The Jordan Story

Origins Chapters

Origins of Our Steward Family

by Dave Jordan

Our earliest known Steward is John Isaac Steward born 1793-1796 in the County of Norfolk. Norfolk is a low-lying county to the northeast of London in East Anglia. It is on the coast. There was a decline in industry and agriculture during the Industrial Revolution, thus leading, perhaps the driver for John's move to Poplar in Middlesex County near London. John was a shipwright, and raised his family in Poplar, England, though it is not known whether he learned his profession in Norfolk or Poplar. A shipwright is a builder of ships.

Poplar is one of a number of small towns to the east of central London and is part of an East of London borough called Tower Hamlets because of its proximity to the Tower of London. The town of Poplar is located just to the north of the Isle of Dogs and is south of Bow. In the early 1800s the East and West India companies created huge docks and dry docks to the south of Poplar where the Thames began to flow south around the Isle of Dogs. These new docks provided huge number of jobs for those in the shipping industry.

We know about John Isaac Steward from his son's marriage registration, that is Joseph John Steward's. On it is listed his father's name and occupation. It has taken some time to determine more about the early Stewards but in 2006-2008 some of the pieces began to come together. See "Connecting to John Issac Steward". A synopsis of his family is a follows.

John Isaac Steward married Sarah around 1820-1824. John was about 25-30 and Sarah around 20. Sarah, whose maiden name is not known was born in Chatham, County of Kent. Chatham is a large town that has developed around an important naval dockyard on the east bank of the River Medway to the southeast of London. Perhaps it is there John went to work to learn his trade as a shipwright, or perhaps they both met in Poplar if her family went there for work also. Someday, the marriage records for Poplar and Chatham will be checked and we will have a better idea of how events came about.

The available data suggests that my ggg-grandfather was born first. His year of birth has been narrowed to between 1824-1826. All census records indicate he was born in Poplar, England. However, he was not found in the Docklands Ancestors Parish Register Baptismal Registers index for All Saints Poplar. Thus he may never have been baptized or recorded or perhaps he was baptized in Kent.

A few years later, a second son who they named John Isaac Steward was born on 2 July 1828 and then on 2 May 1832 a daughter Mary Ann was born. Both John and Mary Ann were baptized 8 months later on 16 January 1833 at All Saints Poplar. I've seen these delayed baptisms before. Perhaps the parents hadn't got around to it, or perhaps the fees were reduced, or what I've also observed was there was a sickly child they wanted to have baptized quickly. In fact, in the 1841 Census there is no mention of little Mary Ann.

Little John Isaac Steward born 1833 married Jane Ann Hooper in the 2nd quarter 1854 in Poplar England at about age 22. There have been many interactions between the Stewards and Hoopers families and this is another. They had a son name John T. Hooper 1855-56. Some evidence suggests that John Isaac Steward died about the 1st quarter 1865. If so, he would have only been about 36 years old. He was a laborer associated with ships.

Another daughter who John and Sarah named Elizabeth Sally arrived on 3 October 1836 and they waited eight years until 27 November 1844 to get her baptized. This baptism also took place at All Saints Poplar. Unfortunately, little Elizabeth Sally was not in the 1851 census and one would suspect that she had died also.

Some evidence suggests that mother Sarah died in the 2nd quarter 1851. If so she would have been only about 50 years old. John Isaac is guessed to have lived perhaps as long as 1871 when he would have been about 80 years old.

More information about their son Joseph Steward and his wife Elizabeth Holloway, my ggg-grandfather and ggg-grandmother is recorded in a later chapter. Son Joseph and John are the only of their children known to have made it to adulthood and have children.

A fellow family genealogist researching looking for Stewards in Poplar, Marjorie P. Hooper sent me the following hard to find index for the 1821 Census for Poplar and the Stewards. It is reproduced below and will be of value as we learn a little bit more about the early origins of the Stewards in Poplar.

1821 Poplar Census Listings
  1. Steward, Elizabeth: Steward and Son, Cooperage, Coldharbour
  2. Steward, John: 4 East India Road
  3. Steward, Robert: 70 High Street South
  4. Steward, Peter: 250 High Street North
  5. Steward, Richard: 3 Providence Court

Which of these Poplar Stewards are ours are not known, but the John Steward at 4 East India Road could be our John Isaac Steward.

Notes
  1. Initial Web Publication Date: 2/6/2003
  2. Modified: 1/14/2008
  3. Desktop Master file: Stories_Jordan