George Jordan (Virginia)

The future Col. George Jordan emigrated to Virginia in 1637, and was named as a headright by Capt.Henry Browne, who had immigrated to Virginia three years earlier, had a seat on the Governor's Council, and in whose family graveyard at Four Mile Tree plantation this man would be buried.^[11] In any event, during his decades in Virginia Jordan accumulated significant landholdings, by patents for persons whose emigration he paid, including his first wife, variously known as Ann or Alyce.^[2] In 1675, Jordan was one of the wealthiest men in Surry County, paying taxes on seven tithable servants, none of whom was Black, unlike the other wealthy men, Col. Thomas Swann, Major William Browne, Francis Mason, Arthur Allen and Cpt. Lawrence Baker.^[12]

Jordan was first elected as one of the burgesses representing James City County in the House of Burgesses in 1644, and while he was not-re-elected the following year, he was again elected in 1646, and was one of two men re-elected the following year.^[13] Upon the creation of Surry County from land in James City County south of the James River in 1652, Jordan became one of the justices of the peace who jointly administered the new county. In 1658-59 he was elected as one of the burgesses representing Surry county, but only for the 1659 session, and again around the time of Bacon's Rebellion discussed below.^[14]

Accounts differ as to whether Jordan had been formally appointed to the Virginia Governor's Council in 1670, or whether he attended meetings ex officio because of his positions at attorney general and deputy escheator. Members of the Governor's Council could not serve as burgesses, and Jordan was a burgess in 1674-76, just before and during Bacon's Rebellion. During the actual conflict in late 1676, Jordan served as Lt. Col. for the Surry County militia under Col. (and councillor) Thomas Swann and garrisoned a fort in Surry County's Southwark parish which was not the site of actual fighting.

Following the conflict, the commissioners investigating the rebellion (Herbert Jeffreys, John Berry and Francis Moryson) on May 1, 1677 requested Jordan and fellow burgess Major Theophilius Hone (whose house was destroyed in the Jamestown arson by Bacon's followers) prepare a report about loss of goods and cattle in James City, New Kent and York Counties, which survives but reportedly is extremely difficult to read.^[15] Jordan also specifically cleared and requested a pardon for Mrs. Sarah Grindon, the wife of Thomas Grindon, who had been charged as an insurgent.^[16] Jordan prepared a list of men whose estates had been escheated to the crown, including signed a document about disposition of the estate of Richard Lawrence, one of Bacon's ardent supporters and a Jamestown resident who was executed for his participation.^[2][1]

Jordan died in late 1678. His fellow burgess Lt.Col. William Browne and William Thompson testified thathis May 1678 will was authentic, and it was admitted to probate in November. It directed that he be buried beside his wife and children in the Four Mile Tree plantation orchard, and made several charitable bequests (the most unusual of which provided that a sermon on mortality be preached at his house on October 15, the anniversary of the death of his daughter), as well as bequests to descendants of his brother and sister.^[17][18]