nicholas Hatch (land is the upper part of a patent granted to said Thomas House for 120 acres in 1719).

Thomas (X) House

Wit: James Washington, Lawrence (X) House and John (X) Bartholomew.

Rec. 15 Jan 1723

Thomas House Jr. was the father of Lucy House, who married Capt. John Duke, son of Capt. Henry Duke, in Greensville Co VA. Catherine House and Capt. John Duke were executors of his16 Feb 1734 will, witnessed by John Taylor Duke and David Case, and proved 4 Sep 1734.[83] William Duke of Warren Co NC later married a Bartholomew. Joseph House was listed in the 1790 federal census of Dobbs/Lenoir Co.

Finally, Elizabeth married William Edwards. On 23 Mar 1715/16 William Edwards had been granted land on the Nottoway River in Isle of Wight County for transporting Elizabeth’s previous husband, Ethelred Taylor, to Virginia (VPB 10 p270). William Edwards, husband of Elizabeth Duke Mason Taylor Edwards, was granted land on Pigeon Swamp on 20 Apr 1684 (VPB 7:368).

There is no record of William Edwards and Elizabeth having had children; both were older at the time of their marriage. William Edwards represented Surry Co in the House of Burgesses in 1706. He married first Elizabeth, a daughter of Col. Benjamin Harrison, a member of the Royal Council of Virginia. She died at the age of 17. Edwards apparently married a second time, perhaps to a daughter of Micajah Lowe, nephew of the prominent London merchant Micajah Perry.[84] With her he had William, Micajah, Mary, Elizabeth, Ann, and Sarah. Elizabeth was apparently a third wife. His will dated 9 Jan 1722 was proved in Surry Co on 25 Feb 1722 (Surry County VA Deeds, Wills, etc. Book 9, p. 389.).[85] He left lands throughout Surry County in many locations, including Pigeon Creek where Elizabeth Taylor Duke inherited lands from her father Capt. John Taylor. John Edwards and Nathaniel Edwards were among the witnesses to his will.

William Duke of Brunswick Co VA and Warren Co NC

William Duke was in Brunswick Co VA on Reedy Creek, near the modern town of Lawrenceville and the historical Fort Christiana, in 1728. The earliest mention is in a deed to Capt. James Baker of Isle of Wight County, on the north side of the Maherrin River on Rocky Creek, adajcent William Duke (VPB 13:187).

A James Baker was an original trustee of Smithfield.[86] In 1740 James Baker was an executor, with Charles Binns and John Ruffin, of the estate of James Ransom.[87] In 1739 James Baker acquired land in Isle of Wight County on the Circular Tract adajcent Benjamin Ruffin. In 1747 “James Baker Gent.” was the surveyor for a parcel in the Circular Tract, Assamasook Swamp, Southampton Co, VA, sold by the Nottoway Indians to Thomas Cocke, John Simmons, and Benjamin Edwards, and by them sold to William Bailey (IW Deed Bk 7: 244-245). Ethelred Taylor II owned land on Assamasoon Swamp, Circular Tract, by 1740/41 (IW Deed Bk 5:3-5).

On 28 Sep 1728 William Duke acquired land adjacent Nathaniel Green on Reedy Creek (VPB14p31). John Duke acquired land adjacent William Duke and James Baker on the same day (VPB14p59). John Duke sold this property to Sterling Clack in 1745 (Brunswick Co VA Deed book 3:96-98).

In 1747 Sterling Clack obtained addition land adjacent John Duke, John Edwards, and Robert Munford (VPB 28:155-156). In 1756 Charles Edwards obtained land on Reedy Creek adjacent John Edwards (VPB33p261-262). In 1762 John Edwards obtained land adjacent Charles Edwards (VPB34p1053-1054). Edward Tatum acquired land on Reedy Creek in 1756, near Robert Munford’s line and adjacent Peter Tatum (VPB33p105-106). George Standback (VPB18p168-169), Sterling Clack (VPB28p155-156), and Capt. James Baker of Isle of Wight Co (VPB13p187) also owned land in the immediate vicinity.

In 1774 Robert Ruffin was granted land on Reedy Creek previously granted to William Duke in 1728, John Duke in 1728, and Samuel Duke in 1747 (VPB42p735-737). At this time the land was adjacent Morris, Herbert, and Edwards. It is interesting that the property was being sold as one parcel.

Other relevant Brunwick Co grants: Edward Freeman received 300 acres near Thomas Eave on Buck Quarter Branch in 1768 (VPB 38:458-569). He had land near Sexton, John Knotts, John Wall as early as 23 Dec 1754 on the road to Fort Christianna (PB32p430-431). The town of Freeman, named for the family, is the only town on Reedy Creek, about 4 miles east of the present town of Lawrenceville.

William Duke’s first wife is unknown. His second wife was Elizabeth Bartholomew, widow of John Bartholomew who died in 1735 (Brunswick Co VA Deeds, Wills, Etc. Bk 1, PP. 234-235, inv. & appr. recorded 2 Oct. 1735). John Bartholomew left one son, Charles. The Bartholomews were from Prince George Co VA, as listings for an earlier Charles Bartholomew, apparently John’s father, show. The records also show that John’s mother, Rebecca Bartholomew, was an Eppes (Prince George Co, Virginia Record Book B 1693-1713):

BARTHOLOMEW, Ann

From Charles & Rebecca BARTHOLOMEW

200 acres, formerly Rebecca EPES

Deed (lease) Sep 4, 1711 Page 69

Deed (release) Sep 10, 1711

 

BARTHOLOMEW, Charles & Rebecca

To Anne BARTHOLOMEW, dau.

Granted Rebecca by patent Apr 29, 1690

(formerly EPES)

Deed (lease) Sep 4, 1711 Page 74

Deed (release) Sep 10, 1711

200 acres

 

BARTHOLOMEW, Charles & Rebecca

To Anne BARTHOLOMEW, dau

200 acres, part of land granted Rebecca (EPES)

during her widowhood, patent Apr 29, 1690

Deed (lease) Sep 4, 1711 Page 69

Deed (release) Sep 10, 1711 Page 74

Charles Barthlomew was listed on the 1704 quit rent rolls for Charles City County, VA. In 1715 he inventoried the estate of Edward Bolling, along with Gilbert Hay (Prince George County Records, 1713-1728, p. 55).[88] Hay also inventoried the estate of Capt. Henry Duke. In 1718 a deed from John Roberts and Thomas Winningham to Darrel Young Jr. of Prince George County identifies Wnningham’s land as bounded by that of Charles Bartholomew, John Young, and Capt. John Poythress (Prince George County Records, 1713-1728, p.220).[89]

John Duke of Isle of Wight Co VA

George Duke was transported by John Seward of Isle of Wight Co VA, who was granted land on the Blackwater branch of the Roanoke on 15 Apr 1648 (Cavaliers and Pioneers, Patent Book 2, Page 171).

The Isle of Wight Duke family was supposedly (EDB) begun by William Ducke, who was imported by Justinian Cooper in 1639, in exchange for land at the head of Lawnes Creek (VA Land Patents Book 1, part 2, p. 681). This is probably untrue. There is no further mention of him in Isle of Wight Co VA records. The next William Duke reference known in the area is that of William Duke who married Hannah Grendon, appearing in the records in 1674, 35 years later.

John Duke I in Isle of Wight  Co VA

John Duke appears in the deed records in 1665, when Jeremiah Rutter sold 300 acres on the Cypress Swamp in what was then Nansemond Co VA to John Duke (VA Land Patent Bk. 5, p. 265). Capt. Thomas Goodwyn received a grant adjoining John Dukes, Chuckatuck Parish, Isle of Wight Co (VA Land Patent Bk. 6, p. 6 and p.111). They were living on the boundary of Isle of Wight and Nansemond counties.

In short, within two years of the first land grant to Thomas Duke in the same parish on the same river, within a few miles of one another, John Duke received his first land grant. This John Duke is very likely the brother or other close relative of Thomas Duke of Nansemond. It seems unlikely that John Duke Jr. was the only child of John Duke and Elizabeth Duke (Mercer), but others have not been identified.

On 23 Sep 1689 John Duke of Isle of Wight County sold to John Burnet, shoemaker, of the same county, “a parcel of land . . . containing fifty acres thereabouts, which land my father John Duke, deceased, formerly bought of Jeremiah Rutter of Chuckatuck then in Nansemond County, being out of a patent of three hundred acres lying and bounded by the land of John Goseling (Goslin) and the house of my father John Duke where he was situated, etc.” Witnessed by William Bradshaw and Richard Beale and signed by the marks of John Duke, Bridgett Duke (wife of John Duke, Jr.) and Elizabeth Mercer (Isle of Wight Deed Bk 1, p. 25).

Elizabeth Mercer was John Duke’s widow, remarried after his death to Robert Mercer. Robert Mercer was granted land on the Myery Branch on the south side of the Main Blackwater Swamp adjacent John Holliman and William Edwards (VPB 12 p217-218). Holliman’s land was on the boundary of Surry Co and Southampton Co (VPB 33 p611-612). In 1724/25 a William Edwards owned land adjacent Robert Mercer and John Halliman on Myery Branch on the south side of the main Blackwater Swamp (VPB 12 p217-218; VPB 15 p192-193). In 1717 James Mercer had acquired land adjacent William Kinchen and George Williamson on the south side of the main Blackwater Swamp (VPB 10 p371). His will was dated 1734. There are Southampton Co VA wills for a John and Robert Mercer in 1775, and another for a John Mercer in 1789.

William Boddie and his wife Elizabeth on June 9 1694 sold to Nicholas Carey land on Cypress Swamp adjacent land formerly sold to John Duke and formerly called Jackson’s Plantation.” (Isle of Wight Co VA DB 1, p.111). George Breen and William Greene witnessed the deed.

William Boddie and his wife Elizabeth Boddie of Isle of Wight County then sold to John Duke “that plantation which Henry Kinge lately lived on. The said plantation and woodland ground is bounded thus . . . over against John Jackson’s ould plantation . . . whether the plantattion be one hundred acres or two hundred acres . . . we do not know.” The deed was witnessed by Anthony Davis, William Fowler and Walter Howell and proved 21 Oct 1689 (Isle of Wight Co VA Deed Bk 1, p. 21). [90]

In 1641/42 Richard Jackson received a grant for 450 acres near Justinian Cooper, through assignment of rights from Thomas Stamp and John Sweet. Cooper’s lands were principally at the head of Lawnes Creek (VPB 1 pp. 454, 772, 874), although he owned numerous parcels in Isle of Wight County. Henry Kinge had received an 18 Apr 1688 grant for “1000 acres on the first branch of the Blackwater &c. 750 acres of this land being formerly gtd. by patt. to John Sweet dated 26th of Septr. 1643.” John Sweet received 650 acres adjacent Justinian Cooper and Francis English on the blackwater in 1642 (VPB 1 p858). [The term “the blackwater” was not confined to the Blackwater River at this time; that is usually referenced more specifically as “the main Blackwater Swamp.”) This suggests that John Duke and his family moved toward the head of Lawnes Creek in Surry Co VA. This location is very interesting, placing John Duke and his family virtually next door to Ethelred Taylor I and his wife Elizabeth Duke Mason Taylor.

In 1693 William Duke and Mary Duke witnessed a deed of gift of Thomas Mann to Sarah Mann of 100 acres on Curawaok Swamp (Isle of Wight Deed Book). This William Duke may be William Duche, Dutch founder of an Isle of Wight family. That family frequently spelled their name “Duck.”William Duck is listed in the 1704 quit rent rolls for Isle of Wight County.

On 15 Apr 1704 John Duke of Isle of Wight Co witnessed a will including a bequest for land purchased from Edmond Palmer, John Portis, Sr., and Henry Martin, subsequently probated 9 Jan 1706[91]:

"Jones, Ann: Leg. son John the 300 A. purchased of Edmond Palmer, John Portis, Sr. and Henry Martin; son Abraham; son John's three children, Joseph, John and Ann; Daughter Ann Barnes. Capt. Arthur Smith and Henry Applewhite, Overseers. D. April 15, 1704. R. January 9, 1706/7. Witnesses: John Watts, John Duke, Henry Applewhite." Page 477

On 5 Feb 1672 Edmund Palmer received a grant for land in Isle of Wight Co near John Portis, Arthur Smith, Anthony Matthews and “Mr. Bodies” [Boddie] (VPB 6 p443). John Portis and Henry West were granted 900 acres in 1673, situated on “some of the Blackwater branches.”[92] In 1684 Palmer’s land adjoined a 3350 acre grant to William Boddie between the western branch of the Nansemond and the Cypress Swamp (VPB 7 p394-395). On 28 Oct 1643 Henry Watts received 157 acres on Pagan Point Creek.[93] In 1674 Henry Applewhite was granted 300 acres in Isle of Wight county adjacent Robert Edwards and William Bodie.[94] It is likely that this property was close to Cypress Swamp, probably on the western side. [Robert Edwards was, with his brother James, founder of a large Isle of Wight Edwards family without a known connection to the family of William Edwards who was the third husband of Elizabeth Duke Mason Taylor.]

A later deed indicates a Seacock and Lightwood Swamp area location for a descendant of the original John Portis:[95]

John Phillips of Surry County, Virginia to Benjamin Holden dated 7 Nov 1751. 20 acres on the south side of Seacock Swamp adj. Lightwood Swamp, Bartholomew Andrews, John Portis, Joseph John Ravells, and Long Branch (patent to sd. John on 29 Aug 1757), S: John (-) Phillips, W: no witnesses

In 1713 Richard Jackson acquired land on the Blackwater Swamp near Edward Boykin (VPB 10 p99-100). A later deed to Thomas Moore shows that this grant was near Terrapin Swamp, a tributary of the Blackwater near the Surry County boundary (VPB 12 p451). In 1734 Joseph Turner was granted land adjacent William Kinchen and Edward Boykin on Tuckers Swamp (VPB 15 p344). On 25 Sep 1750 Thomas Joyner was granted land on the south side of the Blackwater Swamp adjacent Edward Kinchen and Joseph Turner (VPB 33 p963-964).

 In 1725 a John Jackson with later Duke family ties lived near William Kinchen on Meadow Branch, Isle of Wight Co, VA, and consequently near Robert Mercer and Elizabeth Duke Mercer:

ref VPB 12 p448-449

dat 24 Mar 1725/26

frm Hugh Drysdale

to John Jackson of Isle of Wight County

con 15 Shill.

re 145a on the S side of the Main Blackwater Swamp in sd Co.

loc 127080 -39560 F127 L0 P255

pt A) pine on the E side of the Meadow branch a Corner Tree

!of William Kinchins Land

!thence Crossing the Branch by Kinchins Line

ln S75W; 86P; William Kinchin Cross Meadow Br.

. . .

And also near Robert Harris:

typ patent

ID eSN#

ref VPB 26 p579-581

dat 20 Aug 1748

to Thomas Atkinson

con 35 Shill.

re 350a Isle of Wight Co. on the S side of the Main Blackwater Sw.

loc 127094 -39721 F127 L0 P255

pt A) pine on the E side of the Meadow Branch a Corner of

!William Kinchin's and James Atkinson's Lands

ln N75E; 22P; James Atkinson, frm Wm Kinchin's c.

pt B) red oak

ln S60E; 98P;

pt C) Lightwood post

ln NExE; 144P;

pt D) pine

ln N; 174P;

pt E) pine a line tree of Robert Harris's Land

ln S70W; 176P; Robert Harris

. . .

pt I) maple on the side of the Meadow Branch

!a Corner Tree of John Jacksons Land

!and down the Run of sd Branch to the beginning

lm ;; down Meadow Br. fm John Jackson's c.

end

And

Southampton Co Deed Book. Pages 86-88: John and William Jackson to John Clayton, joiner, dated 8 Jan 1756

145 acres on the north side of the main Blackwater Swamp adj. The east side of Meadow Branch and William Kinchen (land taken up by John Jackson), S: John (I) Jackson and William (I) Jackson, W: Richard (signed) Kello, Thomas (signed) Williamson, and Richard (signed) Baker

Ethelred Taylor, husband of Elizabeth Duke Taylor, left land on Lightwood Swamp to his son Ethelred Taylor II, who married Patience Kinchen.[96] Lightwood Swamp is immediately south of the Blackwater along the Surry Co border. Thomas Williamson was the son of George Williamson Sr. and Hester Bridger, daughter of Joseph Bridger and Hester Pitt. George Williamson was the son of Robert Williamson and Joan Allen. George Williamson’s land was adajcent that of William Kinchen and the Mercer family (VPB 10 p371). In 1725 John Jackson received land adjacent William Kinchen (VPB 12: 448-449). Richard Jackson also owned land on Tarapin Branch (VPB 12 p451).

John Duke Jr. and his wife Bridget had sons James, John and Robert Duke. His daughters’ names are unknown. His will was recorded on 3 Aug 1720 (Isle of Wight Co VA Great Book p. 53, part 2). An inventory of his estate was returned by Bridgett Dukes, Administratrix, and recorded on 27 Feb 1720/21 (Isle of Wight Co VA Wills, Deeds, etc. Great Book 147- 1800, part 2, page 67.) Given the location of John Duke’s land and also of Elizabeth Duke Mercer, he would have been well acquainted with the families of Ethelred Taylor and Elizabeth Duke Taylor, of the Kinchens, Jacksons, Williamsons, Harris, Claytons and so forth.

 

John Duke and his mother Bridgett Duke were in Brunswick Co VA by 1728, where he was an adjoining landholder to John Jackson and also to William Duke. John Duke obtained a grant Sep 28, 1728 (VPB14p59), as did William Duke. William Reynolds “of Brunswick Co” obtained a grant adjacent Ralph Jackson the same day (VPB 14:34-35). Ralph Jackson’s grant was 7 Jul 1726 (VPB12p520). Thomas Jackson received a grant the same day (VPB12p520). John Jackson may have been in the area earlier.

William Kimball of Surry Co received land on Rocky Creek adjacent James Baker and Col. Harrison on 28 Sep 1728 (VPB14p27-28). Nathaniel Green of Surry Co received land on Reedy Creek on the same day (VPB14p67). Peter Tatum “of Prince George” received land on Reedy Creek adjacent the Jacksons (VPB14p76). Peter Tatum was originally from Sussex Co. Ephraim Parham received land on Reedy Creek (VPB13p358-359). The Parhams owned land in Sussex Co adajcent on Southwestern Swamp adajcent William Rainey, Joseph Tucker, and James Cain (CGB N p1). John Hicks of Surry was granted land on the north side of the Maherrin on the same day (28 Sep1728), as did Henry Harrison (PB14p535).

A grant to Ralph Jackson “of Surry County” on Reedy Creek was dated 1726 (VPB12p520), as was one to Thomas Jackson (VPB12p520). Ralph Jackson seems to have been associated with the Eppes family. Ralph Jackson received a land grant in Bristol Parish, Charles City County, with grant in 1692. John Dugles and Joseph Maddox, on 29 Apr 1692 (Land Office Patents No. 8, 1689-1695, p. 244, Reel 8.). In 1713 he received land from John and Rebecca Jackson of Prince George Co VA (Prince George County VA Record Book B 1693-1713, p. 244):

JACKSON, Ralph

From John JACKSON &

Rebecca JACKSON

100 acres ( formerly Henry KING) adj.

To George WILLIAMS line

Oct 12, 1713

Ralph Jackson died in Brunswick Co and his will of 4 Apr 1744 was witnessed by Bridget Duke, John Douglas, and James Robinson and proved by the oaths of John Duke and Bridget Duke (Brunswick Co VA Will Bk 2, pp. 100-101). Note that John Douglas shared his Bristol parish land grant in 1692.

John Jackson grants on Reedy Creek in Brunswick Co VA are well documented (VPB13p358-359, VPB19p671-672). John Duke witnessed some of his land transactions:

Indenture made the 1st day of October, 1747, between John Jackson, Sr., and Mary Jackson, his wife, of Albemarle Parrish, County of Surry, and John Jackson, Jr., of St. Andrews Parrish,County of Brunswick, for 5 pounds, conveying 195 acres, located on East side of Reedy Branch, corner of Edward Accols land, and also adjoining land of Thomas Wilson. Witnesses were John Duke, Thomas Embry, and John Mabry. Acknowledged in Court on October 1, 1747. Deed Book 3, page 346.

Indenture made the 1st day of October, 1747, between Edward Accollo and Mary Accollo, his wife, of Albemarle Parrish, County of Surry, and John Jackson, Jr., for 5 pounds, conveying 400 acres, on Reedy Branch. Witnesses were John Duke, Thomas Embry, and John Mabry. Acknowledged in Court on October 1, 1747. Deed Book 3, page 347.

Peter Tatum of Surry County also obtained a grant on Reedy Creek on 28 Sep 1728, adjacent Thomas Jackson (VPB14p76), and another in 1748 (VPB26p562-563). One genforum posting suggests Thomas may have been a son of John Jackson, and that a younger Ralph Jackson was another son.

John Duke was also associated with the Perry family in Brunswick Co VA:

Indenture made 27 July 1745, between Francis Price of Brunswick County and John Butts of same, £25, land whereon John Bush now lives, 447a, being a moiety of a larger tract of land granted to John Duke by Letters Patent dated 24 March 1734 & by the sd,. John Duke sold and conveyed to Thomas Collier & by the sd. Collier sold & conveyed to the sd. Francis Price. Signed Francis Price. Witnesses: Thomas Lanier, Micajah Perry, Peter Adams (bhm). Court August 1, 1745, Indenture proved by oaths of Thomas Lanier, Gent. & Micajah Perry. Court May 6, 1747, Indenture acknowledged by Francis Price. Deed Book 3, Page 314.

In 1789 Benjamin Perry was associated with the Duke family in Fairfield Co SC (Kershaw District, SC Probate, Apartment 56, Package 1858).

Sons of John Duke the Elder

The sons of John Duke the Elder include John Duke Jr., who married Mary Duggar (Brunswick Co VA Will Book 7, p. 467). John Duke Jr. did not leave Virginia until 1774, He appears on the 1776 tax list of Bute County. John Duke the Elder and his wife Ruth left Burnswick Co VA and moved to Bute Co NC. On 1 mar 1762 John Duke bought from William Duke 500 acres of land in Bute County. This was witnessed by Benjamin Duke and Bed. Green (Bute Co NC Deed Bk 2, p. 211).

In Feb 1775 the hands of Benjamin and Jacob Duke were ordered to work on the road from Hawtree to Robert Caller (Bute Co Minute Book). Samuel Duke(s) Jr. left a will in Muhlenburg County KY in which he identifies sons John, Sampson, Jacob, William, and Benjamin and daughters Elizabeth Groves and Pashence Williams.[97]

In 1779 John Duke the Elder sold land in Bute Co NC to Lewis Scarbrough, with witnesses Simon, Benjamin, and Joel Duke (Warren Co NC Deed Bk 7, p. 228). These were sons of John Duke the Elder.

Sons of John Duke Jr.  in Bertie County NC

James and Robert Duke, sons of John Duke of Isle of Wight Co VA, were in Bertie Precinct NC in 1739. This James Duke is almost certainly the one who was in Surry Co and Brunswick Co VA in the interim.

On 1 Nov 1730 Bartholomew Shavers deeded 200 acres of land on the Roanoke (Marrotoch) River to Benjamin Duke and Henry Wooten (Bertie CO NC Deed Book C, p. 293). A Robert Duke grant in Bertie County NC followed in 1737:

13 Feb. 1737, Bertie County Grants E, 202

Richard Pace, Jr. to Robert Dukes 200 acres (part of a patent to John Green of 640 acres on northside of Yawmehoke Swamp on 1 March 1719, part of patent sole to Ralph Mason and from Mason to Richard Pace, Sr. and part sold to Bartholomew Chavas then from Chavas to Barnaby Mackinne, Sr. and this part from John Green to Richard Pace, Jr. for 200 acres; then to Robert Dukes so that all Robert Duke’s part of patent is on the northside of Yawmehoke Swamp. (The Yawmehoke Swamp is the bonds between Richard Pace, Sr. and Barnabe Mackinne.)

The 1739/40 list of jurymen for Bertie Precinct, North Carolina contains the names of Benjamin Duke, Robert Duke, and James Duke. Robert and James were the brothers of John Duke the Elder of Brunswick Co VA, and Benjamin Duke was a son of Robert Duke.

After 1741 Robert Duke’s land was in Northampton Co NC. On 4 Aug 1761 Robert Duke Sr. sold to Robert Duke Jr., 100 aces adjoining the land of John Thomas (Northampton Co NC Deed Book 3, p. 84). Robert Duke Sr. married Isabel Vinson, daughter of Thomas Vinson.

The 1763 will of Robert Duke of Northampton County NC provided for sons Samuel, Benjamin, John, and Robert and daughters Elizabeth Fullen, Monen, and Mille. [98]

In 1778 Robert Duke Jr. “of the County of Halifax” was executor of his mother’s estate, establishing that he was still in North Carolina at this time (Northampton Co NC Deed Bk 7, p. 366).

James Duke of Stanley County, NC was a Revolutionary War soldier who in his pension application noted that he was born in 1764 in Northampton Co NC, and that his father died when he was about 18 months of age. This conforms to the death of Robert Duke Sr.[99]

Benjamin Duke disappeared from North Carolina records and might be the Benjamin Duke found in the Georgetown SC area in 1745.

Samuel Duke appears in the early Bertie County records, witnessing a deed from William Baldwin to John Williams on 12 Jan 1735.[100] This individual is too early to be a son of William Duke of Brunswick Co VA and Warren Co NC. A Samuel Duke was on the Tax List of Halifax Co NC (adjoining Northampton) in 1781; this may be the same individual or a son. William and Matthew Kinchen were also present in early Bertie County, acquiring land with James Turner. J.Edwards was witness.[101]

(Samuel Duke who EDB believed to be the son of William Duke was on the Granville Co list of titheables for 1750 and 1755, and on the muster roll for the militia in 1754. EDB states that a court paper from Granville Co. identifies William Duke as security for a debt by Samuel Duke.[102] Samuel’s sons names were Britain, Burwell, Starling, and Harrell, as well as descendants with the given name Green. Samuel may have married a daughter of William or Nathaniel Green, since the name Green is common in his line. )

John Edwards, Sampson Lanier, and John Petway

Eventually the parish of St. Andrews in Brunswick Co was paying for the care of Bridget Duke, a “poor person,” in her old age. The Vestry Book of St. Andrews Parish, Virginia contains notes of this kind for 1750, 1752, 1755, 1756, 1758, 1758, 1760, and finally 1762.[103] However, on 4 Nov 1752 and 25 Sep 1753 John Edwards received payment for her care.

In 1747 John Edwards received a grant adjacent John Duke and Robert Munford on Reedy Creek, Brunswick Co VA (VPB28p155-156). In 1756 and 1761 Charles Edwards received land in the same area (VPB33p261-262; VPB34p1056). A1788 deed shows that John Edwards’ wife was Ruth Edwards, and that by that time a Mathew Edwards was also present in the place variously called Reedy or Dukes Creek (Brunswick Co Deed Book 15: 145).

In 1724/25 a William Edwards owned land adjacent Robert Mercer and John Halliman on Myery Branch on the south side of the main Blackwater Swamp (VPB 12 p217-218; VPB 15 p192-193). Later John Edwards owned land adjacent Robert Mercer and George Williamson on the south side of the Blackwater in Isle of Wight Co VA (VPB 12 p217-218), probably as the heir of the William Edwards who owned land in the same location earlier.

 The Edwards families are very difficult to sort out. William Edwards and Maj. Arthur Allen received 800 acres on the south side of the main Blackwater Swamp at the fork of Tuckers Swamp on 25 Apr 1701 for transportation of 16 persons to Virginia (VPB 9:330-331). On 28 Oct 1702 William “Kintching” [Kinchen] received land adjacent this same Arthur Allen on the south side of Blackwater Swamp (VPB 9:458). William Edwards “of Surry County” also owned land on the south side of the Blackwater, on Round Hill Swamp, (for example see VPB 10:174). That William Edwards left his son Micajah Edwards land on the south side of the Blackwater Swamp in Nottoway Parish “known as Cippahawk and Tarrapin” along with his land on the Nottoway River. Micajah Edwards obtained 980 acres formerly granted his father William Edwards on the south side of the Nottoway River in Isle of Wight Co VA in 1745 (VPB 22 p575-576). In 1789 a John Edwards left land adjacent William Simmons, William, and Matthew Williamson to his son Micajah, and left his son Joel and Newit other lands (Southampton Co VA Will Book IV: 346). These are members of the family of William Edwards who married Elizabeth Duke.

Surry County land belonging to a John Edwards was close to that of Robert Ruffin and to a 1658 grant to William Harris of Surry Co (VPB 7:27). He was close to Thomas Binns (VPB 4: 102-103). On 16 Apr 1690 a John Edwards was granted land on the northwest side of Pigeon Swamp (VPB 8: 101).

However, the John Edwards who cared for Bridget Duke may have been the son of William Edwards of Nottoway Parish, whose will was recorded 14 Feb 1750/51 and recorded heirs John, Elizabeth,, William and Thomas Edwards (Southampton Co Will Book 1, p. 33).

In any case, the Edwards connection continued into North Carolina. Later Mary Myrick, daughter of Francis Myrick Sr. married John Duke, son of William Duke of Bute Co NC, who died between 1755 and 1764. She then married Matthew Edwards (EDB 1979: 156, 431). A Matthew Edwards had land adjacent Kinchen Taylor, son of Ethelred Taylor II and Patience Kinchen, in Nottoway Parish, Southampton Co, on the Nottoway River near the Cypress Swamp (CGB 16 p414-415).

On 11 Apr 1755 John Petway and Sampson Lanier are listed as having maintained Bridget Duke. John Petway was born about 1717 in Surry Co VA and married Elizabeth Bailey Mabry, daughter of Hinchia Maybury and Frances Parham. John Petway’s sister, Mary, married James Mason, son of James Mason and Elizabeth Duke. The Petways owned land on Pigeon Creek adjacent Syon Hill, William Edwards, and Thomas Binns (VPB 7 p370, VPB 7 p408), on Green Swamp adjacent William Edwards and Syon Hill (VPB 7 p377), on Green Swamp adjacent John Clark (VPB 7 p377), and on Crouches Creek and Round Island adjacent Henry Hart and George Foster (VPB 7 p576, VPB 6 p107). Land granted on 20 Apr 1684 to William Edwards on Pigeon Swamp was near that of the Petways (VPB 7:370). James Mason Jr., son of James Mason and Elizabeth Duke Mason, married Mary Petway, daughter of Robert Petway and Ruth Gwaltney.

Sampson Lanier Sr. was a brother of John Lanier who married Elizabeth Byrd, daughter of Thomas Bird and Hannah Grendon. He was born in Charles City Co., married his wife Elizabeth Washington, daughter of Richard Washington, in 1706 in Surry Co Va, and died after 8 Jan 1742 at Brunswick Co VA.

In 1709 John Lanier and his wife sold land bounded by Bland Creek and Upper Chippokes Creek with George Nicholson as a witness. In 1719 Sampson Lanier Sr. was overseer of the will of Robert Nicholson in Surry Co VA (Surry County Wills Bk 7, p. 244). Robert Nicholson received land on Upper Chippokes Creek from George and Sarah Lee of James City Co, his parents-in-law (Surry Deed & Will Book 3 p. 90). In 1688 he received land on Upper Chippokes, Swan Bay, from his brother George (Surry Co Deed Bk 4, p. 50).

Robert Nicholson obtained land adjacent Edward Harris on the Lightwood Swamp south of the Blackwater before 1756 (VPB 33:334-335). Lightwood is over the Isle of Wight Co boundary near Seacock Swamp. Ethelred Taylor II also owned land on Lightwood Swamp,[104] and John Duke of Isle of Wight Co
VA was nearby after his move from the James River.

In 1721 Sampson Lanier bought land on Trumpet Branch adjacent Mr. Barker and the Reedy Branch from Thomas Hunt Jr., with William Marriott and John Windom witnesses (Surry County Deeds, Wills, etc. #7, p. 385). On 22 Feb 1724 Sampson Lanier witnessed a deed from James Washington to Nathaniel Harrison, esq. This was for land on the south side of Three Creeks and north side of Little Creek in Lawnes Creek Parish, bounded by William Raines and the Rocky Run (Surry Counbty Deeds, Wills, etc. #7, p. 591). (William Raines was previously associated with both Elizabeth Taylor Duke and James Duke who witnessed a Surry Co Va deed.)

Richard Washington’s will gives Elizabeth Lanier 200 acres on the west side of Mill Branch “where she now lives” and her husband Sampson Lanier 200 acres in Isle of Wight Co on Flaggy Run and various other bequests.(Surry Co Will Book 7, p. 583). Mill Branch crosses the Surry – Isle of Wight boundary northeast of the Blackwater River. This would have placed her no more than about 5 miles from the John Duke family. Sampson Lanier’s brother, John Lanier, married Elizabeth Byrd, daughter of William Byrd and Hannah Grendon. Hannah married William Duke after the death of William Bird.

However, Sampson Lanier was probably living at Three Creeks at the time that he cared for Bridget Duke, who lived on adjacent Reedy Creek:

typ patent

ref VPB10p392

dat 12Jul1718

to Sampson Lanier of Surry County

con 15sh.

re 150a on S side of the three Creeks in sd County

loc -19252 -3568 F127 L0 P255

pt A) 2wo&spo growing together near sd Creek Side

. . .

John Raines or Rainey was adjacent Sampson Lanier in this location (VPB11p185). In 1724 Adam Tapley acquired land on the north side of Three Creeks (VPB12p224-225). In 1766 Robert Ruffin acquired land near both Three Creeks and Reedy Creek, and adjacent DeBerry, Parham and Mabry (VPB36p961-962).

John Duke’s 1739 grant on Three Creeks and the Watery Branch adjacent the Governor’s Road was in Brunswick Co adjacent Charles Kimball (VPB18p494-496). Isaac House was also in the portion of Three Creeks that was in Brunswick Co (VPB27p503-505).

John Petway was born about 1717 in Surry Co VA and married Elizabeth Bailey Mabry, daughter of Hinchia Hinshaw Maybury and Frances Parham. The closest identifiable relationship of John Petway and the Duke family was the marriage of Petway’s sister, Mary, to James Mason, son of James Mason and Elizabeth Duke. In 1684 Edward Pettaway owned land on Pigeon Swamp adjacent William Edwards (VPB 7 p370). Much of Elizabeth Taylor Duke’s land inherited from John Taylor was at Pigeon Swamp. On 1 Jun1 1750 John Pettaway purchased 314 acres on Rocky Run, south side of the Nottoway River, from James Matthews. This was adjacent John Duke (apparently Maj. John Duke) and several of the Mabry family, over the border in Greensville Co (VPB 29 p107-109).

Altogether we can see that this places together in the early 1700’s near the Isle of Wight Co VA boundary with Surry Co, the following:

Elizabeth Duke Mercer, mother of John Duke,

William Kinchen (whose daughter Patience married Ethelred Taylor II),

Ethelred Taylor and his wife Elizabeth Duke Taylor, sister of Capt. Henry Duke of Prince George county,

John Edwards, who cared for Bridget Duke in Brunswick Co VA and who may have been related to William Edwards who married Elizabeth Duke Mason Taylor,

Sampson Lanier, who cared for Bridget Duke in Brunswick Co VA,

By the period 1728-33 another concentration developed in the small area between Three Creeks and Reedy Creek on the Greensville-Brunswick Co VA border. This location was between the main trading route south to the Carolinas along old Indian trails on the east and Fort Christianna, the Indian lands boundary at that time, on the west on the Maherrin River. This concentration included:

John Duke, son of Capt. Henry Duke of Prince George County, on Three Creeks

John Taylor Duke, son of Capt. Henry Duke of Prince George County, on Three Creeks

John Duke of Isle of Wight Co VA, on Reedy Creek

James Duke, probable brother of John Duke of Isle of Wight Co VA, on Reedy Creek

William Duke, of unknown origin, on Reedy Creek

Lands belonging to the descendants of William Kinchen and Ethelred Taylor (who continued to live in Southampton Co VA), on Three Creeks

John Edwards from Isle of Wight Co VA, who went to Reedy Creek

Sampson Lanier from Surry Co VA, who went to Three Creeks

John Petway from Surry Co VA, who went to Three Creeks

William Raines, who was associated with James Duke in a Surry Co deed and owned land adjacent Maj. John Duke in Greensville Co VA,

John Williamson, related to the Exum and Petway families of Isle of Wight and Surry counties

The Freeman families, associated with Freeman Snellgrove and also with Capt. Henry Duke and his wife Elizabeth Taylor Duke

Peter Tatum, who inventoried the estate of Henry Snellgrove, on Reedy Creek,

Robert Munford, who in 1728 employed Miles Riley as overseer of his plantations (but Riley documented only on Roanoke River plantations).

After 1745 William Duke and his sons moved south to Warren Co NC,

The family of John Taylor Duke moved directly to South Carolina from Virginia, including sons Robert, Henry, Thomas, James, Edmund, and John.

John Duke and Kinchen Taylor were in Dobbs Co NC by the 1780’s.

Duke Reassessment Pt. 2: Orangeburgh County SC Connections

Miles Riley

William Byrd, whose sister Mary married Capt. Henry Duke's brother James, surveyed the VA-NC boundary in 1728, mentioning Miles Riley (found with Joseph Dukes and Freeman Snellgrove in Orangeburg, above) as the overseer of a plantation of Robert Munford. Riley joined the Byrd survey party for a time.[105] The plantation visited by Byrd during his survey was one of Munford’s plantations, described as immediately beyond their ford on the Roanoke, where the Trading Path passed through the Roanoke River. This places the location in southernmost Greensville Co VA:

Munford principally lived there on Sapponi Creek, not far from Capt. Henry Duke and his wife Elizabeth Taylor Duke, who lived near the Prince George-Surry County boundary.

That the South Carolina individual named Miles Riley was from this Virginia group is supported by the family associations in old Orangeburgh District SC: the Barker, Kirkland, Jackson and Myrick families.

From the Allendale Co SC genealogical site:

         Miles Riley b c1729 married Elizabeth b c1729. (Andrea record #196) Elizabeth Riley wife of Miles Riley was one of sponsors at baptism of Elizabeth dau. of Thomas & Elizabeth Barker on 10 May 1750 together with John Russell & Mary Campbell. Miles Jackson Riley & Miles Riley Calhoun & just plain Miles Jackson are all found in Barnwell after 1800, also a Miles Riley Faust.

Miles Riley born c1784 married Winifred Kirkland.

George Owen Riley 8 May 1808 - 16 August 1841, born at "Fiddle Pond Plantation." Married first Amanda Hogg, second Mary A____ Sheriff 1837-1841, died in office.

Owen Riley estate probated by Miles A. Riley 6/9/1830 Barnwell Probate Package 12 Case 53. 22 Nov. 1830, 3 heirs, nothing useful in this one.

James Wilson Riley born c<1822 married Emily Cleveland Myrick

George Owen Riley 3 March 1843 - 5 June 1902, married Martha Melinda Roberts 1865, farmer at Sycamore. (The County Offices and Officers of Barnwell County, SC 1775-1975, Reynolds & Fuant, The Reprint Company, 1976 p24).

Thomas Riley married a sister of Mary Jenkins Connell.

On 4 Apr 1743 a Miles Railey was christened, the son of Peter and Anne Railey, in Albemarle Parish, Sussex County, VA. This may be a relative of Miles Riley, overseer for Robert Mumford and father of the friend of Joseph Duke of South Carolina.

The Myrick Connection

The Myricks originated at Lawnes Creek, in the Surry and Isle of Wight Co VA dividing line area. On 6 Jan 1786 Owen Myrick’s will was witnessed by Arthur Applewhite and William Newsum (Southampton Bk. IV: 176).

They were early settlers in Brunswick Co, having land grants from 1717 there. The Myricks were in Brunswick Co VA by 1733 (Order Book No. 1, p. 42. Brunswick Co. VA.) Mary Myrick, daughter of Francis Myrick Sr. and Rebecca Raines (daughter of William Raines, who was associated with James Duke in Surry Co VA) married first John Duke son of William Duke of Bute Co NC, and second Matthew Edwards (EDB 1979: 431). Owen Myrick, son of John Myrick Sr., married Fanny Nicholson, daughter of Joshua Nicholson of Southampton Co VA. Moses Duke of Richland married Mary Faust and his brother, Aaron, married Mary's sister, Peggy (Richland County, SC Probate, Box 9, Package 224, John Faust). That Moses Duke was the son of Robert Duke of Fairfield Co SC. (James D. Evans. 1932. Nicholson Family of Virginia . William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, 2nd. Ser., Vol. 12, No. 1. (Jan., 1932), pp. 49-66.

Freeman Snellgrove

Freeman Snellgrove was one of many Virginians who left that increasingly crowded colony for land grants in the Carolinas in the early 1730’s. On June 10, 1736, a plat for 200 acres of land and a town lot in Amelia (modem St. Matthews) were recorded for Freeman Snellgrove.[106] The grant is dated September 16, 1738. The property is described as follows: "200 acres, adjoining Miles Jackson and vacant land on three sides; also Town Lot # 99 adjoining lots of William Loe, Isaac Winningham, a vacant lot, and fronting on "A" street.”[107]
         On 26 Apr 1740 Rev. Giessendanner baptized Edward Freeman Snellgrove, son of Freeman Snellgrove and his wife. Sponsors were Peter Horger, Johannes Wettstein and Anna Wettstein.[108] Rev. Giessendanner does not name the mother of Edward Freeman Snellgrove, and there is no record of an early Orangeburgh District marriage for Freeman Snellgrove.

On Thursday 31 Dec 1741 Freeman Snellgrove was a sponsor, with W. Cammel and Mrs. Cammel, at the baptism of William Weekly, child of Thomas Weekly and his wife.[109]

On Sunday, 8 Apr 1749/50, Freeman Snellgrove was a baptismal sponsor for William, son of William and Martha Evans. Giessendanner in his record makes the remark that the other sponsors were the parents “as no others could be got.”[110]

Snellgrove remarried while in Orangeburgh, to a local widow: [111] “[1751] On Thursday September 26^th In Orangb. Church By Banns, Freeman Snellgrove of Amelia Township to Ann Jenkins, widow, being present: Miles Riley, John Fairy, Joseph Duke.”

Other children of Freeman Snellgrove, besides Edward Freeman Snellgrove, include Nancy Snellgrove. W. Henry Snellgrove, and John Snellgrove.

Virginia Origins of the Snellgroves

Freeman Snellgrove was the son of Henry Snellgrove and a Miss Freeman from Surry County, VA. Colonial records provide more information on these origins, showing that Henry Snellgrove, son of John Snellgrove of Everett, Dorset, England, was apprenticed to John Bright on 28 June 1684.[112] Henry Snellgrove was among twenty-five indentured servants to come over on the ship Booth, commanded by Capt. Peter Pagan (who gave his name to the Pagan River in Virginia) in 1684. Henry’s Indenture number was “D, 615.” Henry was 21; he signed his name with an “x”. Abraham Harrison witnessed the indenture, and Abraham Bayly notarized it.

In 1701 John Poythress Sr. of Deep Bottom was credited with transporting Henry Snellgrove to Virginia: “Grant to John Poythress Sr. of Deep Bottom, 350 acres lying on the north side of the Nottoway River, for the transportation of seven persons; John Lee; Robt. Boreman, Humphry Hix, Henry Snelgrove, Mary Drin, U. Standback, Wm. Lambud. 24, Oct 1701.”[113] In the 1600’s it was common for several merchants or planters to claim land from the crown for transportation to Virginia of a single individual. In those pre-computer days, it was apparently difficult to verify that no previous grant had been given for the same immigrant. It is even possible that Poythress obtained Snellgrove’s indenture legitimately, buying it from John Bright.

It is said that Henry Snellgrove was married to Miss Freeman by 1693.[114] Given the time period, the Miss Freeman who married Henry Snellgrove must have been a daughter of John Freeman, who established the Freeman family in Surry Co VA.[115] This John Freeman is believed to be the son of James and Mary Freeman, and the grandson of Lt. Col. Bridges Freeman and Bridget Fowler of New Kent Co VA. John Freeman obtained many early land grants along both sides of the Nottoway River in Surry Co (later Sussex Co), beginning in 1701.[116]

We know essentially nothing of Henry Snellgrove’s life in Surry Co VA. His name does not appear in land grants, and it is likely that he lived on some of the extensive Freeman family lands. He does not seem to have been active in public affairs. There is one interesting appearance of the Snellgrove name in public records, however. The Bristol Parish Vestry Book shows the following reference to a William Snellgrove:[117]“It is ordrd That William Snelgrove Son of Jane Matts wife of Wm. Matts Indian the s’d Snelgrove be bound unto Robt Lyon to serve sixteen years from the date of the Indenture which is Nov. 7th, 1722.” From this reference, it seems likely that Henry Snellgrove had an illegitimate son, and that Freeman had an illegitimate half-brother. William Snellgrove remained in Virginia. In 1748, 1749, and 1741 he was listed as a titheable individual in what is now Prince Edward County, VA.

Henry Snellgrove’s Estate

Henry Snellgrove died by early 1720. The inventory of the goods and chattels of Henry Snelgrove was taken and appraised by Christopher Tatum, Peter Tatum and Frances Maybury [Mabrey]. John Doby was Administrator. The inventory was recorded on Feb 24, 1720 in Surrey County Virginia, Deeds and Wills, 1715-1730, Book 7, p 328: [118]

Some old iron and wedges 6.00

Three cows and three yearlings 4.00.00

One old gun 10.00

2 Pair of wool cards 2.6

Two old iron pots with hooks,

frying pan and bell. 3.6

Some old wooden ware 9.6

Two old beds with ragged rugs,

one bedstead 10.

One small parcel Tobacco in a barrel 5.

Four sows and ten pigs ?.?

One old mare, one old saddle,

horse collar and harness ?.?

John Doby Admin. 8:9:0

Sworn and attested before

Howell Edmundson and signed

The individuals who administered and inventoried his estate indicate that Snellgrove, like the John Freeman family, lived between the Blackwater and Nottoway rivers in the portion of Surry Co that became Sussex Co, VA. John Doby, administrator of the Henry Snellgrove estate, gave his name to a stream that lies near the boundary between Prince George and Sussex counties, near Pigeon Swamp in Sussex Co. In 1709 he obtained from Benjamin Harrison 100 acres on Jones Hole Swamp on the Nottoway River (Surry Co Deeds, Wills, etc. Book 5, page 77).[119] (Wiliam Stainback, whose transport to Virginia was credited to Poythress at the same time as Henry Snellgrove, also owned land and lived on Jones Hole Swamp.)

Residents of Albemarle Parish included Christopher Tatum, 40 years clerk of Nottoway Church, who died in 1750 of small-pox, and John Stokes, who also died of smallpox in 1750.[120] John and William Mason, husband of Elizabeth Duke, were witnesses to the will of Christopher Tatum (Sussex Co. VA Will Book B, p. 218). Edward Tatum purchased land on Josephs Swamp in 1709 (Surry County Deeds, Wills, etc., #6, p. 2).

Freeman Snellgrove would have been a minor at his father’s 1720 death. It is likely that he thereafter stayed with his Surry Co Freeman relatives. John Freeman Sr., is estimated to have died in about 1725. His sons who survived him, and with whom Freeman Snellgrove might have lived for a time, include the following:

Henry Freeman (will filed 17 Dec 1753 in both Lunenburg and Sussex counties) lived on the north side of the Nottoway River in Sussex with his wife Prudence Jones, daughter of Arthur Jones.

Arthur Freeman (1706-1753) also lived on the north side of the Nottoway River, and had sons Hamlin (m. Lucy Hancock), Elizabeth, Thomas, James, and Joel (d. 1758, m. Martha (Patty) Richardson, daughter of William Richardson). His Sussex Co VA will was dated 16 Apr 1753.

John Freeman Jr. later owned land in Greensville Co VA, acquiring it in grants the same day that John Duke and John Taylor Duke, sons of Capt. Henry Duke of Prince George County, VA, obtained adjacent land.

Duke Family Connections

The Freeman family of Surry County were well-acquainted with the family of Capt. Henry Duke, who lived along the Prince George-Surry County line. Capt. Henry Duke died in about 1720, and his second wife, Elizabeth Taylor Duke, joined with her sisters to sell land on Pigeon Swamp left to them by their father, Capt. John Taylor. John Freeman served as witness to these transactions:[121]

p. 123 (p.493) 17 Dec 1723...John Hardyman and wife Henrietta Maria Hardyman, Francis Hardyman and wife Sarah Hardyman, Elizabeth Duke and Frances Greenhill to Nicholas Partridge . . . 262 acres on east side of Pidgeon Swamp and bounded by the Underground Branch and Richard Bland, decd. Wit: John Mason, John (X) Freeman and William (X) Raynes Per "Surry County, Virginia Records 1652-1684" by Eliza Timberlake Davis.

p. 125-126 (p.529) 17 Dec 1723...John Hardyman and wife Henritta Maria Hardyman, Francis Hardyman and wife Sarah Hardyman, Elizabeth Duke and Frances Greenhill to John Mason...223 acres on east side of Pidgeon Swamp and bounded by Cattail Branch and Richard Bland, decd. Wit: Nicholas Partridge, John (X) Freeman, Jr. and William (X) Rayne Rec: 18 Dec 1723 and 15 Apr 1724 Per "Surry County, Virginia Records 1652-1684" by Eliza Timberlake Davis

p. 126 (p.532) 17 Dec 1723...John Hardyman and wife Henrietta Maria Hardyman, Francis Hardyman and wife Sarah Hardyman, Elizabeth Duke and Frances Greenhill to Nicholas Partridge...262 acres on east side of Pigeon Swamp and bounded by Underground Branch and Richard Bland, decd. Wit: John Mason, John (X) Freeman, Jr. and William (X) Rayne Rec: 18 Dec 1723 and 15 Apr 1724 Per "Surry County, Virginia Records 1652-1684" by Eliza Timberlake Davis

The location of the Capt. John Taylor and Capt. Henry Duke family property on Pigeon Swamp is very near Doby Creek, named for John Doby, administrator of Henry Snellgrove’s estate. These connections make it virtually certain that Henry Snellgrove was well acquainted with the family of Capt. Henry Duke.

Another Pigeon Creek landowner is of interest. Thomas Goodman Duke was one of the earliest Duke family members in South Carolina, and possibly (although by no means certainly) the father or brother of Joseph Dukes of Orangeburgh. A Thomas Goodman, possible source of the name Thomas Goodman Duke in South Carolina, is found in the records of Surry Co. VA. The estate of Thomas Goodman’s wife Elizabeth was inventoried 20 Dec 1748 by Peter Warren, John Watkins, and John Colleck (Surry Co VA Wills and Administrations Book 9, p. 596).[122] Land records place the home of the Goodman family near Pigeon Creek, where Elizabeth Taylor Duke inherited land from her father John Taylor.[123]

John Poythress, who had claimed land rights for importing Henry Snellgrove to Virginia, also provides evidence of connections between the Snellgroves and the family of Capt. Henry Duke. John Poythress was among the three individuals who appraised and inventoried the estate of Capt. Henry Duke in Prince George Co. VA, along with John Hatch and Gilbert Hay, on 22 Jan 1718/19 (Prince George Co VA Wills, Deeds, etc. 1713-1728, pgs. 336-337).[124] John Poythress was both attorney and social acquaintance to Elizabeth Taylor Duke. On 19 Sep 1720 Col. William Byrd recorded in his diary that he dined at his home, Westover, with Mrs. Duke and her attorney, Mr. Poythress, along with his “brother and sister Duke,”James Duke and his wife, Mary Byrd Duke.[125]

Other Orangeburgh District Connections of the Snellgroves

Christopher Tatum, who assisted in the inventory of the Henry Snellgrove estate, remained in Surry Co until his death in about 1751. However his grandson, also Christopher Tatum, was in Orangeburgh County SC. by the time of the 1790 federal census. The family acquired land near Branchville.

John Freeman’s grandson Josiah (1715-1774), son of Henry Freeman, married Phoebe Stokes, daughter of Silvanus Stokes and Cecilia Walker. Members of this same Stokes family later established the Stokes family below Branchville, SC.[126]

The list could go on at considerable length, as the net is thrown wider. The records of Virginia south of the James River are fertile ground for research by many Orangeburgh families.

John Dukes of Dobbs /Johnston/Greene Co NC and the Aylors

According to Orangeburg County SC Dukes family tradition, Thomas Duke went to the Neuse River area to visit relatives and met his wife Ann Ayler. The only Ayler family on the Neuse at the right time period was in Dobbs Co. NC., and they were close neighbors of a Duke family.

Ayler

William Ayler sold land in Dobbs Co NC to Obediah Smith as early as 1757/58 (Old Dobbs Co VA Deed Book 5 - April 1757 – April 1758 p. 190). Not much later William Ayler sold land to Thomas Thompson in Dobbs Co. (Old Dobbs Co NC Deed Book 6, Apr 1758-1765, p. 563) and during the same period Thomas Williamson sold land to William Ayler (Old Dobbs Co NC Deed Book 6, Apr 1758-1765, p. 260). William Ayler or Aylor purchased several parcels of land from William Barwick in 1771-3 (Old Dobbs Co NC Deed Book 9, Apr 1771-Apr 1773, pp. 272, 275, 294). An additional deed represents a land sale from William Ayler to Shadrick Hartsfield (Old Dobbs Co NC Deed Book 13, Apr 1784 to Apr 1789, p. 16) and from John Hartsfield to William Aylor (Old Dobbs Co NC Deed Book 13, Apr 1784 to Apr 1789, p. 308). William Ayler sold land to Benjamin Lewis (Old Dobbs Co NC Deed Book 18, 1798-1799, p. 95).

William Ayler was a taxpayer in Dobbs County (now Lenoir County), North Carolina, in 1769.[127] The family of this William Ayler is the only one found after years of searching that could be that of Ann Ayler Dukes. The family oral tradition tells us that he lived near relatives of the Dukes family, objects of Thomas Dukes’ visit. There are many candidates for relatives of Thomas Edmund Dukes in the Dobbs County area.

On 26 Jul 1777 William Aylor was drafted as a member of the Dobbs County NC militia, Capt. Kennedy’s company. Members listed adjacent his name are Fra. Freeman and Tho. Byrd. William Aldridge, Reuben Freeman, John Fontaine, and Benjamin Risher are also listed (the Birds and Rishers, and possibly the Aldridges, were later in Orangeburg County). In 1780 those drafted incuded Elisha Freeman, Thos. Bird, Israel Joyner, and Joseph House. A Joseph House is listed along with John Bird, Joseph Dudley, Christopher Dudley, and Richard Lanier in Chowan Precinct NC ca. 1715. A Thomas Spivey is also listed.[128]

The Byrd family in Chowan County and later Lenoir County was derived from William Byrd of Martin’s Brandon, husband of Hannah Grendon Jennings Byrd Duke Archer. His sons John and William moved to Chowan County NC. His granddaughter Elizabeth, daughter of son Thomas, married John Lanier.

In 1780 William Ayler was listed with 400 acres of land in the Dobbs County tax list, District 1, Lenoir County, Kinston west, but north of the Neuse River. He was payee #16. The Birds were also present. John Dukes was listed in District 10, payee 84.

The following deeds mention William Aylor’s land:

JAMES M. (MADISON) HINES COLLECTION - NORTH CAROLINA ARCHIVES PC 152.1

PARTIAL DEEDS

1. No 12 - John CREECH to JESSE ALDRIDGE

Deed of sale for 100 acres of Land - name Benja Creech with no further information - beginning at a pine on ES of branch adj William Aylor, patent line - part of larger survey patented to WM. B. - torn

Dobbs COUNTY

2. Grantee - Thomas Williamson - Grantor to John Barrs ? 200 acres - Jan Court on oath of William Aylor - Enrolled Dobbs Co – Charles Young, Regt

3. Samuel Thomas - patent and deed - (this documents is in a lot of small pieces) - 1745 - 20 April - this appears to be the patent date - NS Neuse

The Creech family was from Nansemond Co VA, according to information at http://cwoodcock.com/

A Thomas Williamson was married to a daughter of Josiah John Holliman of Southampton Co VA; her sister married John Clayton (Southampton Co VA Will Book 2, p. 136). Sarah Williamson, daughter of Thomas Williamson of Southampton Co VA, married first a Ruffin and then John Taylor, son of Ethelred Taylor II and Patience Kinchen.[129] This John Taylor was the brother of William Taylor of Dobbs Co NC. The Williamsons of Isle of Wight Co VA have many Duke family connections.

There is also, from Abstracts of Pre-1880 Lenoir county and Dobbs county deeds, Surveys, Land Grants, and Miscellaneous Documents in the Collection of Paul Arendell Hodges and Alma Dawson Hodges – North Carolina Archives:

Date: 5 March, 1779

 Nature of document: Land survey

 Surveyed for: John Creech

 Surveyed by: C. Markland

 Amount surveyed: 100 acres lying in Dobbs County

 Adjoining lands: Jude Watters, William Ayler, and Benjamin Creech

 NOTE: A small map of the land surveyed is drawn in the upper right corner of the document. Thomas House sold land to John P. White ((JOHNSTON/ DOBBS/ LENOIR COUNTIES GRANTOR INDEX – BOOK 1, 1746-1750, p.3).

Thomas House was possibly the brother of Lucy House, first wife of Maj. John Duke, son of Capt. Henry Duke of Prince George County VA. The Thomas House of Greene Co NC is said to have died in Darlington Co SC. The Thomas House of Brunswick Co VA has been said to have died in Lancaster Co SC.

And,

Date: 11 June, 1781

 Nature of document: Deed for sale of land

 Grantor: Joshua Barwick

 Grantee: John Hartsfield, blacksmith

 Extent: 270 acres

 In consideration of: 80 pounds specie money

 Mentioned in description of bounds: William Ayler's corner, Creech's line

 Witnesses: William Ayler, Shadrach Hartsfield

And,

Date: 7 March, 1786

 Nature of document: Deed for sale of land

 Grantor: Simon Creech of Dobbs County

 Grantee: Major Croom

 In consideration of: 100 pounds current money

 Extent: 150 acres, described as "being all that part of land left to

 said Creech by his father..." Mentioned in description of bounds: line of patten granted Benjamin Creech, Joshua Barwick, Paul Hartsfield's line, all House's orchards

 Witnesses: Isaac Croom, William Ayler, Ezekiel (X) Creech

Simon Creech died in Union Co SC according to information at http://www.cwoodcock.com/cgi-bin/igmget.cgi/n=ebfamily?I15359

 Note the reference to “all House’s orchards.” A Thomas House had land in Dobbs Co, [130] as did William House.[131] Both Thomas and William House were in Greensville Co VA near Maj. John Duke and John Taylor Duke, and had at least three relationships by marriage to the Duke and Taylor families:

"Surry County, Virginia, Deeds 1684-1733 and Other Court Papers," by William Lindsay Hopkins,

p. 138: 16 Jan 1726...Thomas HOUSE, Jr to William HOUSE...175 acres on NS of Three Creeks...Thomas (X) House, Jr 17 May 1727

In 1772 William Ayler was security, with Gershom Wiggins, for the estate of John Ratcliff, administered by Joseph Ratcliff (An Account of Letters of Administration Granted for Dobbs County in the Year 1772). In 1784 a100 acre plat was registered for Samuel Ratcliff on the waters of the Edisto in Orangeburg County SC.[132] Another 100 acre plat on Cattle Creek was registered in the same year.[133] A fifty acre plat on Cattle Creek was also registered.[134] Later grants were also made to the Ratciffs in the same area.

The1769 tax list for Dobbs Co NC (USGENWEB Archives) included The Ratcliffs, Rishers, and Byrds, along with some “Ducks” and Hanks (George’s family):

RATCLIFF John son Thomas        2

RATCLIFF Moses                 1

RATCLIFF William              1

BYRD        Benjamin           1

BYRD        John          1

BYRD        Joshua                1

BYRD        Nathaniel           1

BYRD        Richard     &son Richard     2

BYRD        Thomas              1

DUCK       Jacob                  1

DUCK       John Barefoot Duck

HANKS    Mot           1

HANKS    Epaphroditus              1

HANKS    John          1      

RASHER   John sons John & Benjamin        3

RASHER   Thomas              1

The following message from the Ratcliff list on Rootsweb shows the Orangeburg Ratcliff family descending from that of the Kingston, Dobbs Co, NC area:

Subject: [RATCLIFF] Re: RATCLIFF-D Digest V03 #13

Descendants of William Ratcliff

Generation No. 1

1. WILLIAM5 RATCLIFF (JOSEPH4, JOHN3, RICHARD2, RICHARD1) was born Abt. 1752 in abt 5 miles west of Kinston (then Johnston County), North Carolina.. Probably on family Plantation "Ratcliff's Choice", and died February 06, 1795 in Orangeburg District, South Carolina. He married AGNES OR AGGA. She died Bet. 1820 - 1840 in Mississippi.

Children of WILLIAM RATCLIFF and AGNES AGGA are:

2. i. JOSEPH GENTRY6 RATCLIFF, b. Abt. 1782, Dobbs County, North Carolina or Orangeburg District, South Carolina; d. Abt. 1851, Lawrence County, Mississippi.

 ii. WILLIAM RATCLIFF JR., b. Abt. 1783, Orangeburg District, South Carolina; d. Abt. 1851; m. NANCY, Abt. 1808.

 iii. SAMUEL RATCLIFF, b. Abt. 1785, Orangeburg District, South Carolina; d. Abt. 1797.

 iv. RICHARD RATCLIFF, b. Abt. 1787, Orangeburg District, South Carolina; d. Abt. 1799.

 v. JOHN RATCLIFF, b. Orangeburg District, South Carolina; d. Aft. 1795.

 vi. JAMES SHELTON RATCLIFF, b. October 22, 1793, Orangeburg District,

South Carolina; d. November 16, 1849; m. ELIZABETH OTT, January 16, 1817.

 

Generation No. 2

 

2. JOSEPH GENTRY6 RATCLIFF (WILLIAM5, JOSEPH4, JOHN3, RICHARD2, RICHARD1) was born Abt. 1782 in Dobbs County, North Carolina or Orangeburg District, South Carolina, and died Abt. 1851 in Lawrence County, Mississippi. He married SUSAN.

Notes for JOSEPH GENTRY RATCLIFF:

Information on this family is documented in the book---Richard Ratcliff of Lancashire, England and Talbot County Maryland, and his Ancestors and Decendents 1066-1988,byClarnece Earl Ratcliff.

 

More About JOSEPH GENTRY RATCLIFF:

Burial: Hickory Grove Cemetery, Lawrence County, Mississippi

 

More About SUSAN:

Burial: Hickory Grove Cemetery, Lawrence County, Mississippi

 

Children of JOSEPH RATCLIFF and SUSAN are:

3. i. JOHN BENJAMIN7 RATCLIFF, b. June 21, 1819, Orangeburg District, South

Carolina; d. January 21, 1882, McCall Creek, Franklin County, MS..

 ii. H.A. RATCLIFF, b. Abt. 1820, South Carolina.

 iii. WILLIAM S. RATCLIFF, b. Abt. 1825, So. Carolina; m. MARY JANE LOFTON,

February 04, 1849, Franklin Co. Mississippi.

 iv. R.G. RATCLIFF, b. Abt. 1830, So. Carolina.

 v. L.A. RATCLIFF, b. Abt. 1834, So. Carolina.

 vi. E.M. RATCLIFF, b. Abt. 1836, South Carolina; d. Aft. 1880.

 

Notes for E.M. RATCLIFF:

E.M. Ratcliff was never married

Was found in 1880 census, so death date would have been after that time.

vii. R. RACHEL RATCLIFF, b. Abt. 1840, Probably Copiah County, Mississippi;

d. Aft. 1880.

 

Notes for R. RACHEL RATCLIFF:

was found in the 1880 census

 

William Ayler is on the 1780 tax list for Lenoir Co NC, District #1, from Kinston west, north of the Neuse River along with Benjamin Bird, Reuben Freeman, William and John Aldridge.

William Ayler was later joined by William Ayler Jr. in the 1788 voting rolls for Dobbs Co (Annals of Progress, the Story of Lenoir County and Kinston, North Carolina, by William S. Powell).

Elinder Aylor later appears in the same area. Abiel Smith sold land to Elenor Ayler (Old Dobbs Co NC Deed Book 10, Apr 1773 to Apr 1775, p. 49). Reedy Branch was eventually in Greene Co NC, a little over a mile north of the boundary with Lenoir Co. The location was very near the land of John Duke, which must have been in the extreme southwestern portion of District 10 of Dobbs County. Elinder Aylor later sold that land.

INDENTURE

3 December 1795

State of North Carolina, County of Lenoir

This Indenture made this Third day of December and in the Year of Our Lord One thousand Seven Hundred and Ninety five between Elinder Aylor of the State of North Carolina & County of Lenoir of the One part & Hardee Croom of the same place of the Other part - sum of Thirty Three pounds to her in hand paid by said Hardee Croom - sell a persel of Land on NW side of Gum Swamp beginning in Ready Branch - fifty acres

Signed Ellender (X) Aylor

Wit Will Croom, Nathan Green?, Joseph Pool

To Court Jany Term 1796, Lenoir County on oath of Joseph Pool

Signed Winston Caswell, Clk

Enrolled in the Registers Office of Lenoir County in Liber K pages 393 & 394 the 4th day of February Amo Dom 1796

Signed D. Caswell, Regr

William Ayler appears in the list of those drafted for the militia 26 Jul 1777 in Dobbs Co for Capt. Kennedy’s company, along with Jesse Aldridge, Robert Bird, Thomas Bird, William Aldridge, John Fontaine, John Aldridge.

In that group he was accompanied by other individuals from Dobbs (Lenoir) County, NC, all with later Orangeburgh County, SC, residence. These included Benjamin Risher, who went on to found the Risher family of the Colleton/Orangeburg county area. John Fontaine, apparently the brother of Mary Fontaine who married Benjamin Risher before they moved to Orangeburgh, was also a member. (Francis Fontaine, her grandfather, was in 1721/22 minister of St. Peter’s Parish, New Kent and James City Counties, Virginia, home of some of the Duke family and many other families mentioned here.[135]) Thomas and Benjamin Byrd are listed, and are probably brothers of the Nathaniel Bird of Lenoir County, NC, who founded the Orangeburgh/Colleton Byrd or Bird family. Nathaniel Bird appears in records with William Ayler.

The Aldridge and Byrd families were also on the boundary between Greene and Lenoir counties:

COLONIAL RECORDS OF LENOIR COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA ALSO KNOWN AS THE LOVIT

HINES COLLECTION - abstracted from Microfilm roll MF - 95 by Martha Mewborn Marble

INDENTURE - DREWRY ALDRIDGE SENR TO RICHARD BYRD

P 253 - 1 January 1800 - Indenture - DREWRY ALDRIDGE SENR of County of Greene to RICHARD BYRD of Lenoir - 20 pds - ES Falling Creek, NS Jumping Run, Sawpit Meadow in RICHARD BYRD'S corner of a patent granted to WILLIAM ALDRIDGE JUNR, adj THOMAS BYRD --- 17 1⁄2 acres, houses, gardens, orchards

Signed by mark

WIT JAM BYRD, JOHN (X) ALDRIDGE

To Court January Term 1800 on oath of JOHN ALDRIDGE S. BRIGHT, CC

Enrolled Liber B pages 153, 154 11 February 1800 JAS BRIGHT, Regr

Falling Run crosses the Greene-Lenoir county boundary immediately west of Institute, NC.

The Bird family, later of Orangeburg and Colleton Co SC, was involved in a prosecution of William Aldridge of Craven (Dobbs, Lenoir) County NC:

The State vs WILLIAM ALDRIDGE

 Issued 8th May 1782

Summoned ROB WHITE Sheriff

The State of North Carolina to the Sheriff of Dobbs County GREETINGS

 We command you to summon ISAAC CROOM, NATHAN BIRD, THOMAS BIRD & RICHARD BIRD personally to be and appear before the judges of our Superior Court to be held for the District of Newbern at the courthouse in Newbern on the fifteenth day of May next & then & there to testify & the truth to say in a certain controvercy then and there to be tried between the state plantiff & WILLIAM ALDRIDGE JR defendant on the part of the plantiff & this they shall in no wise omit under the penality incumbent.Herein fail not & have you there and this writt.Witness JOHN COOKE clerk of court at Newbern the twentieth day of April in the sixth year of our independence Anna Dom 1782

 JOHN COOKE

 By WINSTON CASWELL

William Aylor’s land was close to that of the Aldridges:

Date: 23 December, 1817

Nature of document: Deed for sale of land

Grantor: William Croom

Grantee William Y.(?) Aldridge

Extent: Tracts of 150 acres, 200 acres, 40 acres, 77 acres, 77 acres, 27 and one-half acres, 40 acres, and 100 acres. Included is "the mill and plantation formerly owned by Paul Hartsfield, decd." In consideration of: 5,600 dollars

Mentioned in description of bounds: Simon Lovick and Barwick lands, Joshua Barwick, and William Ayler's corner. Witnesses: William Herring, John Sugg Aldridge

Dukes in Dobbs County

Old Dobbs County BOOK l - November l746 - April l750

This appears in Book 2 in the Grantor Index

 

Kinchen, William Thomas Jarrell 23

Keys, William John Ratcliff 31

Kinchen, William William Duke, Jr. 49

Same Ambrose Jackson 70

John Dukes appears on the 1780 taxlist of Dobbs Co NC (Dobbs/Lenoir/Greene County NC - Taxlist - Dobbs 1780 Taxlist) with 400 acres of land, in District 10 as payee 84.[136] District 10 became Greene County, and extended from Snow Hill south to Wheat Swamp including the Hookerton vicinity and Arba. Wheat Swamp is immediately east of Falling Creek. Drewry Aldridge and John Freeman were in the same district, along with Standlys.

John Dukes is on the list “Military Men over Age in Dobbs Co, NC, in 1781.” Joseph and Robert Taylor are also listed. Murtie June Clark, Colonial Soldiers of the South, 1732-1774 (Baltimore MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1983), says that the age range for the militia requirement was usually 16 to 60, but each colony could make its own laws about that as circumstances changed. Public employees and ministers were excused from duty, as were Quakers and other conscientious objectors, indentured servants, and slaves. So, this John Dukes was probably, but not certainly, born before 1721.

The 1788 voting list of Lenoir Co NC includes William and John Taylor, another William Taylor and John Taylor, as well as John Dukes, William Aylor, William Aylor Jr., Richard Byrd, Nathan. Byrd.

John Dukes appears in the 1790 census along with members of the Freeman (John, Francis L.), Goodman (Henry, James, Timothy, William), Ruffin (Ethelred), Hardy, Harrison, Wade, and Jones families and many Taylors.

In 1796 Ann Dukes, wife of John, was ordered to appear in court to testify against Francis Meeks (CRAVEN COUNTY, NC - COURT - New Bern District Court Records Dobbs Co. and others, part18, 1798), along with Jesse Aldridge, Joseph Taylor, and John Turnage:

Folder: 1798 (second folder)

Information: Summons for Jesse ALDRIDGE John TURNAGE Ann DUKES to appear and testify in a matter in which Joel MEERS in plaintiff and Francis MEEKS is defendant. (Back: Not found).

Date: 19 Mar 1796

Date of: Summons

County: Glasgow

 

Folder: 1798 (second folder)

Information: Summons for John TURNAGE Ann DUKE wife of John DUKE and Joseph TAYLOR to appear and testify against Francis MEEKS.

Date: 19 Sept 1795

Date of: Summons

County: Glasgow (later Greene)

John Turnage gave his name to the Turnage Millpond on Tyson Marsh, less than a mile north of the Lenoir Co boundary in Greene County, NC, less than two miles from Reedy Branch where Elinder Aylor owned land and about four miles east of Button Branch, where the William Taylor family lived. This is consistent with other evidence that John and Ann Dukes lived quite close to the boundary between Glasgow/Greene county and Dobbs/Lenoir counties, and quite close to the Aylors and to the Taylors.

John Dukes (James) sold land to Elizabeth Lewis in about 1800 (Johnston/ Dobbs/ Lenoir Counties Grantor Index - Book 19 - Lenoir County 1799, 1800, 1801, p. 167). At about the same time William Ayler sold land to Benjamin Lewis (Old Dobbs Co NC Deed Book 18, 1798-1799, p. 95).

John Dukes is in the 1790 census of Dobbs Co:

Dukes John 1-3-3-0-0

Also Bird:

Bird Eleanor 0-1-3-0-1

Bird Joshua Jr. 1-0-2-0-0      

Bird Joshua Sr. 3-4-2-0-1     

Bird Nathan 1-1-4-0-1

Bird Richard 2-4-2-0-0

Bird Richard Jr. 1-0-1-0-0    

Bird Richard Sr. 1-0-1-0-2   

Also Ratcliff:

Ratcliff Aaron 1-1-2-0-0

In the 1800 census of Lenoir Co are John Duke, various Byrds, Taylors, Ratcliffs, Hardys.

In the 1810 census of Lenoir County are John M. Duke, born 1774-1784, and a female the same age. Also, these Byrd:

BYRD, Benjamin M: 1755-1774 F: 1755-1774

 M: 1790-1800 F: 1790-1800

 F: 1790-1800

 10 Slaves F: 1784-1790

 

BYRD, Edward M: 1755-1774 F: 1774-1784

 M: 1790-1800

 M: 1790-1800

 M: 1790-1800 2 Slaves

 

BYRD, Elijah M: 1755-1774 F: 1755-1774

 

BYRD, Elinor F: b. before 1755

 M: 1755-1774 F: 1774-1784

 9 Slaves

 

BYRD, Esther F: b. before 1755

 M: 1790-1800 F: 1784-1790

 M: 1784-1790 F: 1774-1784

 M: 1774-1784 12 Slaves

 

Byrd, Jesse M: 1755-1774 F: 1774-1784

 2 Slaves

 

BYRD, Joshua M: b. before 1755 F: b. before 1755

 M: 1784-1790

 M: 1774-1784

 M: 1774-1784

 M: 1774-1784

 

BYRD, Joshua Jr. M: 1755-1774 F: 1755-1774

 M: 1790-1800 F: 1784-1790

 M: 1790-1800 F: 1784-1790

 M: 1790-1800

 M: 1790-1800

 

BYRD, Richard M: b. before 1755 F: b. before 1755

 M: 1790-1800 F: 1784-1790

 M: 1784-1790 F: 1784-1790

 M: 1784-1790

 M: 1774-1784 11 Slaves

 M: 1774-1784

 

BYRD, Richard Jr. M: 1755-1774 F: 1755-1774

 M: 1790-1800 F: 1790-1800

 M: 1784-1790 F: 1784-1790

 M: 1774-1784 F: 1784-1790

 F: 1774-1784

 10 Slaves

 

BYRD, Samuel M: 1755-1774

 M: 1790-1800 F: 1790-1800

 M: 1784-1790 F: 1774-1784

 M: 1755-1774 F: 1774-1784

 12 Slaves

 

BYRD, Thomas M: 1755-1774 F: 1774-1784

         F: 1790-1800

         F: 1790-1800

 

BYRD, Thomas M: b. before 1755 F: b. before 1755

         M: 1774-1784 F: 1790-1800

         F: 1774-1784

         10 Slaves F: 1774-1784

And also

RATLIFF, Aron M: 1755-1774 F: 1755-1774

 M: 1790-1800 F: 1790-1800

 M: 1790-1800

 

RATLIFF, Saley F: b. before 1755

 M: 1774-1784 F: 1774-1784

There were also many Taylors and Tilmans.

Joseph J. Dukes was enumerated as #456 in Wayne County (formed from the western portion of Dobbs) in 1850, Neuse North Side township, page 176. He was a farmer 28 years old, living with Subary (?) female 36 years old, Sarah 3 years old, and James R. Dukes, 22, carpenter. His neighbors were Langstons. The 1850 census also lists three Bird households (173A-229A-231A).

An 1868 petition for a public road near Aldridge and Byrd properties in Lenoir Co. was signed by J. J. Dukes, among others (Brothers Collection, Donated by Warren Brothers, & Mrs. Henry Brothers of Institute, Lenoir County, N.C. Transcribed by Sloan Mason. J. M. Patrick, F. A. Brothers and Others to the Court: Petition for Public Road, filed Jany. Term 1868. State of North Carolina.), again placing the Duke property in the general vicinity of that owned by the Aldridge and Byrd families.

John Dukes appears in the 1790 census of Dobbs Co NC, along with members of the Freeman, Goodman, Hardy, Harrison, Wade, and Jones families and many Taylors:

Dukes       John 1-3-3-0-0

        

Freeman    John 3-2-7-0-3   

Freeman    John 1-1-2-0-0   

Freeman    Francis L.  1-1-3-0-0

 

Goodman  Henry        1-0-1-2-8   

Goodman  Henry        1-0-2-0-9   

Goodman  James         1-3-2-0-1   

Goodman  Timothy    1-0-2-0-6   

Goodman  William     2-2-2-0-9

 

Ruffin       Etheldred  1-5-3-0-19

 

Taylor        Ann  0-2-3-0-0   

Taylor        Christopher        2-0-2-0-0   

Taylor        Daniel       1-3-6-0-3   

Taylor        Henry        1-0-5-0-7   

Taylor        Hillary Jr.  1-0-2-0-0   

Taylor        Hillary Sr. 3-2-4-0-0   

Taylor        Isaac 2-0-2-0-0   

Taylor        Isaac 1-3-5-5-7   

Taylor        James         1-0-4-0-0   

Taylor        James         1-1-4-0-0   

Taylor        Jesse 1-1-1-0-0   

Taylor        John 1-1-3-0-1   

Taylor        John 1-2-2-0-0   

Taylor        John 1-3-4-0-0   

Taylor        Joseph       1-2-2-0-9   

Taylor        Robert       1-0-2-0-1   

Taylor        Robert       1-1-1-0-0   

Taylor        Robert       2-4-6-0-3   

Taylor        Stephen    1-3-4-0-0   

Taylor        William     1-1-4-0-4   

Taylor        William     1-1-5-0-12  

Taylor        William     1-1-2-0-0   

Taylor        William Sr.         3-1-8-0-0

An 1867 Lenoir Co NC deed places J. J. Dukes’ land adjacent that of T.P. Hardy, and near Brothers and Wilson (Brothers Collection Donated by Warren Brothers, & Mrs. Henry Brothers of Institute, Lenoir County, N.C. Transcribed by Sloan Mason Alexander Wilson (deed of land) to F. A. Brothers -1867).

The Hardys were closely connected with the North Carolina Byrds descended from William Byrd who married Hannah Grendon. Ann Byrd married John Hardy. Both the Byrd and Hardy families moved from Chowan to Lenoir Co NC.

The Laniers, descendants of William Byrd and Hannah Grendon, were in Duplin (Wayne) Co:

Wayne County, NC - Heritage Series

Reprinted with permission of the Mount Olive Tribune and cannot be reproduced without permission.

Transcribed by Sloan Mason.

"Our Heritage" by Claude MOORE

Friday, November 12, 1993

The LANIER Family of Duplin

The LANIER family may have originated in Italy during the crusades and then migrated to France. The name LANIER in French means "Falcon." During their long stay in France, many of them were musicians, poets, and painters. During the Protestant Reformation, they became Huguenots.

During the reign of Queen Elizabeth (1558-1603), much emphasis was placed on music at the Court of England. In 1561 the Earl of Hertford went to France and induced Nicholas LANIER (d. 1612), a musician at the Court of Henry II, to accept an appointment to the Royal Orchestra in England. He played the flute and the coronet. His wife, Lucreese, was also a musician. Nicholas had six sons, all of whom were musicians in the Royal Orchestra, as well as two sons-in-law, and eight grandsons also played in the Royal Orchestras under Queen Elizabeth, James I, Charles I, and Charles II.

 Clement LANIER (1585-1661) married Hannah COLLET and had 11 children. One of his sons, John LANIER (1631-1676), married and migrated to Charles City County, Virginia, in 1657. They had a son, John LANIER, Jr., (1655-1719) who married and lived in Prince George County, Virginia, and had five children, one of his sons was John LANIER III (1680-c. 1725) who married Elizabeth BIRD. They had four sons: Bird Thomas, Lemuel, Robert and Benjamin.

 Bird Thomas LANIER (b. 1703) married and moved from Surry County to Brunswick County, Virginia, and in 1750 to Duplin County. Two of his four sons migrated to Georgia. Lemuel LANIER (1707-1756) married and moved to Duplin County in 1752 and in 1756 he was living in Screven County, Georgia. Their children were: Thomas (1733-1787), Elizabeth, John, Lemuel Jr., Benjamin and Mary.

 Thomas LANIER (1733-1787) married Sara Mills of Onslow County, and settled on Cypress Creek near Chinquapin. He served in the N.C. Militia during the American Revolution. Thomas and Sara LANIER had the following seven children: James (1756-1815); Jesse (1757-1812); John (1769-1791); Stephen (1760-1840) Anne, Fannie, and Elizabeth.

Stephen LANIER (1760-after 1840) was married in 1800 to Rhoda JAMES, a daughter of Isaac JAMES of New Hanover County and they lived on Cypress Creek. Their children were: Dennis (1804-1871) who married Elizabeth JAMES; and had two children; Emma (1807-1858) who married John BOSTIC; and Thomas who married Susan MAREADY and had nine children.

John and Emma Lanier BOSTIC lived on a plantation on the east side of the North East River and near Muddy Creek. Their children were: Thomas, Samuel, Jacob, Isaac and Mary Susan.

Mary Susan BOSTIC (1847-1918) married David F. CHAMBERS and had nine children.

The southern poet, Sydney LANIER (1842-1881) of Macon, GA., was descended by one of the LANIER brothers who settled in Georgia. Sydney LANIER was also a musician and a Confederate soldier. There are hundreds of LANIER descendants now living in Duplin and surrounding counties. LANIER descendants may qualify for membership in the Huguenot Society.

 (Source:Mrs. Mamie Chambers SAWYER, Duplin County Records.)

Kinchens and Taylors in Dobbs Co NC

In 1756 William Kinchen sold land in Dobbs Co to John Moring (Old Dobbs County Book 4, 1756-57, p. 334.) William W. Kinchen sold land to Blake Baker (Old Dobbs County Book 22 - 1746-CA-1810, p. 428), and William Kinchen sold land to George Cole (Old Dobbs County Book 5, Apr 1757-1758 p. 287).

William Kinchen was the brother of Patience Kinchen, who married Ethelred Taylor II of Southampton Co. VA. Ethelred's mother was Elizabeth Duke. In Southampton Co VA William Kinchen II owned land near Thomas Williamson:

Southampton Co Deed Book 2, Pages 86-88: JOHN and WILLIAM JACKSON to JOHN CLAYTON, joiner, dated 8 Jan 1756

145 acres on the north side of the main Blackwater Swamp adj. The east side of Meadow Branch and WILLIAM KINCHEN (land taken up by JOHN JACKSON), S: JOHN (I) JACKSON and WILLIAM (I) JACKSON, W: RICHARD (signed) KELLO, THOMAS (signed) WILLIAMSON, and RICHARD (signed) BAKER

Thomas Williamson sold land in Dobbs Co NC to William Ayler (Old Dobbs Co NC Deed Book 6, Apr 1758-1765, p. 260). (Joseph J. Dukes is found in the 1850 census at the boundary of Greene, Lenoir, and Wayne counties.) On the Williamsons:

Re: Thomas Williamson- Matilela Elizabeth

Posted by: BOBBIE WMSON-DABBS LEDBETTER      Date: February 11, 1999 at 09:42:22

In Reply to: Thomas Williamson- Matilela Elizabeth

My family of WILLIAMSONS lived in the old Craven Co., S.C. area, but they had lived in N.C.

WILLIAM WILLIAMSON, my gggggrandfather, whose Craven Co., Prince Fredericks Parish, S.C. will was dated Oct. 1767 had lived on Bear Creek in the old Johnston/Dobbs Co., N.C., area . . . I believe the second WILLIAM had possibly moved down from the old Bertie County, N.C., to the Bear Creek area. In the present, Bear Creek is the boundary line between Wayne, Lenoir & Greene Cos. of N.C. His father MAY have been the WILLIAM WILLIAMSON who lived in the N.E. of N.C. earlier.

This family may have come down to N.C. from the S.E. part of Virginia . . .

Daniel Taylor owned land on Falling Creek; the deed was witnessed by William Taylor and two individuals named Robert Taylor:[137]

         Nature of document: Deed of sale

         Date: 1 May, 1772

         Grantor: Philip Stone

         Grantee: Daniel Taylor

         Location: in the fork of Falling Creek

         Extent: 104 acres in first tract; 40 acres in second tract

         In consideration of: 30 pounds proclamation money

         Mentioned in description of bounds: William Chamberling

 (second tract)

 Additional information: The first tract was granted to Edward Woodham 10 April, 1761; the second tract was granted to Philip Stone 5 May, 1769

Witnesses: Robert Taylor, William Taylor, Robert Taylor

Which he sold six years later:

         Nature of document: Deed of sale

         Date: 20 August, 1778

         Grantor: Daniel Taylor

         Grantee: Lovick Young

         Location: the fork of Falling Creek

         Extent: 104 acres

         In consideration of: 30 pounds current money

         Additional information: This land was granted to Edward Woodham 20 April, 1761

         Witnesses: Simon Totwine, John Herring, John Rows (Rouse?)

In the 1850 census the Rouse family is near Joseph J. Dukes.s

The following Kinchens and Taylors are documented in the Dobbs area in 1827:

2. 25 July 1827 - The following jurors have laid off to Elizabeth Aldridge, widow of William Aldridge, dec the following land for her dower - beginning in stake in DrewAldridge’s land, adj John Aldridge, dec being old Ard patent line then with James Ard patent line as owned by William Aldridge, dec - 212 acres signed by Henry Best, Jno Edmundson, Thos. Edwards, William Henson, Kinchen Taylor, Wm. B. Taylor, Mark Heath, H. P. Barrow, Stephen Holmes, Kindred Sauls, Cullen Edwards, E. Mitchell

Greene County Court 1827 - WM. Williams, Clk

(JAMES M. (MADISON) HINES COLLECTION - NORTH CAROLINA ARCHIVES PC 152.1)

         This Kinchen Taylor was the son of William Taylor of Wayne Co NC. That William Taylor was a grandson of Ethelred Taylor II and Patience Kinchen, a gr grandson of Ethelred Taylor and Elizabeth Duke Taylor.

William Boykin is also recorded in the Dobbs County area, purchasing land from Alice Bryant (Old Dobbs County Book 2 - April 1750 - April 1754, p. 168).William Boykin was in the portion of Dobbs that became Wayne County NC.[138]

Other Dobbs Families

Both Samuel and Etheldred Ruffin appear in a deed dated 10 Jun 1777:

NC Archives

Thomas Pridgen Papers P. C. 1612

Deed Samuel Ruffin to Thomas Pridgen, 10 June 1777

The Pridgens were connected with the Joyners:

1766 13 Oct. Wm. (W) Joyner is one of the witnesses on a deed from Thos. Pridgen and his wife, Martha, of Dobbs co., NC to Sam'l William of Edgecombe Co. Edgecombe Co. NC Deed Book C, p. 442.

Ethelred Ruffin, who appears in the 1790 census of Dobbs County, NC, was the son of William Ruffin and Faith Gray, and the grandson of Robert Ruffin of Surry Co VA. Ethelred and Samuel Ruffin were sons of William Ruffin Sr. (a son of Robert Ruffin.). William’s sister Elizabeth married William Kinchen. Elizabeth Ruffin, daughter of Robert Ruffin Jr. and Elizabeth, married first Richard Cocke IV and second Matthew Kinchen, son of William Kinchen Sr. and Elizabeth Joyner.

In 1766 the Mackey family showed up in Dobbs Co NC:

Date: 10 Oct., 1766

Nature of document: Indenture

Grantor: David Hartsfield of the county of Dobbs

Grantee: John Kennedy

Amount of land: 20 acres more or less

Location: north side of Neuse River and Falling Creek

In consideration of: 3 pounds proclamatioin money

Witnesses: John Mackeoy (?), Abraham Bush

Enrolled: 23 Nov., 1766

Registrar: Martin Caswell
And the Goodmans:

In 1769 Timothy Goodman, son of Benjamin Goodman, was taxed in Dobbs County, NC, for 1 white male and 3 negroes.[2] James and a Timothy Goodman are listed among the Dobbs County, NC, taxpayers of 1769 and 1779.[3] Timothy was in the Revolutionary War.[4]

William Teague sold Dobbs Co land to William Rainey in an early Dobbs transaction (Old Dobbs Co NC Grantor Index Bk 2, p. 192.) Thomas House sold land to John P. White (Old Dobbs Co NC Grantor Index Bk 2, p.3). Thomas House is said to have died in Darlington Co SC.

Isham Hatcher sold land in Dobbs County NC to Richard Cogdell in 1754-55.[139]

Goodman

A Thomas Goodman, possible source of the name Thomas Goodman Duke in South Carolina, is found in the records of Surry Co. VA. Land records place the probable home of this family near Pigeon Creek, where Elizabeth Taylor Duke inherited land from her father John Taylor.

In 1690 William Goodman purchased land in Southwark Parish on Pigeon Creek from William Newsum and his wife (Surry Co VA Deed Book 4 p193). George Blow sold nearby land to Goodman in the same year (Surry Co VA Deed Book 4 p191).

The estate of Thomas Goodman was inventoried 20 Dec 1748 by Peter Warren, John Watkins, and John Colleck; the estate was administered by his wife Elizabeth (Surry Co Wills and Administrations Book 9, p. 596).[140]

Thomas Warren was involved in a land grant adjacent to the property of John Watkins on Smith’s Fort Creek in 1648 (VPB 2 p146-147). Another reference placing Warren land near that of the Watkins family is found in a deed from William Francis to William Smith, adjacent John Warren, with Robert Watkins a witness (Surry Deed and Will Book #7, 1715-1730 Part 3 p897-899). Allen Warren owned land on Cypress Swamp adjacent the main Blackwater Swamp and just east of Pigeon Swamp(VPB 7 p159), as did Thomas Warren (VPB 6 p263). This land was adjacent John Collins, the probable correct spelling of “John Collect” who inventoried the Goodman estate (VPB 7 p511). Collier’s grant was at Pigeon Swamp (Surry Co VA Deed & Will Book 3 p83), where John Taylor, father of Elizabeth Taylor Duke, held land that he left to his daughters.

Samuel Suther

Samuel Suther’s wife was a baptismal sponsor for one of Joseph and Margaret Hazelwood Duke’s children in Orangeburgh District SC, as reported in Rev. Giessendanner’s parish register. Samuel Suter is said to have been from Virginia.

The only place in Virginia where a family of this name achieved any numbers appears to be Southampton Co VA. In 1755 John Suter witnessed a deed for land on Horsepen Branch, Southampton Co, VA (Southampton County VA Deed Book 2 p. 69-70). William Suter mentions his sister Rebecca, brother Henry, brother John, brother Arthur, and Nathaniel Edwards in his 1795 will witnessed by Aaron Smith, Jeremiah Inman, Nathaniel Edwards (Southampton Co VA Will Book IV page 698). This Nathaniel Edwards was the son or grandson of the brother of William Edwards, third and last husband of Elizabeth Duke Mason Taylor Edwards.

John Suter’s daughter Elizabeth married a deBerry in Northampton Co NC, just over the state lines. This summary of the Northampton Co NC DeBerry family is on GenForum:

The immigrant in our family is believed to be Peter DeBerry. We know with certainty that our ancestor Peter de Berry was in Virginia in March of 1664/65 (Surry Co, VA deeds, BK 1, page 251). Some believe this was Peter Sr and that Peter Jr was the ancestor who married Mary Brantley. Peter DeBerry wrote his will 1712 and Mary [Brantley] DeBerry died about 1710. Records indicate that Peter and Mary DeBerry were parents of Priscilla, Sarah and John DeBerry. John, their only son, was born between 1691 and 1701 in Isle of Wight Co Va., wrote his will about 2 December 1762., and died about 1763, Northampton Co NC. He married Jane Sowerby before 1726 and they had the following children: Benjamin c1726 - Peter c1728 - Solomon c1730 - Henry c1732 - John c1734 - Drewery c1736 - Mary c1738 - Sarah c1740 and Priscilla c1742.

One of the deBerry and Suter couple’s daughters married an Ethelred Taylor and another married a Boykin. Elizabeth Suter DeBerry’s will was witnessed by Ethelred Taylor (a descendant of the earlier Ethelred Taylors) and left a bequest to her granddaughter Elizabeth Taylor.[141] The DeBerry family owned land near the Ruffin family in Brunswick Co VA in the area between Three Creeks and Reedy Creek (VPB 36:961-2). An Ethelred Taylor of Northampton Co NC was born 1722 to Samuel Taylor and Celia Wall. Another was born about 1742 to Henry Taylor and Sarah Boykin. Another was born about 1760 to Henry Taylor and Temperance Peterson in Southampton Co VA.

In 1805 there was a land grant to John Suter south of the Nottoway River in Saint Luke Parish, Southampton Co, near Edmund Turner, William Grizzard, and John Jones (CGB 55 p324-325).

Duke in Bertie/Northampton Co NC

Robert Duke of Isle of Wight Co VA was in Bertie Co NC by 1737:

13 Feb. 1737, Bertie Co, NC, Deeds Book E, 202

Richard Pace, Jr. to Robert Dukes 200 acres (part of a patent to John Green of 640 acres on northside of Yawmehoke Swamp on 1 March 1719, part of patent sole to Ralph Mason and from Mason to Richard Pace, Sr. and part sold to Bartholomew Chavas then from Chavas to Barnaby Mackinne, Sr. and this part from John Green to Richard Pace, Jr. for 200 acres; then to Robert Dukes so that all Robert Duke’s part of patent is on the northside of Yawmehoke Swamp. (The Yawmehoke Swamp is the bonds between Richard Pace, Sr. and Barnabe Mackinne.

Samuel Duke, presumably son of Robert Duke, was in Bertie Co NC by 1735:

Bertie Co., NC Deeds Book E 1736-39 Pt. 1

P. 22- 12 Jan 1735- William Baldwin to John Williams. Wit: Thomas Phillips & Samuel Duke.

The following is believed to be William Kinchen II, brother of Patience Kinchen who married Ethelred Taylor II and died 1779 Northampton Co NC, in a late second marriage:

"pg. 500 William Kinchen of Northampton Co., gentleman to William Upshaw Davis and Thomas Humphreys of Northampton Co. and Sarah House daughter of Robert House (co. not identified) 15 Aug.1758 in consideration of a marriage intended by God's permission between William Kinchen and Sarah House and the sum of 5 shillings proclamation money William Kinchen releases to the sd. Davis and Humphrey 300 acres more or less in Johnson Co. on the north side of Northhunty marsh with the stock of meat cattle and hoggs thereon and now in the tenure of James Edwards. Wit: John Dures (?), James Share (?), Thomas Lankford X his mark Reg. Northampton Co. Oct. Ct. 1758 J. Edwards C. Ct."

John “Dures” is surely John Dukes. But what John Dukes was it?

Sherrod Duke is on the 1790 Northampton Co NC census, near John Sherrard

John Duke with David Rice and Moses Pervis witnessed Northampton Co will 1766 by Morris Veale

John Duke witnessed deed of land from Absolom Hollowell to Simon West in 1759 (Northampton County, NC, Deed Book 3, p. 5).

Also, the Suther family was closely related to Ethelred Taylor (grandson of Ethelred Taylor and Elizabeth Duke Taylor), Nathaniel Edwards (nephew of Elizabeth Duke Taylor through her last husband, William Edwards, the Hollimans, the Applewhites, and other Southampton Co VA Duke connections.

Date: Sun, 27 Aug 2000 09:38:45 -0700

From: Vicky Hutchings <vhutch@lebanon.total-web.net>

To: DEBERRY-L@rootsweb.com

Subject: Northampton County, NC Deed Book 12, Pages 352-353

Posted on: DEBERRY Deeds

Surname: DeBerry, Taylor, Grizzard

-------------------------

This indenture made this fourth day of July in the year of our Lord 1804 between Etheldred Taylor executor of Benjamin DeBerry deceased of the County of Northampton and state of North Carolina of the one part and Hulon Grizzard of the county state aforesaid of the other part. Witnesseth that I the said Etheldred Taylor Exec. for and in consideration of the sum of 115 pounds Virginia currency to him in hand paid by the said Hulon Grizzard hath bargained and sold and confirmed unto the said Hulon Grizzard a certain tract or parcel of land lying and being in Northampton County state of North Carolina containing by estimation 109 acres be the same more or less to him and his heirs assigns forever lying and being on the north side of Kirbys Creek. Beginning at a pine a corner in Nathaniel Maddreys & Solomon DeBerrys line thence south along the said Maddreys line of marked trees to the run of Kirbys Creek thence west up the run of said creek to the mouth of Milles branch thence north up the run of the said branch to a prong of the branch thence east along Absalom DeBerrys line of marked trees to the first station'. Witnessed by William E. Williams, Jr., William Hayley, John Cook. Registered 10/20/1804 (Note: Bought of Timothy Morgan Book 12, Page 65).

And also,

Date: Sun, 27 Aug 2000 09:45:40 -0700

From: Vicky Hutchings <vhutch@lebanon.total-web.net>

To: DEBERRY-L@rootsweb.com

Subject: Northampton County, NC Deed Book 10, Page 351

Posted on: DEBERRY Deeds

Surname: DeBerry, Edwards, Suter

-------------------------

This indenture made this 2nd day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety seven between Benjamin DeBerry of the one part and Nathaniel Edwards of the other each of the County of Northampton and State of North Carolina. Witnesseth that I Benjamin Deberry do acknowledge and avow myself fully satisfied and contented therewith for the sum of seventy five pounds current money of Virginia to me in hand paid and therewith have given granted bargained and aliened and confirmed and by these presents do give grant bargain sell alien and confirm unto the said Nathaniel Edwards his heirs and assigns forever all my right of the part of the North Carolina land of Arthur Suter deceased also one half of the part of the heirs of Thomas Suter deceased agreeable to the division made by the commissioners appointed by the court of Northampton for that purpose the said land and every part and parcel thereof to have and to hold all and singular the aforesaid land and every part thereof with the appertunances unto the said Nathaniel Edwards his heirs and assigns forever shall and will warrant and defend by these presents. In witness whereof I the above mentioned Benjamin DeBerry have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this day and year above written. Witnessed by Thomas Williams, William Williams, Thomas Edwards. Registered 05/1799

And,

Date: Sun, 27 Aug 2000 09:23:00 -0700

From: Vicky Hutchings <vhutch@lebanon.total-web.net>

To: DEBERRY-L@rootsweb.com

Subject: Drewry DeBerry - Northampton County Will Book 2, Page 48

                  -------------------------

In the name of God amen, I Drewry Deberry of Northampton County in the State of North Carolina being sick and weak of body but of sound and perfect mind and memory thanks be to Almighty God for it, calling to mind the mortality of my body, knowing that it is appointed for all men to die do make and ordain this my last will and testament, principally and first of all I recommend my soul into the hands of Almighty God that gave it and my body to the earth to be buried in a decent manner at the discretion of my executors hereafter named and as touching such worldly estate wherewith it has pleased God to bless me with I give and dispose of in the form and manner following. Item - I lend the use of all the lands and plantation lying on the cabbin branch and Kirbys creek to my supposed daughter Charlotte Hollamon, until her son Thomas DeBerry Hollimon comes to the age of twenty one years. I give the said lands and plantation lying on the said Cabbin branch & Kirbys Creek to him and his heirs forever. Item - I give to my supposed grandson Thomas DeBerry Hollimon all the lands and plantation whereon I now live also one still that stands on the land to him and his heirs forever. Item - I give and my will and desire is that Micajah Brittle should have all my son Thomas deceased wearing cloaths. Item - I give to my supposed grandson Thomas DeBerry Hollomon six negroes known by the names of Jeff, Tom, Ted, Lewis, Lawrence and one woman by the name of Mimes I say to him and his heirs forever. Item - I give to my supposed daughter Charlotte Hollomon ten negroes known by the names of James, Lenner, Champion, Ambrose, Beck, Jean, Faithy, Sattis, Linkey and Docke I say to her and her heirs forever. Item - I give half of my stock of all kinds to my supposed grandson Thomas DeBerry Hollomon to be equally divided and kept on the plantation for his use, I say to him and his heirs forever. Item - I give half of my stock of all kinds to my supposed Charlotte hollomon to be equally divided and also one half of all my household goods and furniture of whatever kind I say to her and her heirs forever. Item - I give to my supposed grandson Thomas DeBerry Hollimon all my tools and utensils of whatever kind to be kept on the plantation for the plantation use, also one half of all my household goods and furniture of whatever kind after being equally divided between him and his mother, I say to him and his heirs forever. Item - I give to my brother Solomon DeBerry all my wearing cloaths of all sorts to him and his heirs forever. Item - I give to my brother Henry Deberry fifty pounds Virginia Currency to him and his heirs forever. Item - I give unto my supposed daughter Charlotte Hollomon and her son Thomas DeBerry Hollomon all the ready money I am possessed with to be equally divided between each of them & their heirs forever after paying my just debts & legacies. Item - I give to my supposed daughter Charlotte Hollomon and her son Thomas DeBerry Hollomon all the remaining part of my estate which I have not already mentioned. I do hereby nominate and appoint Exum Hollimon and my brother Henry DeBerry hole and sole executors of this my last will and testament ratifying this and no other to be my last will and testament. In witness whereof I have this the 10th April 1794 signed sealed published and declared this to be my last will & testament.' Witnessed by William Maddrey, Randolph Maddrey. Codical - 'Item - My will and desire is that Priscilla Harder should have a reasonable support out of my estate during her natural life.' Probated 06/1794.

And,

Date: Sun, 27 Aug 2000 09:27:42 -0700

From: Vicky Hutchings <vhutch@lebanon.total-web.net>

To: DEBERRY-L@rootsweb.com

Subject: Lemuel DeBerry - Halifax County, NC Will Book 6, Page 328

-------------------------

In the name of God Amen, I Lemuel D'Berry of the County of Halifax and State of North Carolina being sorely afflicted in body but of sound mind and disposing memory blessed be God do make publish and declare this instrument to be my last will and testament as follows viz: First I loan to my sister-in-law Sallie M. Stanton everything I may die seized or possessed with or may be in anywise coming to me except such things as I may herein dispose of to others. 2nd I give and bequeath to my son Lemuel J. D'Berry all that part of my land lying of the east side of the road leading through said land and on both sides of Deep Creek my shot gun (blue trigger) side board, and bureau finest counterpane and overcast bedquilt and one half of the rest of my bed cloths none of which he is to remove as long as his Aunt shall live except by her consent. 3rd I give and bequeath to my daughter L.E.T. Whitaker the two beds and furniture which she has in possession also the other half of my bed cloths not herein disposed of one of my clocks and she may take choice. 4th I give and bequeath to W.C. Whitaker the bed I loaned to him. 5th I give and bequeath to my grandson L.E. D'Berry all that part of my land on the west side of the road two of beds bedsteads & furniture now in ? one of my clocks and my pistol. 6th I further gve to my son L.J. D'Berry my other bed and furniture and I do herein appoint and constitute my son L.J. D'Berry as my executor to this my last will and testament who will first pay all my just debts and dispose of the residue if any as best he can at the same time revoking all other wills by me made. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 24th day of February 1884'. Witnessed by John Applewhite, J.T. Lawrence Registered 03/04/1884

And,

Date: Sat, 26 Aug 2000 11:06:42 -0700

From: Vicky Hutchings <vhutch@lebanon.total-web.net>

To: DEBERRY-L@rootsweb.com

Subject: Northampton County, NC Deed Book 4, Pages 303-304

-------------------------

'This indenture made this fourteenth day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred & sixty nine between Matthew Moore and Gracey? his wife of Northampton County and province of North Carolina of the one part and Peter DeBerry of the County and province aforesaid of the other part for and in consideration of the sum of 30 pounds virginia money to us in hand paid by the aforesaid Peter DeBerry before the sealing and delivery of these presents with which we acknowledge ourselves fully satisfied have bargained sold aliened and set over and do by these presents for us our heirs forever grant bargain sell and deliver transer and confirm unto the Peter DeBerry his heirs and assigns forever a certain tract dividend or parcell of land containing 100 acres be it more or less being part of two tracts of land purchased by William Eldridge the one of Wm. Bennett and the other of Nicholas Boon both lying and being in the County and Province aforesaid on the south side of Meherrin River and Bounded as follows (to wit): Beginning at a pine on the side of Pitch Landing Road from thence along the line that was formerly Wm. Kinchens to a black oak then E. along a line the was formerly William Bennetts to a corner pine on the aforesaid road then west up the said road to the first station'. Witnessed by John DeBerry and John Cobb. Registered 01/15/1770

The DeBerrys purchased land from William and Mary Kinchen in 1737. From "Colonial Bertie County", Volume 3, p. 181:

"Book E, 176 - William Kinchen & wife Mary to John Deberry Nov 5, 1737. 95 pds for 627 A. on Meherring River at mouth of Middle Branch, At "Boon's corner tree". Wit: William Kinchen, Jun., Thomas Humphrey, jurat. November 1737."

John Duke witnessed a 1 Sep 1758 deed for land between Catawesky and Ahoskey Swamps from Absolom Hollowell and Mary Hollowell to Simon West in Northampton Co NC. (Northampton Co NC Deed Book 3, p.5). John Peelle (Peele) was also a witness. This identifies this John Duke as one of the Nansemond Co Duke family. Sarah Peele, sister of John Peele, married a John Duke (Quaker Records MM pa205-213).

         The following e-mail relates to Northampton Co NC

Date: Sun, 14 May 2000 19:31:17 +0100

From: erach <erach@bright.net>

To: DUKE-L@rootsweb.com

Subject: [DUKE-L] John Duke of Granville Co, NC

Dear Duke Researchers,

While at the DAR Congress in April, I found some information in the library that leaves me with more questions than I started with. Hopefully some of you can give some guidance on what I found.

In a book, "History and Genealogies of Old Granville County, North Carolina, 1746-1800" by Thomas McAdory Owen, I found on page 43: "John Duke, Admn. Bond, Sept. 2, 1755; Mary Duke, Admnx; to Gov. Dobbs, pen. 200 (pounds). Sur: Francis Myrick, Moses Myrick. Id. p. 67. Inv. ret. June 8,1755; among other items: 20 head of cattle, "near" 100 hogs, "three books", and negro boy "Will". (The Inv. was actually ret., and appears recorded before Admn was granted). Id. p. 66. Admnx sale ret. to Ct. Dec. 2, 1755; among other items sold: "1 Bible x one prayer book;" ac'ct 105 (pounds). 8s. Id. p. 74. Gift, Edward Green to daut. Mary Duke, of negro boy "Jemey", March 15, 1760; Wit: Isaac and Martha Howze. Id. p. 155. "(This Martha was a daut. of John & Mary Duke. Had a dau. Molly m. Daniel Jones, whose daut. m. a Goodloe & these are the parents of Col. D. R. Goodloe.) My question is: I thought Mary's father was Francis Myrick. Is this the same John and Mary Duke? It seems that this record is saying that this Mary is the daughter of Edward Green. I found, in the Evelyn Duke Brandenberger book, "The Duke Family", in the section on the Myrick family that Mary Myrick was married to John Duke. Or is there another John and Mary Duke that this record is referring to. If not, who is this Edward Green? Who were the parents of this John Duke?

For anyone who has this information, was there a daughter of John and Mary Duke named Mary Ann Duke, b c 1745-50? My ancestor was named Ann Duke who married Onesimus Futch, RS from Orangeburg District, SC.

Information that I have says that Mary Duke remarried Matthew Edwards c. 1755 and they moved to the Duplin-Sampson Co, NC area. Onesimus Futch was from that area of NC.

I also found in a book entitled, "Abstracts of Deeds, Northampton County, North Carolina, Public Registry, Deed Book One and Deed Book Two" by Margaret M. Hofmann a listing on John Duke as a witness in 1748, pg 61 of the abstract book. Which John Duke is this? The Clerk of Court from at least 1744 until 1757 was a J. Edwards. Does anyone know who this J. Edwards was?

Finally in "The Deeds of Northampton County North Carolina 1759 - 1774" abstracted by Dr. Stephen E. Bradley, Jr., a John Duke appears as a witness in 1760, 61, 63, and 64. Who is this John Duke the son of?

Thanks in advance for any information that you can provide.

Tonia F. Edwards

Gggggrandaughter of Ann Duke Futch and still trying to find her parents.

And in response to another query:

Re: Ann Dukes of Orangeburg District, NC

Posted by: Lynn Teague (ID *****8109) Date: March 06, 2004 at 16:03:28

In Reply to: Ann Dukes of Orangeburg District, NC by Roy Shipman

People have been trying to straighten this out for years. I've seen various queries, and they always interest me, because I'm from the Orangeburg County SC family.

Onesimus Futch Sr. is usually said to have come from Orangeburgh District SC, not NC. The old Orangeburgh District encompassed the modern counties of Orangeburg, Barnwell, and Calhoun in SC. A Futch family was there, as documented in the searchable SCDAH records at:

www.state.sc.us/scdah/homepage.htm

However, the SCDAH records do not list a Onesimus Futch. He must have left SC at a young age. Onesimus appears in the 1767 census of New Hanover Co, NC. He is listed in "Abstracts of North Carolina Wills, 1760-1800, New Hanover County, page 178" in 1782 with others listed being a wife, Carter, James, Jacob, John. (WB C/102). New Hanover Co. is on the coast, around Wilmington.

I can't place Ann as an Orangeburg County SC Duke(s). She would be presumed to have been born in around (very roughly) 1750. The only known Duke family member producing children in O'burg at that time was my ancestor Joseph Duke(s). His children have been documented in the parish records of Rev. Giessendanner and in land transactions, and so far as we know there is no Ann. That isn't conclusive, but it doesn't seem likely to me that she escaped without notice. Joseph's land grants seem to conform to the number of children that we have accounted for through church and land records.

Also, Onesimus Futch seems to have gone to NC quite young -- he may have married there as well. Unfortunately, I know of no Duke family in the New Hanover area in this period. By 1780 there was a John Duke in old Dobbs County, in what became Greene County, and there are reasons to believe that he may have had connections to the Orangeburgh District SC family. However, that is some distance from New Hanover.

 

Granville Co NC

The Duke family in Granville Co NC:

1749 John Duke, Edward Harris, Arter West, Shurley Whately (Granville Taxables before 1763)

1750 by Samuel Henderson, William Duke, William Glover, William Paschall, Peter Vinson, William Moss, William Cleaton [Clayton],

1750 by Gideon Macon, Samuel Duke, William Tatum, Mo[ses] Myrick, George Tillman, Wm. Holleman

1750 by Edward Jones, John Duke, William Duke Jr.,

1751, by Gideon Macon, Moses Myrick, Saml. Duke, Wm. Tatum,

1752 by Gideon Macon, near Peter Green, Harris, Edward Holleman, Robt. "melona" Duke near Robert and James Harris, Peter Green also William Duke family – Wm. Sr., Wm. Jr., John, Joseph, Saml., Wm. House

1753 by Gideon Macon, William House, Wm. Duke Jr. and John Coab together, Samuel Duke, Joseph Duke, Edward Holleman, John Duke, Peter Green

1754 by William Hurst, Robt. Duke, Wm. Duke Jr.,

1757 possibly by D. Harris, (Granville Taxables before 1763. List by Thomas Person) James and Nathaniel Nicholson, Thomas Lanier, Charles Bartholomew, Edward Hollyman, James Madrey, John Lancaster, Joseph Duke constable with Thomas Onsby and Edward Leder, Peter Davis, William Duck, Lawrence and Absolom Lancaster, Daniel Harris and John Garrett together,

1758, by Thomas Person, Michael Harris, John Lancaster, Robert Edwards, Francis Fowler, Richard Madrey, William Davis, Richard Coleman, John Clayton, John Harris, Benjamin Samuel James and John Nicholson, Charles Bartholomew

1959 by John Pope, Justice -- William Catlet, William Catlet Jr., and John Catlet, William Freeman, John Freeman, John Davis, Thomas Sharrod, William Harris, Richard Taylor

ca 1760 but undated, Samuel Duke and John Duke, Jos. Duke, constable, with Jos. Merrit, Wm. Turner, and George Seran,

ca 1760 probably by Thomas Turner, John Duke the Elder, John Duke, Burrel Duke, Major Duke, Matthew Duke and brother John Duke (son of John Duke who was son of W illiam Duke), Joseph Green, Richard Madray, Thomas Turner with son Joseph and Joseph Red overseer, Charles Bartholomew,

Lancaster CO VA

Sam Duke was in Lancaster Co VA in 1655, as documented in this transfer of property on the Corotoman River (Virginia Colonial Abstracts, Volume I, Lancaster County Record Book No. 2, 1654-1666, Page 124):

p. 154.  Alex Porteus guarantees title to above. Dated 18 Feb 1655 (sic). Signed Alex Porteous. Wit: Sam Duke, Arthur Wright. Rec. 1^st June 1658. Alexander Porteous assigned right to foregoing patent to John Simpson. Signed Alex Porteus. Wit: Brian Stott (Scott?), Ja Coghill. Rec. 1^st June 1658. Power of Atty, Alexander Porteus to Mr. Thomas Chetwode. 15 May 1658. Signed Alexander Porteous. Wit: Raleigh Travers. Edw Dale. Rec. 27^th May 1658.

Joseph Dukes was the subject of a 1705 estate inventory in Lancaster Co VA (Virginia Wills and Administrations, 1632-1800, Surnames C-D, Page 130).

Known Joseph Dukes at this time are limited to Joseph Dukes of Calvert County, Maryland, son of James Duke I. Maryland Duke family histories note that there is no history of Joseph’s adult life.

Alex. Duke witnessed the will of Edward Johnson in 1686/7:[142]

Johnson, Edward. 29 Jan. 1686/7. Rec. 2 Mar. 1686/7.

Edward Johnson of parish of Farnham, Co., of Rappahanock To William Macanico 3 cows being upon the plantation of Ennis Macanico, when he comes of age of 16. Ex: John Dodson. Wits: Daniell Edwards, Alex. Duke, Peter Ellmore. W.B. Loose wills.

The name Alexander Duke occurs in the Devonshire Duke family (Alexander, a son of John Duke and Ellen Middleton, died in England in 1634).[143] It occurs later in the 18^th century in the Maryland Duke family.

The above reference is especially interesting because of the Macanico (McConnico) connection. The name is rare, and there is a later Duke-McConnico relationship in South Carolina.

After this, McConnicos are found in Spotsylvania Co VA:

William McConnico found in:

Genealogical Records: Virginia Land, Marriage, and Probate Records, 1639-1850

Date: Dec 6, 1726

Location: Spotsylvania Co., VA

Record ID: 43231

Description: Grantor

Book Page: A

Property: 80 a. of land in St. Geo. Par., Spts. Co., on S. side Rapidan River and S.W. Mountain Run.

Remarks: William x McConnico of St. Geo. Par., Spts. Co., to William Eddings of the same par. and county. £35 ster. 80 a. of land in St. Geo. Par., Spts. Co., on S. side Rapidan River and S. W. Mountain Run-part of pat. granted sd. McConnico June 3, 1726.

Notes: This land record was originally published in "Virginia County Records - Spotsylvania County, 1721-1800, Volume I" edited by William Armstrong Crozier.

 

Wm. McConnico found in:

Genealogical Records: Virginia Land, Marriage, and Probate Records, 1639-1850

Date: Jun 4, 1734

Location: Spotsylvania Co., VA

Record ID: 43553

Description: Former owner

Book Page: C

Property: 349 a. in St. Mark's Par., Spts. Co.

Remarks: William x Eddings of St. Mark's Par., Culp. Co., planter, to William Jordan of Lunenburg Par., Richmond Co., Gent. £60 curr., 349 a. in St. Mark's Par., Spts. Co.-part of two tracts of land, one granted Eddings by pat. June 30, 1726, the other bought by Eddings of Wm. McConnico, the sd. two tracts sold by sd. Eddings to Duncan Buchannan and repurchased from sd. Buchannan by sd. Eddings, as by Deeds, Novr. 2, 1731. June 4, 1734. Rebecca, wife of Wm. Eddings, acknowledged her dower, etc.

Notes: This land record was originally published in "Virginia County Records - Spotsylvania County, 1721-1800, Volume I" edited by William Armstrong Crozier.

Dunmore’s War 1774 lists a much later Alexander Duke in Capt. James Wood’s roll.

George Duke was administrator of the Lancaster County estate of James Hammonds in 1741.[144]

Hammonds, James. Ap. 12 June 1741. Rec. 14 Aug 1741. Returned by George Duke, one of the Adms. W. B. 13, p. 237.

 

More Notes and Comments

FYI -- Tony

-------- Original Message --------

Subject: Re: Duke family in Virginia part 1]

Date: Sat, 6 Jul 2002 01:17:04 -0400

From: "James Fort" <jfort@quadro.net>

To: "Tony L. Cox" <ztlcox@worldnet.att.net>

Tony,

Did a run through of the page. Will have to see more to have info to reach Robert Duke in Lunenburg county. Picked up on Sampson Lanier and the Byrd lines as have worked through different areas of them before following the Tilman/Tillman line from Va. to SC to Florida. Pretty sure the Isaac House mentioned at Three Creeks will be a name to watch. Unless I have the wrong person he is referenced in abstract of wills from NC and his is (jr), the children named separates him and his father. His father (sr) settles on Stoney Creek Run in Brunswick county, Va. The Tilman, Byrd, and Lanier lines mix it up in the area also.

Isaac House Sr.'s daughter Elizabeth will marry William Tilman in Brunswick county and they will move to Halifax county, NC. Have not land records to work there, but believe they will be in Lancaster in before Rev. war. They are the parents of Jesse Tilman, Isaac Tilman, and William Tilman jr. Jesse will marry Sarah Perry, daughter of Benjamin F. Perry (sr). Isaac will marry Elizabeth MacDonald, she dies about 1809. Isaac marries Rebecca Cornelius Perry, widow of James Perry, brother to Benjamin (and Zadock Sr). I believe evidence points to Zadock marrying Tabitha House Brinkley(widowed daughter of Isaac House sr.) as second wife. (Isaac Tilman named for grandfather and uncle?) Jesse Tilman names the rest of his siblings in his will. Sarah is his second wife and no issue by either.

Jesse Tilman buys 100+ acres from James Howze before he gets his land grant. William has land in the area also. James House/Howze will record the deed at Lancaster selling the farm in Brunswick County to some of his siblings. Wade held the ferry license on the waters of the Cabatha (sp?) river but his brother Middleton Macdonald run it for him. and Macdonald ties back to Isaac Tilman. George Perry gets into with the Collins, Edwards, and Rutledges in the area as to guardian for different children (which are all B. F. Perry grandchildren) My GGGG grandfather Jacob Link will own the original George Perry grant and sell it to Isaac Tilman. Jacob Link's land joins Joshua Perry who has two daughters in law by Micajah Crenshaw Jr. And the story goes on. Looking forward to more info.

Duke in Craven County NC

RECORD OF DEEDS Index and Abstracts Books 1-88

LIST OF GRANTORS and GRANTEES

1744 / 1880

Bk 14, pg 223 - 30 July 1767 - Jeramiah TAYLOR purchased from Ebenezer (x) CULLEN - land on Adams Creek. 3 pds for 50 acres. Wit: Peter Duke, Henry Lawly, James (x) Duke.

 

Craven County, NC - Thomas Nelson Estate Record, 1750 & 1752

THE ESTATE OF THOMAS NELSON DEC’D TO ELIZABETH WALLIS ADMR.

. . .

To pd Peter Dukes for his Trouble in Seting the Books &c 7/3/0

316/15/10

From the Elizabeth Moore Collection No. 322 East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, N. C. For research and study only, not for deposit in other respositories.

Most manuscripts are protected by copyright laws; permission to publish must be presented.

 

Copyright. All rights reserved.

http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm

This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Gail Swain <fluffy@cconnect.net>

Mangum Connection

From: Lynn Parham <mailto:parhamgen@comcast.net> 

To: ddukes@airmail.net

Sent: Sunday, August 01, 2004 10:02 AM

Subject: Dukes

 

Dale:

    I noticed that in Ysearch you matched one of my Mangum participants 12 for 12 markers. I am the administrator of the Mangum surname group, so you may also be contacted by the actual participant you match. Anyway, we know that a daughter of Arthur Mangum Jr. of Orange Co., NC had two or three children by Taylor Duke out of wedlock. Also the wife of Arthur Mangum Jr. had a son Green Mangum fathered by William Duke Jr. We have not been able to connect this Mangum (Greenbery Mangum, b. abt 1817 in Tenn.) with these families, but we think there may be some relationship. I would appreciate any additional information you have about your Duke line as it related to the Orange County, NC and Tennessee areas. It may help us to determine where the lineage break occurred.

    Lynn Parham

And also,

Andaleen,

NVEQN is Kevin Dukes, so I am copying him. I have no Mangum's in my data base. I am descended from Henry Dukes who m. Ferby Jane Parker in Orange Co., NC in 1802. By 1830 he was settled in Jefferson Co., TN.

Lynn Teague, also being copied, is my best hope to sort all this out.

 

Dale

----- Original Message -----

From: Andaleen@aol.com

To: ddukes@airmail.net ; forthduke@yahoo.com

Sent: Sunday, August 01, 2004 9:39 AM

Subject: DNA Match in 'ySearch' Database

 

Hello, I am Andaleen Whitney (maiden name Mangum).  We recently got the results of one of my paternal Uncle's DNA tests back. We don't appear to match anyone in their database (that mean's he does not match any of the 4 known Mangum groups documented in the Mangum website to date).  However when we compare to the 'ySearch' database, we find three exact matches, User ID's QP2MS (ddukes@airmail.net), NVEQN (not listed), PGGP6 (forthduke@yahoo.com)   

We know of two instances where Duke men were reported to be the father of Mangum children.

I have disproved one as our connection. Green Mangum, son of William Duke and Dicey Carrington (married to Arthur Mangum, Jr at the time), appears in 1850 census in NC while my ancestor Green B Mangrum appears in 1850 census in TN). Interestingly enough, both men married women named Nancy, resulting in further confusion for some that they were the same person.

The second I am unable to prove or disprove. Chaney (Chany) Mangum, daughter of Arthur Mangum, Sr, had two sons by Taylor Duke, son of William Duke of Virginia. He was already married to Dicey Jones. Chaney never married and her sons took the name of Mangum. The first son, Ellison Goodloe Mangum per the 1850 census was born about 1797, making him old enough to have fathered a son in 1816/1817 time frame. 2nd Son, Hinton, appears to have been born about 1804, making him a less likely candidate, but not impossible.  However Green B indicates he was born in TN on Census, ultimately married and all his children were born in TN. Ellison appears to have been born in NC, married in 1819 in NC, and had at least 8 children all born in NC. Not sure how or if there is a TN connection to work with here.

There may also be a third Duke I am unaware of, or as DNA testing indicates the relationship could be 30-40 generations back. No way to know unless one of you perhaps can help. 

My uncle's user id for ySearch is RM5J5.  He has authorized me to make inquiries of this nature on his behalf, since he only took test at my request.

Any information would be greatly appreciated. 

On Genforum:

Posted by: Thomas Duke (ID *****1073)        Date: August 05, 2004 at 08:28:12

In Reply to: Re: Kathy's Uncle by D.W. Duke      of 5009 Go

 

D.W., You have a good memory. I ran a search on the forum and found several references connecting the Duke and Mangum families. One posting, #2076 Aug 17 2000 stated that Taylor Duke had at least 2 children by Chaney Mangum and a child support action was filed and is documented in Court papers in Raleigh.

Another posting, #572, Apr 8, 1999 states that Green Duke Mangum was the son of William Duke Sr and his long time lover Dicey Carrington Mangum, wife of Arthur Mangum - paternity was supposed acknowledged in William's will.

Apparently the Duke(s) and Mangums were living in IOW around the same time as well.

 

And my response to the researchers:

Dale, and others,

I've been going over this in my head and on the computer, and have charted out some of the variant interpretations of the Duke lines relating to the Magnums. I've put the chart into an MS Word doc which I've attached here -- I hope the graphic doesn't get scrambled in transmission. Lines that are strongly disputed  (lots of those) or illegitimate are dashed. Let me know if you see somewhere that I've gotten confused (actually one of the Magnum illeg. lines is not dashed).

The answers for the Mangums ultimately hinge on whether William Duke Sr. who appeared in 1728 in Brunswick Co VA was or was not a member of the Isle of Wight Co VA family. EDB (for Mangum researchers, this is Evelyn Duke Brandenberger, author of _The Duke Family_) thought  not, and DW Duke's DNA not matching Michael's (who is definitely Isle of Wight Co VA) and the KY/TN lines seems to confirm her opinion. However, DW is descended from Mordecai Duke. Mordecai was raised among descendants of the William Duke Sr. family, but no one has been certain about his paternity.

Some other opinions of mine, on the info shown in my chart-- I think EDB is simply wrong in placing John Duke, probable father of Taylor, as a son of John Taylor Duke.  I do not know what the Duke University researchers are up to placing Taylor as a son of "Henry and Susannah" on their current website -- I've emailed them to ask.  I believe that William and Hardyman Duke of Orange Co NC are sons of John Duke of same -- not  Samuel.

Moving on --

It makes sense to me that the Mangum line is, as the Mangum researcher suspects, from Taylor Duke and Chaney Mangum. However, it is unlikely that the existing DNA profiles would ever distinguish between the lines of the two primary candidates, Taylor Duke and William Duke of Orange Co, since they were probably brothers and if not were almost certainly cousins.

The catch is why descendents of either of these individuals is matching Isle of Wight VA/KY/TN, when DW's DNA results supposedly give a different DNA profile for descendants of William Duke of Brunswick Co VA/Warren Co NC (presumably including Taylor Duke), which seems to confirm EDB's belief that the families were separate.

I keep coming back to thinking it is very possible that DW's ancestor Mordecai Duke was not a descendant of William Duke in the male line. He was raised among descendants of that family, but no one has been certain about his paternity. My guess is that Mordecai was an illegitimate son of a Duke family daughter. This was extremely common, as the Mangum case illustrates. I have suspected this for reasons other than the Mangum data, including the KY line of descent from Samuel Duke of Orange Co NC, and this just adds to my suspicions.

So, if the KY Duke and the Mangum DNA profile is actually the William Duke Sr. of Brunswick Co VA/Warren Co NC DNA profile (as opposed to DW's), and it matches Isle of Wight, then who were William Sr.'s parents? Well, William Sr. was very close to John Duke the Elder of Isle of Wight Co VA, physically (their lands were adjacent) and socially. William Sr. could be an example of more illegitimacy. (This high a frequency of illegitimacy wasn't unusual in the backcountry during this era, especially in the Carolinas, there is a very good book on the subject. If anyone is interested I'll look up the author and title.) This could account for his absence from Isle of Wight Co. family records.

Of course I could be completely confused, but this is my best assessment at present. Betty's kin's test results could resolve this, and make nonsense of everything I've said here. I'd appreciate any of your thoughts on my ramblings.

Lynn

 

 

From DW, on the Mangums and Taylor Duke:

Lynn:

I wasn't going to tell anyone about this until my book is  published but these are some of the reasons I do not believe  the Magnum story.  I am still researching the following but  it will be in my book if it continues to pan out.  I would  appreciate it if you would keep it confident.  I will start  with the William/Hardyman/Carrington saga.  The first part  of this I posted in the forum in response to a post by  Thomas.  "I mispoke. I said that William Duke Sr. did not leave a  will. I thought you were referring to the more famous  William Duke the elder. The William Duke you are referring  to was the brother of Hardiman. EDB thought they were the  sons of Samuel. Jane Morris thought they were the sons of  John Duke who was on Flat River in 1764. She also believed  that this John Duke was the son of William the elder.

I believe they were both partly right. I believe that this  William and Hardyman were sons of John Duke on Flat River in  1764 and not Samuel. On that point I agree with Jane Morris.  The reason is that in Carrington's affidavit in support of William's pension application, Carrington said their father  was John. This would have been the John on Flat River.

However, as EDB said, that John was not the son of William the elder. That John died in 1754. Then who was this John. I  believe he was John Duke from IOW. I do not believe he was Taylor's father. I still believe Taylor's father was Major as Washington said. Despite the use of the names William and Hardyman, I do not believe they were related to William the elder. 

I did locate the will of the William Duke you referred to in  your post. He actually died in 1842 and not 1852. He left a will. However, contrary to the post, the will does not say that anything about acknowledging that Green Magnum was a son. He did have a son named Green Duke, but he does not say Magnum. That will is in Jane Morris book at page 115."

Now here is where it gets fascinating.  According to our family story, Taylor Duke went to Georgia with several of  his uncles.  They were sons of Joseph Duke.  He lived with Buckner Duke in Wilkes County Georgia and, like many boys,  fought in the war at the age of 12 or 13. (He later nicknamed his son William Duke (Buck Duke) in honor of  Buckner who raised him when his father Major went to SC to  fight in the war.  Later Washington, Taylor's son, nicknamed James B. (Buck) also in honor of Buckner. 

Taylor received a land grant in Georgia for fighting in the war in 1784 when he was only 13.  He married Sarah ? and  they had children Mordecai, Benjamin (named after Taylor's  neighbor Benjamin Pettee) James and Grief.  Sometime after 1794 Sarah died.  Taylor went back to North Carolina and settled on Flat River.  His family had all gone to Georgia except Epps.  So Taylor went looking for Dukes.  That is when he found John Duke on Flat River and took land there. 

Meanwhile, Epps went to Georgia and took two of Taylor's  sons with him.  Wilkes County GA became Morgan County and in 1810 Taylor was a tax defaulter because he had gone back to  NC.  Epps raised Mordecai and Benjamin in Morgan County until the boys moved to TN. Grief stayed in NC with someone else and James was raised by someone else in GA.

 The Duke DNA in the Magnum line comes from William who was the son of John Duke of IOW.  I don't know about the Taylor  Magnum saga yet.  I need to see a judgement.  I doubt the  truthfullness of the story because the Magnums didn't  inherit under James B.s will.  No one would have let that  get by.

And then,

Lynn:

In researching a little more last night I noted that the  Taylor who fought in the war and received a land grant in GA wasn't the father of Mordecai and Benjamin since that Taylor  died in GA in 1823.  So the one with the wife Sarah wouldn't have been him.  So if our family story is correct about Taylor, (son of  Major) going with Buckner to GA he must have been a nephew  of this Taylor who lived next to Buckner in GA.  So perhaps,  one of the other sons of William the elder, than Joseph had  a son named Taylor.

I doubt that the John Duke on Flat River had any connection  to John Taylor Duke line.

This is becoming fascinating. Somehow we need to get William to test.  Maybe we will have to pay him.  I already offered to pay for the test.

 I am a little concerned that someone at the Family Association may have told them not to do it. 

Dave  

 

DNA Studies

Important information on these families has been obtained through yDNA studies. Details are available at:

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~dukedna/dukedna.htm

 

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