Family History Timeline

1816   Benjamin Franklin Roney (brother of Artelia)  was born October 4 - died June 6 1876

1829  Artelia Roney born to John and Mary Trollinger Roney, tobacco, cotton farmers

1838  Barbara Anne Roney born (sister of Artelia) Dec. 14

1849  Benjamin Franklin Roney, brother of Artelia Roney Duke, son of John Roney, father of Chesly Henry Lea Roney and Grandfather of     

          Clyde Ruffin Roney represented his newly formed county of Alamance in the state legislature in Raleigh

1851  Washington Duke builds modest home in Durham, NC referred to as Duke Homestead

1852  Artelia Roney marries Washington Duke after meeting Washington at Haw River church meeting.

          Artelia cares for two stepsons by Washington Duke's first wife who had died, Sydney Taylor b1845, Brodie Lawrence b 1846

1853   Chesley Henry Lea Roney born January 7 1853 - November 8 1924

1853  Mary Elizabeth Duke born to Artelia and Washington Duke

1855  Benjamin Newton Duke born to Artelia and Washington Duke

1856  James Buchanan Duke born to Artelia and Washington Duke

1858  Chesley Henry Roney (Son of Benjamin Frankiin and newphew of Artelia Roney) is a Member of the North Carolina House of Representatives 

1858   Benjamin Franklin Roney (Artelia’s brother) was in the House of Representatives of Alamance County 1858 - 1860

1858  Artelia brings sick stepson Sydney Taylor Duke to family home in Haw River to isolate from other children (Mary,Buck,Ben 5,3,2)

          stepson, Sydney dies Aug 10, age 13 from typhoid; Artelia died Aug 20 from Typhoid, ten days later. Artelia's sisters, Barbara Anne “Annie” and Elisabeth "Bettie"

          move to Durham to help with children. It is written “Bettie taught the children the "three r's". 

1863  Washington Duke joins Civil War effort, leaves his 300 acres to renters to support the children

          Children were moved to live with John and Mary Roney family in Haw River, NC.  They remained there for three years, learning to

          farm, milk cows, and attending school at "Harden's Schoolhouse and Old Pisgah Church.  They swam in Boyd's Creek with relatives

          and boys of the neighborhood and were enthusiastic devotees of "Bull Pen", the forerunner of baseball. Grandpa and Granny Roney

          were strict disciplinarians communicating to the children a strong personality and business acumen.   

1866  Washington Duke returns from Civil War and gathers his children and he and sons begin selling cigarettes by wagon across the

          state.  Anne "Annie" and Bettie continued to live and care for the children in their Durham home. 

1866  John Roney dies, leaves $10 in will to each of Artelia and Washington's three children

1875  Washington Duke and sons built factory in crossroads of Durham with crude machines to manufacture cigarettes, built new

          homes and moved.  Washington Duke was a huge supporter of the Methodist Church,Trinity College, and his first gift was $85,000.

1880  Home of Washington Duke referred to as “Fairview “ featured 3-story cupola, glass greenhouse and iron gates. Home was located

          at the corner of Main and Duke Streets. 

1882  Elisabeth "Bettie" Roney died. Sometime after that Florence Roney moved to the Washington Duke Home.

1883  Julius "Jule" Roney (Artelia's nephew and uncle of Clyde Roney) moved to Durham to work in Tobacco Business.

1887  Chesley Henry Roney was a Member of The North Carolina General Assembly Senate

1887  Clyde Ruffin Roney born, became tobacco farmer, general store merchant, died Aug 5 1975

1888  William H. Trollinger, made the initial land grant to the Christian Church to found (then) Elon College

1890  Buck Duke formed American Tobacco Company and became President and during that time became President of

          Southern Power Company.

1892   Trinity College opened at Durham

1900  Census lists Annie Roney, age 51, sister-in-law, and Florence Roney, age 22, niece, as residents of the Washington Duke home.

1897  Anne Roney, sister of Artelia Roney donates the "Roney Fountain" to Trinity College in honor of Washington Duke.  She also donated valuable 

          Shakesperean collection to the library. (In 2016 the donation date was updated from the 1901 date indicated by new research by Duke University)

1900  Census lists Annie Roney, age 51, sister-in-law, and Florence Roney, age 22, niece, as residents of the Washington Duke home.

1902  Donation of Stagg Pavilion, also known as the East Campus Gazebo, 1902.  Named for James Edward Stagg,

          husband of Mary Lyon, daughter of Mary Elizabeth Duke Lyon, sister of James and Benjamin Duke,

          grandaughter of Artelia Roney Duke. 

1903  Some records indicate Buck and Ben Duke have a home built for Artelia's brother, Amos K. "Ken" Roney, father of Florence. 

           J B and Ben continued to visit their Roney grandparents and relatives many times in Haw River.

1904   James B. Duke and his associates founded what has become the Duke Power Company.

1903   Florence Roney marries William Burns Rowland

1905   Washington Duke died

1912   Doris Duke was born to Buck and Nanoline Duke

1915   Chesley Henry Roney served in the Graham Commercial Club, a forerunner of the Chamber of Commerce of Graham

1920   Mary Duke Biddle (Trent Semans) was born

1920   Census of 1920 lists Annie Roney, Age 81, as living with her niece Florence Roney Rowland in her home in Durham

1922   Barbara Anne Roney dies, Feb 22, age 83, cardiac  She was buried in Haw River, NC (Mary Duke Biddle then age 2)

1922   Bernice "Bennie" Roney, age 34 dies Sep 14 leaving Clyde Roney widower with 6 children

           Herbert Roney, brother of Clyde, died same day from long illness

1923   January 18, 1923 6:30 AM Fire destroyed most of Elon College, Dukes assisted in rebuilding Elon by donating the Artelia Roney

           Duke Science Building in 1927.

1924   Benjamin N. Duke sends Clyde Ruffin Roney gift of $500.00 on July 11, and October 10

1924   Acceptance by Trinity College Trustees of Terms of the Duke Endowment. The corporation changes its name from Trinity College to Duke University

1924    Chesley Henry Lea Roney died

1925   James B. Duke died

1927   Bettie Roney, daughter of Calvin Newton Roney and niece of Artelia Roney assists Duke University with James B. Duke Will in regards to Roney descendants.    

           Bettie Roney was the wife of John C. Dailey, and mother of John Calvin Dailey and lived in Durham.  John Calvin Dailey was in the Class of 1931 Psi Delta

           Sigma, Duke University.

1927   Florence Roney Dailey, listed in the Duke University Yearbook of 1927  

1927   James B. Duke's will gave two million dollars to be distributed among the living descendants of his father Washington Duke and his mother

           Artelia Duke. 167 portions gave each of them $11,976.04.

1927   Governor of NC, Angus W. McLean, Dedication of Artelia Roney Duke Science Building, Elon College  “ The cornerstone of this building which we

           dedicate today bears the inscription: “Artelia Roney Duke Science Building. Donated by her sons, James B. and Benjamin N. Duke. ”

1929   Benjamin Duke died

1930   Clyde Ruffin Roney bought $100 Duke stock

1931   Florence Roney Rowland is named as Patroness of Sigma Delta Chapter of Kappa Delta and William Rowland is listed as

           Frates in Urbe of Kappa Sigma 1931 of Duke University.  

1938   Bennie Roney Hall, Great, Great Grand Niece of Artelia Roney Duke was born to Thelma Hewell Terrell and Ralph

           Nathanial Roney, Great Grandson of Benjamin Franklin Roney, and Great Grand Nephew of Artelia Roney Duke

1939   Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans Attended Duke University

1975   Clyde Ruffin Roney died

1979   William Burns Rowland and Mary Searle Rowland compile book, Roney Families

1993   Doris Duke dies ( only daughter of James Buck Duke )

1989   Duke Family Reunion, Betty Roney Cheek (Boo) discovered Roney Fountain on directional map of Duke University and shares the information with family of            

           Bennie Roney Hall

1999   Betty Lou Roney Cheek, Doris Roney Perry and Bennie Roney Hall attend Duke Family Reunion and were unable to locate the Roney Fountain 

2008   Betty Lou “Boo” Roney Cheek, daughter of Clyde Ruffin Roney (great nephew of Artelia Roney Duke) dies in 2008

2009   Bennie Hall Roney Family and Doris Roney Perry attended Duke Family Reunion and searches for and locates The Roney Fountain in disrepair without a plaque    

            hidden under an overgrown Magnolia tree near the Old Trinity College Campus. Bennie Roney Hall writes Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans a thank you note for

            the 2009 reunion and shares with Mrs Semans the condition of The Roney Fountain.   

2009   Mary Semans, visited The Roney Fountain at the old campus of Duke University calls Bennie Roney Hall on the telephone and shares with her disappointment of

           The Roney Fountain condition and then shares with great excitement her plans to relocate and restore The Roney Fountain 

2011   May 11, Anne Roney Fountain restored, placed in Mary Duke Biddle Rose Garden, dedication and reception for Roney descendants

2011   September 30, Preservation North Carolina is presenting an award to Duke University for the restoration of the Anne Roney Fountain

2012   January 25, death of Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans, friend of Doris Roney Perry, Betty Lou Roney Cheek and Bennie Roney Hall, was responsible for the

           restoration of The Roney Fountain, she passed away at age 91

2013   Birth of Charlotte Artelia-Lynn Tomb the fourth great grand neice of Artelia Roney and daughter of Brittany Suzanne Massey, grandaughter of Cheryl Lynn

           Roney Massey, grand neice of Bennie Roney Hall, Vickie Roney Shephard, R N Roney Jr., Ralph “Buck” Roney, great grandaughter of Ralph Nathaniel Roney.

This timeline is in progress and is not intended to be a complete genealogy or timeline; data was assembled from personal family contribution and the following sources:

Sources: 

The Artelia Roney Duke Science Building Dedicatory Exercises and Addresses, Elon College, North Carolina April 27, 1927; Elon University Library

The Dukes of Durham 1865-1929 Robert F. Durden

Fabric of a Community; The Story of Haw River North Carolina, Gail and Bob Knauff

Roney Families; William B. Rowland and Mary Searle Rowland

Duke Archives