The Jordan Story

Origins Chapters

Origins of Our Jordan Family

by Dave Jordan

Our earliest known Jordan is John Jordan born about 1825, probably in England. He was a farmer. John's son, born about 1845 married my Great-Great-Grandmother Elizabeth Priscilla Holloway Scholdberg, formerly Steward in November 1876 in Poplar. Elizabeth's husband, Oscar Scholdberg had died the previous year and she had three young children, Oscar, Charles and Elizabeth. James and Elizabeth had one son James Henry born in 1879. At a later time, the Scholdberg children took on the Jordan name when they left England for America. Thus there is one branch of Jordans, called the Madison Jordans, through James Henry Jordan that links back to the Jordan name via blood. And another branch through James Oscar Jordan (alias Oscar Scholdberg), called the Chicago Jordans that adopted the Jordan name in the 1880s.

Unfortunately, there is almost nothing known about the original John Jordan and James Jordan that gave the Chicago Jordans their name. James and Elizabeth Jordan could not be found in the 1881 or 1891 UK Census index and James didn't come to America with Elizabeth and the rest of the family in 1893. Perhaps someday more will be known.

Notes

1. Initial Web Publication Date: 2/6/2003
2. Modified:
3. Desktop Master file: Stories_Jordan