“Christmas in 17th-century England and Virginia”

Guest Author:  Nancy Egloff, Jamestown Settlement Historian Christmas in 17th-Century England and Virginia Exploring English customs and the Lord of Misrule Along with their friends and relatives in England, the Englishmen who came to Jamestown in 1607 considered Christmas to be one of the most special times of the year. In England, the season lasted …

Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief, Doctor, lawyer, Indian Chief!

Rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief, Doctor, lawyer, Indian Chief--that's the first line from one of my childhood jump rope rhymes.  I thought it appropriate for opening this post that connects farmers, merchants, lawyers, sailors, a kidnapper, and even a President, Indian Chief, and an Indian Princess who became famous for her peacekeeping powers …

Back From the Future – Part 2

 A Quote from the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, June 2014: Christopher Columbus never reached the shores of the North American Continent, but European explorers learned three things from him: there was someplace to go, there was a way to get there, and most importantly, there was a way to get back. Thus began the European exploration of …

John Rolfe – Just One of My Family’s Immigrants . . .

The Early Modern Period Over the next twenty-eight days, we will be revisiting my 11th paternal great grandfather’s story once again.  It is a story that dates back to 1585--the 585th year of the 2nd millennium, the 85th year of the 16th century, and the 6th year of the 1580s decade.  Although much has been …

John Rolfe Letter to Governor Thomas Dale, 1614

Continuing to further document and understand the lives of our earliest ancestors - emigrants from England to Jamestown, Virginia, I have included below, the 1614 letter  (transcribed and updated to today’s word usage and spellings by me--I made no changes to word choices or punctuation and kept present-day English spellings).  My  11th great-grandfather, John Rolfe, …

Salty as the Sea–Sweet as Wine–Another Story from Jamestown

Back to Jamestown and Unearthing Yet Another Notable Ancestor Because of my ancient Bolling family lineage, I have long been following anything and everything published related to Pocahontas, her marriage to Thomas Rolfe, their cultural and genealogical histories in England and Virginia.  Among the vast resources available, I also have followed the archaeological endeavors of …

The Chesapeake Bay and Our Native American Heritage

This post focuses on our Native American heritage who resided along the borders of the Chesapeake Bay.  Digressing just a little into my lineage, my paternal Bolling ancestors were among the first in Jamestown and my maternal Lathrop ancestors the first in New England.  My ninth great-grandfather, Colonel Robert Bolling married Pocahontas' granddaughter, Jane Poythress …

Tobacco, Slavery, Earthworms, Honey Bees; Grains, Livestock, Disease…Oh My!

After reading one of my posts, a friend suggested I take a look at the book 1493... by Charles C. Mann. Only in a few pages and I had a rude awakening.  It appeared to me that up to this point I had merely been scratching the surface when describing our family's roots, branches, history, …

Meet Jane…14-Year-Old Jamestown Colony Victim of Cannibalism?

Scientists revealed Wednesday, May 1, 2013, that they have found the first solid archaeological evidence that some of the earliest American colonists at Jamestown, Va., survived harsh conditions by turning to cannibalism. For years, there have been tales of people in the first permanent English settlement in America eating dogs, cats, rats, mice, snakes and …

THANKFUL THURSDAY: The Best Things In Life Are Free – Part 1

The best things in life are free, especially the gifts of our ancestors whose trailblazing contributions started first in the colony of Virginia (Jamestown, 1607) and then in Plymouth (1620) over 400 years ago. These settlers from England, Wales, Scotland, Holland, and Ireland bonded together to form our religious, social, business and industry, government, education, …