The Stories of the Enslaved Persons at Menokin and Their Descendants
DESCENDANTS OF AMANDA BEVERLY AND STAFFORD GORDON CONNECT WITH MENOKIN
Written by Judith A. Gordon, direct Descendant of the Gordon Family at Menokin
Judith Gordon and Karen Beverly, Descendants of the Enslaved Persons at Menokin
In October 2019, through initial contact between Bessida Cauthorne White and Judith Gordon, genealogy research of the Gordon family was significantly expanded. The family had been traced back to Daniel West Gordon and his wife, Elizabeth Saunders Gordon, who lived and raised their family in Warsaw, Virginia.
Bessida, a genealogist, was working with staff of the Menokin Foundation to find descendants of Menokin’s enslaved population. DNA test results and matches for Judith Gordon helped Bessida to find and contact Judith to explore the possibility that she was a descendant of Amanda Beverly and Stafford Gordon and of their son, Daniel. Comparison of research done by Bessida and Judith confirmed that Judith and her family were indeed descendants of Amanda Beverly and her son, Daniel, and therefore are descendants of Menokin’s enslaved population. And so the journey began…
Interested in seeing the place where her ancestors were enslaved, Judith traveled to Menokin with first cousin and descendant, Karen Beverly, in September 2019. A visit that spanned several hours included touring Menokin and meeting with the staff, a Board Trustee and Bessida to share information and to consider how to move forward. Here are a few pictures from the visit.
Judith A. Gordon, Karen Beverly, Bessida Cauthorne White, and Menokin Staff, Menokin, 2019
