Ignatius Jordan

Who was Ignatius Jordan?

Ignatius Jordan was an English merchant and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1621 and 1629.

Jordan was born at Lyme Regis, the son of William Jordain and his wife Elizabeth Ryder. He was baptised at Lyme Regis on 17 August 1561. When he was young he was sent by his friends to Exeter, to be brought up as merchant. In 1576, his employer sent him to Guernsey, where he was converted to puritanism. In 1599 he was appointed bailiff of Exeter. He became a member of the corporation in 1608 and was receiver of Exeter in 1610 and Sheriff of Exeter in 1611. In 1617 he became mayor of Exeter. He was also J.P. for 24 years. In 1621, he was elected Member of Parliament for Exeter. He was deputy mayor in 1624 when all the magistrates fled the city because of the plague. He was re-elected MP for Exeter in 1625, 1626 and 1628 and sat until 1629 when King Charles decided to rule without parliament for eleven years.