Research With Me: The Jordan Family Bible (Biddeford, ME)

The family of Joseph Jordan of Biddeford, Maine, had a beautiful 1850s-era Bible, full of remarkable family history information. The Bible fell out of the family’s hands at some point but was rescued and cared for by someone who realized how precious it was.

The Jordan Bible has now gone to its “forever home,” but you can still see images of its family history pages right here!

Provenance of the Jordan Bible

The Jordan Bible was in my stepmother’s possession for many years. She originally thought it was recovered by an uncle who found it at the dump in Massachusetts; however, after a bit more sleuthing, this does not appear to be the case.

In the back of the Bible is an inscription that reads, “From Mr. J. [or “I”] V. Goddard to R. W. Jackson 1922.”

R. W. Jackson was most likely Roy Wesley Jackson (1894-1949), who would have been the second husband of my stepmother’s great-grandmother, Florence G. Spence (1877-1967). Florence was first married to Herbert B. Chaplain (1872-1945) in 1896, and then to Roy W. Jackson sometime before the 1930 U.S. census was enumerated. When Florence died, the Bible was passed to my stepmother’s mother, who kept it until her death.

It also appears that Roy W. Jackson wrote the inscription himself. Below is Roy’s signature from his WWI Draft Registration card,¹“U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918,” database with images, Ancestry. and as you can see, it is almost identical to the signature in the Jordan Bible.

It is not yet known who J. V. (or I. V.?) Goddard was, nor how s/he was connected to Roy Jackson and/or the Jordan family.

Unfortunately, that is all that is known of the provenance of this family Bible.

About the Bible

According to the title page, the Bible was published in 1850 by Hyde & Lord of Portland, Maine. The handwriting in the Family History section appears consistent with handwriting samples from that period. However, it is obvious that more than one person has written in this section.

The Bible is in good condition, considering all it must have endured. It does seem to have a bit of water and possible mold damage. Thankfully, the Family Record pages are remarkably well preserved.

Although Joseph Jordan’s name is the first to be listed in the Bible’s Family Record section, he died before the Bible was published, and could not have been the original owner. Inside the front cover, the name “Elisabeth Jordan” is written in pencil, so she may have been the Bible’s original owner (see images below).

The Family of Joseph Jordan

There is quite a bit of Jordan family history in this Bible. For example:

Joseph Jordan. [Son
of Hon. Reshworth Jordan
of Biddeford State of M.E.
who was the Son of Capt. Samuel Jordan
of Sperwink. Now Cape Elizabeth [written diagonally]
who was the Son of
Dominicus Jordan who
was the Son of Reverend
Robert. Jordan, an Episcopal
Clergeman, [sic] who Emigrated
from the country of Dorsett [inserted above line]England
to Richmond’s Island which
is about five Miles from
Portland, about the AD 1640
and Married the daughter
and only child of John
Winter in AD 1642]
– Married Mary Leighton
daughter of Maj. Sam^l Leighton
of Kittery {now Elliot} Maine
Jan^y 22^nd, AD 1789 at her
Fathers –

According to information written in the Family Record section, Joseph Jordan was born in Biddeford, Maine, on 7 February 1759. Joseph married Mary Leighton, who was born on 8 January 1770, in Kittery, Maine. They had the following children, all born in “the Town of Hollis Me”:

• Samuel Jordan, b. 31 January 1791; d. 20 September 1840 in Saco, Maine
• Reshworth Jordan, b. 2 June 1795; d. 27 June 1871 in Hollis, Maine
• Elizabeth Jordan, b. 20 March 1798; d. 20 December 1889 (possible owner of the Bible?)
• Joseph Jordan, b. 26 January 1802; d. 5 December 1889
• Tristram Frost Jordan, b. 30 September 1805; d. October 1890
• Mary A. Jordan, b. 15 January 1807; m. William P. Baker; d. 24 October 1876 at Quincy, Massachusetts
• Jane Shannon Jordan, b. 8 January 1816

Joseph Jordan (the elder) died 20 March 1820, and is “buryed [sic] in the Town of Hollis.” His wife, Mary, died 30 May 1853 “at the residenc [sic] of her son Joseph Jordan in the Town of Passadumkeag M.E. buryed [sic] North Side of the Stream near the mouth in the yard.”

There is an interesting addendum regarding the burial of Mary (Leighton) Jordan in the Deaths section of the Family Record:

Removed the remains of
Mary L. Jordan remains removed
within the stone fence Enclosure
6 July 1878 had been buried
25 years one month and 6 Days
Coffin all whole nothing but
the bones remained. and the Small
pillow under her head —
6 July 1878
Tristram F. Jordan
present PaSSadumKeag

I thought it was fascinating that this information was recorded by a first-hand witness to the event.

Resources for Further Study of the Jordan Family

It appears that the Jordan family was quite prominent in the Biddeford, Maine, area. According to Maine Memory Network, “the Jordan family was one of Biddeford’s ‘first families,’ and counted among their members’ many sea captains and successful merchants.”

Rishworth Jordan (1719–1808), who was married to Abigail Gerrish, is recognized by the Daughters of the American Revolution as having served as a “Judge of Court of Common Pleas” in Maine. To date, no DAR applications or supplementals have been filed referencing Joseph as the child of Rishworth, so the information from this Bible would help establish that relationship.

The Jordan Foundation has a free, 1-page document titled A Summary of Early Jordan Family History. Various Jordan family members from 1616 to 1703 are listed.

Apparently, Tristram F. Jordan was the family historian. In 1882, he published The Jordan memorial: family records of the Rev. Robert Jordan and his descendants in America (D. Clapp & Son, Boston). You can search the book in a database on Ancestry ($), read a copy of the first edition for free on the Internet Archive (see below) and FamilySearch, or purchase a copy of the reprint from Amazon. Information about Joseph Jordan’s family begins on page 245, and there is a nice photo of Tristram on page 249.

Many of the Jordan family’s grave markers can be found on Find A Grave. Here are a few, but there are links to many others on these memorials:

• Joseph Jordan
• Mary (Leighton) Jordan
• Rishworth Jordan
• Abigail (Gerrish) Jordan

Finally, Maine Memory Network has several interesting images of this family. One of them is a lovely watercolor painting by William Edward Barry entitled “Early Jordan Homestead – Saco River 1740 – Living Room.”

Where is the Bible now?

After much discussion about what to do with the Bible, my stepmother decided to donate it to The Reverend Robert and Sarah (Winter) Jordan Foundation, Inc. so it could be properly preserved and enjoyed by other Jordan descendants. Now housed in the archives of the Cape Elizabeth Historical Preservation Society (CEHPS) in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, it is viewable in person on a limited basis. For more information please contact the Foundation at [email protected] or [email protected].

Wrap Up

At this time, images of the Jordan Bible are not available on the Jordan Foundation’s website. However, you are welcome to use the images from this post in your personal research along with the proper attribution (see below for a citation for this post).

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Footnotes

• 1
  “U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918,” database with images, Ancestry.

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