American school children know the story of how Indian maiden Pocahontas reportedly at age 12 saved the life of Captain John Smith, an Indian captive. Her story has also been portrayed in a Disney movie. Historians believe this popular legend has been greatly embellished in the retelling of it.
Few know that Pocahontas was really a nickname, meaning “playful one”. The daughter of powerful Indian Chief Powhatan, her real name was Matoaka. Although her story has probably been romanticized beyond recognition, she was really a remarkable woman.
Pocahontas Marries John Rolfe
Pocahontas, born about 1595, married Kocuum in 1610. They went to live along the Potomac River. Kocuum was killed in battle a short time later. In 1613, at the new settlement of Henrico, where Pocahontas was held captive by the English, she met John Rolfe. After her father approved of them marrying, she was baptized and christened Rebecca. They were wed April 5, 1614.
In the spring of 1616, Rolfe, his wife and their infant son, Thomas, accompanied Sir Thomas Dale on a trip to England. Dale, who was seeking additional financing for the Virginia Company, hoped Pocahontas would gain helpful publicity.
Pocahontas Tours England
Pocahontas was the star of London society that year. King James and his court adored her. Although the King found Pocahontas fascinating, he was upset that Rolfe married her without royal permission.
When she became ill and was taken ashore at Gravesend, England, she comforted her husband, reportedly saying: “All must die, ‘Tis enough that the child liveth.” She was buried at Gravesend March 17, 1617, where there is a statue honoring her.
Rolfe left Thomas with an English guardian, returned to Virginia and remarried in 1619. He died a couple of years later.
Surnames of Pocahontas Descendants
The son, Thomas Rolfe, is the ancestor of thousands of descendants of the woman we know as Pocahontas. They bear the following surnames.
A-B: Alfriend, Allen, Ambler, Archer, Austin, Bannister, Baskerville, Bentley, Berkely, Bernard, Berry, Bland, Bolling, Bolton, Botts, Bradford, Branch, Brown, Buchanan, Buford, Burton and Byrd.
C-E: Cabell, Carr, Cary, Catlett, Chalmers, Clarke, Cobbs, Coleman, Covington, Cross, Dandridge, Davies, Deane, Dixon, Doswell, Douglass, Duvall, Eggleston, Elam, Eldridge and Ellett.
F-H: Ferguson, Fitzgerald, Fleming, Flood, Fox, Friend, Garrett, Gay, Gifford, Glover, Goode, Gordon, Grattan, Graves, Grayson, Green, Gregg, Griffin, Hackley, Hamilton, Hamlin, Hardaway, Harris, Harrison, Hereford, Houston and Hubbard.
I-M: Irving, James, Jeffrey, Jones, Kincaid, Knox, Lea, Lewis, Logan, McRae, Macon, Markham, Maury, May, Meade, Megginson, Meredith, Mewburn, Michaux, Morris, Morrison and Murray.
P-S: Page, Paulett, Perkins, Pleasants, Powell, Randolph, Rawlins, Robertson, Robinson, Roper, Ruffin, Russell, Scott, Shield, Skein, Skipwith, Southall, Standard, Stockdell and Strange.
T-Y: Tazewell, Thornton, Throckmorton, Tucker, Vaughn, Walke, Wallace, Watkins, Watson, Webber, Weisiger, West, White, Whittle, Wiley, Willard, Williams, Winston, Woodlief, Woodridge, Yates and Yuilee.
Source:
Cameron, Judy, “Surnames Connected to Pocahontas and John Rolfe,” as well as her separate articles on Pocahontas and John Rolfe, The Second Boat, Vol. 17, No. 2 (1997-1998)
Rosemary E. Bachelor - Rosemary Bachelor, a prize-winning journalist, has had a career as an editor, feature writer, magazine publisher and author. Her latest ...
