My son Stuart Jordan continues his research on the Jordan family.  This is his latest update:

“For those of you who have read the 2nd edition of my book regarding our Jordan family – Beneath the Black Walnut (2022) – I wish to provide some updates.

“In Section VII of the book, I examine Y-DNA testing and its helpfulness in settling some of our ancestral questions. For example, I demonstrate how Y-DNA has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that, although distantly related, we do not descend from Samuel Jordan (m. Elizabeth Fleming, d. 1718 in New Kent Co. VA).  Likewise, Y-DNA results have also proven conclusively we do not descend from Samuel Jordan (d. 1760/1 in Amelia Co. VA) and are not even distantly related to the Amelia Co. VA Jordan line.

“On the positive side, Y-DNA testing in conjunction with record research indicates there were at least two very-closely related families residing in Virginia’s Middle Peninsula during the 1700s.  

• The first, headed by Robert Jordan Sr. (d. c1786), resided in Caroline Co. VA from at least 1750 until well after his passing.  This same Robert Jordan is known to have fathered at least five sons and two daughters, some of whose offspring resided in Caroline Co. VA for many decades afterward.  Robert Sr. ‘s namesake son departed for Rockingham Co. NC in 1794.  I addressed this first family in Section VI of my book.
• The second, headed by William Jordan Sr. (d. 5/1782), resided in King & Queen Co. VA from at least 1780 until his passing, and probably resided in Gloucester Co. VA in prior years.  This same William Jordan is believed to have fathered 3-4 sons, at least two of which migrated to Halifax Co. VA as young adults.  This second family is the subject of the bulk of my book.

“As has been pointed out before – in her epic work A History of Halifax County, Virginia (1924), Wirt J. Carrington made several errors in documenting the early history of our Jordan family, but she was correct about so much more.  One of her mistakes was in claiming that the father of Robert Jordan (1755-1816, m. Elizabeth Church) was himself named Robert Jordan (b. 1717) who had two older brothers named William and Granville.  

“Of course, as it turned out, the father for the younger Robert Jordan (1755-1816) was actually named William Jordan Sr. (d. 5/1782) and the birth order of the younger Robert’s brothers also turned out to be incorrect.  However, it is still quite possible that Robert Jordan Sr. (d. c1786), of Caroline Co. VA was William Jordan Sr.’s younger brother.  Consider the following lineup as a strong possibility for the three early siblings:

• William Jordan Sr. of King & Queen Co. VA (c1713-5/1782, died at age ~69) 
• Granville Jordan* (b. c1715) – NFI
• Robert Jordan Sr. of Caroline Co. VA (1717-1786, died at age ~69)

“In other words, as regards the above family, Carrington may have been correct.  And who was their father?  Carrington indicates the father’s name was also William Jordan, but we may never know for certain.  All we can say for sure is that he was born circa 1690 in either British Virginia or England.  Anything beyond that is mere speculation and requires more research. 

“To summarize my findings and conclusions regarding our Greater Jordan Family:

“1st Generation –

Head: William Jordan, b. c1690

Issue: William (b. c1713), Granville* (b. c1715), Robert (b. 1717)

“2^nd Generation –

Head: William Jordan, b. c1713, d. 5/1782 (King & Queen Co. VA)

Issue: Robert (b. 1755), William (b. c1757), Henry (b. 1760), 

           Granville* (b. c1762).

Head: Robert Jordan, b. 1717,  d. c1786 (Caroline Co. VA)

Issue: Armistead (b. c1751), William (b. 1754), Robert (b. c1756), 

           Edmund (b. c1760), John (b. c1765), Mary (b. c1770), 

           Frances (b. c1778).

“Fortunately, several very recent Y-DNA discoveries – particularly as a result of upgrades to Big Y-700 testing using Family Tree DNA (FTDNA) – support these relationships and conclusions.”

* I am aware of no primary record evidence regarding the two family members named Granville Jordan.

Stuart Jordan

March 20, 2025

PostScript:  It is not known when the Jordan’s of Virginia’s Middle Peninsuls  arrived in America, but the senior William Jordan was evidently there in the early 1700s.  This was long after Samuel Jordan’s 1610 arrival in Jamestown.  William antecedents are unknown, but, assuming that Samuel was the grandfather of Thomas Jordan of Chuckatuck, William and Samuel were distantly related and probably had a common ancestor living in southwest England sometime in the 15^th or 16^th  century.

Sandy Jordan

March 21, 2025