Craven Ord

Craven Ord (1756–1832) was an English antiquarian. He was particularly noted for his brass rubbings.

Life The younger son of Harry Ord, of the king's remembrancer's office, by Anne, daughter of Francis Hutchinson of Barnard Castle, County Durham, he was born in London in 1756; his uncle, Robert Ord, was Chief Baron of the Scottish Exchequer. To 1829 Ord resided mainly at Greenstead Hall in Essex (near Greenstead Green), where most of his children were born; he died at Woolwich Common in January 1832.

Ord was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London on 26 January 1775, and of the Royal Society on 3 May 1787. He was for several years vice-president of the Society of Antiquaries. Ord's life was mainly devoted to antiquarian researches, but he published nothing separately. He contributed to Archæologia. Ord's support was acknowledged by John Nichols, by Gideon Algernon Mantell, and by George Ormerod in their county histories (respectively of Leicestershire, Surrey, and Cheshire).

A second sale of Ord's manuscripts took place in January 1830, when many small ancient deeds were sold in bags; many of them had previously belonged to Thomas Martin the Thetford antiquary, and were acquired by Ord for a few shillings. The collections of Francis Douce and of Sir Thomas Phillipps were substantially built up from Ord's sale. The remainder of his library was sold after his death, in May 1832.

Family Ord married, in June 1784, Mary Smith, daughter of John Redman of Greenstead Hall, Essex, by whom he had five sons: succeeded his father in his property at Greenstead, and died 14 December 1836; Major Robert Hutchinson Ord, K.H., of the Royal Artillery, who married in 1817 Elizabeth Blagrave, a sister of Margaret; Captain William Redman Ord of the Royal Engineers; John Ord, M.D., of Hertford; Captain Harry Gough Ord, father of Sir Harry St. George Ord.

There was one daughter, Harriot Mary, who married in 1815 Rev. George Hughes.