Research
Tales
Most of us have some interesting stories about how or where we found certain pieces of information. I thought it would be fun to share some of these stories here. (Names may be changed to protect the guilty or well-intentioned!) Perhaps these "tales" will give you some hints of things to try that you haven't thought of before. If you've got an interesting story of your own, I'll be happy to add it to this page. Email: Myrtle Bridges
Several years ago I posted a note on Prodigy's genealogy board about Thomas Jordan. I had his birth & death dates, wife, marriage & descending line. No parents. It was answered by Cindi, a researcher & member of CCGS. She & hubby traipsed Cross Creek Cemetery & found Thomas' burial site; along side were his wife, a son & Ann Snow Jordan.
The wife's & Ann's tombstones had been damaged in the 21 Sep 1945 Fayetteville flood & my Aunt XXX (family historian & cover-upper of family skeletons) replaced the two stones.
Being both suspicious & thorough by nature, Cindi checked the original burial records & found that Ann was buried simply as Ann Snow. My Aunt XXX had "married" Ann by adding the surname "Jordan", thus making an honest woman of her. This info, plus the addition of "son" in the deed was all I needed to confirm my suspicions that Ann was not married when Thomas was born.
Census records showed that Thomas was either with Ann & her parents, she with him or she was living nearby. One census showed my 10-month-old grandmother in her household. No doubt in my mind!
I had always thought it curious that a picture I have of Thomas just said "only child" & only showed his descendants, no ancestors, on the back - now I know why...he was illegitimate (horrors).
Interesting Note: There was an adult Thomas James Jordan, Confectioner,
Fayetteville in 1834, a year before young Thomas James Jordan was born.
The older Thomas was bondsman for Sarah Snow's marriage to Charles R Jones
1837 (I suspect she was Ann's sister as my gm was named Sarah). The older
Thomas was on same page in 1850 Fayetteville census as Ann, her parents
& young Thomas. I don't want to accuse him without proof, but it's
sure suspicious, don't you think? Ann never filed a bastardy bond...I wonder
why?
Submitted by: Elaine Carr
