John Rolfe

Other Events and Attributes:

• Married: 1614, Jamestown, James City, Virginia, USA

Notes:

John Rolfe was born in Heacham, Norfolk, England as the son of John Rolfe and Dorothea Mason, and was baptised on 6 May 1585. John Rolfe was one of a number of businessmen who saw the opportunity to undercut Spanish imports by growing tobacco in England's new colony in Virginia. Rolfe had somehow obtained seeds to take with him from a special popular strain then being grown in Trinidad and South America, even though Spain had declared a penalty of death to anyone selling such seeds to a non-Spaniard. He is credited with the first successful cultivation of tobacco as an export crop in the Colony of Virginia.

Heading the Third Supply fleet was the new flagship of the Virginia Company, the Sea Venture, carrying Rolfe and his wife, Sarah Hacker. The Third Supply fleet left England in May 1609 destined for Jamestown with seven large ships, towing two smaller pinnaces. The colony at Bermuda dates its settlement from 1609. Among those left buried in Bermuda were Rolfe's wife and his infant daughter, Bermuda Rolfe.

In May 1610, two newly constructed ships set sail from Bermuda, with 142 castaways on board, including Rolfe, Admiral Somers, Stephen Hopkins, and Sir Thomas Gates. On arrival at Jamestown, they found the Virginia Colony almost destroyed by famine and disease during what has become known as the Starving Time. Very few supplies from the Third Supply had arrived because the same hurricane that caught the Sea Venture badly affected the rest of the fleet. Only 60 settlers remained alive. It was only through the arrival of the two small ships from Bermuda, and the arrival of another relief fleet commanded by Lord De La Warr on 10 June 1610 that the abandonment of Jamestown was avoided and the colony survived.

The land gifted by Powhatan (now known as Smith's Fort Plantation, located in Surry County) was willed to Rolfe's son Thomas, who in 1640 sold at least a portion of it to Thomas Warren. Smith's Fort was a secondary Fort to Jamestown, begun in 1609 by John Smith.

John and Rebecca Rolfe travelled to England on the Treasurer, commanded by Samuel Argall, in 1616 with their young son. They arrived at the port of Plymouth on 12 June and Rebecca was widely received as visiting royalty, but settled in Brentford. However, as they were preparing to return to Virginia in March 1617, Rebecca became ill and died. Her body was interred in Gravesend's St George's Church. Their two-year-old son Thomas survived, but was adopted by Sir Lewis Stukley and later by John's brother, Henry Rolfe. John and Tomocomo returned to Virginia.

In 1619, Rolfe married Jane Pierce, daughter of English colonist Captain William Pierce and Jane Eeles. They had a daughter, Elizabeth, in 1620, who married John Milner of Nansemond, Virginia and died in 1635. Rolfe died in 1622 after his plantation was destroyed in a Native American attack. It remains unclear whether Rolfe died in the massacre or whether he died as a result of illness. His widow Jane married Englishman Captain Roger Smith three years later. He was the son of John Smith (no relation to Captain John Smith) and Thomasine Manning.

Rolfe's son with Pocahontas, Thomas, who grew up in England, married Elizabeth Washington in September 1632 at St James's Church in Clerkenwell and they had a daughter Anne in 1633. Elizabeth died shortly after Anne's birth. Thomas returned to Virginia two years later, where he married Jane Poythress. Her English parents were Francis Poythress and Alice Payton. Thomas and his second wife had one child, Jane, who married Robert Bolling in 1675 and had a son, John, in 1676. She died later that same year.

John married Pocahontas Amonute Matoaka "Rebecca" Powhatan on 5 Apr 1614 in Jamestown, James City, Virginia, USA. Pocahontas (daughter of Chief Wahunsonacock Powhatan and Matatishe Winanuske Nonoma Powhatan) was born on 15 Sep 1595 in Matoaka, Gloucester, Virginia, USA; died on 21 Mar 1617 in Gravesend, Kent, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Thomas Rolfe was born on 30 Jan 1615 in Jamestown, James City, Virginia, USA; died in 1675 in Richmond, Independent Cities, Virginia, USA; was buried in Hopewell, Prince George, Virginia, USA.

Notes:

Eustace was a farmer, planting turnips for his cattle. He was the first Rolfe to be entered into the public record - when he married Joanna. On his tomb is the epitaph "He increased his property by merchandise. By exporting and importing such things as England abounded in, or needed, he was of the greatest service"

Col. Robert I BOLLING "the immigrant"26 Dec 1646 - 17 Jul 1709
TITLE: Col.
OCCUPATION: Merchant, Burgess, Planter,
RESIDENCE: England and 1660 Ippax, Prince George and (Kippax, Charles City VA)

BIRTH: 26 Dec 1646, All Hallows, Barking Prish, Essex, England
DEATH: 17 Jul 1709, Kippax, Charles City Co. Virginia
BURIAL: Blandford Cem, Petersburg, VA, Bristol Parish Church
RESOURCES: See: Notes [S24] [S706] [S1121] [S1387] [S1561] [S2014] [S2755]
Father: John BOLLING
Mother: Mary CARIE

Family 1 : Jane ROLFE
MARRIAGE: 1675, Petersburg, Indian Territory (Dinwiddie Co.)VA
+Jane Rolfe BOLLING
+John (The Red Bolling's) BOLLING Sr.
Family 2 : Anne Dade STITH
MARRIAGE: ABT 1681
+Robert BOLLING II "of Kippax"
+Drury BOLLING
Agnes BOLLING
Notes

"Arrived in America Oct 2 1660 from London England.
Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography, Volume IV: "The Bollings of Virginia descend from Robert Bolling, who came from London to Virginia in 1660. He was a son of John Bolling, of "Bolling Hall," Yorkshire, of an ancient English family. A Robert Bolling, in the reign of Edward the Fourth, of England, possessed Bolling Hall and there many generations of his ancestors had lived."

Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography, Volume IV: "I) Robert Bolling, the first of his name in Virginia, was born in London, England, December 26, 1646. He arrived in Virginia at the age of fourteen years, October 2, 1660, and in the year 1675 married (first) Jane, daughter of Thomas Rolfe, and granddaughter of the Princess Pocahontas (wife of John Rolfe), and great-granddaughter of the Indian Emperor Powhattan. By her he had one son, John. He married a second wife, Anne, daughter of John Stith, by whom he had a large family. This Robert Bolling lived at Kippax, in Prince George county, where he died July 17, 1707, and is there buried."

Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography, Volume I, IV--Burgesses and Other Prominent Persons: Robert Bolling a descendant of the Bollings of Bradford in Yorkshire, was son of John Bolling, of the parish of All-Hallows Barking, Tower street, London. He was born Dec. 26, 1646, and came to Virginia in 1660. He engaged in trade as a merchant and acquired large tracts of land. His residence was in Charles City county on the south side of James river in what is now Prince George county. The name of his residence was "Kippax." He was sheriff and lieutenant-colonel of the militia and in 1688, 1692 and 1699 he represented Charles City county in the house of burgesses, and in 1704, 1705-06 he represented Prince George county. He died July 17, 1709. His first wife was Jane Rolfe, daughter of Capt. Thomas Rolfe, son of Pocahontas, and his second was Anne Stith, daughter of Capt. John Stith, of Charles City county."
CHILDREN OF ROBERT BOLLING AND ANN STITH:
1 Robert, born 25 January, 1681/2, married Anne COCKE.
2. Stith, born 28 March, 1686/7, married Elizabeth Hartwell, died 1716.
3. Edward, born 3 October, 1687/8, married ----Slaughter.
4. Anne, born 22 July, 1690/1 (nothing known)
5. Drury, born 21 June, 1695/6 (nothing known)
6. Thomas, born 20 March, 1696/7(nothing known)
7. Agnas, born 30 November, 1700, married Richard Kennon

1675--Robert Bolling, the immigrant, married first, in 1675, Jane, dau of Thomas Rolfe and granddaughter of Pocohontas; 2nd, 1681, Ann, dau of John Stith, of Brunswick county, and lived at "Kippax" (sometimes called "Farmingdale"), Prince George Co. Died July 17, 1709.
Issue by first m.:
John, b. Jan 27, 1676.
Issue by second m.:
Robert b. Jan 25, 1682;
Stith, b. March 28, 1686.

Children:
3 William STITH d: 1749
3 John STITH
3 Drury STITH , Jr. b: ABT. 1695 + Elizabeth BUCKNER
3 Stith BOLLING b: 28 MAR 1686 d: 1716 + Elizabeth HARTWELL
3 Ann BOLLING b: 22 JUL 1691
3 Drury BOLLING b: 21 JUN 1695
3 Thomas BOLLING b: 20 MAR 1696/97
3 Agnas BOLLING b: 30 NOV 1700 d: 1762 + Richard KENNON
3 Edward BOLLING b: 3 OCT 1688 + Miss SLAUGHTER

Feedback This Posting Received Follows:

Good explanation of the Bolling line:
Thursday, January 18, 2001

· First let me say with absolute conviction that no girl child of Robert Bolling 1646 England-1729 VA and his first wife JANE ROLFE the granddaughter of Pocahontas and John Rolfe, Jr. has ever existed. From their marriage ONE and only ONE child was born named JOHN Bolling b. 27 January 1646 Virginia and he died 20 April 1729 Virginia. This son JOHN and his ONLY wife MARY KENNON had only ONE son and FIVE daughters.
This lineage is known as "The RED Bolling's" i.e. Indian Blood descents.

· Next, ROBERT Bolling 1646-1709 raised his son for three years after the death of JANE Rolfe six months after birth of John. She died of Typhoid, and had been looked after by visits of particular Indians related to Pocahontas, and they looked after baby JOHN with visits until after the third marriage of Robert Bolling in December 1681. Until this marriage happened, Robert raised John with a Nannie in his household. The third marriage for Robert happened with Anne Dade Stith, d/o John Drury Stith.
Their descents are known as "The WHITE Bollings", NO Indian Blood.

· Child and son JOHN 1676 married in 1697 to MARY KENNON 1676-1744VA, and the marriage is recorded. From this ONLY marriage one and only one son was born and he was named JOHN Bolling born 1700VA. There are 5 sisters to this JOHN Bolling, Jr. 1700 who grew up a privileged life in Colonial America. He did have one big vice and that was he John Jr. liked women. He also liked to drink and party, but he followed in his father and grandfather shoes as a Member of The House of Burgess, the ruling political body of Colonial America.
· This John Bolling, Jr. inherited all his Father and Grandfather holdings and property which had become massive with thousand of acres, purchased and given by the Indian Nations to Robert Bolling 1646-1709 and wife Jane Rolfe, the Granddaughter of Pocahontas, and the only living daughter heir of her father Thomas Rolfe b. 1615 in America before any trip to England, but after death of Pocahontas in 1617 at Godsend, England, he Thomas was left to be raised by Uncle Henry Rolfe, the younger brother of John Rolfe, Jr. who lived in London. Henry raised Thomas and the Royal Crown of England then trained Thomas to be a military officer. At the age of 25 Thomas opted for a military career in Colonial America and was sent to Virginia in 1640 as a Lt. in the English Military. Thomas Rolfe had total of three wives, and the older brother of JANE ROLFE b. 1655 VA was THOMAS ROLFE, Jr. b. 1645 VA who had his death will probated in 1720, which mentions three children including a Thomas Rolfe III, Dorothy Rolfe, and a wife's nephew Wm. Roads. Thomas Rolfe 1615 had another son named William Rolfe born 1647 VA and JANE ROLFE born 1655VA. ROBERT BOLLING 1646 England-1709 VA married JANE ROLFE at her age of 19 just before her 20th birthday. She became immediately pregnant with baby JOHN who was born 1676.

1? There are no children by Thomas Rolfe 1615 named "Martha" or "Mary"

Now back to baby JOHN BOLLING b. 1676VA, he was raised by a Nannie in the household of ROBERT for three (3) years before ROBERT remarried in December 1781 to ANNE DADE STITH, d/o John Drury Stith. During this three year period, and a few years thereafter, the Indian Nations have recorded relatives of Pocahontas that continued contact with ROBERT and his son, just as they did during the very short marriage of JANE ROLFE to Robert. JOHN BOLLING was the only heir to Pocahontas in 1676, as her ONLY living Great Grandson of this historical descent status.

OTHER older TWO Grandsons of POCAHONTAS: Thomas Rolfe, Jr. b. 1645VA and William Rolfe b. 1647VA. These two Grandsons were by blood the UNCLES of baby JOHN Bolling b. 1676. They and JANE ROLFE b. 1655 were children of Jane Poythress the second wife of Thomas Rolfe 1615, and the first wife born in North America, as the daughter of his fellow military Lt. Francis Poythress and wife Alice Peyton.

North American School Systems fail to educate anyone about the life of JOHN ROLFE, Jr. and his families except for POCAHONTAS as his wife, and the raising of TOBACCO to be exported to England.

Back to baby JOHN BOLLING b. 1676VA he was raised by a Nannie and a Stepmother Anne D. Stith from 1681 until his marriage in 1697 to MARY KENNON b. 1676-d.1744 at age 68. JOHN MARY had only one son, and they named him JOHN Bolling, in 1700 VA. He became known as John Bolling, Jr. and later became known as (Major) John Bolling who grew up a privileged life in Virginia, loved women, and drank quite a lot. Yet, he inherited all his Grandfather and Father's land holdings which totaled in the thousands of acres in Virginia. Much of it lands given to Robert Bolling Jane Rolfe, his grandparents.
This John Bolling, Jr. had two wives, the first being ELIZABETH LEWIS b. 1700-d.1756VA The second wife was ELIZABETH BLAIR b. 1709 or 1712 VA (never proven the actual birth year) she died 1775 in Chesterfield, VA.

Eustace married Joanna Jenner on 27 May 1560 in Heacham, Norfolk, England. Joanna was born in 1539 in Heacham, Norfolk, England; died in Jun 1593 in Heacham, Norfolk, England; was buried in Heacham, Norfolk, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]