[2] Duke was born at Penshurst in Kent in 1799, the son of Timothy and Sarah Due (née Jeffery).
His father ran the cricket ball manufacturing business, established in 1760 and at the time operating from a series of small-scale workshops as a cottage industry.
[3][4][5] After taking over the business from his father, Duke significantly developed the business, extending it to develop the manufacturing of cricket equipment, including pads and gloves, as well as partnering with a bat maker Luke Eade.
Although he scored only 24 runs in his five first-class matches, Duke opened the batting frequently in club cricket for Penshurst and Leigh teams.
His oldest son, John took over the running of the family business; he played one first-class match for Kent County Cricket Club in 1855.