BIDDEFORD — Some believe that to truly know who you are, you have to know where you came from. For the Jordan family descendants, a few stops in Biddeford Thursday helped round out that picture as they visited several sites that were of note to their ancestors.

About 50 members of the Jordan lineage ”“ hailing from all over the country ”“ took a bus tour Thursday that ended at the Jordan family cemetery near the University of New England campus. The family reunion, held every three years, will be this weekend in South Portland.

The Jordan family descends from the Rev. Robert Jordan, who came to Cape Elizabeth circa 1639 from Dorchester, England, according to historical documents. He was a minister of the Free Will Baptist faith and later took ownership of Richmonds Island, about four miles out from Black Point, which is now part of Scarborough.

“This is the family’s 400-year anniversary,” said Debbie Jordan of Broken Arrow, Okla., who was part of the bus tour Thursday. “We’re going to celebrate for him (Robert Jordan).”

Debbie, her husband Nathan and their adult son, Kevin, have traced their lineage back to Dominicus Jordan, one of the minister’s six sons.

“I think this is really unique, we’ve got 48 states represented here,” said Debbie Jordan. “Even our children have enjoyed coming back here to learn (about the family history). It’s really neat to get to meet other Jordans.”

The group was greeted at one of the family cemeteries Thursday by Biddeford resident Mary Maxwell, wife of the late Archie Maxwell, who was also a Jordan descendant. Archie, who died in 2006, was a president of the First National Bank of Biddeford, following in the footsteps of his ancestor Rishworth Jordan, who, according to historical reports, was a prominent banker, serving as president of Biddeford National Bank, Saco National Bank and Saco Savings Bank in the late 1800s.

“It goes back so far and it’s so interesting,” said Maxwell of the family history. “People just love all the old history.”

Paul McDonough, a member of the Biddeford Historical Society, was also on hand to discuss the Jordans, whom he described as one of the founding families of Biddeford.

“This area is teeming with historic wonderments,” he said, noting that archaeological digs on the UNE campus ”“ which was formerly the Jordan Farm ”“ have found artifacts such as arrowheads and musket balls, from the eras of the Native Americans and the English settlers.

The well-kept cemetery visited Thursday is located on the property of Roy and Peggy Wermenchuk on Old Pool Road, abutting the UNE campus.

Roy Wermenchuk, who purchased the property with his wife in 1977, said he helped the previous owners care for the cemetery when he was working as a groundskeeper for UNE.

“I’ve seen the other graveyards around here; the stones get broken and thrown into the river,” he said, adding that he would sometimes find stolen headstones in students’ rooms. “I thought it was sad, so I tried here to make it look as nice as possible.”

“It’s just been such a fascinating story,” said Peggy Wermenchuck, who said she and her husband will often come out to tell visitors the history of the small family plot.

The gravestone of Capt. Samuel Jordan, which dates back to 1742, is the highlight of the cemetery due to its unique design. The stone consists of a body-length cement piece on the ground with an inlaid slate heart that includes Jordan’s name and date of death.

McDonough said he believes that the captain’s original slate stone was ruined and the engraved section was cut out so it could be saved.

Samuel Jordan was the son of Dominicus Jordan, who was killed by American Indians in 1703. Samuel and the rest of the family were taken to Canada as prisoners and kept for seven years, according to the history, and Samuel was able to learn the Indian language and customs.

Samuel Jordan went on to become an Indian agent for the General Court of Massachusetts. In 1740, he built the original Jordan home, which was surrounded by wooden stockades and cannons at each corner, according to historical accounts.

Jordans lived in the Pool Road home until it was sold in 1905, and in 1931, it was purchased by Rev. A.M. Decary. He began the Jordan Farm’s transformation into a French language boarding high school that would later become St. Francis College and eventually the University of New England. From 1931 to 1950, the house underwent several construction projects to become Stella Maris Hall, which now houses the university president’s office.

The Jordan group visited the former home Thursday, on their way to the cemetery, and also stopped at the Biddeford Meeting House, where early family members still have pews named in their memory.

Earlier in the day, the Jordan descendants dedicated a monument at the burial site believed to be that of the Rev. Robert Jordan, on Jordan Hill in New Castle, N.H. Gerald Jordan, a director of the tour, said the five graves were unmarked, but were found by ground radar near the Jordan homestead.

Historical documents show that Rev. Jordan married Sarah Winter and became a wealthy land proprietor. The couple moved to the Winter family property in Cape Elizabeth, known then and now as Spurwink, but were forced to leave for New Hampshire due to attacks from the Native Americans. Rev. Jordan was briefly imprisoned by the Puritans in 1663 for his religious beliefs. He died in 1679 at 68 years old, according to records.

— Historical sources: A History and Stories of Biddeford by Dane Yorke; and other historical documents held by the Biddeford Historical Society, special thanks to society president Raymond Gaudette. City Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 322 or kristenm@journaltribune.com.