A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Jordan, Abraham

JORDAN, Abraham, sen. and jun., belonged to an ancient family located in Maidstone in the 15th century. The elder, who was a distiller, but had a mechanical turn, devoted himself to organ-building, and removed to London, where he made many fine instruments. He instructed his son Abraham in the same business. The Jordans deserve especial notice as being the inventors of the swell, which was in the form of a sliding shutter, and was first applied to the organ which they built for St. Magnus' Church, London Bridge, in 1712. In 1720 they built the organ of the Duke of Chandos at Cannons, on which Handel used to play. This was sold by auction in 1747, after which they repaired it and conveyed it to Trinity Church, Gosport. See Byfield, Jordan, and Bridge, vol. iv. p. 571; also vol. ii. pp. 595, 596.

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