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Gordon Family of Wilkes County

Family tradition says that "Gordon the immigrant" was John George Gordon who arrived in Charleston South Carolina ca 1724 from Scotland. There is some confusion regarding his name. Some say he was Adam Gordon and others John George Gordon. The latter name is supported by an old Gordon family book "Vindiciae Pietatis" that includes a "JGG" signature. John George Gordon moved to Maryland and married Mary (or Sarah) Chapman ca 1727 in a somewhat "clandestine manner." Sarah Chapman was the niece of wealthy Dr. James Chapman and he opposed the marriage. John George Gordon was rather poor and Sarah's family was evidently at the opposite end of the financial spectrum.

The couple eloped and moved to Spottsylvania County, VA near Fredricksburg. John George Gordon was born about 1705/07 and died ca 1767 in Virginia and his widow and two sons Charles and George moved to Wilkes county ca 1774. Sarah Chapman was born about 1707 and died in North Carolina in 1795.


First Generation
Children of John George Gordon m. Sarah Chapman
Nathaniel Gordon
Charles Gordon Sr (1730-1799) m. Mary Boswell Herndon (widow)
John Gordon (1734)
Sarah Gordon (1735)
Elizabeth Gordon (1739)
George Gordon (1743-1800) m. Sarah Herndon (1754-1842) (step-daughter of Charles Gordon, Sr)

(Note: Charles Gordon Sr adopted Widow Herndon's children in 1759, Spotsylvania County, VA. The Herndon children were Sarah, Joseph, Benjamin, and possibly others.)


Second Generation

Children of Charles Gordon Sr. and Mary Boswell Herndon (widow)
Charles Gordon Jr (?-1799) m. Mary Lenoir
Chapman Gordon (1764-1812) m. Charity King
Nathaniel C. Gordon (1764-1812) m. Nancy Gordon of Virginia (his cousin)

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Children of George Gordon and Sarah Herndon
Elizabeth Gordon (1777) m. David Witherspoon
John Gordon (1779) m. Philadelphia Herndon, d/o Joseph Herndon) (this family moved to TN)
Nancy Gordon m. Nathaniel C. Gordon (her cousin)
Mary Gordon m. Dr. O'Reilly (moved to TN)
Philadelphia Gordon m. Samuel Craig
Nathaniel Gordon (1784-1829) m. Sarah Gwyn (1798-1889)
(after Nathaniel's death, his widow married Hamilton Brown)
Philadelphia Gordon m. Samuel Craig
Sarah Chapman Gordon m. Benjamin Herndon Jr
Rebecca Gordon m. Robert Church

George Gordon moved to Forsyth County, Ga. where he owned and operated a store.


Third Generation

Children of Chapman Gordon and Charity King
Rebecca Gordon m. Thomas Napier
Wiley Gordon
James Harvey Gordon m. Caroline Gwyn (sister of Sarah Gwyn Gordon Brown) (moved to Georgia)
Mary Basil Gordon m. John Brown
Myra Gordon
Zachariah Herndon Gordon (1776) m. Melinda Cox
Washington Gordon (1801) m. Elizabeth Bradshaw

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Children of Charles Gordon Jr and Mary Lenoir
Nancy Gordon (1793)
Mary Boswell Gordon (1797-1887) m. John Dunlap

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Children of Nathaniel Gordon and Sarah Gwyn
Martha Lenoir Gordon (1821-1898) m. Augustus W. Finley
Brigadier General James Byron Gordon (1822-1864),
(Served with J E B Stuart's Confederate cavalry, killed near Richmond
Sarah Ann Gordon (1826-1907) m. John Tate Finley
Caroline Louisa Gordon (1828-1891) m. Dr. Frank H. Hackett

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Children of Nathaniel C. Gordon and Nancy Gordon
Thomas A. Gordon
Richard C. Gordon
Nathaniel Wesley Gordon
Sarah Gordon
John W. Gordon


Fourth Generation

Children of Zachariah Herndon Gordon and Melinda Cox
Gov. John Brown Gordon (1832-1904) m. Fannie Haralson
(John B. Gordon was a General in Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and was with Lee at Appomattox. After the war he became Governor of Georgia.)


Sources

Early Settlers of Reddies River, Paul W. Gregory

The source for most of this information is "Happy Valley" by Thomas F. Hickerson and some Gordon Family notes by someone whose initials are "MCB" and I must confess I do not know the full name.--
Jim Deans, e-mail address: deans@io.com


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