(1756) (1759)

William Jordan born. (census gives 1841 residence of William as Briston; age 85*, with Mary 80* and Elizabeth 25* head) *ages clearly rounded and no relationships are given; probably the same William that died 1847 aged 91 -see below

(1761)

Mary (Jordan) born. (census gives 1841 residence 0f Mary as Briston; age 80*, with William 85* and Elizabeth 25* head) *ages clearly rounded and no relationships are given - burial recorded below in 1845 in Hindolveston at the age of 85

1766

William Jordan, born Gresham, Norfolk. (see Ann and Mary below)

1770

Mary Goodings, born. (see Ann and Mary below)

1778

Mary Goodings, daughter of Hugh and Mary Goodings baptised in Cawston on 11th October 1778. Possibly the same Mary Goodings, born in 1770, who married William Jordan in 1793, 15 years later?

[1779]

Anne Jordan, sister of Elizabeth Jordan, born in Woodford, Essex. Recorded as sister-in-law to Thomas Dent, Head of Household, in 1861 census with his wife Elizabeth Dent (nee Jordan) - inserted here out of context as it give a clue to an alternative origin of Elizabeth - ie not Norfolk - although this event is 17/18 years before her birth.

1793

William Jordan married to Mary Goodings in Themelthorpe on 10th April 1793, both of “this parish”. No confirmed birth record of William Jordan found to date and the link to the records of Mary Goodings above is tenuous. At this time Themelthorpe was a small scattered village of about 20 dwellings and about 80 inhabitants. The parish church is St Andrews, a rectory. Themelthorpe Common is in the parish of Foulsham.

1795

Ann Jordan, daughter of William and Mary Jordan, born 28 March 1795. Year inferred from baptism record of 1810, aged 15 (see below) and exact date from -> Married Edward Gaskin on 3 November 1817 in Cawston, Norfolk and died 1 May 1871 in Cawston. This record also gives the birthplace of father William Jordan as Gresham, Norfolk about 1766 and death in 1840 in Hoxne, Suffolk.

[1795]

Anne Jordan, daughter of William and Mary Jordan, baptised in St Mary’s Church, Walthamstow, Essex. 25 Apr 1795. Is this the Anne Jordan born in 1789 and the sister of Elizabeth? Are the William and Mary Jordan those recorded in the 1841 census as being resident in Briston with Elizabeth? Almost certainly not the Themelthorpe Jordans.

1798

Mary Jordan, daughter of William and Mary Jordan, baptised in Themelthorpe on 16th June? 1798

(parents William Jordan 1766-1840 and Mary Goodings 1770-)

1801

Thomas Jordan born. Inferred from burial record of 1822, aged 21. Presumed son of William and Mary Jordan.

1805

Robert Jordan, son of William and Mary Jordan, born on 24th April 1805, baptised in Themelthorpe on 19th May 1805.

1807 (1814*)

Elizabeth Jordan (my great great grandmother) born in Themelthorpe. The initial presumption, because of place of birth, was that she was the daughter of William and Mary Jordan married in this parish in 1793 but no birth or baptism record found as yet to confirm this. The mother could have been Mary Goodings (37), recorded as born in 1770 baptised in 1778, but could also have been the daughter of the other William and Mary (46) or illegitimate daughter of either Mary (16) or Ann (19) or even “sister” Anne (18). Alternative records show Elizabeth born in 1806, 1807 or 1816. Family trees for Ann, Mary and Robert do not show Elizabeth as a sibling. Another possibility is that she was the daughter of relatives, not permanent residents of Themelthorpe, staying with William and Mary at the time of Elizabeth’s birth - possibly the other William and Mary Jordan with daughter Anne. An unresolved mystery.

1808

Henry Jordan, son of William and Mary Jordan, born on 19th February 1808, baptised in Themelthorpe on 6th March 1808.

1810

Ann Jordan, aged 15, daughter of William and Mary Jordan. Samuel Jordan, son of William and Mary Jordan, born on 31st March 1810. Both baptised in Themelthorpe on 22nd April 1810.

1815

George Barnard Jordan, born Themelthorpe, Norfolk; son of William and Mary Jordan

1817

Elizabeth Lucy Jordan, illegitimate daughter of Mary Jordan resident of Bayfield, born on 19th October 1817, baptised in Letheringsett on 29th October 1817. No established link and may just be coincidental - but similarity of given names, proximity of locations and dates suggests that the mother may be the Mary Jordan born in Themelthorpe in 1798, who would be 19 at this time. The reference to Bayfield is probably to Bayfield Hall, the village having disappeared some years before, and Mary was possibly a servant there.

1819

Jane Jordan, born Themelthorpe, Norfolk; daughter of William and Mary Jordan

1822

Thomas Jordan buried in Themelthorpe on 2nd November 1822 aged 21. No reference to any relatives shown in the register and therefore the relationship to William and Mary Jordan is speculative, but very likely given the size of the village.

1825

Robert Jordan married Elizabeth Dewing in Briston on 29th November 1825. No established connection with any of the above.

1822 to 1841

The Wilderness Years!

No record of burials of any further members of the Jordan family is contained in the Themelthorpe Parish Register after that for Thomas. It is therefore most likely that the family moved away from the village - it is 19 years later before further records of Jordans have been discovered, and by then in Briston and Hindolveston. Where was the family living during this period? The villages of Foulsham and Guestwick seem, geographically, the most likely intermediate stopping points between Themelthorpe and Hindolveston but the story may be more complicated (and interesting) than that.

(1841)

1841 Census records residents of property in Fakenham Road, Briston, Norfolk as:-

• Elizabeth Jordan - 25 - Draper (~b1816) (?1807=34)

• William Jordan - 85 - On the Parish (~1756)

• Mary Jordan - 80 (~b1761)

Not clear how these are connected with any of the above named - is this THE Elizabeth my great, great grandmother? - clearly not the William and Mary married in Themelthorpe in 1793, just feasibly that they could be the parents of Elizabeth (and/or Anne) as census recording of ages at this time was subject to rounding and guesswork - more likely to be grandparents, but all very tenuous. But the villages of Briston and Hindolveston are very close together and so subsequent events suggest the link. Note that all ages over 10 on this census record are rounded to the nearest 5 and could just be guesses by the recorder or wishful thinking by those recorded.

1842

Lucy Ann Jordan, illegitimate daughter of Elizabeth Jordan, Spinster, baptised in Hindolveston on 24th April 1842. Lucy was the elder sister of Henry Dan Jordan, my great grandfather.

The Parish Register records show the given name(s) as “ Lucy Ann ÷ Agnes Adams ” Some records interpret this as meaning a full name of Lucy Ann Agnes Adams Jordan, others as two daughters - Lucy Ann Jordan and Agnes Adams Jordan although the register does specifically state “illegitimate daughter”; singular. No further reference to Agnes Adams has been found subsequent to this date.

(1845)

Mary Jordan buried in Hindolveston on 12th January 1845, aged 85(?). (~b1760)

The first digit of the age at burial shown in the Parish Register is very stylized and could possibly be misread and the second digit could be subject to rounding. The birth date of 1760 shown above could therefore be misleading and the identity of Mary difficult to establish - only the birth of Lucy Ann in the same location suggests a link to Elizabeth.

(1847)

William Jordan - Death Jan 1847 - Registration District: Aylsham, Norfolk.

1851

Census for 97B Mill Lane, New Catton, Norwich records:-

• Head of House: Thomas Dent, Age 32

• Housekeeper: Elizabeth Jordan, Age 37 (false age record)

• ?Daughter: Lucy Ann Jordan, Age 9

• ?Son: Henry Dan Jordan, Age 2

• plus 3 lodgers

1853

Marriage of Elizabeth Jordan to Thomas Dent in Norwich, Norfolk

1861

Census for “Ribs of Beef” (2), Fye Bridge, Norwich records:-

• Head of House: Thomas Dent, Age 42; silk weaver

• Wife: Elizabeth Dent, Age 55 (suddenly aged!); tailoress

• Step-daughter: Lucy Ann Jordan, Age 20; milliner

• Step-son: Henry Dan Jordan, Age 13; brush (cleaner?)

• Sister-in-Law: Anne Jordan, Age 72, unmarried, birthplace Woodford, Essex (occupation undecipherable)

This record of Anne Jordan is a possible clue to the origins of her sister Elizabeth Dent nee Jordan. See [1779] above

The "Ribs of Beef" was, and still is, a public house on the banks of The River Wensum in Norwich

1871

Census for 120 Bakers Yard, Barrack Street, Norwich records:-

• Head of House: Thomas Dent, Age 51

• Wife: Elizabeth Dent, Age 64

• Step-daughter: Lucy Ann Jordan, Age 30, unmarried

• ?Grandson: John J Jordan, Age 2 (probably son of Lucy)

Henry Dan Jordan is now married and residing next-door at no. 121 with wife Rachel and three children

The Norwich Yards have a long history, providing cheap accommodation for low paid workers, by infilling around the rear courtyards of older houses of merchants and gentry that lined the streets. Most were demolished in early 20th century slum clearances.

1881

Census for 1 Prospect Place, City Road, Lakenham, Norwich records:-

• Head of House: Robert Chadwick, age 41

• Wife: Lucy A.A Chadwick, Age 40 (Lucy Ann Jordan)

• Step-son: John J Jordan, Age 12

• Daughter: Elizabeth M.E Chadwick, Age 3

• Daughter: Agnes E.R Chadwick, Age 1

• Mother-in-Law: Elizabeth Dent, Age 74, Widow

1894

Death: Elizabeth Dent, Age 86. - in Norwich, Norfolk