On 10 Dec 1703, Col. Samuel Jordan was married to Elizabeth Raley, daughter of Col. Charles Fleming of New Kent County (Henrico Monthly Meeting of Friends: Record Book 1699-1757, p. 35; https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2189/images/42483_...). In his will of 2 October 1718, proved 11 June 1719, Samuel Jordan of New Kent County mentioned a wife Elizabeth (almost certainly the one he had married in 1703) and stated that he had five children then living, but unfortunately did not name them (two copies of the will are preserved in Library of Virginia, Richmond: Louisa County, Chancery Court Papers, File 1788-004 (Charles Jordan vs. Thomas Freeman), https://www.lva.virginia.gov/chancery/case_detail.asp?CFN=109-1788-004, images 2-5 in case file). Who were they?
Three known children
In a deed dated 20 Apr 1736, Charles Fleming quoted from the will (no date given) of his late father Charles Fleming, which granted a certain tract of 500 acres to "my two grandsons Charles Jordan and George Bates" and provided that "if Either of them or both dye before he comes of age it is my will that my two grandsons Samuel and Matthew Jordan have the said" land (Goochland County (VA): Deeds, vol. 2, pp. 206-207; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99P6-9Q4K?i=395). Charles, Samuel, and Matthew Jordan were all three called "my cousins" (i.e., nephews) by the younger Charles Fleming in the 1736 deed and thus were still alive then. As the Elizabeth who married Samuel Jordan in 1703 is the only daughter of the elder Charles Fleming known to have married a Jordan, it is reasonable to assume that the Charles, Samuel, and Matthew Jordan named in the 1736 deed were three of the five children mentioned in the elder Samuel Jordan's 1718 will (in the case of Charles, this can be demonstrated).
Known child Charles Jordan
Charles Jordan indeed received 250 acres in Goochland County through the 1736 deed. On 13 July 1765 Charles Jordan of St. James Northam Parish, Goochland Co., gifted to his son Matthew Jordan 100 acres on the branches of Little Lickinghole Creek in said county adjacent to Thomas Fleming, Fleming Bates, and Goochland Glebe land (Goochland County (VA): Deeds, vol. 8, pp. 519-520; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89P6-9K38?i=712). On 7 May 1773 Charles Jordan of St. James Northam Parish, Goochland Co., gifted to his son Charles 150 acres on Little Lickinghole Creek bordering Thos. Fleming, Wm. Douglas, and Goochland Glebe land (Goochland County (VA): Deeds, vol. 10, pp. 341-342; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89P6-9CDD?i=330). Both of these sons were also named in the will of Charles Jordan of St. James Northam Parish, Goochland County (dated 7 May 1773 and proved 16 May 1774 (Goochland County (VA): Deeds, vol. 10, pp. 437-438; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89P6-9C8S?i=378). This demonstrates that the Charles Jordan, of Goochland County who (according to a parish register) was buried 6 Nov 1773 was indeed the grandson of Charles Fleming named in the 1736 deed (for burial, see W. Mac. Jones (ed.), The Douglas Register (Richmond, VA: 1928), p. 339; https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/25436/images/dvm_L...).
About June 1767 a Charles Jordan of Cumberland County, asserting that he was the oldest son and surviving child of the Samuel Jordan of New Kent County who had written a will in late 1718 and then died in 1719 while Charles was still very young, sued in Louisa County Chancery Court seeking possession from Thomas Freeman and others of the descendants of two enslaved persons who had been given as dower property to his father's widow Elizabeth for the duration of her life (Bill of complaint by Charles Jordan, undated [ca. June 1767], in Library of Virginia, Richmond: Louisa County, Chancery Court Papers, File 1788-004 (Charles Jordan vs. Thomas Freeman); https://www.lva.virginia.gov/chancery/case_detail.asp?CFN=109-1788-004 (images 16-17 in the case file). For the date of the bill, see the note on an order of the court dated 16 Jul 1783 stating that the suit had commenced 15 Jun 1767 (image 8 in the case file); this is supported by a summons to Thomas Freeman dated 15 Jun 1767 to answer Charles Jordan's bill of complaint (image 10 in the case file)).
The plaintiff here was stated as being of Cumberland County (which until 1777 also included what is now Powhatan County, just across the James River from Goochland County). But on 3 Oct 1772 Hanover County Chancery Court awarded to this same plaintiff (Charles Jordan Sen.) possession of unnamed enslaved persons held by John Harris and Thomas Hooper as well as named enslaved persons (including Will, George, Nan, and Lucy) held by Benjamin Johnson (Hanover Chancery Court, Order dated 3 Oct 1772, copy in Library of Virgina, Richmond: Louisa County, Chancery Court Papers, File 1788-004 (Charles Jordan vs. Thomas Freeman); https://www.lva.virginia.gov/chancery/case_detail.asp?CFN=109-1788-004 (image 20 in case file)). In his 7 May 1773 will Charles Jordan of St. James Northam Parish, Goochland County, stated that he had recently recovered possession of twelve enslaved persons "by Law" (i.e., through court action) but had not yet actually recovered Handy (held by Thomas Freeman), Will, George, Nan, and Lucy (Will of Charles Jordan, 7 May 1773, proved 16 May 1774, in Goochland County (VA): Deeds, vol. 10, pp. 437-438; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89P6-9C8S?i=378). And James Jordan, I of Goochland County, son of the Charles Jordan of Goochland County, in his own 1781 will stated that his father's executors were still trying to recover enslaved persons from Benjamin Johnson and one Freeman (Will of James Jordan, 20 May 1781, proved October 1781, in Goochland County (VA): Deeds, vol. 13, pp. 145-146; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99P6-9J76?i=279). Thus, there can be no doubt that Charles Jordan, of Goochland County was the plaintiff in this case and thus not just a grandson of the elder Charles Fleming, but also the oldest son and surviving child of the Col. Samuel Jordan who died 1718-19 in New Kent County.
Known child Samuel Jordan
It is very likely that the Samuel Jordan named in the 1736 deed as the elder Charles Fleming's grandson was the Samuel Jordan (no county stated) who witnessed two deeds of Charles Jordan of Goochland County, namely the purchase on 26 January 1732/33 of 100 acres in eastern Goochland County (Goochland County (VA): Deeds, vol. 1, pp. 383-384; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99P6-9QXP?i=206) and the sale on 20 September 1743 of 400 acres in what is now Albemarle County (Goochland County (VA): Deeds, vol. 4, pp. 215-216; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9P6-9S5R?i=125). This suggests that, at least until the mid-1740s, he remained in the vicinity of eastern Goochland County.
A Samuel Jordan of Henrico County was involved in two property transactions in the early 1740s. On 2 Sep 1745 he sold 118 acres south of the James River in the area set aside for French refugees (i.e. the Manakintown section in what is now easternmost Powhatan County) that he had bought 5 Sep 1743 from Edward Randolph, merchant of the City of London (Henrico County (VA): Deeds, 1744-1748, p. 192; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89P6-KHRV?i=88). Meanwhile, on 21 Sep 1742 he had been gifted 200 acres in the South Garden of what then was Goochland County by a Charles Blandy of Goochland County (Goochland County (VA): Deeds, vol. 4, pp. 51-52; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9P6-9SYV?i=43). This land, now described as being on the South Fork Hardware River (which flows through South Garden in what is now Albemarle County just northeast of Covesville), was sold 11 Aug 1768 by Samuel Jordan, now describing himself as "of Buckingham County" (Albemarle County (VA): Deeds, vol. 4, pp. 539-540; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4X-5SXD-2?i=742). The early deed and will books for Buckingham County (established 1761 from Albemarle County) no longer exist, so it cannot be verified that there was only one Samuel Jordan in this county at this time; however, it is at least plausible that the Samuel Jordan who sold the 200 acres in 1768 was the Samuel Jordan (no county stated) who had first been granted 400 acres in 1750 at the mouth of Slate River into Fluvanna (now James) River on what is now the Buckingham County side of the Seven Islands area just west of Arvonia (Virginia Land Office: Patents, vol. 30, pp. 145-146; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C37S-3N67?i=155) and then received another 4,449 acres along Slate River in 1760 (Virginia Land Office: Patents, vol. 33, p. 720-722; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSBP-M9PR-K?i=222). This was the Revolutionary War Patriot Colonel Samuel Jordan, II of Buckingham County who, according to a contemporary newspaper article, died 21 Jul 1789 at the age of 75 years (Dunlap and Claypoole's American Daily Advertiser [of Philadelphia, PA], 21 Aug 1789, p. 3; https://www.newspapers.com/article/dunlap-and-claypooles-american-d...). It is thus at least plausible that this Samuel Jordan is the same as the Samuel Jordan named as one of Charles Fleming's grandsons in the 1736 deed.
Known child Matthew Jordan
On 20 Sep 1743 a Matthew Jordan (no relationship stated) bought from Charles Jordan of St. James Northam Parish, Goochland County, 400 acres on the north side of Fluvanna River (today's James River) in what then was Goochland County at Rockhouse Branch, which had been granted to Charles on 15 Mar 1735/36 (Goochland County (VA): Deeds, vol. 4, pp. 215-216 (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9P6-9S5R?i=125); for original grant to Charles see Virginia Land Office: Patents, vol. 17, pp. 21-22 (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C37S-33DF-2?i=45)). This land was located near present-day Howardsville in what is now southernmost Albemarle County. On 25 Sep 1746 a Matthew Jordan had another 400 acres adjoining this land granted to him (Virginia Land Office: Patents, vol. 24, pp. 497-498; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C37S-3S4V-H?i=509), and on 20 Aug 1748 a Matthew Jordan received a further 200 acres in the same area (Virginia Land Office: Patens, vol. 26, pp. 696-698; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C37Q-GSP7-V?i=706). That these were all the same Matthew Jordan is shown by the fact that all three parcels were regranted to him as a single parcel of 1,000 acres on 10 Sep 1755 (Virginia Land Office: Patents, vol. 31, pp. 728-729 (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSKW-KS7Y-7?i=729). This appears to be the same parcel of 1,000 acres bequeathed by a Matthew Jordan of Albemarle County in his will written 6 Apr 1769 and proved Nov 1769 (Albemarle County (VA): Wills, vol. 2, pp. 246-247; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89P7-97LH?i=132). Thus, if it is accepted that the Matthew Jordan who bought 400 acres from Charles Jordan of Goochland County in 1743 was that Charles's brother (which is NOT explicitly stated in that deed), then the Matthew Jordan who died 1769 in Albemarle County was also a son of Samuel Jordan.
Mistaken identification of father: William Jordan
On Geni William Jordan is currently listed as a son of Col. Samuel Jordan. He is currently shown as having died in 1780, with no place, and also no sources or discussion in the overview. At Wikitree the corresponding person is currently listed as having died 1779 in Amelia County (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Jordan-15290). The only person this could refer to is the William Jordan of Amelia County who wrote his will on 17 June 1779, naming a wife Mary (Amelia County (VA): Wills, vol. 3, pp 25-26; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9P4-XQS4?i=212), and who had died by 22 Feb 1781 when an appraisement of his estate was ordered (Amelia County (VA): Wills, vol. 3, pp. 115-116; https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9P4-X3RR?i=257). Various depositions in an inheritance case show that a William Jordan of Amelia County had first married Elizabeth Stokes about 1744 and then married Mary, daughter of John Ellis, about 1747 (Library of Virginia, Richmond: Amelia County, Chancery Court Papers, File 1773-001 (Executors of Samuel Jordan vs. William Jordan), https://www.lva.virginia.gov/chancery/case_detail.asp?CFN=007-1773-001; see depositions of Henry Stokes [image 11 in the case file], John Diby [image 21], John Ellis [image 30], and Silvanus Walker [image 37]; see also https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Jordan-8801). The bill and answer in this case show that this William Jordan indeed was son of a Samuel Jordan - but that was a Samuel Jordan who had died in Amelia County very early in 1761 (Library of Virginia, Richmond: Amelia County, Chancery Court Papers, File 1773-001 (Executors of Samuel Jordan vs. William Jordan), https://www.lva.virginia.gov/chancery/case_detail.asp?CFN=007-1773-001, bill of Lyddal Bacon and Richard Clough [image 3 in the case file] and answer of William Jordan [image 18]). This Samuel Jordan, clearly a different person than the Samuel Jordan who died in New Kent County in 1718-19, appears not yet to be on Geni, but has an extensive write-up at https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Jordan-13595.
Unproven existence: Robert Jordan
On Geni Robert Jordan is currently attached as a son of Col. Samuel Jordan with birthdate 1717; no children are linked, but the overview (in an unsourced quote) mentions three children, Robert Jr., William, and Henry. The quote in the overview can be identified as having come from Wirt Johnson Carrington, A History of Halifax County (Virginia) (Richmond, VA: 1924), p. 216 (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/30030/images/dvm_L...), which posits a Robert Jordan born 1717 as father of the Robert Jordan of Halifax County, VA, born 1755 and assumes that the elder Robert's father was a William Jordan, somehow related to both Thomas Jordan the Quaker of Chuckatuck and a Samuel Jordan married to Elizabeth Fleming who died 1761 in Amelia County - in other words, an extremely confused account (see more detailed discussion at https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Jordan-2122). The most recent research by a careful descendant of the younger Robert Jordan, Sr. of Halifax County, including Y-DNA analysis, suggests that he may have been the son of a William Jordan, Sr. of Gloucester and then King and Queen County, and that this William was not directly descended from Samuel Jordan of New Kent County or his father Thomas 'the Quaker' Jordan of Chuckatuck, but rather from a closely related line (see discussion at https://jordans-journey.com/2021/08/31/jordan-family-roots-revisited/).
Unknown person: D. Jordan
A sixth son of Samuel Jordan is currently listed at Geni as D. Jordan, supposedly born 1708, with no sources or other information in the overview and no persons attached besides supposed parents and siblings. I have been unable to identify who this person is supposed to be.
Conclusions and Suggested Actions:
Charles Jordan, of Goochland County clearly was a son of Col. Samuel Jordan. The latter's father-in-law also had two grandsons named Samuel and Matthew Jordan, who can be reasonably well identified as Colonel Samuel Jordan, II of Buckingham County and Matthew Jordan, I of Albemarle County. I believe that these three should be retained as sons of Col. Samuel Jordan and perhaps have their relationships to each other locked.
Three other sons currently listed at Geni for Col. Samuel Jordan do not belong there and should in my opinion be detached. William Jordan should be reassigned to his correct father, the Samuel Jordan of Amelia County who died in early 1761 (this person may need to be created). Robert Jordan is largely a figment of the imagination of an early 20th-century county historian and should perhaps be merged into William Jordan, Sr., with a clear note that he is not a son of Col. Samuel Jordan. Finally, I see no information on who D. Jordan is supposed to be.
This accounts for only three of the five (unnamed) children claimed by Col. Samuel Jordan in his 1718 will. However, on the basis of the primary source information currently available, we simply do not know who the other two children were, or even their gender or whether they survived into adulthood.
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