Today, Pocahontas is known to be a powerful Powhatan whose father was one of the most powerful and influential Powhatan chiefs. But very few know that she married an Englishman and converted to Christianity.
Their marriage and union gave birth to their son, Thomas Rolfe in 1615. Thomas’s birth created a brief period of peace among the Powhatans and the English settlers in colonial Virginia.
Thomas’s birth led to some fragile ties between the Powhatans and Englishmen in Virginia. And this also created hardships for Thomas as he led a life torn between two worlds. Born in Virginia, he was brought up in England and spent his youth there.
He tried to reconnect with his Powhatanian roots but he never felt the connection that he felt among the Englishmen. His pull towards his English heritage was so strong that he fought against the Americans as a lieutenant.
According to the oral traditions in America and speculations from the historical records Thomas was a person with lots of internal conflicts. Here is the story of Thomas Rofle and his legacy full of complications.
The Beginning of Conflicts and Complications
It all started with Pocahontas, a Powhatan having a complicated relationship with John Rofle, an Englishman. Their having this relationship was very unlikely.
In 1607, Pocahontas saved an Englishman named Captain John Smith from getting executed by the Powhatan people. It gained her some goodwill among the English settlers as a peacemaker.
She later converted to Christianity in 1614 and got baptized. After this, she married a planter named John Rofle who was an Englishman. They got married in April of the same year in which Pocahontas converted.
This marriage resulted in some peace among the people in Virginia, which only strengthened after Thomas Rofle’s birth in 1615. However, even Thomas’s birth is a conflict. Some suggest that his birth wasn’t a result of prevailing peace but violence that the English settlers had upon the Americans.
Birth of Thomas Rolfe
The modern history documents Thomas Rolfe as the son of Pocahontas and John Rolfe. But, there are other parallels drawn by historians based on oral history.
They suggest that Pocahontas was first married to a Powhatan warrior named Kocoum at the young age of 16. But later an American named Captain Samuel Argall came to Virginia and planned to kidnap Pocahontas and extract ransom from her family. He tricked her into boarding his ship. Meanwhile, it is speculated that Kocoum was killed by them.
While Pocahontas was in captivity, she got depressed and Argall got scared that she might die. In his worry, he invited Pocahontas sister Mattachanna for her company.
And according to some Powhatan oral stories, Pocahontas confided in her sister about Americans raping her and how she worried that she might be pregnant.
Some stories even suggest that Thomas was born before Pocahontas met John. This also explains why there is no documentation of Thomas’s birth year in John’s colony record of birth as his son. Even though, it is compulsory as one of the customs in Christianity.
Thomas’s Childhood and Pocahontas Death
In 1616, the Virginia Company wanted to show off their colonization efforts that went well and looked forward to more financial support. So, they invited Pocahontas and her family and some other members of the Powhatan nation over.
At the time of the sail, Thomas was a baby. Upon their arrival, they met notable figures in England and as time flew by, they had spent 7 months there.
Pocahontas died at the age of 20 after an illness in March 1617. At the same time, Thomas also fell ill which forced John to leave Thomas behind in England in the care of his relatives. He feared that he might die on the sail back to America, and yes, they never got to meet again.
For the next 18 years, Thomas grew up under the care of Henry Rolfe, his uncle. We have never got any records of how his life was there in England with his uncle.
Life in the Two Worlds
In 1693, Thomas traveled back to Virginia for the first time as an adult. From here we have some traces of his life ahead. There he found out that his Powahatan grandfather left him lands in acres near the James River. He also inherited his father’s plantation Varina.
Thomas decided to settle there as he had much land to live and work on in Virginia. So, he started to look for a wife and married the daughter of a wealthy landlord, Jane Poythress. But the time of their marriage is unknown.
Next, Thomas tried to reconnect with his American and Powhatan family. To connect with the latter, he filed for a petition in 1641. The government at that time approved the petition and Thomas got to meet his uncle named Opechancanough.
We don’t know how much Thomas knew about his lineage and how aware he was of the situation between the English settlers and Americans at the time of his birth. However, from his decisions as an adult, he did show his inclination towards his English roots.
Thomas Rolfe’s Late Years and Death
Thomas joined the English military as a lieutenant which made him fight against the Native Americans. He joined the forces in 1646 and was awarded land ownership over a piece of land named Fort James for his service.
Sadly, all we know is that he was a wealthy landowner in the 17th century. It is concluded based on all the property papers and patents in his name. Also, he completely accepted his English heritage as all his descendants lived as Englishmen.
Thomas Rolfe’s death closed an important chapter of American history. But the timings of his death are still uncertain and we only know that he passed away sometime in 1680 from his tombstone.
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