Hello Mr Decker,

  This is a great site but I have one question.  In the opening sentence, "The sites associated with the early 17th-century settlement known as Jordan’s Journey were located at Jordan’s Point near the confluence of the James and Appomatox rivers in Prince George’s County, Virginia," shouldn't it read "Prince George County?"  It's how I immediately recognize one as being in Maryland and one in Virginia.  It's probably not important but I thought I'd mention it.

  Clara


Barrett Decker <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
  Neil- If you go to
http://www.chesapeakearchaeology.org/HTM_Site_Summaries/JordansJourneySummary.htm
you will find some of the archaeological material on line-Barrett
----- Original Message -----
From: "Katharine Harbury"
To:
Sent: Wednesday, January 03, 2007 9:07 AM
Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] Jordan's Journey & Beggars Bush


There are indeed archaeological reports on Jordan's Journey. You can
see these reports in the library at the Department of Historic
Resources, Richmond, Virginia by contacting the archivist, Quattro
Hubbard.

-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Neil Howlett
Sent: Monday, January 01, 2007 4:42 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Jordan's Journey & Beggars Bush

I am researching the place-name Beggars Bush, and have come across many
references to Samuel Jordan and his plantation and house in Virginia.

Many of these attribute the name to the play by Beaumont & Fletcher.
Although I think that was influential in the distribution of the name in
England I don't think that it can be the source for Jordan's house as
from the reports I have seen the plantation was founded in 1619, and the
house added later. The earliest record of the house name I have seen is
when is was fortified against the Indian uprising by the Pamunkeys in
1622. Jordan was reputed shipwrecked on Bermuda en route in the "Sea
Venture" between 1609/10, although his name does not appear on the
(incomplete) passenger list, and there is no evidence he was related to
Sylvester Jourdain, whose account of the shipwreck was published and
included in Hakluyt, and a reputed source for The Tempest.

Fletcher only began collaborating with Beaumont in 1607, and the first
recorded performance of The Beggars Bush was not until 1622. Fredson
Bowers posits an earlier performance c. 1613/14 but even that seem too
late, as the play wasn't published until 1647, and would not be likely
to have circulated in ms. It seem impossible that the house could have
be named after a play he could not have seen or heard of it, unless
closely connected with the players at the Court, and he departed well
after the traditional date for his voyage.

I think it far more likely the name comes from a common usage in
Elizabethan writing, both literary and letters. One of the earliest
usages of the phrase is in "Her Protection for Women", a pamphlet
published in London in 1589. This purports to be written by "Jane Anger,
Gentlewoman at London", almost certainly a pseudonym chosen to suit the
content of the work. This was an erudite response to His Surfeit in Love
(1588) by Thomas Orwin, which accused women of being lustful and
untrustworthy. It is a well-written and erudite work, mixing classical
myths with street polemic.
Jane Anger adopts a common theme:-"The great Patrimonies that wealthy
men leave their children after their death, make them rich: but vice and
other marthriftes happening into their companies, never leave them until
they be at the beggars bush, where I can assure they become poor." There
are many other uses of the phrase in the period 1580-1680, meaning to be
brought dwon to poverty, often through your own folly.

I would very much like to know more about Jordan, his plantation and
house. I understand there was an archaeological investigation. I would
be grateful for any information, leads or contacts.

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