Benjamin Duke (abt. 1700 - bef. 1770)

Son of Unknown Dukes and [mother unknown]

Descendants

Died before 1770 before about age 70 in Lancaster, South Carolina

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Benjamin Duke resided in the Southern Colonies in North America before 1776. Join: US Southern Colonies Project Discuss: southern_colonies

Biography

The scant historical records are not sufficient to define the family of Benjamin and Mary Duke who settled circa 1750 on the Wateree River in the old Camden District of South Carolina. The records that remain after the erosion of time and the destruction of Civil War can only provide hints of Benjamin and Mary’s three sons: John Dukes of Lancaster who settled nearby and upriver from Benjamin Duke’s homestead, Robert Duke of Fairfield who settled downriver on Twenty-Five Mile Creek adjacent to lands thought to be held by Benjamin Duke’s brother Jeremiah Duke, and finally Richard Duke, the youngest son who settled by 1780 near land owned by John Duke on a branch of the Savannah River in western South Carolina. Both Benjamin Duke and his wife Mary were deceased by 1770. Proof for Benjamin and Mary Duke’s family required the historical records to be augmented by DNA results, first by 111 marker Y-DNA results which yield a probability of 98 percent for a common ancestor within the seven generations that separate the Duke male testers from Benjamin. Numerous Autosomal DNA cousin matches between the descendants continue to provide further proof for Benjamin’s family. John and Esther Dukes of Lancaster's proved children: Elijah (died early), Moses of Barnwell, SC married Elizabeth Bensen(1) and Lurany(2), John of Tattnall County, GA , Margarett married Micajah Hughes, and Martha married Isaac Hughes, Ann married William Arledge, unproved children: Harriet, Clarissa, and Sarah (suspected to have married Loveless). Robert and Nancy Duke's proved children: Thomas married Mary Dougherty, Rachel married Peter Crim, Moses of Richland, SC married Mary Faust, Aaron married Margaret (Peggy) Faust, Hester/Easter/Esther married William Wilson, Anne married Meredith Taylor, and Jesse Duke of Richland, SC. Richard and Elizabeth Duke’s proved children: Moses Duke of Kershaw, SC married Nancy Burge, Elizabeth, married Thomas L. Foster More details about the historical records for Benjamin and Mary Duke and their three sons including the DNA results for their descendants can be found in the Duke Study Report at: [1]

Research Notes

The historical records show that Benjamin Duke and his wife Mary settled on the Wateree River circa 1750 in the historical Camden District of South Carolina. Through the study of South Carolina historical records and the use of yDNA tests, three sons of Benjamin Duke are identified and are the progenitors for three of the five subgroups of the Duke yDNA group 5 descendants. Sons of Jeremiah Dukes, thought to be the brother of Benjamin Duke are the progenitors for the remaining two subgroups of the Duke yDNA group 5 descendants. Benjamin Duke’s heritage including his birth date, and place are unknown. The 1749 South Carolina survey plat for Benjamin’s homestead shows a cabin and several paths which might indicate the Duke family had arrived prior to that date. The lease and release agreement that his son John signed in 1753 indicates that John Dukes of Lancaster was likely at least an older teen by 1749. In 1765, John Dukes of Lancaster recorded the above-mentioned land transaction and both he and his brother Robert Duke of Fairfield applied for land grants of their own. This implies that their father had died by this time and a 1770 record that identifies the new owner for the Benjamin Duke homestead indicates that both Benjamin Duke and his wife Mary were deceased by that date.

Sources

• Selected Families with the Duke Surname

• Duke Autosomal DNA triangulation

DNA

• Paternal relationship is confirmed by a triangulated group on GEDmatch consisting of A975920 Jim Jackson, GB2240182 Clint Franks, FE7231186 Berge Cox, who share 8 cM on chromosome 18 from 56,809,578 to 60,892,362 and 300 SNPs. Jim/Clint = 6C2R; Jim/Berge = 6C1R; Clint/Berge = 6C3R; . The MRCAs of Jim, Clint, and Berge are Benjamin Duke and Mary, the 8th great grandparents of Clint, the 6th great grandparents of Jim, and the 5th great grandparents of Berge.

• Paternal relationship is confirmed through Y-chromosome DNA testing. Jerry Dukes, FTDNA kit #939963, and his 7th cousin, Charles Edward Duke, FTDNA kit #49262, match at a Genetic Distance of 2 on 37 markers thereby confirming their direct paternal lines back to their MRCA Unknown|Dukes. FTDNA indicates that the probability the two share a common ancestor within the last 8 generations is 97.28%.

• Paternal relationship is confirmed through Y-chromosome DNA testing. James Dukes, FTDNA kit #193243, and his 6th cousin twice removed, Moses Duke, FTDNA kit #31689, match at a Genetic Distance of 2 on 111 markers thereby confirming their direct paternal lines back to their MRCA Unknown|Dukes.FTDNA indicates that the probability the two share a common ancestor within the last 7 generations is 97.73% and within the last 8 generations is 98.82%.

• Paternal relationship is confirmed through Y-chromosome DNA testing for Charles Duke, FTDNA kit #49262, and his 6th cousin once removed, Moses Duke, FTDNA kit #31689, match at a Genetic Distance of 3 on 111 markers thereby confirming their direct paternal lines back to their MRCA Unknown Dukes. FTDNA indicates that the probability the two share a common ancestor within the last 7 generations is 97.73% and within the last 8 generations is 98.82%.

• Paternal relationship is confirmed through Y-chromosome DNA testing. Gary Dukes, FTDNA kit #767329, and his 6th cousin twice removed, Moses Duke, FTDNA kit #31689, match at a Genetic Distance of 3 on 111 markers thereby confirming their direct paternal lines back to their MRCA Unknown|Dukes. FTDNA indicates that the probability the two share a common ancestor within the last 7 generations is 91.8% and within the last 8 generations is 95.21%.

• Paternal relationship is confident based on a triangulated group on chromosome 5 for a length of 9.8 cM consisting of:
  Robin Berry GEDmatch Kit# A846205;
  Thomas Bamberg GEDmatch Kit# A681226;
  Arthur Sims GEDmatch Kit# M693205;
  Nancy Saxon GEDmatch Kit# A256561.
  All four people in this triangulation group (TG) share a 9.8 cM segment on chromosome 5.
  Robin Berry and Nancy Saxon are 8th cousins once removed;
  Nancy Saxon is 9th cousin to, Thomas Bamberg and Arthur Sims;
  Robin Berry is 8th cousin once removed to, Thomas Bamberg and Arthur Sims.
  The MRCA of Robin, Thomas, Arthur and Nancy is Unknown Dukes , the 7th great grandparents of Robin Berry and the 8th great grandparents of Nancy Saxon , Thomas Bamberg and Arthur Sims.

• Paternal relationship is confirmed by an autosomal triangulated group on GEDmatch consisting of Mary Dukes, Steven Dukes, Gerald Dukes, Betty Rodgers, Joel Skates, Steve Appling and Tim Winslett who share a 8.4 cM segment on chromosome 11. Mary and Gerald are 4th cousins once removed. Mary and Betty are 5th cousins twice removed. Mary and Joel are 5th cousins once removed. Mary and Steve are 5th cousins once removed. Mary and Tim are 5th cousins once removed. Steven and Gerald are 4th cousins once removed. Steven and Betty are 8th cousins once removed. Steven and Joel are 5th cousins once removed. Steven and Steve are 5th cousins once removed. Steven and Tim are 5th cousins once removed. Gerald and Betty are 8th cousins. Gerald and Joel are 4th cousins once removed. Gerald and Steve are 4th cousins twice removed. Gerald and Tim are 3rd cousins once removed. Betty and Joel are 8th cousins once removed. Betty and Steve are 8th cousins twice removed. Betty and Tim are 8th cousins once removed. Joel and Steve are 3rd cousins once removed. Steve and Tim are 3rd cousins once removed. Tim and Joel are 2nd cousins. Mary and Steven are siblings. The MRCA of all 7 is Unknown Dukes; 7th great grandfather of Betty and Gerald; 8th great grandfather of Joel, Mary, Steven and Tim; 9th great grandfather of Steve.

• Paternal relationship is confident based on a triangulated group on GEDmatch consisting of Marla Coleman, Louis Caputo and Private Thrasher, who share 14.5cM and 999 SNPs on Chr 18.
  Coleman and Caputo are 4th cousins once removed;
  Coleman and Thrasher are 9th cousins once removed; and
  Caputo and Thrasher are 10th cousins.
  The most-recent common ancestor shared by all is Unknown Dukes, who is the 8th great grandfather of Coleman and the 9th great grandfather of Caputo and Thrasher.

• Paternal relationship is confirmed by a triangulated group on Gedmatch consisting of Jim Jackson, Berge Cox, and Clint Franks who share the exact same 8.3 cM segment on chromosome 18. The most-recent common ancestors MRCAs shared by all three is Duke-2983 Benjamin Duke and Unknown-429162 Mary Unknown 6th great grandparents of Jim, 4th great grandparents of Berge, and the 8th great grandparents of Clint. Jim and Berge are 6th cousins once removed; Jim and Clint are sixth cousins two times removed, and Berge and Clint are sixth cousins three times removed.