Fordyce line
Welcome to the Fordyce line brick wall: Abraham Fordyce (1753-1810).
The American branch of the Fordyce (or Fordice) family is a twisted, messy and confusing one. Several pockets of Fordyces found in colonial history in various areas: Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Nova Scotia and especially in New Jersey and the Pennsylvanian frontier. Not surprisingly we see them as Patriots and loyalists during the Revolutionary War. There's numerous James and Johns and Henrys for generations obscuring the search. There are at least two Abrahams overlapping that are particularly difficult to tease apart from each other.
Many stories exist and sadly out right Geneaological Fraud thanks to the infamous and unscrupulous Gustave Anjou. He was was hired (probably by someone in the Samuel W. Fordyce of Arkansas branch) to trace the family line back to its roots in Scotland. Except he totally fabricated or cut&paste his Fordyce research, so much of what's out there for the distant past is wrong. One of the biggest falsehoods is the whole "three brothers immigrated, one died en route" myth, a common tale found in countless colonial families...so much so that you'd think all Americans today relate to these three brothers, since most families have this apocryphal tale in their very distant past.
Abraham (1753-1810) is the furthest back we trace in our Fordyce ancestors. No documents attest to his birth, not unusual for this time period. Only reference seems to stem from this account by a Mrs. Margaret Xxxxx of Lafayette, Indiana back in the 1960s:
We can date her to another published query in the Geneaology Magazine ( citation here):
Several other anecdotal stories exist:
Abraham's father's conscription and escape from British Navy. He was caught by a press gang, served 3 years on British ship. When they docked back in a colonial port (New York probably) he jumped ship, swam ashore and made his way home. Story goes his wife recognized him by the tune he whistled as he walked up the lane. A plausible story. Abraham was born 1753 at start of French and Indian Wars. The British Navy really stepped up their press gangs at this time due to the conflict. In fact it was part of the grievances later on that moved Colonists down the path to revolution. Too bad Abraham's parents names are lost to the fog of history.
There's references to his being a Revolutionary patriot hero in his sons' biographies, Jairus in particular was said to have a Revolutionary War Hero for a father. Believe this was made in a biographical sketch of the early settlers of Indiana or Iowa.
Marriage to Hannah Guard/Gard in 1778. Maybe in PA or NJ. There's a entry in the International marriage Index (citation here) indicating PA but no searches yet yield actual marriage noted in any registers in any state. Some cite Somerset Co. as her birthplace. There's a Garrads Fort in PA and this is near the site of an famous early massacre which involved The Rev. John Corbly and most his family. A daughter survived and his granddaughter, Elizabeth Garrad married John Fordyce, son of Samuel. Often you'll see Samuel cited as Abrahams father, but the dates don't seem to match. He had a son Abraham in 1860. I wonder if maybe my Abraham was a cousin to these Fordyces but so far no proof. Tantalizingly though there does seem many intersections with the Fordyces from NJ and later PA who were in vicinity of Garrads Fort PA, the Corblys and my Abraham Fordyce and Hannah Gard line. Lots of dots just no distinct lines connecting things.
There is a family bible (now missing) with birthdates for Abraham, wife Hannah and their children. Having actual birthdates a boon when researching. It helps to pinpoint where and when to look. But can't verify existence of the bible but dates do seem to pan out in most instances. It's stated their children were all born in PA. An Abraham Fordyce did receive a PA Land Grant c. 1884?for his Revolutionary War service. He sold it not long after the grant and by late 1880s it's believed he headed west with the Gards at behest of Judge Symnes to explore and eventually settle the Miami Basin area of Ohio, now modern Cincinnati.
Abraham and Hannah's (6th?) child, son Jairus (b. 1778) is found in same area as Gershom Gard's family who migrated to the Ohio/Indiana Territory c. Early 1800s. Shortly after the War of 1812 and the Battle of Tippecanoe, Jairus wed Gershom's granddaughter Susan, daughter of Seth Gard. This family unit (Seth and his children's families) eventually migrated further west into Illinois Territory and the Wabash area. It's here that my ggg-grandfather, Asa Gard Fordyce was born (1816). He married Sarah Claypool I'm the 1830s.
A distant cousin posted this photo of Asa recently. It's thrilling to see an actual photograph after years of researching his life. I especially love comparing his photo to that of his son, George W. Fordyce, my gggrandfather. Definitely see a family resemblance.
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