DUKE

 

The DUKE family has so far been tracked back to Greenwich, London.

Mary Ann DUKE was the daughter of William James DUKE and Mary PERRY who were married in

On the 1841 census, William James DUKE is listed as a shoemaker; an occupation which he retained throughout the subsequent census returns.  The ages on the 1841 census tended to be rounded down/up for adults but he was born c. 1816, Middlesex.  (Later census returns will refine the date and place).

On the 1851 census, the family is living at 31 Bennett Street, Greenwich and they now have another two daughters: - Elizabeth, who was born in 1842, and Eliza born in 1846, Greenwich.  Mary Ann is not with the family on census night but is likely working in service.  She would be aged 13.

Mary Ann was born 8th Dec 1837, Highgate, Greenwich

Jane DUKE was born in 1840 (Greenwich, VOL 5 p.221 - mother's maiden name PERRY)

Elizabeth DUKE was born 1842 (Greenwich, VOL 5 p. 231 - mother's maiden name PERRY)

Eliza DUKE was born 12th May 1846, Greenwich

On the 1861 census, the family is living at 14 Albert Place, Greenwich.  Mary Ann is back with the family and William James Duke (aged 1) is her illegitimate son.  Barbara is her sister Jane's illegitimate son.  Eliza isn't living with the family on the 1861 census, as she is a servant in the Glover household, Claremount Street, Greenwich.  Eliza married Arthur TWEED (1842-1908).

Contrary to subsequent certificates stating that Mary Ann DUKE (mother of Hugh GORMAN/GORDON) was deceased, she was actually incarcerated in the asylum from 1872 onwards.  She died in 1904.

(See GORMAN page)

What became of William James DUKE, Mary Ann's illegitimate son?

- See the evidence below:

William James DUKE was born illegitimately to Mary Ann DUKE on the 22 October 1859 at the Greenwich Workhouse:

 

 

On the 1861 census, William James DUKE is listed as ‘grandson’.  He is resident with his mother and aunts (Barbara, and Jane) with William James DUKE (grandfather) and Mary DUKE (maiden name PERRY).

 

Mary Ann DUKE married Hugh GORMAN on 18 July 1869

 

 

Their son (Hugh) was born in 1871:

On the 1871 census, Creek Road, Deptford, William appears as ‘son’ aged 12 and baby Hugh is months old:

 

Transcript:

Hugh Gorman Head Married 29 Boot Maker Born Scotland, Glasgow

Mary Ann Gorman Wife Married 30 Middlesex, Hughgate

William Gorman Son 12 Scholar Kent, Greenwich

Hugh Son 2 months                      Kent, Deptford.

 

In 1872, Mary Ann gave birth to a son called Henry.    After his birth, she was admitted to Kent Lunatic Asylum/Barming Health Asylum.  She appears to have stayed there initially for 7 years.

 

 

 

Henry went to live with another shoemaker (Edward Mitchell), but it isn’t known what happened to William.

Hugh GORMAN took baby Hugh off to Scotland, and they can be found on the 1881 Scottish census in Glasgow.

After many years of searching, I think I've solved the mystery of what happened to William James DUKE. He appeared on the 1871 census aged 12, then after his father and brother Hugh went back to Scotland, and brother Henry went to live with Edward Mitchell (Shoemaker) - there was no sign of him on other censuses. I thought at first that he had been taken in by his mother's family (the DUKEs) but he couldn't be found. I discovered he was still alive in 1899, as his name appears on the 1899 asylum admission record for his mother (Mary Ann GORMAN.

 

 

His name is given as Wm GORMAN (son) of 44 Hind Street, Burdett Road, Poplar.

Despite searching electoral rolls for William James GORMAN and the 1901 census, he couldn't be found. Eventually, using the London Electoral Rolls, I searched for the address and the occupant of 44 Hind Street, Poplar from 1898 until 1905 was a William James BURTON.

Given the stigma of his mother being in and out of the asylum since he was 12, and also his step father and half siblings being estranged from him, it is not outwith the bounds of possibility that he either changed his surname to BURTON, or was taken in by the BURTON family when his  mother first went into the institution OR (unlikely) - William BURTON was his biological father and he resumed responsibility for him.

Assuming that he changed his surname, I did a trawl of the census for 1881, 1891, 1901, 1911, and 1921.

There were TWO William J BURTONs born abt 1860 who were French Polishers (one born in Marlebone and one born in Greenwich).

 

A possible William James BURTON appears on the 1881 census, as a boarder; age 21; occupation French Polisher, born Greenwich.

 

In 1891, the William J BURTON who was born in Marylebone appears  but to date I’ve still to find  William J BURTON born Greenwich. 

 

William J BURTON marries Louisa Havenden in 1883. 

 

 

On the 1901 census, he appears with Louisa and family but this time it says his birth place is Scotland.  It may be that he wished to hide his background from Louisa and Louisa’s family by claiming he was born in Scotland.  (He would have known that Hugh Gorman’s father and grand father were born in Scotland).

 

On 1901 census of 44 Hind Street, he was living with his wife Louisa and two daughters.   Despite his birth stating ‘Scotland’, this may have been a story he told his wife because of his family history and stigma of his mother being in an asylum!  This census crosses over onto a second page where his daughters Louisa and Amy are listed.

 

 

Louisa (1885) and Amy (1887) – births:

 

 

 

 

 

William James BURTON appears as a French Polisher, allegedly born in Glasgow, Scotland (which he wasn't; he was born in Greenwich workhouse)  I have checked all the William James BURTONs born in Scotland and he certainly isn't one of them as I tracked their births/deaths). He appears on the 1911 and 1921 censuses, but is deceased by the 1939 register.

1911 Census:

 

1921 Census:

 

 

On the 1939 Register, Louisa BURTON (widow) and her daughter Louisa, are on the register living at 18 South Church Road, Eastham District.

 

 

Daughter Amy, married Harry DUFFIELD and they had a son called Leonard. I have a pro subscription, so checked that surname against the DNA profile (my husband's) who is the 3rd great grandson of Mary Ann GORMAN (nee DUKE). In the past, this DNA profile has also solved a mystery for the descendants of Mary Ann's son Henry GORMAN. I am delighted to say that the surname DUFFIELD provided a DNA match with the GORMAN cluster. Using pro tools, I checked the shared matches and all the GORMAN cluster descendants descending from Mary Ann GORMAN came up as a match.

 

 

 

DNA evidence strongly suggests that William James GORMAN is actually William James BURTON.

 

There was no William James BURTON born in Scotland in 1859.  There was one James William BURTON who fits the birth date but he also died in Scotland in 1895 – see index below

 

List of Scottish births:

 

List of Scottish Deaths:

 

Finally, William J BURTON died in 1938