Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1906-10-31
HISTORIC WEDDINGS
Nuptials of Laydon- Burras and
ROIfe- POcahOntas

RoIfe-
The eternal feminine delighting
at all times In things matrimonial
will lay aside reports of social
doings at the summer resorts and
advertisements of new tangled
fruit cans to read about a we'd
ding even if it did occur nigh on
to three hundred years ago.
In this case there are two and it
is doubtful if an account of them
would be dug up at the present
time were it not that they have to
do indirectly with the jamestown
Exposition 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
dashed to the mast lin fact it mark
ed the beginning of the first family
of Virginia. The second was TIE
first instance of title-hunting in
America with the reversed condi-
tions that the bride, an American,
had the title, and the hunter was
! an untitled Englishman. There
were no bridesmaids, no dinners
with terrapin and truffles, no
checks for a million dollars and no
press accounts of the trosseau, but
there were some distinguished peo-
pie present and in some way the
news leaked out.
The first installment of James.
town settler was stag outfit with
such noble old FOUNDERS as Cap.
tain John Smith In the right. In
the absence of this gentle influence
one can fancy the doughty Captain
and old sport Powhatan pitching
horseshoes for tobacco (Powhe tan'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, Mistress For
est and her maid, Anne Burras.
Imagine the rubbering that took
place when the flags of their femin-
unity were seen to futter on the
docks of Jamestown. There was
one citizen Of the town that wasn't
slow, this was John Layton. At
lovemaking he must have been a
regular Corsiar. He assailed the
gentle Anne with horse, foot and
dragons, sabred her coyness, rode
over her objections, broke down
her defenses, forcibly seized con-
sent and bore her away to the altar
before she had begun to feel at
home. just TWO months after she
landed in America this fourteen
year-old maid had changed her
name from Burras to Layton. 1t
is conjectured that Captain Smith
gave away the bride. All this hap
pened in December, 1908, and the
next year John and Annie present.
ed to the worthy Council of Vir.
ginia the first child born of English
parents in the colony. at" was
girl and she was called Virginia In
1882 when Virginia was 81 the
Virginia Court officially recognized
this important event by presenting
to the young lady five acres of land
in Elizabeth City county, VA, which
lies just across the Hampton Roads
from jamestown. 1t may be in
terestiDg to note that three other
daughters came to bless the Lay
dons-Catharine, Alice and Mar
gaert.
That other wedding was the
title hunting sffair. 1t seems that
John Rolfe, secretary of the Colony
of Virginia, succ eeded in convincing
the royal maiden, Pocahontas, that
Captain John Smith was dead, and
believing him dead, she yielded to
the opportunities of Rolfe and
married him. That she loved Smith
first and always is the cor clusion
of macy who ale familiar with the
annals OF the colony. " ell after
her marriage she net him in Lon
don she exclaimed: They told
me always that you were dead"
Those words told of the tragedy of
a heart.