Our earliest proven Gordon ancestor is George Gordon, born about 1819. The 1850 census of Montgomery Co. Arkansas indicated him as being born in Mississippi, but it could have been Arkansas. The man we believe is George’s father is also named George. He is listed in the 1820 Clark Co. Arkansas census as being born between 1770 & 1780. Since this George Sr. was listed in the Clark Co. Arkansas census in 1820, it is likely that George was born in Arkansas instead of Mississippi. But that does give us credence to the idea that they traveled through or lived at one time in Mississippi. Between 1820 and 1840 there was a George Gordon listed. We believe the George listed in 1840 in Clark Co. is George the younger because he married Elizabeth Franklin Shipp in Clark Co. on 11 April 1838. Either George senior passed away after the 1830 census or is living with one of his children.
At some point before the 1850 Montgomery Co. Arkansas census, the Gordon and Shipp families either moved a short distance to Montgomery Co. or the county lines had changed. They always seem to be listed in the Caddo or Caddo Gap section of either county. In the 1850 census George and Elizabeth are listed with the children that were born before that period. In 1860 Elizabeth is not listed, just George and those children born by 1860. From judging the ages of the youngest child, it looks like Elizabeth died sometime between 1856 and 1860. She would have been very young. If we were to believe the census and use her marriage year to denote age, she would have been 13 at her marriage. I, personally thing that her age is listed a little too young. But you never know!
By the 26 Oct 1862, George had married Nora Sloan. They had one child named George B. Gordon. By 21 June 1864 George had passed away. He left a will and in it he left a pony to Malon Rankins. He also mentions his daughter Sarah Jane Rankins. This was our big break. That proved who our Malon Rankins wife was. We had him always had him listed in Scott, Sebastion or Logan Co. Arkansas in the census. I am listing some other Gordon given names listed in the early records of Clark Co. Ar. There were Pleasant, Wyatt, Myall, Reuben, Flemming and William Gordon. This is quite a list of names. If anyone knows anything about any of these Gordon men, please contact me, any of these could be related to my George.
