POCAHONTAS
When the Disney movie about Pocahontas came out, we tried to tell some of the media people the truth about the actual status of Pocahontas, but nobody would listen. Just recently we received a letter from Stephen Bunford, in England, containing an article that had been published there some time ago. We are recording all of it herewith:
POCAHONTAS AND THE MOUNTBATTENS
Pocahontas (meaning "playful little girl") was the daughter of the powerful chief Powhatan, ruler of some 40 Algonquin tribes who lived along Chesapeake Bay in what is now the American state of Virginia. She was born in 1595.
When Pocahontas was 12 years old colonists arrived to tame the 'native savages" and build Jamestown as a foothold in the New World of America. Captain John Smith was put in charge of fortifying the new settlement against attack and went off alone in search of food. But he was captured by warriors and dragged before chief Powhatan and condemned to death.
Smith was placed on a sacrificial rock and before the executioners stone clubs were brought down the chief's daughter, Pocahontas, rushed over and lay her head across Smith's, thus saving his life.
Pocahontas went on to save many more lives by warning them of impending attacks, but when she was 18 she was taken hostage by settlers as ransom for eight Englishmen held captive by her father. It was at this time that she converted to christianity and was baptised Rebecca. She also fell in love with 28 year old Englishman John Rolfe, who originated from Norfolk and who had sailed with Sir Francis Drake. They married and went on to establish a tobacco plantation and have a son, Thomas.
In 1616 when she was 21 the family travelled to England. The "Princess" had become a celebrity through the stories told by Captain Smith. She visited Sir Walter Raleigh and danced at court as a guest of King James I and Queen Anne.
In March 1617 the "Princess" was arranging to sail home from Gravesend, Kent, when she contracted smallpox and died aged 22. She is buried in St. George's church in Gravesend.
Genealogy:
John Rolfe (1585-1622) m. 1614 "Princess" Pocahontas (1595-1617) had
Thomas Rolfe (1615-1640) m. Jane Paybus who had
Anthony Rolfe m. Mary _____________ who had
Hannah Rolfe m. Sir Thomas Leigh, Kt (1639-1677) who had
Wolley Leigh (1664-1716) m. 1705 Mary Hunt (1685-1758) who had
Mary Leigh (1708-1748) m. 1731 John Bennett (1699-1765) who had
Thomas Leigh Bennett (Rev.)(1737-1797) m. 1764 Grace Home (1746-1797) who had
Martha Leigh Bennett (1764-1808) m. 1783 Rev. Morton Rockliffe (1752-1785) who had
Sybella Rockliffe (1786-20.4.1869) m. 11.7.1809 Sir Thomas Harvie Farquhar, 2nd
Baronett (27.1.1775-12.6.1836) who had
Sir Walter Rockliffe Farquhar, 3rd Baronett, m. 28.11.1837 Lady Mary Somerset
(4.6.1810-15.7.1900) who had
Sybella Charlotte Rockliffe Farquhar (28.2.1846-31.8.1886) m. 28.7.1866 Rt. Hon. Evelyn
Ashley (24.7.1836-15.11.1907) who had
Wilfred Ashley (13.9.1867-3.7.1939) m. 4.1.1901 Maud Cassel (1830-5.2.1911) who had
Hon. Edwina Ashley (28.11.1901-21.2.1960) m. EARL MOUNTBATTEN OF BURMA
(25.6.1900-27.8.1979) who had
Countess Mountbatten of Burma (14.2.1924 - ) m. Lord Brabourne who had
Norton Knatchbull (BARON ROMSEY) m. Penelope Eastwood, who had
Nicholas Knatchbull.
The End.
From: Lee MacDonald
To: Stephen Bunford, ENGLAND
We are very pleased that the information in the article is correct. According to the handwritten manuscript in the lobby (under glass, of course) of the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, OK, what is described is what actually happened. And, the lineage down to the present descendants of Lord Mountbatten is truly remarkable, and something they can be enormously proud of.
However, let us comment on the terminology. Putting "Princess" Pocohantas in quotation marks is insulting and ridiculous. She was the only real princess known to American native society, due to the fact that in the Old South area the heredity was through the mother and her clan, and Princess Pocohantas' mother was a Queen in her own right, ruling her own nation, and living with King Powhattan only about half of the year. So, it is nice that Princess Pocohantas' father was a "king" (not a chief as the article uses the word), but her real status came from that of her mother.
So, if Princess Margaret and Princess Anne are not "Princess" Margaret and "Princess" Anne, then neither should be Princess Pocohantas. And, the word "chief" did not come into use in the Old South area (where all the rulers were called kings), until about the time of their Constitutional Governments and that was in the 1820's (much, much later).
I think I have written before that there was no word translated as "princess" in any of the languages of the Old South (Creek, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Powhattan, Natchez, etc.) but there was a word for "prince" (Kettagustah is the word in the Cherokee language), and there are several of them spoken of so by name in the history books, such as the younger brother of the famous Cherokee, Attakullakulla. There was a "Prince of Joree", a "Prince of Echota", a "Prince of Etowah", etc. in the history books, the "of" being the town where they lived (and presumably ruled). Hope this information will be valuable to you.
We intend to keep this story on file, and when we go on Internet soon with a Web site we will post it under "American Royalty". We will give you credit, of course, for having sent it to us.
Lee and the Oukah, with our special gratitude.
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