Josephus Dunham Jordan was born 16 Jan 1808 to William Jordan and Rhoda Sackett Allen in Hillsdale, Columbia County. He studied law with his uncle, Ambrose L Jordan. After his admission to the bar he practiced his profession at Hudson, N. Y as well as in Dutchess Co. He came to Pine Plains in the 1830s. He supported the Republican party. His grandfather, Major William Jordan fought in the American Revolution. On 13 Jan 1844 he married Mary Elizabeth Knickerboker (19 Oct 1819 – 29 Dec 1870), daughter of John Knickerbocker and Maria Benner (the author’s 4th great-grand parents). They had three children, Mary Burnap, William Burnap, and Laura Ailing.  Later in life, Josephus was a farmer by profession. He lead the choir at the Pine Plains Presbyterian church from 1837 until 1879 and helped raise money for the church’s first pipe organ. He died 12 Sep 1885.

Mary Burnap Jordan (left) was born 2 Mar 1846 and died 13 Dec 1874. She never married. At 23 in 1870 she was listed in the census as “at home” rather than any occupation. She played the organ at the Presbyterian church in Pine Plains and gave lessons. Their next-door neighbor was a retired farmer named Cyrus Burnap, which is probably the reason for two of the children having Burnap for a middle name.  William Burnap Jordan was born 4 Dec 1848 in Pine Plains. He married first Mary Elizabeth Harris (portrait below) from Grand Rapids, Michigan (07 March 1854 – 16 November 1889). They had three children, Mary Elizabeth Jordan born 1877, Cyrus Victor Jordan born 1880, and William Burnap Jordan born 1885. After Mary Harris died, William married second her half–sister Myra Harris (1866 – 1953). They had one child together, Isabel Knickerbocker Jordan born 1898. William any Myra are pictured below in December, 1923. He died 31 Mar 1933.

Laura Ailing Jordan (right) was born 07 Nov 1852. She married Lucius Allen Pitcher and they had two children, Henry Burnap Pitcher born 1874 and Laura May Pitcher born 1880. She died 06 May 1884.

Josephus, his wife Mary, and their children are all buried in the Evergreen cemetery in Pine Plains.