The Descendants of James S. Jourdan

This article describes the descendants of James S. Jourdan, 2x great-grandfather of Jake Albert Jordan, and my 5x great grandfather.

Recapped from a previous article:

James S Jourdan was born in approximately 1827 in North Carolina.  James married Wincey Sarah Macon on 6 January 1848 in Hardeman County, Tennessee.  (The Macon family has a well documented history and will be explored further in a later post.)  James, Wincey, and a young daughter named Sarah are listed on the 1850 Federal Census in Hardeman County.  James was a 23 year old farmer and lived on what appears to be land owned by the Macon family.

James and Wincey Jourdan had at least four children:

1. Sarah, born abt 1849 in North Carolina
2. John T, born abt 1851 in Hardeman County, Tennessee / died after 1920 in Texas
3. M J (possibly Martha Jane), born abt 1854 in Hardeman County, Tennessee
4. James P, born 8 April 1858 in Hardeman County, Tennessee / died 8 February 1945 in San Angelo, Texas

After 1850 there are no further records of James until a legal notice of estate proceedings following his death in 1867.  The notice was in the Bolivar Bulletin (Hardeman County, Tennessee) and lists Bailey Macon and Wincey Jourdan as being involved in the settling of the estate.  There are also multiple records showing Phillip Jourdan being released as the legal guardian for the heirs of J S Jourdan which is further proof that William Phillip was James' father.

Below are summaries of the children of James S. Jourdan.


Sarah Jordan

The only record of Sarah Jordan is the 1850 Federal Census showing her as the one-year-old daughter of James and Wincey Jordan.

John T Jordan

John T Jordan was born in January 1851 in Hardeman County, Tennessee.  On 30 October 1869, at the age of 19 he married Martha Jane "Dolly" Macon.  (At the time this article was written the relationship, if any, between Martha Macon and Wincy Macon was unclear.)  On the 1870 Federal Census John was listed as the head of household.  He and Martha lived with John's mother, Wincey, and younger siblings, M J and J P.  John was a farmer with real estate valued at $1500 and a personal estate of $500.

John and Martha had three children:

1. J M, born 1873
2. William Albert, born 1877
3. M E, born 1878

Martha died on 10 March 1878 at the age of 25.  Her obituary was recorded in the Bolivar Bulletin:

On 7 August 1878, John married Sarah Elizabeth Howell.  Between 1885 and 1887 they moved from Hardeman County, Tennessee to Fannin County, Texas.  John and Sarah had eight children:

1. W L (daughter), born September 1879 in Tennessee / died before 1900
2. John T, Jr., born January 1881 in Tennessee
3. Dan B, born November 1882 in Tennessee
4. Cora Virginia "Jennie", born 23 June 1884 in Tennessee / died 22 May 1961 in Fort Worth, Texas
5. Arthur M, born December 1885 in Tennessee
6. Charles E "Chas", born May 1887 in Texas
7. Nora (Annie?), born about 1894 in Texas
8. Chester Scott, born 18 June 1896 in Texas / died 19 November 1978 in Cleburne, Texas

After the 1920 Federal Census there is no further record of John T Jordan.  Sarah Elizabeth Howell is listed as a widow on the 1930 Federal Census, so J T must have died between 1920 and 1930.  Sarah died on 28 July 1931 in Tarrant County, Texas.  Burial locations for J T and Sarah are unknown at the time this article was written.

Martha Jane Jordan (Revised 5/30/2014)

Martha Jane Jordan was born in about 1854 in Hardeman County, Tennessee.  She married John T Maxwell on 31 July 1873.  The only records of Martha and John are their marriage record and the 1880 Federal Census which showed that they were farmers in Hardeman County, Tennessee.

John T Maxwell married another woman, Mary Campbell, on 19 April 1890, so it has been widely assumed that Martha died before that date.  The 1900 census, however, shows Mary Campbell Maxwell as the step-mother of John and Martha's children including a youngest child, Charles, who was born in 1891.  If Charles was Mary's stepson Martha's date of death would have been after John's marriage to Mary Campbell.  The 1900 census, however, also shows that Mary Campbell Maxwell was the mother of four living children which would have to include Charles.  It is my conclusion that Martha died before 1890, Charles is the child of John and Mary Maxwell, and he is listed as Mary's stepson in error.  This means John T Maxwell and Martha Jane Jordan Maxwell were most likely the parents of the following children:

1. Roelza Napoleon, born 11 March 1879 in Hardeman County, Tennessee / died 25 June 1943 in Leonard, Texas
2. Mary Ellen, born about 1880 / exact date of death unknown
3. Arthur Young, born 30 March 1881 in Hardeman County, Tennessee / died 6 February 1951 in Denison, Texas
4. Walter F, born 1882 in Tennessee / date of death unknown
5. Henry Levett, born 1885 in Tennessee / date of death unknown
6. John Luther, born 30 June 1886 in Texas / died 2 December 1961 in Durant, Oklahoma

Marriage License of Martha Jane Jordan and John T Maxwell
Photo from allentipton at Ancestry.com

James P Jordan

James P Jordan was born on 8 April 1858 in Middleton, Hardeman County, Tennessee.  On 30 January 1878, James married Mary J Luttrell.  They lived in Hardeman County and worked as farmers until 1885 when they moved to Fannin County, Texas to continue farming.  In 1904, James and Mary moved to San Angelo, Texas.  James continued to farm in San Angelo for two years before moving into the city where he ran the Jordan Grocery Store for three years.  After that, he worked for the Orient Railroad as a car inspector until he retired in 1922.

James and Mary had two children:

1. John William, born 21 February 1879 in Tennessee / died 13 Feb 1897 in Fannin County, Texas
2. James Homer, born 26 April 1883 in Tennessee / died 4 February 1965 in San Angelo, Texas

Mary died of cancer on 4 January 1914.  James then lived with his son, Homer, until he died on 8 February 1945 due to pneumonia brought on by influenza.

James P Jordan, date of photo estimated 1940
Photo from jucasey1 at Ancestry.com

Read More:
The Descendants of John T Jordan Part I, Part II
The Descendants of Martha Jane Jordan Maxwell
The Descendants of James P Jordan