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Hi all,Its been sometime since my last posting,but my research is ongoing every chance I get. I have been researching my maternal GM & GF. GM’s surname JORDAN, (Hillsboro & Durham NC ) GF’s surname NUNN ( Chapell Hill & Durham ). Both families were of IND descent & both were enslaved in the Piedmont.I came across a slave narrative simply by chance,the freedman was Ovid JORDAN( Durham ) this led me to the JORDANS. The JORDANS were enslaved on STAGVILLE PLANTATION owned by the CAMERONS & were freed after the Civil War.My GM’s sister married Rev James Whitted Jr.,& her cousin my ( GGF’s brother’s daughter ) also married a Whitted.I found a list of the families who were slaves of the CAMERONS & as freed people settled in Durham & surrounding areas but the JORDANS were not mentioned and the book about The STAGVILLE SLAVE FAMILIES was out of print. The NUNNS, not sure who enslaved them.Two years ago , I contacted the Whitteds of color historian, and asked had she been told the JORDANS were of IND descent ,I never heard from this person again.I belived that all IND people were FPC. HELP !!!!!!
Hello! Connie!?
You’re overview is not wrong.
I don’t know that I can take your lines back further, but without specific information, I can’t take a shot at it, either.
What were their names?
Bill
Hi Bill, thanks for being so patient, this is the infomation you requested, GM Nellie Jordan born about 1887 in Durham, Orange Co, NC. her mother, Agnus ( Agnes) Laws brn. abt. 1847 NC. father, Jordan Jordan brn. abt. 1842 NC. My GF James Nunn, brn.abt. 1869 Chapel Hill, Orange Co, NC. his mother Eliza or Elizabeth, brn. abt. 1836, maiden name unknown, father Ruffin Nunn, brn. abt. 1819 in NC. Both Gm & Gf died long before I was born. My mother & father divorced when I was very young & my father & paternal grandparents raised me, so very little time was spent with my maternal family members until after my mothers death. Fortunately a paternal great Uncle, my PGM’s brother knew the Nunn’s when he spent time working in Orange CO. many many years before I was born & described them as Indian.Two years ago my eldest maternal cousin gave me photo’s of GM Nellie & a few of her siblings. My fathers description of my GM was on point , she and siblings looked of Indian descent, also my mothers sister who was 18 yrs. older remembered GM Nellie taking her to my GGF Jordans farm & described him as wearing his hair parted in the middle with a plait on each side. Connie Thanks Again
Connie,
I’ll see what I can find. Some appear to be familiar, based on time period and location.
Bill
I met some of the Nunns years ago, who lived just north of Chapel Hill. While I knew nothing of their background, their appearance was such that they would have passed unquestioned on the streets of any Indian community in the state.
Just my 2 cents.
Connie,
Hey! If anyone can help you with this, it’s Bill. He’s the best! Your story sounds interesting. If I come across any of those names I’ll let you know. I wish you the very best of luck on this. Lynella.:)
I don’t know that I’ve developed anything “new” beyond maybe detail, but I have reached a “records” dead end for the time being. I’ll post what I have if I’m not able to push this further back in time within the next several weeks. I had some new research material ordered that should have shed some additional light on the subject but both books were out of print. I’m still looking though.
Bill
Connie,
I just read over your thread again. This is a very interesting story. It brings me back to one I have yet to answere within my family. Its on my dad’s side so I have not made it a priority yet, due to the actual Saponi lineage being based on a matrilineal weave. But my dad’s side, Ashby (English) some where way back had a slave who was only known as the “Ashby Indian.” My dad told my sister Clara that this Ashby Indian was “Suponi” and he pronounced it “Sioux-poni.” If he meant Saponi then I’m thinking there may be some on my dad’s side as well. Who knows? This Ashby Indian married that Ashby Guy’s daughter, but like I said, that wouldn’t be matrilineal. But it is so odd a sensation to find that your own ancestors were…..so…..well, you know, I don’t like it!! Those Ashby guys were always causing problems for the Indians and I’m not proud of that at all. There are so many interesting tid bits in these histories like yours that when we do piece them together we come up with some very important factual information which we need, very much, to know. I’m even thinking that somewhere, perhaps maybe on one of Linda’s or her husband’s or a relatives site I found something about some guy…..I printed it up, I’ll have to find it, but some guy in I think Virginia who actually changed names and/or nationalities on peoples birth certificates so they would better blend into the “white world.” Noble perhaps, but boy it sure would have made our research a lot simpler if he’d not done that. How many lives did he change? Was it some of our direct ancestors? We may never know. I’m wishing you the best of luck with this. We are all in a “Place” together here where we can really help one another and I am so excited about it! God Bless, Lynella.:)
Hi, again!
It came to me in the middle of the night, I think the guy who changed info. on documents name, was Walter Ashby Pleckler. Though I could be wrong. I still have to look for that info. I printed. I also think it was in Virginia, early 1900’s. Anyway, I just thought I’d throw that in. Lynella.
Yes, that was Walter Ashby Plecker, Virginia State Office of Vital Statistics (or so.. ). Use the “search” button on this site to pull up more specific information on him and “The List”.
Bill
Bill,
😀 Oh, yes, Bill thank you! I thought perhaps I was loosing my marbles again!! I knew it had to be here somewhere! You’re the best! Lynella.
Hi Lynella,
Sorry it took so long to reply, thanks for the information,
your tid bit is valuable, perhaps what I can document
will help some one else. I believe that there are many others out there facing the same obstacles.
I read about Plecker on this forum, but it seems to me that
Indian identity was stolen long before Plecker was born, by census
enumerators who designated the race of an idividual of color simply by complexion. I have seen this happen to my own family, maternal & paternal. How could one child’s race be designated
as mulatto & his sibling designated as black? The old term
mulatto is also very confusing, my understanding was that a child
with a white parent & a black parent was a mulatto, maybe a
forum member can help clear my confusion.
Also remembering The Indian Removal Act, I don’t think Indian
people who had no tribal ties would volunteer information.
Lynella! no shame for what your ancestors may have done that’s
History. I am here just as you said for pieces of information that
will document lost history.
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