Ralph Ord married Mary Ord on July 4, 1785 at St. George’s in the East, Cannon Street Road, London, England. They had a son named James, baptized on April 9, 1786. Ralph, the father, did not live long after his marriage, and James, lived only a short time. Mary, without husband or son, lived with her mother, Helen Ord and Mary’s unwed brother, also named James Ord.

Arrangements were being made to transfer a child to the Ords. The arrangements were made by a member of the English Royal family. James Ord the elder acted as negotiator. He was told very little about the infant, but understood the child was from one of the sons of King George III. By some accounts, the child was the son of George, Prince of Wales, and his wife, Maria Fitzherbert. The prince, later to become King George IV, was married to Maria were married by an Anglican priest in 1785 and it was rumored that she was with child at the time. Was this James?

James the Elder was an experienced ships captain and architect and he contracted on September 28, 1786 to serve the King of Spain for four years as dockyard inspector at Bilbao, Spain. One account said that this job was arranged by the Duke of York. So, Captain James Ord, his sister Mary, their mother Helen and the infant James went to Spain.

Four years later John Carroll was appointed first Catholic bishop for the United States. Carroll had been educated in Europe and had served as tutor and chaplain to noble Catholic families in England. He returned to England for his consecration and elevated to bishopric on August 15, 1790 in the chapel of Lolworth Castle. Lulworth was the place of the Weld family, the seat of Edward, who just happened to be Maria Fitzherbert’s first husband.

By a remarkable coincidence, Captain James Ord’s contract to serve the King of Spain expired about the same time. Out of a job, in exile in a foreign land and unable to return to England, they were perplexed. It is almost a certainty that there was discussion between the Ords and Carroll, for when Carroll returned to the United States, the Ords followed and took up residence in Norfolk, Virginia, where James was employed in shipbuilding by John Brent, a nephew of Bishop Carroll.

Quickly tragedy staked the Ords. Helen died in Norfolk County in October, 1791 and Mary Ord died a year or two later. James the younger, then seven, was taken in by the Brent family. He attended school in Norfolk until 1795 or 1796 when John Brent returned went with his family to their old him near Port Tobacco, Charles County, Maryland. The Ords, uncle and nephew, accompanied them.

As a young boy, James Ord did not know when his birthday was, so he asked his uncle about the matter. "I do not know, James," was the reply. "If you had your rights in England you would b something very great. God forgive those who have wronged you." The uncle later told James that he was not his nephew and that shortly after birth he had been adopted by Mary who had lost her own child. The uncle would not elaborate further. This greatly troubled James and he never brought the matter up again.

The Ords lived with the Brents near Port Tobacco until 1799, when young James was sent to live with Notley Young near Washington at his estate called "Non Such". The move was likely for education. On April 18, 1800 James enrolled in Jamestown College, a Jesuit Institution founded by who else, Bishop Carroll in 1791. Bishop Carroll paid James expenses. Notley Young was Carroll’s brother-in-law, and a professor at Jamestown. In 1806, James joined the Jesuits, taking his vows as a priest in 1808 and becoming a teacher at the college.

Suddenly his routine was shattered. A courier arrived to tell him the elder Ord was ill. James hurried to his side. His uncle told him he had something of great importance to tell him but expired before he could muster the strength to continue. Less than a year later, he quit the college and the Jesuit Order. James quit the college in May of 1811 and by June 9th he had secured an appointment as midshipman in the United States Navy. He did not like life on a frigate and resigned his commission on April 13, 1813 and 17 days later accepted a commission as first lieutenant in the Thirty-sixth United States Infantry Regiment. Ord never new to whom he was indebted for these appointments.

Lieutenant Ord was married to Rebecca Ruth Cresap of Allegheny County on September 29, 1814. She was a Protestant and the Brents were opposed to the marriage. The third child of James and Rebecca, a son, was born in Cumberland on October 18, 1818, and was given the name Edward Otho Cresap, in honor of Rebecca’s elder brother, who had died the year before in Kentucky.

After his family moved to Washington D. C., Edward became certain he wanted to attend West Point Military Academy. Several letters of recommendation were sent, one from a person very close to the throne of King Andrew. Edward was appointed and became a military officer.

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