DEFENSE OF COL. EDWARD HILL. Article 8th. That the s Hill contrary to his duty and faith reposed in him by the warrant afore converted divers of the goods (by him seized for the use of the King) to his owne use, and one hha of tob° marked with the King's marke at Nevet Wheelers wch he as afores caused to be struck out, & his owne to be put in the stead thereof, also from the widow Hunt, one hhd of tob°, weh after divers flattering arguments and proffers of favours, to p'suade - her from her tob° & did not therein prevaile, he wrongfully tooke and conveyed away. The 8th Article, all that is truth in it, I have answeared in the foregoing article in the story of Wheeler's Inventory and the bribe takeing; as to these abusive wordes concerning Mrs. Hunt, I know nothing of, and wonder how men's mallice (without practice in themselves) can invent such curious ways to crafte; what is true is this, the sheriff of our county as collector of our county owes me severall thous pounds of tob° and tells me he hath onely one hhd that lyes at Mrs. Hunt's, broad arrowed, and bids me receive it and speaks himself to Will Hunt to pay it me, weh he doeth wth out any manner of scruple, or denyall, & this Coll Jordan* & Major Hone† (who hath orders concern * Lieutenant-Colonel George Jordan was an early settler and prominent citizen of Surry county. As Captain George Jordan he was appointed a justice of Surry 1652, and remained a member of the court for many years. As Lieutenant-Colonel George Jordan his name appears first in the commission of the peace, dated December 22, 1668. He was appointed Attorney-General of Virginia April 12, 1670 ( General Court Records), and was a member of the House of Burgesses March, 1658-9 (Hening), 1674, 1677 (Surry Records), and probably other years. In November, 1673, Surry court granted him a certificate for the importation of thirty-eight persons, among whom were "Mr. Wm. Jordan," Mrs. Ann Jordan, his wife, Mrs. Fortune Flood, "myself two arrivals,' &c., &c., "Mr. John Cary, Mr. Robert Lee," &c., &c. He made oath that these thirty-eight persons were all his own servants or near relatives. His will, dated February 25, 1677-8, with a codicil dated May 8, 1678, was proved in Surry November 5, 1678. The following is an abstract: Will of George Jordan, of Surry, very aged. To be buried by my wife and children in Major Browne's orchard. There is about 2,000 lbs of tobacco in my hands due to the children of William Jordan, long since deceased, which children I could never find out, but am of late informed that they live at Gisburne, near Skipton in Craven, in Yorkshire; I order 6 hogsheads of tobacco to be sent home to them. To my two goddaughters, Colonel Thomas Swann's children, each a piece of plate of £5 sterling value. To Sarah Somerly, George Norwood, and George Briggs, also my god-children, each a silver spoon of 10 shillings value. To George Hogwood 400 lbs tobacco. To my friend, Thomas Somerby, 400 lbs tobacco. To poor James Somerby 3 ells of dowlas. To William Arnall 3 ells of Dowlas. To Mary Browne my god-child 3 sterling, and if the law do cutt off Mr. Cary his whole claimes, as I know it will if it come to tryall," I give him £50 sterling. On the 15th day of every October there shall be a sermon of mortality preached at my house, it being the day my daughter, Fortune Hunt, died, and whosoever shall enjoy my land, although it be a thousand generations hence, shall perform this sermon and prayer. To five needy poor people a barrel of corn each. To the church a baptismal bason of silver worth £3 sterling. Out of one half of my personal estate I give 600 lbs tobacco to my cousin, Edward Bayly, and the remainder of this half shall be divided into seven parts, to be paid to Charles Foster, Walter Flood, George Jordan, James Jordan, River Jordan, Elizabeth Jordan, and Thomas Flood. The other half of my personal estate and all my lands in Virginia to my nephew, Thomas Jordan, and if he die before this will is proved, to my brother, Arthur Jordan, in trust, to be equally divided among my seven nephews and niece, Elizabeth Jordan. I have lived in this country for 43 years. ing the estate) can give and hath given (I suppose) yo' houn" acc' off. Codicil: Since writing this will I have given to my nephew, Edward Bayly, a seat of land called the white marsh, and therefore declare void the 600 lbs tobacco. To Daniel Roviere 500 lbs tobacco. To Katherine Maddison 500 lbs tobacco towards the curing her leg, if she be not sent out of this parish by the vestry before the cure can be effected. To Thomas Andrews and Dorothy, his wife, 500 lbs tobacco. In 1655 George Jordan married Elizabeth, widow of Daniel Coates, who died in Ireland on the 15th of April in that year. He had before been married to Alice Miles, who died January 7, 1650, and whose tomb at "Four Mile Tree," Surry (the Browne estate), bears an epitaph printed in Neill's Virginia Carolorum. Colonel Jordan had many relatives in Surry. In a petition recorded in Surry January 14, 1656, Hannah Hill states that her husband had died intestate, and asks that his brother-in-law, George Jordan, be granted administration on the estate. In March, 1661, Mrs. Fortune Mills, wife of Mr. James Mills, of Surry (who had before been the widow of Colonel John Flood, of the same county), gave a power of attorney to her brother, George Jordan. There is recorded in Surry a deed dated June 2, 1665, from George Jordan, conveying his dwelling-house and 400 acres in Surry to secure the payment of £300 sterling to Thomas Hunt, who had married his daughter. Arthur Jordan was assessed with four tithables in Southwark parish, Surry, in 1668. There is a marriage contract between Arthur Jordan and Elizabeth Bavin. In November, 1659, in a deposition, he gave his age as about 30 years. His will, proved in Surry January 3, 1698-9, names his sons, George and River Jordan, son and daughter, Washington, granddaughter, Elizabeth Jordan, and grandson, Arthur Washington. The will of River Jordan, dated December 2, 1699, proved in Surry March 4, 1700–1, names his wife, Priscilla; unborn child; George, eldest son of George Jordan; Arthur, son of George Jordan; Thomas, son of George Jordan; William, son of William Browne, Jr.; if unborn child dies in minority, George Washington is to be paid £100 out of said child's portion of estate; Mary and Elizabeth, daughters of George Jordan. Thomas Jordan, the principal legatee of Colonel George Jordan, qualified as his administrator. No will of the former appears to be on record, but the inventory of the personal estate of Thomas Jordan, dated January 5, 1685, is on record. The total value is 57,342 lbs tobacco, and among the items given are an “unfixt clock,' a pair of very old virginalls," "a base viall unfixt," and "a parcell of old pictures." There is a deed, September, 1688, from Lucy, widow of Thomas Jordan, to her daughter, Phillis Jordan. |