Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1906-10-18
HISTORICAL WEDDINGS.
Marriage of John Laydon and
Anne BurraS.


things matrimonial, will lay aside
reports of social doings at the sum
mer resorts and advertisements Of
new tangled fruit cans to read about
wedding, even if it did occur nigh
on to three hi ndred years ago.
In this ca there are two and il
S doubtful if an account of them
would be dug up at the present time
were it not that they have to do in
directly with the Jamestown EXPOSE
ton, which is to be held next year
at point not far from the scene of
both these early social events. F. F.
VS. were not heard of in those days.
but for real, simon pure F. F. V.
ism the first of these nuptials has
the latter day society lashed to the
mast; in fact it marked the begin
ming of the first family in Virginia.
The second was the first instance of
title hunting in America with the
reversed conditions that the bride,
an American, had the title and the
hunter was the untitled Englishman.
There were no bridesmaids, no din
ners with terrapin and truffles, no
checks for a million dollars and no
press accounts Of the trousseau, but
there were some distinguished peo-
pie present and in some way the
news leaked out.
The first installment of James
town settlers was stag outfit with
such noble old FOUNDERS as Capt.
John Smith in the bunch, but never
a petticoat, and no wonder things
didn't go just right. In the absence
Of this gentle influence one can fancy
the doughty Captain and old sport
Powhatan pitching horseshoes for
tobacco (Powhatan's tobacco under
Powhatan's Oak and getting tipsy
on Dismal Swamp water.
But when the second contingent
of settlers arrived there were two
ladies among them, or rather one
lady, Mistress Forrest, and her maid
Anne Burras. Imagine the rubber
ing that took place when the flags of
their femininity were seen to flutter
on the docks of Jamestown. There
was one citizen of the town that
wasn't slow. This was John Lay
don. At low, making he must have
been a regular Corsair. He assailed
the gentle Anne with horse, foot and
dragons, sabred her coyness, rode
over her objections, broke down
her defences, forcibly seized her
consent and bore her away to the
alter before she had began to feel at
home. Just two months after she
landed in America this fourteen
year old maid had changed her name
from Burras to Laydon. 1t is con-
jectured that Captain Smith gave
away the bride. All this happened
in December, 1908, and the next
year John and Anne presented to
the worthy council of Virginia the
first child born of English parents in
the colony. "It' was a girl and
she was called Virginia. In 1852
when Virginia was q the Virginia
Court officially recognized this inn
portant event by presenting to the
distinguished young lady five hun
dred acres Of land in Elizabeth City
County, Va, which lies just across
Hampton Roads from the James
town Exposition grounds. 1t may
be interesting to note that three
other daughters came to bless the
Laydons Catherine, Alice and Mar
garet.
That other wedding was the title
hunting affair. 1t seems that John
Rolfe, Secretary of the colony of
Virginia, succeeded in convincing
t h royal maiden, Pocahontas, |
that Capt. John Smith was dead, she
yielded to the opportunities of Rolfe
and married him. That she loved |
Smith first and always is the con-
clusion Of many who are familiar
with the annals of the colony. When
after her marriage she met him in
London she exclaimed: "They told