Mac Jordan of Connacht

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Mac Jordan of Connacht is the name of an Irish family of Anglo-Irish origins.

The family take their name from Jordan de Exeter, whose descendants became known as Mac Jordan, and were based in County Mayo.

The de Exeter's were originally from the town of Exeter, Devon, and are recorded in Dublin and Meath from the 1230's onwards. They included Henry de Exeter, Mayor of Dublin c.1240-41; Michael d'Exeter, Bishop of Ossory 1289-1302; Richard de Exeter, killed 1287; Sir Richard de Exeter, died 1327; and Sir Stephen de Exeter, fl. 1280-1316.

The descendants of Jordan de Exeter settled in Connacht, mainly in what is now County Mayo. Becoming steadily Gaelized over a number of generations, the family as a whole were known as the Mac Jordan, i.e., the sons of Jordan. Only the chief of the clan was entitled to be called de Exeter.

John de Exeter/John na Conairte Mac Jordan is commonly believed to be the common ancestor of all Jordans of Connaght, except for a family called Mac Jordan Duff, descended from Jocelyn de Angulo.


[edit] De Exeter family tree

 Stephen, dead by 1280.      Jordan, fl. 1239-58.              John de Exeter, died 1261.
=Johanna, alive 1280.       =Basilia, fl. 1253                 | 
 |                           |                                 | 
 |                           |___________________              Richard de Exeter, d. 1287.
 Sir Stephen, d. 1316        |                 |               |
=Matilda, fl. 1318.          |                 |               |_________________ 
 |                       Meiler, k. 1289.  Jordan Óge          |                | 
 |                           |                 |               |                |
 Sir Stephen, fl. 1302.      |             ____|               Sir Richard    John, b.1270
                         Meiler, k. 1317. |    |               | 
                                          |    |               |__________________ 
                            John na Conairte  Jordan Bacach    |             | 
                                     |                         |             |
                                     |                         Simon     Richard of Derver 
                            Clan Jordan of Mayo               fl.1335      fl. 1347.

[edit] References

  • Knox, Hubert Thomas. The History of the County of Mayo to the Close of the Sixteenth Century. With illustrations and three maps. Originally published 1908, Hogges Figgies and Co. Dublin. Reprinted by De Burca rare books, 1982. ISBN 0 946130 0 19.