PLYMOUTH |
The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History |
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In the year 1607 the English adventurer Captain John Smith found himself being held captive by the Red Indian chief Powhatton, in what became the State of Virginia, United States of America. Furthermore, he was about to be clubbed to death. [1] Watching this was an 11-years-old girl, Princess Pocahontas, the daughter of the Indian chief. Suddenly she risked her own life by throwing her puny body over that of the Captain, and, burying her head in his beard, cried: 'This is my man!' Her father was no doubt very displeased by this action but the Red Indian customs compelled him to hand the prisoner over to her. [1] For many months they were inseparable and Captain Smith entertained her with tales of his homeland. She not only learned English but began to love the sound of England and hate the barbarous ways of her own people. When the Captain managed to escape and returned to England, Princess Pocahontas made contact with the English colony at Jamestown and again risked her own life by helping them to survive. [1] While at Jamestown, Pocahontas met, fell in love with, and in 1614 married Mr John Rolfe, a colonist and renowned tobacco planter. She embraced Christianity and became baptised with the name of Rebecca. Together they had a son, Thomas. [1] On June 12th 1616 [2] there was great excitement in the town of Plymouth when a message was received to say that a ship was approaching that carried a Royal Princess from the New World. There were many rumours as to the strange appearance of these savages from a strange land, including that their eyes were in their breasts. It must have been a disappointment, and a relief, when Sir Thomas Dale brought ashore a beautiful and slim young lady, dressed in a white gown beneath an elaborately embroidered robe, whose only difference was her darkly golden skin. They were also surprised that she spoke good English and that she was accompanied by her English son. [1] Lending more colour to the scene was a sturdy savage by the name of Tomocomo [3], chief counsellor to her father, the Indian Chief, Powhattan. The Chief had sent him to count the hated English and immediately he landed he started to carve a notch into a large wooden staff for every Englishman he saw. He quickly learned the futility of this task and the staff was soon thrown away in disgust. [1] His Majesty King James I was very pleased to hear that this foreign Princess, or Lady Rebecca Rolfe as she now was, had been converted to Christianity and instructed that she should be entertained by the Bishop of London with pomp and ceremony. The King hoped that by doing so he would not only encourage her father to allow the peaceful colonisation of Virginia but that it might bring about the conversion of the Red Indians generally. [1] Although she was welcomed at Court, her husband was not as he was a commoner and had, in the eyes of the King, committed the serious crime of marrying into Royal blood. She expressed a wish to meet Captain John Smith once again but was dismayed when he greeted her as a commoner should do Royalty instead of with the warmth affection he had shown when in Virginia. [1] She only met Captain Smith on that one occasion and was so distraught with his lack of enthusiasm, unaware of the views of the King, that she lost all interest in England and as winter approached she grew listless and her health deteriorated. The Princess Pocahontas, otherwise Lady Rebecca Rolfe, died in February 1617 on board the ship in which she was due to be returned home in and was buried at St George's Church, Gravesend, Kent. [1] The boy, Thomas Rolfe, was initially left at Plymouth with Sir Lewis Stukely [2]. Sources:
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