Clevears Chisholm Duke

Clevears Chisholm Duke was nicknamed the "King of Little River" because of his large ownership of land and slaves, according to the book "Henry Duke, Councilor, His Descendants and Connections," by Walter Garland Duke.

Clevears' branding iron. which he used to brand his free range cattle, is currently owned by Stephen Carey Harris, Sr., of Apple Grove, VA. Mrs. Ilma Duke Perkins found the iron in a field while digging.

There is a deed wherein John Chiswell on the 16 June 1735 sold land on Hinsons Creek, in that portion of Hanover Co. VA that later became Louisa Co., VA. to a group of 20 men to be divided into 20 acre lots. This list includes Clevers Duke. To be able to purchase land under English Common Law Clevers Duke had to be 21 years of age, so the 16 June 1735 minus 21 years means Clevers Duke was born by or before the 16 June 1714.

There are several issues with this profile:
1 - A 1735 Hanover Co., VA list of adult males includes 'Clevers Duke' 1735 minus 21 years of age equals 1714. It's probably better to say he was born before 1715. The list was included in the Hanover Co., VA 'Small Book' which was transcribed and published in William and Mary Qrtly, Vol. 21, No. 1. and can be found in this USGenWeb text file:
http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/hanover/court/hanover3.txt

2. The Given Name 'Cliveures Duke' is only found in Samuel Gordon Smyth's 1909 book 'A Genealogy of the Duke-Sheppard-Van-Metre Family:..... A review of historical documents (deeds, wills, etc) from the 1700's has at least 7 or 8 different spellings. The most consistent being 'Clevears Duke" with 'Clevearse Duke' 2nd in line. I've got a web page that shows a graphic image of his name for each of the historical documents I list. 'Cliveures' is not among them. See: https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~theduffypapers/family/duke/clevears...

3. Neither Samuel Gordon Smyth's 1909 book or Walter Garland Duke's 1949 book proved Clevears Duke's ancestry. Both stated ' According to tradition of descendants' Our ancestry should not be based upon tradition. Evelyn Duke Brandenberger (EDB), in her 1979 The Duke Family Volume I laid out an ancestry for Clevears Duke that has historical documentation to support it. I have a web page that lines out the logic she developed. See: https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~theduffypapers/family/duke/clevear_...

4. Thomas Duke, the listed son of Clevears Duke had children, but none of his children were included within an 1800 Louisa Co, VA Chancery Court case that listed the 19 grandchildren that Clevears Duke listed twice in his 1784 will that was probated in 1785. Since Thomas Duke's children were not listed, Thomas Duke can't be a son of Clevears Duke. See: https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~theduffypapers/family/duke/thomas_d...

5. Elizabeth (Duke) Lumsden is listed as a child of Clevears Duke, but none of her children were included within an 1800 Louisa Co, VA Chancery Court case that listed the 19 grandchildren that Clevears Duke listed twice in his 1784 will that was probated in 1785. Since Elizabeth Duke Lumsden's children were not listed, Elizabeth Duke can't be a daughter of Clevears Duke. See https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~theduffypapers/family/duke/george_l...

6 Clevears Duke 1715-1785 did not fight in the American Revolution. It was his grandson Clevears Duke 1756-after1820 who fought in the American Revolution.

DAR profile: https://services.dar.org/public/dar_research/search_adb/?action=ful...

See also: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Duke-4648

Joseph E Crouch

There were 3 Clevears Dukes in Hanover / Louisa Co., VA. at the time of the American Revolutionary War:
1. Clevears Duke 1714-1785
2. Clevears Duke Jr. (son of Clevears Duke 1714-1785) born abt 1750 and died before 1820
3. Clevears Duke 1755-1826 (Son of James Duke 1740-1769 & grandson of Clevears Duke 1714-1785)

The ‘Historic Valley Forge: Who served here’ website, under the ‘Muster Roll’ link, and a find for ‘Duke’ & VA results with one find:

Private Clevears Duke; Virginia; 5th Division; Weedon’s Brigade; & Capt. John Winton’s Company.

The ‘Southern Campaigns American Revolution Pension Statement & Rosters’ has a web page that has the ‘Pension Application of Clevears Duke’ dated the 19th day of May 1818 wherein it states:

“This day came Clevears Duke a resident of the County of Louisa, aged Sixty three years, into Court, and on oath made the following declaration, to wit:………………” (see: https://revwarapps.org/s39471.pdf )

Clevears Duke (son of James Duke) gave a 2nd deposition on the 15 Aug 1820 Louisa VA. revolutionary war deposition by Clevears Duke age 65 wherein he states that his wife Ann was the widow of Thomas Armstrong

How could the Clevears Duke who died in 1785 give a deposition for his Revolutionary War service on the 19th of May 1818, let alone a 2nd time on the 15 Aug 1820 in Louisa VA court if he was deceased?

The DAR website lists Cliverius Duke as born circa 1760 in Hanover Co., VA and having served under Capt John Winston & Col. William Davies.and having married Ann Overton Pettus. (see: https://services.dar.org/public/dar_research/search_adb/?action=ful... )

Clevears Duke’s brother Hardin Duke on the 13th April 1842 gave a deposition in support of John Jackson’s widow wherein he: (see: http://revwarapps.org/w3425.pdf )
‘affirmed that in the early part of the Revolutionary War his brother Clevears Duke who has been long since dead and John Jackson, late of the said county of Louisa whose widow now applies for a pension, volunteered to join the Northern Army under Richard Clough Anderson5, he thinks, as privates.

The above revolutionary war pension depositions show that the Clevears Duke who was at Valley Forge was Clevears Duke, son of James Duke, and grandson of Clevears Duke 1714-1785; NOT the ‘King of Little River’.

Sincerely,

Joseph E CrouchThere were 3 Clevears Dukes in Hanover / Louisa Co., VA. at the time of the American Revolutionary War:
1. Clevears Duke 1714-1785
2. Clevears Duke Jr. (son of Clevears Duke 1714-1785) born abt 1750 and died before 1820
3. Clevears Duke 1755-1826 (Son of James Duke 1740-1769 & grandson of Clevears Duke 1714-1785)

The ‘Historic Valley Forge: Who served here’ website, under the ‘Muster Roll’ link, and a find for ‘Duke’ & VA results with one find:

Private Clevears Duke; Virginia; 5th Division; Weedon’s Brigade; & Capt. John Winton’s Company.

The ‘Southern Campaigns American Revolution Pension Statement & Rosters’ has a web page that has the ‘Pension Application of Clevears Duke’ dated the 19th day of May 1818 wherein it states:

“This day came Clevears Duke a resident of the County of Louisa, aged Sixty three years, into Court, and on oath made the following declaration, to wit:………………” (see: https://revwarapps.org/s39471.pdf )

Clevears Duke (son of James Duke) gave a 2nd deposition on the 15 Aug 1820 Louisa VA. revolutionary war deposition by Clevears Duke age 65 wherein he states that his wife Ann was the widow of Thomas Armstrong

How could the Clevears Duke who died in 1785 give a deposition for his Revolutionary War service on the 19th of May 1818, let alone a 2nd time on the 15 Aug 1820 in Louisa VA court if he was deceased?

The DAR website lists Cliverius Duke as born circa 1760 in Hanover Co., VA and having served under Capt John Winston & Col. William Davies.and having married Ann Overton Pettus. (see: https://services.dar.org/public/dar_research/search_adb/?action=ful... )

Clevears Duke’s brother Hardin Duke on the 13th April 1842 gave a deposition in support of John Jackson’s widow wherein he: (see: http://revwarapps.org/w3425.pdf )
‘affirmed that in the early part of the Revolutionary War his brother Clevears Duke who has been long since dead and John Jackson, late of the said county of Louisa whose widow now applies for a pension, volunteered to join the Northern Army under Richard Clough Anderson5, he thinks, as privates.

The above revolutionary war pension depositions show that the Clevears Duke who was at Valley Forge was Clevears Duke, son of James Duke, and grandson of Clevears Duke 1714-1785; NOT the ‘King of Little River’.

Sincerely,

Joseph E Crouch

He writes again:

There were 3 Clevears Dukes in Hanover / Louisa Co., VA. at the time of the American Revolutionary War:
1. Clevears Duke 1714-1785
2. Clevears Duke Jr. (son of Clevears Duke 1714-1785) born abt 1750 and died before 1820
3. Clevears Duke 1755-1826 (Son of James Duke 1740-1769 & grandson of Clevears Duke 1714-1785)

The ‘Historic Valley Forge: Who served here’ website, under the ‘Muster Roll’ link, and a find for ‘Duke’ & VA results with one find:

Private Clevears Duke; Virginia; 5th Division; Weedon’s Brigade; & Capt. John Winton’s Company.

The ‘Southern Campaigns American Revolution Pension Statement & Rosters’ has a web page that has the ‘Pension Application of Clevears Duke’ dated the 19th day of May 1818 wherein it states:

“This day came Clevears Duke a resident of the County of Louisa, aged Sixty three years, into Court, and on oath made the following declaration, to wit:………………” (see: https://revwarapps.org/s39471.pdf )

Clevears Duke (son of James Duke) gave a 2nd deposition on the 15 Aug 1820 Louisa VA. revolutionary war deposition by Clevears Duke age 65 wherein he states that his wife Ann was the widow of Thomas Armstrong

How could the Clevears Duke who died in 1785 give a deposition for his Revolutionary War service on the 19th of May 1818, let alone a 2nd time on the 15 Aug 1820 in Louisa VA court if he was deceased?

The DAR website lists Cliverius Duke as born circa 1760 in Hanover Co., VA and having served under Capt John Winston & Col. William Davies.and having married Ann Overton Pettus. (see: https://services.dar.org/public/dar_research/search_adb/?action=ful... )

Clevears Duke’s brother Hardin Duke on the 13th April 1842 gave a deposition in support of John Jackson’s widow wherein he: (see: http://revwarapps.org/w3425.pdf )
‘affirmed that in the early part of the Revolutionary War his brother Clevears Duke who has been long since dead and John Jackson, late of the said county of Louisa whose widow now applies for a pension, volunteered to join the Northern Army under Richard Clough Anderson5, he thinks, as privates.

The above revolutionary war pension depositions show that the Clevears Duke who was at Valley Forge was Clevears Duke, son of James Duke, and grandson of Clevears Duke 1714-1785; NOT the ‘King of Little River’.

Sincerely,

Joseph E Crouch