MARY DUKE was the daughter of JAMES DUKE (1677-1751) of James City County and his wife, MARY BYRD ( 1683 - 1763) of Westover, Charles City County, Virginia. She was born in 1725 at Charles City County, Virginia, as proven by the documents listed below. Her father, James Duke, died in 1751. Her mother may have married secondly Richard Corbett -- proof is needed.
Mary Duke married BENJAMIN WARD, son of RICHARD WARD and FRANCES WORSHAM, as his second wife, and by him had six known children as documented by the probate records of Dr. William Ward, her son, who died in 1835 at Rutherford County, Tennessee. It has not been determined when or where Mary's husband, Benjamin Ward, lived and died. Mary Ward died 8 October 1805, place unknown, at the age of 80 years.
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=bhreed&id=I22874