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On April 2, 1796, Stephen Duke separated from his wife, Mary. In the separation agreement Mary received three hundred and twenty-seven acres of land, the children, three cows with calves, two weaned calves, all the hogs, and all other movable property. She also became the custodian for some blacksmith tools to be given to Stephen's son Joel when he became of age. The land she received in the agreement was in two tracts. One of the tracts, one hundred and twenty-seven acres, was half of the two hundred and fifty she inherited from her father. We believe the blacksmith tools also came from her father, Thomas Geotche.
Mary was a widow when she married Stephen. The surname of her earlier husband was McKee. He apparently died prior to December 26, 1786, the date Mary's father, Thomas Gougher/Goutcher/Geotche, signed his Last Will and Testament. Thomas, a blacksmith, bequeathed to his beloved daughter, Mary McKee, a widow, two hundred and fifty acres of land on Beaver Creek, smith and plantation tools, and the possessions that remained after giving his other children and grandchildren one shilling each. The two hundred and fifty acres apparently consisted of two hundred acres of land granted to Thomas Geotche and half of a one hundred acre grant to James Williams. There may have been a problem with the deed for the fifty acres, because on February 3, 1787, Mary McKee did a lease and release on fifty acres of land with Robert Williams. A token amount of money was exchanged; we believe the L&R was done by the son of James Williams to give Mary clear title to the fifty acres.
On July 18, 1787, Mary McKee testified she was a non-signing witness to an August 1770 deed conveyance between her brother Thomas Goutcher, Junior, and their sister, Martha Bell. Her known siblings were Thomas Goutcher, Junior, Jean Roach, Elizabeth Sims, Agness Kennedy, and Martha Bell, a widow at the time of the will. Elizabeth Sims was deceased before the will was signed. Thomas Goutcher, Junior is not mentioned in the will; it is likely he died prior to the signing. The husband of Agness may have been Felix Kennedy. Thomas Roach and John Bell are contenders for the husbands of Jean and Martha.
The will mentions the children of two daughters, Jean Roach and Elizabeth Sims. If Mary had children at that time, they surely would have been mentioned in the will. Also, the separation agreement implies that Mary had no children other than those of Steven's when he gives his land to "Mary Duke my wife and the heirs of her body begotton at this time."
Stephen Duke and Mary (Geotche) McKee married after July 18, 1787. Stephen Duke is listed on the 1790 United States Census for Lancaster District, South Carolina. The listing indicates there were 4 males under the age of sixteen and two females. We should remark this is too many children for the length of time Stephen and Mary were married. We have no explanation for this.
The signature on the will of Mary's father is clearly Thomas Geotche. Within the will he is named as Thomas Gougher. It is likely he didn't write the will, only signed it. In the 1787 testimony, Mary names herself and her siblings Goutcher. Mary was unable to sign her name to the testimony. She signed with her mark. We believe the surname is likely Geotche, pronounced as Goutcher.
Other references to Stephen and Mary Duke:
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