Hans McMordie
Died: 25 May 1863, Williamson Co., TX, CSA
Married: Martha Eskridge Kenner
Hans McMordie was born on 17 Nov 1797, in Mercer County, Kentucky, the youngest son of Francis and Nancy McMordie (Probate Record, Mercer County, 1834; Gravestone, 1863). In 1828, the 30 year old Hans was given land by his father Francis, in Montgomery County, Tennessee (Montgomery County Deeds, 1828; United States Census, 1830). On 31 Jul 1831, he married Martha Eskridge Kenner (McMordie Family Bible, 1903). The children born to this marriage were:
Hans sold his farm on 21 Mar 1853 and moved to Williamson County, Texas (Montgomery County Deeds, 1853). In 1859 he bought nearly a section of land on Brushy Creek in Williamson County, Texas, for $1,790 (Williamson County Deeds, 1859). The exact amount of land is questionable since the dimensions are measured in the Spanish vara, and the distance along Brushy Creek determined the length of two of the sides. The 1860 Census of Williamson County showed Hans to be a 62-year-old, a farmer with his land valued at $1,200. The only child living with him at this time was Robert, age 17, who worked as a common laborers Hans' grandson, George Kenner McMordie, wrote in his Biographical Sketch, "I will begin with telling you about when Grandfather McMordie would come to see us. When he would come I would tell 'Ma' that Grandfather liked fried sweet potatoes. I liked them as well as Grandfather, but I knew she would cook them for him. I was then about four or five years old."
Sons Frank and Abe were privates in the Williamson County Company, 27th Brigade, Brig. Gen. E. S. Robertson, Texas Militia, Confederate Army, and James was a 2nd Sergeant in the same unit. They enlisted in August 1861 (Texas Confederate Index, n. d.). James also served as a Mounted Texas Ranger (ingmire, n. d.).
While Texas was part of the Confederate States of America, Hans McMordie died on 25 May 1863, at the home of his son and daughter-in-law, Frank and Mary, in Williamson County. He was buried in the Old Round Rock Cemetery near the grave of the outlaw Sam Bass (Gravestone, 1863).
Martha Eskridge Kenner McMordie was most likely the daughter of Rodham Kenner and Elizabeth Haddox, married 1 Nov 1800 (Frederick County, 1800). Martha was born between 1810 and 1820, and died 8 Apr 1848 (United States Census, 1840; McMordie Family Bible). The 1820 Census of Logan County, Kentucky, listed Rodham Kenner as having 4 females younger than 10 years old in his household. The 1830 Census of Logan County, Kentucky, listed 3 females between 15 and 20 years old. Since the 1840 Census of Montgomery County showed Martha K. McMordie to have been born between 1810 and 1820, she would have been less than 10 years old in 1820 and between 10 and 20 in 1830. Martha could easily have been one of the females listed in Rodham Kenner's household, and based on the 1830 Census, would have been born between 1815 and 1820. She would, therefore, have been between 16 and 21 when she married the 33 year old Hans McMordie.
Although there is no concrete evidence to prove Martha Kenner was the daughter of Rodham and Elizabeth Kenner, in the will of Elizabeth Kenner, which was signed with an X and dated 16 Aug 1851, Margaret McMordie was listed as an heir. She received $250, a large sum of money, in that time, which one would expect to be willed only to a blood relative. The relationship of Margaret McMordie was not given on the document, however, all the other heirs were children of Rodham and Elizabeth Kenner (Logan County Wills, 1852). Since Martha Kenner McMordie died prior to the writing of Elizabeth's will, it is probable that her part of the family inheritance was willed to her daughter, Margaret. Furthermore, Logan County, Kentucky where the Kenners lived and, and Montgomery Country, Tennessee where Martha later lived, are neighboring counties. After an extensive search, no other Margaret McMordie was found who lived in this area. Neither was there another Kenner uncovered in the Southwest Kentucky area who had a daughter named Martha. In addition, Rodham Kenner's grandmother's name was Margaret Eskridge All these data, when taken together, strongly suggest that Martha Eskridge Kenner McMordie was the daughter of Rodham and Elizabeth Kenner.
At the age of 12, Rodham Kenner enlisted in the Sea Service of Virginia in the Revolutionary War from 1777 until 1780 or 1781. During this time he served first as a steward aboard the Rowe Gaily Page, the ship Dragon, and later as a gunner on the Gully which attacked British forces near Jamestown. After three years and eight month in the Naval service, he left and volunteered in a company of militia from Fauquier County, Virginia. He was on the muster rolls until his discharge on 1 Oct 1781 (Logan County Pensioners, 1851).
The earliest known ancestor of Rodham Kenner in America was Captain Richard Kenner who settled in Northunberland County, Virginia, in about 1660. His son, Richard, Jr., married Elizabeth Rodham in about 1670 (Colonial and Revolutionary Lineages of America, 1950).
Colonial and Revolutionary Lineages of America, The American Hist. Co/. Inc., New York, 1950, p.92.
Davis - McMordie Hanging File, Montgomery County Library, Clarksville, n. d., Tennessee.
Frederick County, Virginia, Marriage Book 1, 1800, p. 96, line 5.
Gravestone, Old Round Rock Cemetery, Round Rock, 1863,Williamson County, Texas.
lngmire, F. T., Texas Rangers, 1847-1900, Vol. IV LMN, p.55.
Logan County, Kentucky, Abstract of pensioners of the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and the Indian Wars, 1851, pp. 36-38.
Logan County, Kentucky Will Book H, 1852, pp. 200-202.
McMordie Family Bible, A. McMordie, Calvert, Jan 2nd.
McMordie, G. K., Autobiographical Sketch, Unpublished, 1936.
Montgomery County, Tennessee, Book 1, Letter M, 1853, p. 75.
Montgomery County, Tennessee, Deed Book, 1828, p.361.
Probate Record, Mercer County, Kentucky, 1834, Book 9, p. 530.
Tax Lists of Montgomery County, Tennessee, 1836.
Texas Confederate Index, Reel 10,
United States Census, 1820, Logan County, Kentucky, #28.
United States Census, 1830, Logan County, Kentucky,
United States Census, 1830, Montgomery County, Tennessee, #36.
United States Census, 1840, Montgomery County, Tennessee, #248.
United States Census, 1850, Montgomery County, Tennessee, #744.
United States Census, 1860, Williamson County, Texas, # 287.
Williamson County, Texas, Deed Book 8, 1859, p. 230.