Mrs. Jourdan
Cite this Page
"Mrs. Jourdan," White House Workers History Project, White House Historical Association, 2026, https://whha.whirlihost.com/Detail/workers/425.
- Position
- Lady’s Maid
- Years in President's House
- circa 1870
- Legal Status
- Free Person
- Gender
- Female
- Race/Ethnicity
- Unclear from Context
- Presidency
- Ulysses S. Grant
- Biography
- In 1870, newspapers listed a “Mrs. Jourdan” on the White House staff as maid to First Lady Julia Grant. She was likely married to Emile Jourdan, who served as the head of pantry and as a waiter there.1 Her name may have been Louisa Jourdan or Phebe Smith Jourdan. In the 1870 Census, Emile Jourdan is listed living with a Louisa Jourdan, although she is documented as a dressmaker, not a maid to the first lady. It is possible she was his wife, but also could have been a sister or other relative. Later, newspapers report about Jourdan’s divorce from a woman named Phebe Smith Jourdan, though it is unclear if they were married during his time at the White House.2
- “The White House-The Retinue of a Republican President,” The Greeneville Democrat (Ohio), June 1, 1870, pg. 2.
- Emil Jourdan in 1870 US Federal Census, Year: 1870; Census Place: Washington Ward 2, Washington, District of Columbia; Roll: M593_123; Page: 268A, Ancestry.com. “New York News and Gossip,” Evening Star, April 26, 1884, pg. 5.
- Birthplace
- Unclear from Context
- Unclear from Context
- Related Workers
- Annie JacksonValets, Lady's Maids, and First Family Attendants, circa 1870
- Emile JourdanKitchen, Dining Room, Pantry, and Storeroom, circa 1870