John Jordan: First High Sheriff of Pocahontas County

 

John Jordan was sworn in as High Sheriff of Pocahontas County, Virginia on March 5, 1822 at the first court held for the newly formed county. This event took place at the residence of John Bradshaw in Huntersville. At the time, Jordan gave bond for $30,000 with Abram and Issac McNeel acting as his sureties. The next day, he successfully moved for his son, Jonathan Jordan, to be appointed as Deputy Sheriff.

The sources provide information about John Jordan's family and his role in the early history of Pocahontas County. John Jordan was a tailor and a native of Ireland. He married a woman whose name is not mentioned in the sources. It is noted, however, that his wife was a cripple and that after their marriage, John Jordan "purchased some servants to wait on the girl that had made such a surprising venture as to marry him." The couple settled on Millstone Run, between Hillsboro and Locust. They had five sons and three daughters: John, Jonathan, Isaac, Abram, Franklin, Jane, Nancy, and Martha.

John Jordan was one of the original ruling elders of the Oak Grove Presbyterian Church. His house was used as a preaching place for both Methodist and Presbyterian ministers. He also donated the site for the Methodist Church near his residence. The church was destroyed by fire about sixty years before the source material was written.

The fact that John Jordan was chosen to serve as the first High Sheriff of Pocahontas County and that he was a church elder indicates that he was a respected member of the community. His offering his home as a place of worship for two different denominations suggests that he was a tolerant and community-minded individual.