Jane Jordan was born between 1780 and 1786 probably in Greenbrier County, (West) Virginia; her date of death is unknown. She married John Morris Jr. in Kanawha County, (West) Virginia on April 20, 1802. Jane’s fate after her father gave her and her husband 150 acres in 1817 is unknown. Some researchers believe that John and Jane moved to Sangamon County, Illinois some time before 1830.[1] Others think they remained in Cabell County. Still others posit that Jane died and John remarried another woman named Jane. There doesn’t appear to be a definitive answer to this question.

Evidence that Jane was a child of James and Sarah Jordan

  1. 🌳 Jane‘s marriage to John Morris was performed by the same minister on the same date in Kanawha County as Andrew Jordan‘s marriage to Mary Chapman.
  2. 🌳 In 1816 when John and Jane Morris sold land on the Mud River to Lawrence Briant, the three witnesses to the transaction were John Jorden, Andrew Jorden, and William Jorden (three of Jane’s brothers).
  3. 🌳 n December 1817 James and Sarah Jordan gave John Morris Junr (Jane’s husband) the land (150 acres) that the Morrises were living on.

Land Records

  • February 15, 1806 – John Morris Senr. and wife Peggy convey to John Morris Junr. 260 acres in Cabell County on Mud River to the Duvall line.
  • September 5, 1811 – John Morris Junr. and wife Jane sell to Manoah Bostick 220 acres in Cabell County on Mud River bounded by Duvall line and Lawrence Bryant.
  • September 6, 1813 – Barboursville trustees sell to John Morris Junr. lot #15 in Barboursville.
  • February 1, 1815 – John Morris and wife Jane sells Aaron Black lot #15 in Barboursville, Cabell County.
  • May 14, 1816 – John Morris Jr. and wife Jane sells to Laurence Briant 20 acres in Cabell County on Mud River for $20. This transaction was witnessed by John Jorden, Andrew Jorden, and William Jorden.
  •  December 10, 1817 – John Morris Junr buys the land he and Jane are living on for $1 from James Jordan Senr and Sarah his wife, 150 acres in Cabell County on the Mud River.
  • October 4, 1819 – John Morris and wife Jane, Joseph Hilyard and wife Elizabeth, Levi Morris and wife Fanny sell to William D. Morris a tract in Cabell County on Mud River including the plantation known as Cabell’s Old Place, 3/8 of a larger tract willed by John Morris Sr., deceased, on Fudge’s Creek. This indenture was also entered into the court records of Sangamon County, Illinois.
  • April 21, 1821 – John Morris and Cadwalder Chapman sell to Ben Maxey 3 lots in Barboursville, Cabell County.
  •  John Morris and wife Jane sell to Abia Rece 150 acres in Cabell County on Mud River called Morris’ Ferry, bounded by James Jorden fence.
  • September 18, 1833 – Thos. C. Billups and wife Sally, Richard Billups and wife Margaret, Wm Billups and wife Jane sell to John Morris 100 acres in Cabell County, part of a 1400-acre survey for Thomas Lewis adjoining the land of Thomas McCallister.
  • December 20, 1834 – William Billups and wife Jane sell to John Morris 75 acres in Cabell County on the corner with Thomas Lewis.

Census in which Jane Jordan probably appeared

    • 1820 Cabell County, Virginia – John Morris
      3 white males under 10
      2 white males 10-16
      1 white male 26-45 (John Morris)
      1 white female under 10
      1 white female 16-26
      1 white female 26-45 (probably Jane Jordan Morris)
      1 engaged in agriculture

Sources

1 Approximate year of birth taken from 1820 and 1830 censuses and the assumption that she was at least 16 years old at the time of her marriage. Date of marriage taken from Kanawha County marriage records. John and Jane are said by some researchers to have moved to Lick Creek in Sangamon County, Illinois, in 1825, but this has not been independently verified. John and Jane sold their home in September 1825 to Abia Rece, but continued to record land transactions in Cabell well after 1830.