Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-15
IN JOHN SMITHS TIME
The Recent London liz, &ggests Interest
ing Questions
Was Pocahontas Really Married to
Rolf. and had SIT pr.,,ou.,,
Been SMITHS -spou.es

It is learned by a recent cable dispatch
that Cripplegate Church in London mar
rowly escaped destruction in the recent
great fire of the English metropolis, its
roof having been once on fire, while its
vicarage adjoining was totally destroyed.
This is the old historical church which
contains the poet Millions tomb, and that
of grewsome Fox, the martyrologist. On
reading this news 1 was reminded of an
other old London church particularly inter-
esting historically to some Americans-the
Church Of st. misunderstanding be-
cause here was buried Captain John Smith,
that mixed character Of brag and bounce.
of enterprise, energy and exaggeration,
whose History of Virginia ESQ called
the author of Robinson Crusoe might easily
have written because Of it's Imaginative
unveraciousness, and over whose grave
in that church precincts lies a stone slab
with long inscription (once) on it; one
which the distinguished Canon Fuller. au-
thor of "Worthies of England" who knew
John well, pronounced a "rantfng cpl
taph,' intimating that Captain John wrote
1t himself in life for his executors to chisel
on the stone which would lie over his re-
mains. And on being thus reminded Of St:
Sepulchre Church, and, by association, of
John Smith, and Of Pocahontas likewise
1t occurred to me that Senator George F.
Hoar of Massachusetts, had visited that
CHuTCn anu SdZeu Oh JOHN 8 stone slab
with the 'ranting epitaph." and on refer
ring to Lossing's American Historical Rec
erd 1 found the following among the pro-
ceedings had at a meeting of the American
Antiquarian Society in Worcester Mass,
On the 21st of October. 1871:
Mr.. George F. Hoar gave some account
of the present condition of the monument
and inscription to the memory of Capt.
chre. London. He visited this church
twice while in England, and the second
time accompanied by Rev. DIR. Palfrey.
They found the inscription SO worn away
as to me entirely illegible, and Mr.. 'Hoar
kesitates to believe the stone ever could
have contained so long an inscription as
that said to have been copied from It; tut
the three Turks heads are still visible, and
as the church has been burnt since the
monument was placed there Some satisfac-
tory explanation is possible. He suggested
that the society can do something to re-
store the inscription. We may at least
After some remarks by DR.. Deane the mat
terswas referred to the council"
Perusing this, 1 presumed to venture to
address Senator Hoar at Worcester to
find out il those Massachusetts Yankees
had ever accomplished their tablet to per-
petuate the memory Of thettuteiary saint
Of the old dominion. The sena tors reply
under date of December p 1897, is contain
ed in the following paragraph:
There was an effort made to put I'D a
tablet to john Smith In the ST. Sepulchre
But the then rector demanded. such enor-
nous fees that the subject was dropped
shabby. I nave heard that a new rector
had consented to putting up a tablet to
this famous historic person without de-
handing his fees. and that that had been
done. But cannot now abe sure"
Americans are replied tWorshipers of the
almighty dollar by our =, loving brethren
OF the fast-anchored9i isle. but they would
seem seer surpassed in monetary grsediness by
cot prhn
ton to his fees obsEructsd the New Eng
land Yankees who wanted to- do honor to
the chief historical character of Virginia
However there is comfort in the few
that 1t had been dong" probably by the
unbought consent vi, a less Shabby rec
tor: for which Last ift ", be duly thank
IA tai' ana ~ this connection it occurs to me
legged mHrfrrfage o{, John Role and Poca-
hontas vas solepnizsd,, as pictured In a
man did the deed? The minutes of the
London Virginia ,Companysf the manuscript
or which is preserved In the Congressional
Library: show that John Rolfe when he
died left wife and several children: and
question has arisen whether he ever
married cPocahontas at all. except tenn
Porarliy' as Is often practiced in the In
dian country to this day. Before that
she had been given in marriage by Pow
NATHAN TO an Indian warrior. and 1t is
probable that 1t was while living with this
regular husband ON the Potomac4-a river
which, in the Indian dialect, was the Po-
to-waugh-mak. the porpoise riverside was
stolen away by the INSCRIPTIONS Capt
ArgaH, to become John Rolfe's wife also
long before which, as has been shrewdly
conjectured. she had acted as temporary
Wife to Captain John Smith. An Indian
woman Of about this period young
matron OF the unfortunate Pequot tribe.
exhibited so superior a character for vir-
TIE: dignity and humanity, that she might
well be held by Connecticut in lasting
honor without any discount whatsoever.
.!r DIR. THOS. FOSTER.