I 've always heard that below the James it's Jerr-den and north of the James it's Jor-den. > >> Samuel would have pronounced his name "JERR-den." His ancestors probably >> came to England from France after the Hundred Years war. This distinct >> pronounciation survived in Virginia for many years, and is >> distinguishable >> from the ancient family of English Jordans who pronounce it more as we >> would expect: "JOR-den". > > When I was growing up in Richmond, there were no JOR-dens. My mother's > grandmother was a JER-den, and the grocery store at the corner of Forest > Hill and Westover Hills Blvd. was JER-den's. JER-den has fallen by > the wayside, a victim of radio and TV, just like the real pronunciation of > Henrico, which is Hen-REC-oh, not Hen-RIKE-oh. > > --- > Ann Avery Hunter > Winston-Salem, NC > > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions > at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.1.410 / Virus Database: 268.16.7/618 - Release Date: 1/6/2007 > > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html