Thomas S. Jordan was born on 3 January, 1832 in Macon, Bibb county, GA (according to his obit). Both of his parents were born in GA (according to his census info). In 1847, he began apprenticeship as a printer in "the Advertiser" office (this is from his newspaper obit in Ashland, AL - I am assuming that this means the "Advertiser" newspaper in Montgomery, AL, given that, according to that same obit, in 1852 he was foreman of the job office that printed the Code of Alabama - Brittan and DeWolf, State Printers, Montgomery, AL). I can not find him anywhere on the 1850 census. On the 10th of October, 1859, at Wedowee, Alabama, Thomas married Mary Creel, who was born in Carroll county, GA; she was the daughter of Jordan Creel and Mary (Polly) White, both of Carroll county. The 1860 Randolph Co., AL, census, Wedowee, Dwelling 17, has: T.G.W. Jourdan (28, male, printer, born in GA, married within the yr) Mary Jourdan (22, female, HW, born in GA, married within the yr) Cinthia Jourdan (38, female, HW, born in SC) T.G.W. Jordan married Cynthia Smith in Harris County, GA, July 14, 1853. Thomas S. Jordan and Mary Creel married in 1859. Apparently, the man listed in the 1850 Randolph county census is Thomas S., not T.G.W. Where was T.G.W., and what relationship is he to Thomas S.? Cynthia died of some sort of fever shortly after this census was taken. The only additional mention of T.G.W. I have found is on a muster of the Camp of Instruction in Talladega during the Civil War. Thomas S. was a courier for the C. S. A. between West Point, GA and Talladega, AL during the Civil War. I can not find him on a muster roll, but am told couriers were often not listed on a muster. On July 21, 1860, Thomas and Mary's first son, Joseph Wiley Jordan, was born. This son later practiced medicine in Ashland, Clay county, Alabama until his death in 1951. He also was elected to serve in the state legislature in 1930s. In 1862, a second son, William Dotson Jordan, was born to Thomas and Mary. As an adult, he owned a drug store in Ashland, Alabama. In 1864, a daughter, Mary, was born. After the war, Thomas farmed for a while near Opelika, AL, then worked as a printer until starting his own newspaper, The Opelika Reformer. The 1870 census shows: Girard Beat No. 1, County of Russell, AL, Post Office Columbus, GA, 27th day of June 1870 Jourden, Thomas 38 M W Farmer GA Mary 32 F W KH GA Joseph 10 M W GA William 8 M W GA Mary 6 F W AL Little Mary died at age 7, and is buried in Girard. Thomas and Mary later adopted Mary Dyson/Dison, b. 1876. Apparently they did not legally adopt her, since she kept the surname Dyson. She m. Robert L. Thurman in 1893 in Clay county, AL. In 1876, Thomas moved from Opelika to Coosa county, AL, where he and his sons published The Coosa News. In 1878, he moved to Ashland, AL, in Clay county, where he began publishing another newspaper. The 1880 census for Ashland, Clay Co AL; Stamped page 69; 03 Jun 1880; Asst Marshall J F Cole; Dwelling #58; Family #58: JORDAN Thomas W M 48 married Printer GA GA GA Mary W F 42 wife married KH GA GA GA Joseph W. W M 20 son printer AL GA GA Willis D W M 18 son printer AL GA GA DISON Mary J W F 4 adopted AL AL AL At 9:15 PM, 6 May, 1894. Thomas S. Jordan died in Ashland, AL. He had been a Baptist, a Mason (he had a Mason's funeral), and he was active in politics. Any assistance in finding anything more about this most frustrating brick wall would be much appreciated!! Carol C-H <cch@netdoor.com> http://www2.netdoor.com/~cch/