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Hardeman Duke was born about 1785. His death date is uncertain with some researchers believing he died 29 Aug 1837 and others 19 Apr 1839; this difference may be attributed to multiple men with the same name.
Hardeman Duke of Clarke Co, AL is believed to be Thomas Duke senior's son based on the following circumstantial evidence:
--Hardman Duke was enumerated as Hardy was on the 1798 Oglethorpe Co, GA tax list thus he was born no later than 1777.
--Hardman Duke defaulted on Jackson Co, GA taxes in 1803.
--Hardman Duke married Sally Jordan in 1805 in Oglethorpe Co. Thomas Duke senior had five legal transactions with the Jordan family from 1787 through 1824, primarily with Josiah Jordan who lived by Thomas and to whom he sold 590 acres in 3 separate transactions.
--Hardman repeatedly applied for land lotteries in 1806 – 1807 in Oglethorpe and Jackson counties with no apparent success.
--Hardman Duke was noted in Oglethorpe and Jackson Co records from 1798 – 1807, after which time he did not appear in Georgia records.
--Hardeman Duke, now noted with this spelling, came from Georgia to Mississippi Territory in 1809.
--Hardeman Duke in Alabama named his children after his siblings born in Georgia and named his son Welcome Parks Duke after his brother-in-law.
Although Thomas had other brothers living in the same Oglethorpe Co, GA area, no evidence indicates Hardeman was the son of any of those men.
The following was a key secondary record for Hardeman because it established where he was from, according to his sons, and was produced soon after his death. Hardeman Duke came from Georgia in 1809, moved to Mississippi Territory in what is now Clarke Co, AL and settled on James Creek in Clarke Co, AL by 1811 according to the 1882 publication "A Glance into the Great Southeast or Clarke County, Alabama and its Surroundings from 1540 to 1877" written in 1879 by Rev. T. H. Ball The account stated further that "his sons were Thomas, William, Henry, John, Charles, Michael and Welcome Parks. William Duke, now about sixty-five years of age, is the miller at Cobb's mill on Silver Creek." (https://archive.org/stream/glanceintogreats00ball#page/n7/mode/2up).
Hardyman served in War of 1812 under the militia with Captain Samuel Dale. He was in the 1810 Washington Co, Mississippi Territory census; the 1811 "Washington Co, AL" Tax List; the 1813 Clarke Co, AL Tax List; and the 1816 Clarke Co, AL Tax List. In 1816 he was about age 31 with 4 young children on the tax list. Clarke Co, AL was formed from Washington Co, Mississippi Territory in 1812. Hardeman was also reported to be a territorial judge. Any Duke/s children born in the Clarke Co, AL area before 1820 were probably children of Hardeman Duke because Elias Duke, another progenitor in that area, came to Clarke Co, AL after 1820.
Hardeman signed Hardyman Duke on his petition to the federal government to gain compensation for his losses in a burnout by the Indians in in Mississippi Territory. The transcription of Clarke Co, AL (previously part of Mississippi Territory) losses during the war with the Indians lists him as Hardy Mandukes with a claim of $244; the previous record above it was recorded as 24 Nov 1815. The itemized claim is transcribed as being that of Hardy Man Dukes for 200 bushels of corn, a mare, 30 hogs, potatoes and cotton, and household furniture burned in Singqufield's fort.
In 1830 Hardeman, age 50-59, was enumerated as Hardyman Dake in adjacent Monroe Co, AL. He resided with his presumed wife age 40-49, 2 males and 1 female under age 5, 1 male and 1 female age 5-9, 1 female age 10-14, and 3 males age 15-19.
Although Hardeman was an unusual name, the name was frequently reused in the southeastern US by the Duke family, and thus the records are mistakenly intertwined for a number of contemporaries to our Hardeman. Researchers must be aware that records have become mistakenly aligned among Hardeman and the following same-named men:
North Carolina Hardemans:
--A Hardiman Duke senior, possibly born around the 1740s and living in Franklin Co, NC, married Elizabeth Bartholomew. According to Duke descendant Michael Morgan, Hardeman's great granddaughter, Izora Dainey Duke Green born in 1883, stated her Duke line descended from the same family as Major Henry Duke and a cousin Doris Duke. Based on that statement, the Hardeman of Clarke Co was believed to be the son of Hardyman Duke senior born in Franklin County, NC who married Elizabeth Bartholomew. Hardyman senior's brother was Major Henry Duke (1745-1838) whose son Taylor started the tobacco business in North Carolina with his son Washington Duke. When James Bucannon Duke (the grandson of Taylor Duke and the father of millionaire heiress Doris Duke) died in the 1930s, attorneys came to Clarke County, AL in search of his Duke relatives. Izora Dainey Duke Green stated after the lawyers were in Clarke Co for a while they returned to NC. This would seem to indicate Hardeman Duke in Clarke Co was a first cousin of Taylor Duke, and M. (could this be William M?) Duke was a second cousin to Washington Duke, founder of the tobacco business. This would have made Izora Duke Green and Doris Duke fourth cousins. On the other hand, Izora's statement she was related to the NC Dukes may be based only on the fact the lawyers for that NC Duke line visited Clarke Co, and the lawyers may have come to Clarke Co to research Dukes there and not found no proven relatives. There is often a proclivity to claim a relationship with a well-known family, as happened several times with my Virginia family lines. It is important to note that to date the SE US Duke DNA study shows no matches between Major Henry Duke and Hardeman Duke descendants.
--Frequently confused with our Hardeman of Clarke Co, AL born ~1782 is a Hardeman Duke of Orange Co, NC who was a generation older than the Clarke Co man. From his pension record the man from Orange Co is shown as Hardeman Duke (also Harman, Harmon, Hardmond, Halderman, Dump, Dukes) b ~1760, who with his brother William Duke born 10 Jun 1754, served in the army, were discharged in 1778 and returned to NC. Hardeman served as a private in the 10th Regiment and enlisted 1 May 1776 and was discharged Nov 1778. (http://revwarapps.org/w783.pdf) They brothers were apparently sons of John Duke according to Jim Dukes' research.
This Hardeman Duke was said to have been born in Brunswick Co, VA and married Martha Wallis/Wallace in 1784 in Granville, NC; one of the statements to support this Hardeman's pension application in the 1830s was from a Granville, NC resident. An online family report stated Hardeman abandoned Martha shortly after their marriage, had children with other women, and later married Elizabeth Ricketts.
Census records imply there was only one man named Hardeman in Orange Co from 1800 - 1830. A Hardeman Duke over age 45 was listed in Orange Co, NC in 1800 with 1 female under 10 and 1 female age 26-44. [A Hardmon was in SC and a Harwood in NC in 1810 census but neither seem to be this Hardeman according to Jim Dukes' research.] A Hardyman Duke residing in Orange Co and living close to Tyre Duke, was enumerated with just himself and a female both over age 45 in 1820. A Hardimon [sic] Duke, age 60 to 69 was living with a female age 50-59 in 1830 in Orange Co, close to Tiry Duke. This man in Orange Co from 1800 - 1830 is too old to be the Hardeman in Clarke Co, AL or in Laurens Co, GA. Hardeman was age 72 when he filed a pension application on 26 Nov 1832, thus he was born about 1760. http://revwarapps.org/w783.pdf
Private Hardeman Duke was listed on the North Carolina Revolutionary War Pensioners Roll as receiving $40 a half-year [actually states per month but meant semi-annually] beginning with in Sep 1831 continuing until Sep 1839. His brother William Duke began receiving payments at the same time and received his last payment in the first half of 1842. (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/1116/T718_8-0337/31488?backurl=https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/46710645/person/270006877499/facts/citation/840045590490/edit/record)
Hardeman's pension application shows he served as a private under Capt. Archibald Lyttle, Capt. Tilghman Dixon, Col. Francis Nash, Col Robert Mebane, Gen. J. Moore and Gen. Washington. He was to receive $80 a year beginning 4 Mar 1831 and was paid in arrears. His certificate of pension was issued 31 Jan 1833 and sent to the Honorable W. P. Mangum, who also witnessed his will a few years later. In the extensive paperwork, no wife before Elizabeth was mentioned. (https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=1995&h=17355&ssrc=pt&tid=46710645&pid=270006877499&usePUB=true)
The statement of a Caswell Co, NC minister that he remembered Elizabeth Duke was the wife of Hardeman Duke and recalled seeing Elizabeth Dukes at the home of her mother Elizabeth Rickets [Duke] who lived near the minister's father in Orange Co is important because the statement ties the above Hardeman of Orange Co to the following will. Hardeman in his 27 Jul 1835 Orange Co will left his entire estate to his daughter Betsy, wife of John Duke. The will never mentioned his wife Elizabeth. The witnesses were Benjamin Hestor, Charity A. Mangum and William P. Mangum. His will was probated 10 Nov 1839 in Orange Co, NC. (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/9061/004770553_00274?pid=2146218&backurl=https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv%3D1%26dbid%3D9061%26h%3D2146218%26tid%3D%26pid%3D%26usePUB%3Dtrue%26_phsrc%3DPXs45%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=PXs45&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true#?imageId=004770553_00275).
Descendants of this Hardeman have mistakenly traced him to Clarke Co, AL and then back to North Carolina to be buried with his brother Taylor Duke, likely the Tyre / Tiry Duke who was noted living near him on the censuses. Conversely family tradition among descendants of Hardeman of Clarke Co was he told his children that before his death he wanted to see his “back east” family one last time and he left Alabama never to be seen again; this story may have originated because of the same-named man in NC.
Elizabeth Dukes, widow of Hardeman, a private, was listed on the Nashville, Davidson Co, TN list of Revolutionary War Pensioners as receiving $40 per half year "beginning 4 Mar 1836." Elizabeth was not shown receiving payments on this Nashville roll until three years later in 1839. On the original it appears that above that 1836 date, the date 19 Oct 1839 has been written in which was likely the date of her husband's death. This pay register shows that payments to Elizabeth began in the first half of the following year in Mar 1840 and continued until Sep 1848 when she may have died. (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/1116/T718_18-0188/108479?backurl=https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/46710645/person/270006877499/facts/citation/840035743855/edit/record)
On 19 Dec 1846 in Maury Co, TN, two counties south of Davidson Co, Elizabeth Duke filed for additional widow's benefits. This Elizabeth Duke was the same widow receiving a pension in 1839 in Nashville, TN. Elizabeth Duke, age 79 and the widow of Hardeman Duke of Orange Co, NC who died 19 Oct 1939, applied under three acts granting half-pay and pensions to certain widows on 19 Dec 1846 in Maury Co, TN where she was living. Her certificate of pension was issued 29 Oct 1847 and sent ot John Morrow. On 17 Jul 1848 Elizabeth, now age 81 and living in adjoining in Lewis Co, TN, appeared in Maury Co court to apply for additional benefits for widows. The application noted their child Berry was born prior to 1794 but did not mention a daughter Elizabeth. (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/1995/MIUSA1775D_135441-00230?pid=17355&backurl=https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv%3D1%26dbid%3D1995%26h%3D17355%26ssrc%3Dpt%26tid%3D46710645%26pid%3D270006877499%26usePUB%3Dtrue&ssrc=pt&treeid=46710645&personid=270006877499&hintid=&usePUB=true&usePUBJs=true#?imageId=MIUSA1775D_135441-00244)
Elizabeth Duke, widow of Private Hardeman Duke, was listed on the Nashville, TN Revolutionary War Pensioners roll with a pension beginning 4 Mar 1847. This roll shows she received two payments in 1849, died 30 Aug 1849, and was paid for the first quarter of 1850. (https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/1116/T718_20-0225/127418?backurl=https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/46710645/person/270006877499/facts/citation/840035744606/edit/record#?imageId=T718_20-0225)
--There were was a third Hardy Duke in NC at that time. In Warren Co, NC over 80 miles from Orange Co a Hardy Duke was enumerated in 1790 likely with his wife and 2 sons under age 16; to be included on the census in 1790 he would have had to have been born no later than 1769, thus also born a generation before the Hardeman Duke of Clarke Co, AL. He is reported to be the son of Samuel Duke (1722 Rocky Creek, Brunswick Co, VA - 1798 Franklin, Warren Co, NC and Sarah Pernencia Greene(?). He is often confused with the Hardeman in both Orange Co, NC and the one in Clarke Co, AL.
Hardemans in other states:
--A Hardeman Duke (1780-1860) was living in Laurens Co, SC in 1810 with his wife and 2 children; in 1820 with his wife and 5 children, and in 1830 was enumerated in Laurens Co as Haraman Duke and his presumed wife, both age 50-59, with 9 children. This man is contemporary with our Hardeman but lived in SC when our man was living in AL.
--A Hardeman Duke was enumerated as Hardeman Dake in Jasper Co, GA in 1820, meaning he was born before 1799. A Hardy Duke and his presumed wife age 40-50 were living in Jasper Co, GA in 1830 with 1 male under age 5, 1 male and 1 female age 5-10, 2 females age 10-15 and 2 males age 15-20. Hardiman Duke was noted 11 Jun 1849 on the Russell Co, AL Tract Book; Hardy Duke deeded this tract of 40 acres upon the end of his and his wife Mary's life to his son James H. Duke on 6 Apr 1855. Hardy [transcribed as Horace], age 70 and thus born ~1780, and Mary, age 65, were living in Russell Co, AL by 1850 with children Mary age 25, James age 22 and Elizabeth Duke age 15. Hardy's widow Mary (transcribed as age 16 but actually age 76) was in the 1860 Russell Co, AL census with son James H. Dukes. This man was also the right age to be our ancestor but lived in the wrong place and lived longer than the Clarke Co Hardeman.
--A Bartholomew Hardy Dukes born about 1822 was enumerated as Hardy Dukes in the 1850 Jasper Co, GA census, married to Mary born about 1826 with a son William born about 1848. He was possibly the son of the Hardeman who moved to Russell Co, AL from Jasper Co, GA.
--A Hardyman Duke was listed in 1806 in the 10th Militia Regiment, Orleans Territory. Orleans Territory existed from 1804 until 1812 when it was admitted to the union as the state of Louisiana.
--A Hardeman Duke born in 1815 in Georgia and married to Mary Hickey in 1834 is frequently confused with Hardeman Duke of Clarke Co despite being born much later because the two men share a significant number of close dates and even the name of their first-born, leading to confusion and continual mixups among researchers. The descendants of this Hardeman and Mary Hickey have tested DNA, carefully researched their lineage, and have family pictures from that era.
--Another Hardeman Duke in Georgia married Lousia Carolyn Hamrick in 1844 and was with her in the 1860, 1870 and 1880 censuses. He was with a wife named Eliza in the 1850 census but her dates match the other censuses so her name may be incorrect in 1850 and she may be Louisa Carolyn.
--A Hardiman Dukes was granted 40 acres in Lee Co, AL in 1850.
--A Hardin Duke born 1 Jul 1760 in Hanover Co, VA applied for a Revolutionary War pension in 1832 in Lousia Co, VA.
--And finally another Hardeman Duke married married Elizabeth Glowers in 1893 in Georgia.
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Categories: Oglethorpe County, Georgia | Clarke County, Alabama