If anyone is currently doing or has done research on the Jordan family from the Siler City area of Chatham County, North Carolina, I'd appreciate your input.
I'm researching my wife's maternal grandfather's, Pop (b.13 Jan 1912 d. 31 Oct 2008), family, the Jordan's. The oldest census I have found is from 1850 which shows Judy Jordan, Louisa, Milly, Lydia and John (twins), Marion and Rhoda (possibly Judy's mother or sister?). Judy's census information doesn't show a "head of household" entry for 1850 or 1860 (so where did the surname come from and what was her maiden name?).
Judy (Pop's great grandmother) (b. abt 1808) apparently died sometime after the 1860 census. In the 1860 census, there appear to be five adults other than Judy in the house, some I believe are Lydia's siblings based on relative ages.
Lydia (Pop's grandmother) (b. abt 1836, d. 2 Dec 1925) shows up in the 1860 census with three children Sarah, James and William. Again, no head of household entry.
The youngest child from the 1860 census, William (b. 1 Apr 1858, d. 30 Dec 1926) is Pop's father. What's odd is that the women appear to be passing the Jordan surname down to their kids without a head of household entry in the census. The really interesting thing is that there is evidence that Pop's father William had a younger sister, Julia (b.11 Apr 1861 d. 28 Nov 1919). Julia shows up in the 1880 census with mother Lydia and brothers James and William. If Julia is William's younger sister, her husband, Charles Pope (b. 22 Aug 1858 d. 14 May 1934), put on her death certificate that she was "Illegitimate". I have seen other documents that show question marks for the father information. Does that imply that all of Lydia's children are illegitimate?
As far as I can tell, this family stayed in Chatham County, NC from birth to death.
Any insight into this family's history would be appreciated.
Thanks.
