Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1906-10-12
TWO HISTORICAL WEDDINGS

Hunting in Americs-Rom of
John Smith and Pocahontas and
its Subsequent Heart Tragedy.
Norfolk, Va.,-The eternal feminine
at all times in things matrimonial will
lay aside reports of social doings at the
summer resorts and advertisements of
new tangled fruit cane to read about
wedding even If it did occur nigh on to
three hundred years ago.
In this case there are two and it is
doubtful il an account of them would be
up at the present tine were it not that
they have to do indirectly with the James
town 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 in fact it marked the
beginning of the first family of Virginia.
The second was the first instance of
title-hunting in America with the re-
versed conditions that the bride, an
American, had the title and the hunter
was the untitled Englishmen. There
were no bridesmaids, no dinners with
terrapin and truffies, no checks for
million dollars and no press accounts
of the trousseau, but there were some
distinguished people present and in some
ways the news leaked out.
The first instalment of jamestown
settlers was a 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 set
tiers arrived there were two ladies among
them, or rather one lady, Mistress Forest,
and her maid, Anne Burras. Imagine
the rubbering that took place when the
flags of their femininity were seen to
hutter on the docks of jamestown.
There was one citizen of the town that
wasn't slow. This was John Layton.
At love making he must have been a
regular Corsair. He assaulted the gentle
Anne with horse, foot and dragons,
sabred her coyness, rode over her objec-
tions, broke down her defenses, forcibly
seized her consent and bore her to altar
before she had begun to feelfat home.
Just two months after she landed in
America this fourteen-year-o maid had
changed her name from Burras to Lay.
don. 1t is conjectured that Capt. Smith
gave away the bride. All this happened
in December, 1908 and the next year John
and Anne presented to the worthy Coun-
Gil of Virginia the first child aborn of
English parents in the colony. sit" was
girl and she was called Virginia. In
1882 when Virginia was 81 the Virginia
Court officially recognized this impor-
tant event by presenting to the distin-
guished young lady five hundred acres
of land in Elizabeth City County, Va,
which lies just across Hampton Roads
from the jamestown grounds. 1t may
be interesting to note that three other
daughters came to bless the Laydons-
Catherine, Alice and Margaret.
That other wedding was the title-hunt-
ing affair. 1t seems that! John Rolfe,
Secretary of the Colony of Virginia, sue
ceeded in convincing the royal maiden,
Pocahontas, that Capt. John ISmith was
dead, and, believing him dead, she yields
to the opportunities of Rolfe and married
him. That she loved Smith first and al
ways is the conclusion of many who are
familiar witlnthe annals of the colony.
When after her marriage she met him in
London she exclaimed: "They told me
you were dead" Those words told of the
tragedy of heart.