Jordan Papers

FO 350

1901-1919

This series contains an incomplete collection of the private correspondence, mainly with the Foreign Office, together with two registers of correspondence, of Sir John Newell Jordan as minister resident in Korea, 1901 to 1906, and envoy to China, 1906 to 1920. One volume alone (an entry book of his out-letters, 1901 to 1905) relates to his Korea mission. Of the two informal registers of official correspondence with the Foreign Office, 1903 to 1908, the earlier volume, 1903 to 1906, must have been first kept for Sir Ernest Satow, his predecessor in Peking.

Further papers of Sir Ernest Satow can be found in PRO 30/33

Public Record(s)

English

16 volume(s)

Additional safe handling procedures are in place. Records must be ordered in advance.

Subject to 30 year closure unless otherwise stated

Topics

International

Asia

Middle East

Personal and family papers

These volumes were received by the Foreign Office from Herbert Allen Ottewill, a former member of the consular service in China, to whom they had been handed by Sir John Jordan's widow in 1938.

Sir John Newell Jordan was born on 5th September 1852 at Baloo, County Down in Ireland. He was educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution, and then at Queens College Belfast.

His diplomatic career centered on China and the Far East and began in 1876 when he passed a competitive examination and was appointed as student interpreter to China. In 1889 he became assistant Chinese secretary to the Peking legation and in 1891 he was promoted to the post of Chinese secretary there. In 1896 he moved to Korea, as consul general and from 1898 to 1901 he was chargé d'affaires. He then went very briefly to Seoul as resident minister, but the same year he returned to take up the same post at the court of Korea where he remained till 1906. His final position was as envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to Peking which he held from 1906 to 1920.

He received various honours throughout his career and retired on a pension on 14th August 1920. He married in 1885 Annie Howe Cromie and died on 14th September 1925.