Thomas Jordan

Thomas Jordan (c. 1612–1685) was an English poet, playwright and actor, born possibly in London or Eynsham in Oxfordshire about 1612 or 1614.

Early career Jordan was a boy actor in the King's Revels Company, which played at the Salisbury Court and Fortune theatres, and continued with the company as an adult. He is known to have performed the part of Lepida, the mother of Messalina, in Thomas Rawlins's Messalina (published in 1640) some time between 1634 and 1636. For example, Wit in a Wildernesse was dedicated to at least five different individuals. as well as numerous drolls, afterpieces, prologues and epilogues, and also doing some acting. He played the part of Captain Penniless in his own play Money is an Ass (1668). Jordan conducted the annual civic ceremonies very successfully for fourteen years, adapting each to the changing political situation. He was succeeded by Matthew Taubman in 1685, which has been generally assumed to be the year of Jordan's death. and the text of the poem is available on several internet sites.