Individual Details
Jordon Greer
(Bet 1818 and 1822 - Bet 1896 and 1900)
"According to family tradition (Aunt Edith) "Jordan (Greer), besides being a farmer, was a barrel maker (possibly Harrison?).
"Determining Jordan's father was a bit of a problem due to the loss of Watauga County (North Carolina) records for 1849 - 1873 as a result of the 1873 court house fire. Fortunately Jordan married for a second time late in life and the license for this marriage lists his father (photostat attached [in book]).
"Jordan's birthdate is variously calculated as ca 1819/20 (age 30 in 1850 census), 1823/4 (age 36 in 1860 census), 1818/19 (age 61 in 1880 census) and ca 1825/6 (age 70 on 29 June 1896) when he applied for a license for his second marriage. he was in any case born a year or two on either side of 1820, and may well have been unsure of the year himself as he was illiterate.
"The first record of Jordan Greer is on 29 October 1844 when, with Joshua Greer, his father, he was a chain bearer for a survey of a tract of 100 acres on the south fork of New River granted to Samuel Cooper (Ashe County Land Grant #3550, photostat attached). The same pair served as chain carriers to another grant to Samuel Cooper of 100 acres on Meadow Creek, surveyed on the same date (Ashe #3297). Samuel Cooper was a neighbor of these Greer's and perhaps a relative, but surviving probates of the Cooper family do not provide any data on the Greer's. Jordan Greer also served as a chain bearer, with Mabry T. Cox, for a survey dated 23 April 1852 for on Harrison Greer. This grant, for 30 acres on the waters of Gap Creek, was entered 22 October 1849 and issued 28 February 1853 (Watauga #167, photostat attached [in book]). This man, who was the namesake of Jordan's son, was probably his brother but he is not listed in the Census.
"Jordan is listed in the 1850 (Watauga County, North Carolina) Census next to Joshua Greer. The other Greer's listed adjacent to Jordan included two other sons of Joshua Greer - Jesse and Benjamine. The ages of Jordan's children suggest that he must have married his wife, Nancy E., about 1842/43 but no marriage bond is preserved in North Carolina. However as she was born in Tennessee it is likely that Jordan marrried in one of the northeastern counties of that state. Record of this is not found among the Carter County, Tennessee marriages, which have been published, but marriage records of Johnson County, Tennessee have not been checked and these may be a likely place to look. No North Carolina Civil War record has been found for Jordan.
"Jordan Greer owned no land at the time of the 1850 Census (L:33), nor was he listed as a landowner in 1860 where he is found in Meat Camp District, Watauga County (photostat attached [in book]). He is not listed at all in Watauga County in 1870. In 1862 Jordan did purchase lands on Gap Creek which appear either to have been near, or perhaps included part of, the lands once owned by Joshua Greer. Jordan probably did not directly inherit any land, however, as neither he nor Joshua are listed as owning land in 1860. Watauga County deeds of this period are lost but Jordan's purchase was not recorded until 1885, after the 1873 Watauga Courthouse fire: "This Indenture made this the eighteenth day of June ... 1862 between Samuel Cooper of the County of Ashe ... and Jordan Greer of the County of Watauga ... Witness that the aforesaid Cooper in consideration of the sum of one hundred Dollars ... doth grant ... unto the aforesaid Greer ... a tract of alnd on the Waters of Gap Creek cantaining one hundred acres ... beginning at a Red Oak near his own line on a Ridge running South forty five poles to a chestnut oake (sic) thence south firty (sic) West tweny (sic) poles to a pine thence South twenty five West one hundred and six poles to a white oak in Carrolls line thence west with said line forty poles to a maple thence North twenty five poles to a stake thence North sixty poles to a stake thence East twenty poles to a Black Gum thence North eight poles to a stake in his own line, thence East with sd line one hundred and twenty poles to a stake in his own thence south to the beginning ... Witness: S. H. Greer, J. M. Cooper. Proven 24 December 1885 by S. H. Greer." "His own line" apparently refers to Cooper's line, and this description is likely copied from an earlier deed or grant. S. H. Greer, witness to the deed, is probably Shadrack Greer, Jordan's brother.
"Jordan seems to have sold off some small parts of the above tract in deeds that do not survive. He sold the balance to Larkin Greer, who was probably the Larkin Greer, who was probably the Larkin who was born ca. 1873, son of Newton, son of Jesse, and thus Jordan's grandnephew, in 1895: "(T:246) This deed made this twenty sixth day of December ... 1895 by Jordan Greer of the County of Watauga and State of North Carolina of the first part and Larkin Greer of the same county ... of the second part Witnesseth that the said party of the first part for ... Four hundred dollars ... hath sold ... a certain parcel or tract of land ... on the waters of Gap Creek adjoining the lands og G. W> Phillips, Levi Morphew and others ... Beginning on a black gum on the bank of the meadow creek road (sic) runs north thirty poles to a red oak on the top of a ridge thence South 40 East thirty Seven poles to a white oak on a ridge thence north 75 East thirty seven poles to a chesnut thence South 80 East four poles to a chestnut thence South forty one poles to a black Gum thence South 20 East twenty eight poles to a Chestnut oak thence South 80 East twenty Eight poles to a stake in Levi Morphews line thence South 25 West Sixty poles to a Stake in the old Carroll line thence west with said line nineteen poles to a stake at the meadow creek road thence North 55 west up the road sixteen poles to a stake thence north 75 west Eighteen poles to a Small Siruill (sic) thence South 15 West Eight poles to a stake thence South 55 West forty poles to a stake on the top of the ridge thence North 60 West with the top of the so (sic) as to include the fence thirty poles to a stake thence north fourteen poles to a stake in the old line thence west sixteen poles to a stake thence north sixty poles to a white oak thence East twenty poles to the beginning ... (signed) Jordan Greer. Witness: A. J. Moretz."
"Nancy E. Greer died some time afte the 1880 Census, Jordan then married for a second time on 24 August 1896 Mrs. Martha (Cox) Huffman in Watauga County. The license for this marriage, which gives Jordan's age as 70, is dated June 29, 1896 and tells us that he was the son of "Josaway Greer."
"Jordan Greer is not found in the Soundex index to the 1900 Census, and he perhaps died before that year. No probate record is preserved for him in Watauga County, probably because he left no property at his death. Jordan left the following issue: [list of four children]." (OUR GREER FAMILY HISTORY, 1983, by Thomas H. Greer, 335 Miramontes Avenue, Half Moon Bay, California 94019, pages 9 - 19.)
"Determining Jordan's father was a bit of a problem due to the loss of Watauga County (North Carolina) records for 1849 - 1873 as a result of the 1873 court house fire. Fortunately Jordan married for a second time late in life and the license for this marriage lists his father (photostat attached [in book]).
"Jordan's birthdate is variously calculated as ca 1819/20 (age 30 in 1850 census), 1823/4 (age 36 in 1860 census), 1818/19 (age 61 in 1880 census) and ca 1825/6 (age 70 on 29 June 1896) when he applied for a license for his second marriage. he was in any case born a year or two on either side of 1820, and may well have been unsure of the year himself as he was illiterate.
"The first record of Jordan Greer is on 29 October 1844 when, with Joshua Greer, his father, he was a chain bearer for a survey of a tract of 100 acres on the south fork of New River granted to Samuel Cooper (Ashe County Land Grant #3550, photostat attached). The same pair served as chain carriers to another grant to Samuel Cooper of 100 acres on Meadow Creek, surveyed on the same date (Ashe #3297). Samuel Cooper was a neighbor of these Greer's and perhaps a relative, but surviving probates of the Cooper family do not provide any data on the Greer's. Jordan Greer also served as a chain bearer, with Mabry T. Cox, for a survey dated 23 April 1852 for on Harrison Greer. This grant, for 30 acres on the waters of Gap Creek, was entered 22 October 1849 and issued 28 February 1853 (Watauga #167, photostat attached [in book]). This man, who was the namesake of Jordan's son, was probably his brother but he is not listed in the Census.
"Jordan is listed in the 1850 (Watauga County, North Carolina) Census next to Joshua Greer. The other Greer's listed adjacent to Jordan included two other sons of Joshua Greer - Jesse and Benjamine. The ages of Jordan's children suggest that he must have married his wife, Nancy E., about 1842/43 but no marriage bond is preserved in North Carolina. However as she was born in Tennessee it is likely that Jordan marrried in one of the northeastern counties of that state. Record of this is not found among the Carter County, Tennessee marriages, which have been published, but marriage records of Johnson County, Tennessee have not been checked and these may be a likely place to look. No North Carolina Civil War record has been found for Jordan.
"Jordan Greer owned no land at the time of the 1850 Census (L:33), nor was he listed as a landowner in 1860 where he is found in Meat Camp District, Watauga County (photostat attached [in book]). He is not listed at all in Watauga County in 1870. In 1862 Jordan did purchase lands on Gap Creek which appear either to have been near, or perhaps included part of, the lands once owned by Joshua Greer. Jordan probably did not directly inherit any land, however, as neither he nor Joshua are listed as owning land in 1860. Watauga County deeds of this period are lost but Jordan's purchase was not recorded until 1885, after the 1873 Watauga Courthouse fire: "This Indenture made this the eighteenth day of June ... 1862 between Samuel Cooper of the County of Ashe ... and Jordan Greer of the County of Watauga ... Witness that the aforesaid Cooper in consideration of the sum of one hundred Dollars ... doth grant ... unto the aforesaid Greer ... a tract of alnd on the Waters of Gap Creek cantaining one hundred acres ... beginning at a Red Oak near his own line on a Ridge running South forty five poles to a chestnut oake (sic) thence south firty (sic) West tweny (sic) poles to a pine thence South twenty five West one hundred and six poles to a white oak in Carrolls line thence west with said line forty poles to a maple thence North twenty five poles to a stake thence North sixty poles to a stake thence East twenty poles to a Black Gum thence North eight poles to a stake in his own line, thence East with sd line one hundred and twenty poles to a stake in his own thence south to the beginning ... Witness: S. H. Greer, J. M. Cooper. Proven 24 December 1885 by S. H. Greer." "His own line" apparently refers to Cooper's line, and this description is likely copied from an earlier deed or grant. S. H. Greer, witness to the deed, is probably Shadrack Greer, Jordan's brother.
"Jordan seems to have sold off some small parts of the above tract in deeds that do not survive. He sold the balance to Larkin Greer, who was probably the Larkin Greer, who was probably the Larkin who was born ca. 1873, son of Newton, son of Jesse, and thus Jordan's grandnephew, in 1895: "(T:246) This deed made this twenty sixth day of December ... 1895 by Jordan Greer of the County of Watauga and State of North Carolina of the first part and Larkin Greer of the same county ... of the second part Witnesseth that the said party of the first part for ... Four hundred dollars ... hath sold ... a certain parcel or tract of land ... on the waters of Gap Creek adjoining the lands og G. W> Phillips, Levi Morphew and others ... Beginning on a black gum on the bank of the meadow creek road (sic) runs north thirty poles to a red oak on the top of a ridge thence South 40 East thirty Seven poles to a white oak on a ridge thence north 75 East thirty seven poles to a chesnut thence South 80 East four poles to a chestnut thence South forty one poles to a black Gum thence South 20 East twenty eight poles to a Chestnut oak thence South 80 East twenty Eight poles to a stake in Levi Morphews line thence South 25 West Sixty poles to a Stake in the old Carroll line thence west with said line nineteen poles to a stake at the meadow creek road thence North 55 west up the road sixteen poles to a stake thence north 75 west Eighteen poles to a Small Siruill (sic) thence South 15 West Eight poles to a stake thence South 55 West forty poles to a stake on the top of the ridge thence North 60 West with the top of the so (sic) as to include the fence thirty poles to a stake thence north fourteen poles to a stake in the old line thence west sixteen poles to a stake thence north sixty poles to a white oak thence East twenty poles to the beginning ... (signed) Jordan Greer. Witness: A. J. Moretz."
"Nancy E. Greer died some time afte the 1880 Census, Jordan then married for a second time on 24 August 1896 Mrs. Martha (Cox) Huffman in Watauga County. The license for this marriage, which gives Jordan's age as 70, is dated June 29, 1896 and tells us that he was the son of "Josaway Greer."
"Jordan Greer is not found in the Soundex index to the 1900 Census, and he perhaps died before that year. No probate record is preserved for him in Watauga County, probably because he left no property at his death. Jordan left the following issue: [list of four children]." (OUR GREER FAMILY HISTORY, 1983, by Thomas H. Greer, 335 Miramontes Avenue, Half Moon Bay, California 94019, pages 9 - 19.)
Events
| Birth | Bet 1818 and 1822 | Watauga County, North Carolina | |||
| Marriage | Abt, 1842 | Nancy E. "Eller" Laws | |||
| Death | Bet 1896 and 1900 | ||||
| Marriage | August 24, 1896 | Watauga County, North Carolina - Martha Cox |
Families
| Spouse | Nancy E. "Eller" Laws (1826 - 1880) |
| Child | Martha Greer (1843 - ) |
| Child | Mary Greer (1845 - ) |
| Child | William Harrison Greer (1847 - 1904) |
| Child | Maston Greer (1855 - 1925) |
| Spouse | Martha Cox (1849 - ) |
| Father | Joshua Greer (1788 - 1860) |
| Mother | Jane "Jennie" Church (1794 - ) |
| Sibling | Jesse W. "Jr." Greer (1813 - 1880) |
| Sibling | Greer (1815 - ) |
| Sibling | Benjamine Greer (1816 - 1870) |
| Sibling | John Greer (1817 - ) |
| Sibling | Harrison Henry? Greer (1820 - ) |
| Sibling | Shadrack H. Greer (1820 - ) |
| Sibling | Greer (1820 - ) |
| Sibling | Greer (1825 - ) |
| Sibling | Greer (1825 - ) |
| Sibling | Lucinda Jane Greer (1827 - 1920) |
| Sibling | Phebe Greer (1832 - ) |
| Sibling | James Greer (1834 - ) |
| Sibling | Aquilla Greer (1837 - ) |