Documented Early Ancestors

Documented Early Ancestors

The following lists the earliest documented ancestors of the individuals whose yDNA has been tested as part of the Duke surname project.

Groups are determined by individual “yDNA matches” reported from ftDNA; these include genetic distances up to 3 mutations in 12 STR markers. These groups are not certain to be discrete single families. It is up to individual family researchers to interpret these data in the context of everything known about their family. For example, genetic distances of 3 imply an earliest common ancestor who lived in the very distant past, but may also arise from accidental convergence between unrelated lines (as may matches with genetic distances of 0, 1, and 2, especially in the case of common haplotypes).

Groups are separated into subgroups by individual haplotypes, with ftDNA kit numbers. Colors refer to the color-coded table of yDNA values for each tested individual.

Group 1: Orangeburg Co., SC

Joseph Duke(s), appears in records of Orangeburg Co SC in 1750, died prior to 1768; through grandson Thomas Edmond Duke (Kit No. 19004, Lynn)

Joseph Duke(s), appears in records of Orangeburg Co SC in 1750, died prior to 1768; probably through grandson Thomas Edmond Duke, definitely through great-grandson George Ezekial Dukes (Kit No. 154523, Brian)

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Joseph Duke(s), appears in records of Orangeburg Co SC in 1750, died prior to 1768; through grandson Michael Dukes (Kit No. 174719)

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James Dukes, b. ca. 1789 in SC, m. Mary Frances Tucker; immigrated to Perry (Green) Co, Mississippi, probably with the Tucker, Miley, Patrick and Frederick families (Kit No. 22398, Bill)

More Information is available a The Group 1 Web Site

Group 2: Isle of Wight Co VA, Kentucky, Tennessee Duke Families, and Mangum Family

John Duke, appears in records of Isle of Wight Co VA in 1665 (Kit No. 20171, Michael)

Henry Duke, b. 1814 TN, d. 1933 Wilbarger County, TX, through Henry’s son Samuel E. Duke (1888-1967), and his grandson Arbie L. Duke (1926-1981). Henry is widely believed to be a son of Bennett Crafton Duke, but death certificate lists his father as William Duke (Kit No. 126719, Brian)

Samuel Dukes, Jr. Franklin Co NC; James Dukes, 1849-1907, Muhlenberg Co KY (Kit No. 16358, Kevin)

Samuel Dukes, 1745-1821, through son Benjamin and grandson Elijah (Kit No. 83316, David Howard)

Henry Duke, m. Ferrabee or Ferby Jane Parker 1802 in Orange Co. NC (Kit No. 16414, Dale; Kit No. 18044, Judy)

Elmo Dukes of Charleston SC, b. ca 1846, d. ca 1910 (Kit No. 241677)

Burwell Duke and Frances Hawkins Duke, through son Samuel who married Lucy Green Harris, through son Ransom Harris Duke who married Ann Elizabeth Ball (Kit No. 47789, Joyce)

Solomon Duke of Lincoln Co. Tennessee, b. ca. 1795 Georgia, d. 1872 Colbert Co. AL, through son Andrew Robert Duke b 1829 Fayetteville, Lincoln Co. TN, d 1905 Selmer, McNairy Co. TN (Kit No. 56353, Steve)

Greenbery Mangum/Mangrum; Mangum family has identified several possible lines of descent from Duke males in Orange County, NC, or in various counties in TN. Thus far no specific Duke ancestor is known (ysearch i.d. RM5J5)

John R. Duke, b. 1786 in Burke Co, GA (Kit No. 118377)

William Duke of Brunswick Co VA and Warren Co NC through son John (Kit No. 77898)

Robert G. Duke, b. 1795 NC

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Henry Duke/Ferrabe (Parker) Duke married Orange Co. NC 1802; William Duke b. Jefferson Co. TN 1818 (?); Thomas C. Duke b. Jefferson Co. TN 1852, d. Ohio Co. Ky (Kit No. 14983, Tom)

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John Duke, m. Susan Brown 1822 Orange Co NC; son Peyton Madison Duke immigrated to KY (Kit No. 21029)

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Samuel Dukes, Jr., Franklin Co NC; Sampson Dukes m. Nancy Holland Cope Muhlenberg Co KY 12 Jul 1848 (Kit No. 21215, David)

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William James Duke, b. ca. 1847, TN (Kit No. 25848)

Azariah Duke, b. ca. 1785, d. ca. 1835, Burke Co. GA (Kit No. N16642)

Dwaine Dukes m. Dorthy Schut, Euclid, OH (Kit No. N32497).

Matthew Duke, believed to be son of John Duke (son of William Duke), born Abt. 1746 in Granville County, NC, and died 23 Jan 1819 in Warren County, NC. He married (1) Elizabeth Clanton Abt. 1775 in Bute County, NC (Emily, Kit No. 90529)

(Kit No. 108562)

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More Information is available at the Group 2 Web Site

Group 3: Louisa Co VA and NC Duke Family

Mordecai Duke, NC (Kit No. 14588)

William Duke of Louisa Co, VA, who wrote affidavit saying his father was Henry Duke, brother of John Taylor Duke (Kit No. 30849)

Mordecai J. Duke, 1793-1866 (Linda, Kit No. 122533)

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Burley James Duke, b. Georgia ca 1812, m. Jane Trousdale in Maury Co TN 1838, m. 2nd Mildred H. Young in Williamson County TN 1849 (Kit No. 16888, Lonnie)

Group 4: Eastern Henrico Co. VA, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama; includes (among others) descendants of Capt. Henry Duke, Prince George Co VA as well as an individual whose family line was included in distribution of the James Buchanan Duke estate.

James Madison Duke b 1809 and d. 1892 (Kit No. 224934)

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Squire Stagg Ashley, b. 10 May 1806 Orange County NC, d. Nov. 1872 Izard County, AK. He has been identified as the son of Robert Ashley (1766-1825 Orange County, NC) and Sarah Rhue (1778-1856 Granville County, NC). However, yDNA from two of his descendants (6CS2C and RD2CS) does not match descendants of a presumed brother of Squire (Clarence Ashley, b. 1802), but there is a close match with Group 4 Duke surname results. It is thought that Squire and his presumed sister, Polly, were actually Duke children. Ann Rhue married Robert Duke on 14 Mar 1794 in Orange County, NC, and Elizabeth Rhue married Tyre Duke (his second wife) on 9 Mar 1813 in Orange County. (Kits No. 81045, 85295, 107391)

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James T. Duke, b 1815 VA, d 1888 Henrico Co VA (Kit No. 62554)

Capt. Henry Duke of VA, through son John Taylor Duke, through JTD’s son Thomas Duke of Coweta Co, GA, through Thomas’s son Hardiman Duke; Hardiman moved to Clarke Co AL from GA in 1809 (Mark, Kit No. 57292)

Taylor Duke, Warren Co, NC [family participated in James Buchanan Duke estate distribution on basis of documentation of descent from Taylor Duke through a Robert Duke of Orange County, NC (Kit No. 25203)

John Duke b. ca 1803, son of John Henry Duke (Kit No. 7992)

James Henry Duke b 1821 Clarke Co AL d aft 1880 (Kit No. 275078)

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Reason Duke b. 1800 GA (Kit No. 184699)

Unknown (Kit No. 199253)

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James M. Duke b. 1820 KY son of John Duke (no further information on this John Duke), m. 18 Jul 1843 at (Des Moines?) IA, d. at 76 in Weiner AK, through James’ son David Washington Duke of IA and his son Charley Austin Duke of Kansas (Kit No. 44905 Ronald)

Charles P. Duke, KY (Kit No. 144358)

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Henry M. Duke b. Jasper County, GA ca. 1812, d. bef. 1880; probable son of Hardiman Duke b. 1780 d 1855 AL (Kit No. 38927)

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No information provided; surname Miller (Kit No. 252861)

Unknown Duke (Kit No. 130567)

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Simeon T Duke b. 1800 and d 1858 (Kit No. 21656, Mary D)

Ancestry Unknown, perfect match at 37 markers for Kit No. 170006 Welcome P. Duke descendant (Kit No. 95358)

Welcome P. Duke, b. ca. 1815, d. Harris County GA aft 14 Jun 1880, and wife Mary Hickey, b. ca 1815, through son Thomas Jefferson Duke b. 1845 Troup County, GA (Kit No. 170006)

Henry M. Duke, b 1778-1781 in SC, resided Wilkes County GA, d. 1853 in Butts Co GA, through son Weakley Wellborn Duke, his son Maston Hendrick Duke, his son Edwin Mounger Duke, his son Clarence Gordon Duke (Kit No. 216808)

Welcome Parks Watkins Duke b. 1811 d. 1882 (Kit No 275422)

John Smith b 12 Jun 1872, possibly b. AL but lived Erath TX. Married 1) ? 2) Elizabeth Hales, 3) Phebe Ann Best; 21 children total with tested individual descended through son Samuel Martin Smith b. 1824 TN, son of first wife. (Kit No. 308966)

No information provided (Kit No. 208367)

Henry Duke son of John T. Duke son of John Taylor Duke (Kit No. 77359)

No information provided (Kit No. 272252)

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John P. Duke, b. 1778, d. Morgan Co, GA, 1829, through son David, b. 1798, m. Elizabeth Jones (Kit No. 163753)

Aristotle G. Duke b. 1790 Wilkes Co GA (Kit No. 22760)

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James Crittenden Duke, Charlottesville, Virginia; Thomas H. Duke m. Judenia Garner in 1852, Charlottesville, VA; strong family oral tradition of kinship with Washington Duke of NC (Kit No. 70540)

James T. Duke, b. ca.1815, d.1888, eastern Henrico Co VA (Kit No. 16734, K; Kit No. 18353; these two test subjects are second cousins)

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John Taylor Duke, son of Capt. Henry Duke of VA, through Hardiman Duke, moved to Clarke Co AL from GA in 1809; Hardiman was a son of Thomas Duke of Coweta Co, GA. (Kit No. 17177, Dwight)

Group 5: South Carolina and Alabama

Darrington J. Duke(s) b. 1819 SC Mar. Elizabeth Singleton 03Feb1846 Clarke Co. AL, died est. 1899 Clarke Co. AL (Gerald, Kit No. 25771).

Jeremiah Duke, probably son of Robert and Ann Duke. Robert was a son of Thomas and Mary Duke and grandson of Robert and Nancy Duke of Fairfield and Kershaw County, SC (Kit No. 18211)

Moses Duke b. 1775-1780 in Kershaw District, SC; married Nancy Burge; d. before 1841 in Fayette Co, AL; descended through their son Richard and grandson Moses Foster Duke (Tony, Kit No. 31686)

Simeon Duke and A. H. Windham (Kit No. 49262)

Unknown Ancestors, surname Duke, registered for surname group (Kit No. 45094)

Unknown Ancestors, surname Duke, registered for surname group (Kit No. 109643)

Also an exact 37 marker match for Kit No. 31686 from a member of the Dukes family who has not registered with the Duke surname group.

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John Duke of Lancaster Co SC through his son John Duke of Barnwell Co SC and Tatnall Co GA, through his son Elijah Duke (Kit No. 72822, Betty)

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More information is available at the Group 5 web Site, Tony Cox’s Duke site.

Group 6: Maryland

Jonathan Duke 1754?-1810?, wife possibly Anna. Believed to be from Richard Duke, Ark and Dove colonist. (Kit No. 26299)

Group 7: Dorset, England

John Duke, b. about 1590, died Isle of Wight, England, 1641

Group 8: Lancaster, South Carolina

This group includes individuals previously in Group 19. Although matches are not extremely close, estimated time to most recent common ancestors between all individuals fall within the date range since surnames were adopted.

Stephen Duke, b. Craven County, SC, ca. 1766; m. Mary Goetche, d. Upson Co GA 1844 (Kit No. 31589)

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Stephen Duke, b. ca. 1766 Craven District, SC (Kit No. 78844)

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Robert Duke of Dry Creek, Lancaster County, SC, through his son Jesse Duke (Kit No. 130325)

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Jesse Duke, b. ca. 1840, listed Franklin County, NC, 1860 census; m. Lucy b. ca. 1844. Tested by Ancestry (Sorenson)

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James Duke of Ireland descendant, tested at Ancestry (Sorenson)

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Information on all Group 8 marker values is available at Group 8 Test Results

Group 9: Caswell/Alamance/Orange Counties, NC

James Green Duke, filed Rockingham County affidavit in 1870 that he was son of William Duke of Orange Co., NC, and Elizabeth (Betsy) Sims Duke (originally Caswell Co, NC). (Kit No. 33437).

Group 10: MD and Culpepper Co VA

William and Mary Duke of MD, through son Richard Duke, who was born in MD and married Elizabeth McDougle 14 Nov 1799, in Culpepper Co, VA. (Kit No. 39302).

Group 11:Belfast Ireland

Thomas James Duke, born 1828 in Belfast, Ireland, and Eliza Dennison, born 1842 in Wicklow, Ireland; m. 22 Mar 1858 Calcutta, Bengal, India (Reggie, Kit No. 50632).

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More information is available at Group 11 Web Site

Group 12: Morgan and Meriwether Co GA

Edmond Duke 1830 Morgan County, GA, 1840-50, Carroll Co., GA; 1870 Meriwether Co. GA, 1880 Harris Co. GA (Kit No. 55601).

Group 13: Ohio

William Duke b. ca. 1819 in Ohio, d. 1896 Belmont Co., OH. m. Joanna Ladner b. ca. 1831 Wuerttemberg, German y, d. 1910 Belmont Co OH. US Census 1850-1860 Monroe Co OH; &S Census 1880 Wetzel Co., WV.

Group 14: Poland

Jan Duke, Dobrzankowo, Poland (Kit No. 76637)

Group 15: Ireland

Unknown, Ireland (Kit No. 103181)

Group 16: Unknown Origin

(Kit No. 118056)

Group 17: Unknown Origin

(Kit No. 119141)

Group 18: Williamsburg County, SC

(?) Duke and Margaret Blackwell Duke, Williamsburg County, SC, through son Thomas Duke (Kit No. 124862, 282285)

Lewis Duggan Sydney Duke b. 6 Dec 1825 Fairfield Co, SC, d. 1905 Butler County, AL (488348)

Group 19: Dry Creek, Lancaster County, SC

See Group 8

Group 20: Surrey, England

John Duke, b. 1757 Witley, Surrey, England, m. Ann Roe (Chris, Kit No. 54614) [genetic distance of 2 from Kit No. 20159 is closest match, from others in this group at least a distance of 3 on 12 markers, probably not related to others in Group 4]

Group 21: Unknown Origin

(Kit No. 105793)

Group 22: Derbyshire, England

Jonathon Oldham Duke, immigrant from Derbyshire, England, to Provo, Utah. Multiple descendants tested by Sorenson Labs, not members of Duke group. STR values taken from SMGF database:

Group 23: Unknown Origin

Meredith Duke of Fairfield County, SC, GA and AL (Kit No. 160807)

Group 24: Unknown Origin

adopted individual; mother a Duke, father her third cousin (Kit No. 167043)

Group 25: Chester’s Gap, VA

lineage documented in Chester’s Gap, VA (Kit No. 164929)

Group 26: SC and Muscogee County GA

John Duke, b. 1773 in Maryland, d. 1844 in Ohio Co. KY; m. Elizabeth Ann Stevens; John was probably a son of William Duke and Mary Ricketts of Montgomery Co. MD (Kit No. 30831)

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William J. Duke, b. 1810, GA, and Delia or Delilah Duke, m. Muscogee Co GA 1840; through their son General A. J. Duke(s), b. 1853-54 AL (Kit no. 20159, Lester)

Unknown (Kit no. 105973)

James Madison Duke, b. ca. South Carolina (Kit no. 120454)

Group 27: Louisa (?) Co , VA to Daviess Co, KY

Lineage documented from Cosby G. Duke, b. ca. 1770 in Louisa Co (?) VA, d. 1839 in Barren Co, KY, m. Nancy Terry, 15 Apr 1797 in Louisa Co., VA. Through son John Mills Duke,, b. ca. 1880-1805 in Louisa (?) Co, VA, d. 1846-1850 in Barren Co, KY, m. Elizabeth Ferrell, 29 Jan 1829 in Allen County, KY (Kit No. 90864)

Surname Francis (Kit No. 150651)

Group 28: Unknown

Unknown (Kit 178245)

Group 29: Unknown

Unknown (Kit 30831)

Group 30: Thomas Aldon Duke and Relatives

Descendant of Thomas Aldon Duke, b. 1806/07 in Mohill, Ireland, buried Eastnor, Bruce, Ontario. Educated in medicine and theology. Unverified oral tradition is that he was originally from England and that other brothers emigrated. (Kit 187480)

Descendant of William Duke b. 1816 Ireland, d. 8 Jun 1873 Sydenhan Twp., Grey Co., and his wife Sarah Jane Vail (daughter of John Alexander Vail, prev. marriage to Decker) through son Thomas Edward Duke, b. 1846, probably in Sydenham. Tested through Paleo-DNA Laboratory, Lakehead University, matching Kit 187480 on 15 markers with genetic distance of 1 (Y-GATA-H4 value of 12, rather than 11 as in ftDNA sample).

Group 31: Thomas Duke b. 1689 Descendants

Descendant of Thomas Duke, b. 1689 and d. 1764 Chester, England. (Kit No. N104517)

Group 32:

Descendant of Donald Juke, b. 1640-1646, Britain (Kit No. 223084)

Group 33:

Nansemond County VA. Nansemond VA Duke family, Quakers who began in VA and spread out through North Carolina. At 12 yDNA markers they match members of Group 4 but no members of Group 4 are matches at 25 or more markers. (Kit No. 246819)

Group 34:

Unknown (Kit No. 243436)

Group 35:

George Duke b. 1805, Kent, England, through son John Duncan Duke, immigrated to New Brunswick, Canada

Group 36:

Vivian Mortimer Duke, b. 1857 in Richmond, Fort Bend County, TX, d. 1931 Harris TX; some identify VMD’s parents as William Henry Duke b. ca 1830 AL and Jeannetta Elizabeth Gillett 1827-1907, on the basis of Texas Muster Rolls and 1860 census data (Kit No. 252762)

Group 37: Jose Benton [Duque] descendants

(Kit No. 308317)

Group 38:

(Kit No. 330014)

Group 39:

Unknown (Kit. 309814)

Group 40:

John Duke b. 1720 Ireland, d. 1790 Berkeley, VA (Kits No. 55725, 420921)

Group 41:

Unknown (474561)

Duke Surname yDNA Home

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