NOTE!

Demo

First Name
Last Name
Age
Total
Discount
Date
Peter Parker 28 $9.99 20% Jul 6, 2006 8:14 AM
John Hood 33 $19.99 25% Dec 10, 2002 5:14 AM
Clark Kent 18 $15.89 44% Jan 12, 2003 11:14 AM
Bruce Almighty 45 $153.19 44% Jan 18, 2001 9:12 AM
Bruce Evans 22 $13.19 11% Jan 18, 2007 9:12 AM

Javascript

$(function(){
  $("table").tablesorter({
    theme : 'blue',
    // pass the headers argument and passing a object
    headers: {
      0: {
        // lock the sort order of the first column to ascending (always Bruce to Peter when sorting on that column)
        lockedOrder: 'asc'
      }
    }
  });
});

HTML

<table class="tablesorter">
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>First Name</th>
      <th>Last Name</th>
      <th data-lockedorder="desc">Age</th> <!-- added as data-lockedOrder, but the DOM changes it to data-lockedorder -->
      <th>Total</th>
      <th class="lockedOrder-desc">Discount</th>
      <th>Date</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Peter</td>
      <td>Parker</td>
      <td>28</td>
      <td>$9.99</td>
      <td>20%</td>
      <td>Jul 6, 2006 8:14 AM</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>John</td>
      <td>Hood</td>
      <td>33</td>
      <td>$19.99</td>
      <td>25%</td>
      <td>Dec 10, 2002 5:14 AM</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Clark</td>
      <td>Kent</td>
      <td>18</td>
      <td>$15.89</td>
      <td>44%</td>
      <td>Jan 12, 2003 11:14 AM</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Bruce</td>
      <td>Almighty</td>
      <td>45</td>
      <td>$153.19</td>
      <td>44%</td>
      <td>Jan 18, 2001 9:12 AM</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Bruce</td>
      <td>Evans</td>
      <td>22</td>
      <td>$13.19</td>
      <td>11%</td>
      <td>Jan 18, 2007 9:12 AM</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>
Next up: Set initial sort order using header options ››