AUTHOR: Malcolm Peter Hoare
Richard McDowell Hord, son of John and Sarah Hord was born 22 November 1833 in Rutherford, North Carolina. Richard was a master carpenter, Justice of the Peace, farmer and veteran of the Confederacy. Richard was married three times and had 14 children. His first marriage was to Elizabeth Williamson, they had two children viz: Francis E ‘Frank’ Hord and Nancy Etta Hord. His second marriage was to Matilda Catherine Parker, they had eight children viz: Jane S ‘Jennie’ Hord, William W Hord, Luther Daniel Hord, Sarah Alice Hord, John Richard Hord, Jesse James Hord, Robert Hoyle Hord and Charlie Lee Hord. His third marriage was to Mary Jane Towery, they had four children viz: Bynum Hicks Hord, Thomas Bolden Hord, Mary Webber Hord and Cleophus Ycliff Hord.
Richard enlisted in Company B, 49th Regiment of North Carolina as a musician on 14 May 1861, on 2 June 1861 he is recorded with Company D, 15th Infantry Regiment as a musician, he was mustered out on 9 January 1863 rank Second Lieutenant. (source-North Carolina Troops 1861-65 A Roster).
Richard’s brother Francis Marion Hord, who was born in Rutherford, enlisted 2 November 1861 as a Corporal in Company I, North Carolina, 38th Infantry Regiment. Promoted to full Captain on 25 November 1863, Cleveland County. Their cousin John Thomas Hord, who was born in Rutherford, enlisted as a private in the 2 Arkansas Volunteers.
Richard McDowell Hord’s ggggrandfather, John Hore was born 1630 in Tackley, Oxfordshire, England. John Hore son of Giles Hore and Catherine Heathe, is recorded as taking part in the siege of Banbury Castle, he fought on the side of the Royalists against the Parliamentarians.
When the garrison surrendered the Royalist troops were given the option of safe passage to the Colonies or they could stay in England as long as they never raised arms against the Parliamentarians again, they were also banned from living near or entering the City of London. I would imagine that most of the Royalist troops jumped at the chance of a free passage to the Colonies, considering that all they had to look forward to was Civil War, famine and the plague in England. (source-Siege of Banbury Castle by Alfred Beesley).
In 1650 John Hore came to the Colonies and settled in Westmoreland, he had a plantation next to Andrew Monroe, and John’s descendants intermarried with the Monroe family and settled in Fairfax and Stafford. One of John Hore’s sons moved to Middlesex then Essex County and in the early part of the 1700’s the surname changed to Hord and Hoard, from Essex Richard’s branch of the family moved to Rutherford in the early 1800’s.
Richard McDowell Hord’s ancestor Giles Hore had another son Robert Hore born 1627 in Tackley, Oxfordshire, his descendants stayed in England and the name slowly changed to Hoare, from Tackley my branch of the family moved to Banbury, then Northamptonshire and at the start of the 1900’s to Birmingham in the West Midlands, I am descended through Robert Hore and live in Worcestershire, UK.
The earliest record of the our Hore/Hord family is in the Cartulary of the Hospital of St. John the Baptist, Oxfordshire, a Johannis le Hore and his son Hugonis le Hore are recorded as paying rent in the City of Oxford.
Many American descendants of the Hord family, have taken the Y-DNA test, some at 111 markers, some with YFull who test at over 500 markers and they match my Y-DNA exactly, the Hore/Hord haplogroup is R-BY4179.
