Evening star., 1936-03-01
81
Bv John CIaeett Proctor.

i whose ancestry was partly Amer
ican Indian, and this may be perfectly
true, although some place Thomas
Jefferson as among the descendants
Of Pocahontas, and he, by the way.
Vas the second man to serve this
>uA,ntry as Vice President.
Though there may be some doubt
of Jefferson being a descendant OF
John Rolfe and the daughter of Pow
hatan, it is true that the Jeffersons,
the Randolphs and the Bollings did
intermarry, though the writer has thus
far been unable to convince himself
that the author of the Declaration was
actually descended through any OF
these marriages.
As a matter of fact, it is sometimes
tust as difficult to prove a thing as 1t
is to disprove statement, and II some
one says that President Jefferson was
so descended, he may be right, for
there are missing branches in this
noted lady's family tree, and in some
cases, even where the earliest genera
tions are accounted for. some of the
later ones have not been brought
down anywhere near to date.
Pocahontas as is well known, mar
ried John Rolfe, and had by him one
son, Thomas Rolfe. Many stories have
been written Of this wonderful Indian
princess, some in a light vein and 9TH
ers of serious nature.
ONE of the most reliable and con-
~ servative works on the North
American Indians is the Handbook"
published by the Bureau of American
Ethnology, of the Smithsonian 1nsti-
tuition, during the years OF 1907 ana
1910. Here we are told that, by reason
of the alleged romance of her life, she
is one of the most famous OF women.
"Her fathers dearest daughter, a
mere girl at the time, she is said to
have saved Capt. John Smith from
cruel and ignominious death at the
hands of Powhatan's people, whose
prisoner he then was, and she Is
credited with enabling many other
Englishmen to escape the wrath and
vengeance of her tribes people.
What the truth is about some Of
her alleged exploits can never be
known; some writer's have even doubt
ed the episode with Capt. Smith. After
the departure of Smith for England
in 1909, faith was not kept with the
Indians as promised, and Pocahontas,
by the aid of treacherous chief, was
decoyed on board the ship of Capt.
Argall in the Potomac, carried of to
Jamestown Q6l2), and afterwards
taken to Werawocomoco, Powhatan's
chief place of residence, where sort
of peace was effected and the ransom
of Pocahontas agreed upon.
while among the Englishmen, how
ever, Pocahontas had become ac-
quainted with John Rolfe. an honest
gentleman, and of good behaviour.
These two fell in love, an event which
turned out to the satisfaction of every
body, and in April, 1913, they were
duly married, Pocahontas having been
previously converted to Christianity
and baptized under the name of the
Lady Rebecca' This alliance was of
great advantage to the colonists. for
Powhatan kept peace with them until
his DEATH"
However, Mrs. Rolfe's married life
was of short duration, for she died in
March, 1917, of smallpox, when on
board ship at Gravesend, ready to
return to America, after having ar
rived in England the year before. In
July, 1907, a skeleton believed to be her
remains, was unearthened within the
site of Gravesend Parish Church.
PY THE marriage of John Rolfe and
Pocahontas, one son, Thomas
Rolfe, was born in 1915. An uncle,
Henry Rolfe, educated the lad in Eng
land, and. when, presumably, he had
grown to manhood, he returned to
Virginia, where he is said to have ac-
quired wealth and distinction. His
wife was Jane Poythress, by whom he
left one child only, named Jane Rolfe,
who was born in Virginia, married Col.
Robert Boiling in 1875, and died the
following year, leaving but one child,
q son, John Boiling, born 1876. Thus,
it will be seen that for three genera
tions (Thomas Rolfe, Jane Rolfe and
John Bolling), there was but one child
born to perpetuate the Indian blood
Of Pocahontas, and yet, from this time
on they became quite numerous, for
John Boiling ID. 1876, d. 1920. through
his marriage with Mary Kennoai, had
six children: Maj. John Boiling, Jane,
Mary, Elizabeth, Martha and Anne
Maj. John Boiling. of the fourth in
descent, born in TOO and died Sep
tember 6, 1757, married Elizabeth,
daughter of DR.. Archibald Blair, and
II recored as having had 10 children
The five sisters of Mai. Boiling mar
ried as follows: Jane, to Col Richard
Randolph; Mary, to Col. John Flem-
ing of Mount Pleasant; Elizabeth, to
DR.. William Gay; Martha, to Thomas
Eldridge; and Anne, to James Murray;
the total issue from these six descend.
ants being SO children.
In the fifth degree of descent from
Pocahontas we find John Boiling mar.
fying Martha, the sister to President
Thomas Jefferson; and in the same de.
gree of descent we find John Randolph
son Of Richard Randolph (who married
Jane Bolling) marrying Frances Bland
and from this union was born the
famous John Randolph Of Roanoke
Of whom 1t is said that he probably
never loved any human being with
natural affection except his mother;
and that his love for her bordereo
on the supernatural. At one time, II
Is related that even she whom he
sought for his bride, at almost the su.
preme moment when he was to bind
her to his side forever, fled terrified
from his embrace, and that on the
instant, he angrily mounted his horse
and never saw her again. Apparently
neither party ever divulged the reason
for the sudden breach between them
MANY stories have been told re-
Az garding this queer and eccentric
!, character. especially when residing in