From Mary Newton Stanard's Book "Virginia's
First Century"
The long years of peace following the marriage of
Pocahontas had disarmed suspicion and made it impossible for imagination to
conceive of such a plot as was hatching in the brain of Opechancanough. So
great was the faith of the colonists in the sincere intention of the Indians to
keep the peace that they let the red men borrow from them some of the boats
which were used going up and down the river to give notice of the plot. At the
fatal hour some of the colonists were in their homes, others in the fields,
planting corn and tobacco, others making brick, sawing timber or building
houses, while the Indians looked on with apparent contcnt.
On this scene of harmony and hopefulness in His
Majesty's first colony, Virginia, fell the dread blow of the great massacre. It
is believed that the plot could not have been instigated, planned and carried
out by a mind less astute and less deeply steeped in cruelty and craftiness
than that of Opechancanough. It was as thoroughly managed as if the natives had
had telegraphic facilities and the secret was so completely kept that no
suspicion entered the heart of a colonist. The Indians kept up their appearance
of friendship till the moment when they had been ordered to strike. "Some
of them were even sitting down at breakfast with our people at their
tables" when at eight o'clock on that Good Friday morning of March, 1622,
wherever they happened to be on either side of James River for a hundred and
forty miles up and down, they rose up as one man and each began murdering the
pale face "friends" that happened to be closest to him. Neither aged
men and women nor young children were spared. Each uplifted tomahawk fell upon
the victim nearest the hand that wielded it so suddenly that "few or none
discerned the weapon that brought them to destruction." Purchas, quoting
letters from Virginia, says that converted Indians saved the lives of some of
the colonists. The Indians lived in small, widely scattered settlements, yet
all received notice when to strike and directions as to what places they were
to attack. By letters and from those who returned to England it was
"certified that (besides Master George Thorpe) Master John Berkeley,
Captain Nathaniel Powell and his wife, and Captain Maycocke--all gentlemen of
birth, virtue, and industry, and of the Council there, suffered under this
their cruelty and treason." That the slaughter had been universal, if God
had not put it into the heart of Chanco, an Indian belonging to one Perry, to
disclose it. Let Purchas tell "how Chanco, living in the house with one
Pace was urged by another Indian, his brother (who came the night before and
lay with him) to kill Pace (so commanded by their king as he declared) as he
would kill Perry; telling further that by such an hour in thc morning a number
would come from divers places to finish the execution, who failed not at the
time. Chanco rose out of his bed and revealed it to Pace, that used him as a
son. And thus the rest of the colony (Jamestown and its neighbourhood) were
warned and were saved. "Such was (God be thanked for it) the good fruit of
an Indian converted to Christianity; for though three hundred more of ours died
by many of these Pagen infidels, yet Thousands of ours were saved by the means
of one of them alone which was made a Christian: blessed be God forever whose
mercy endureth forever; blessed be God whose mercy is above his justice and
farre above All his works; who wrought this deliverance whereby their soules
escaped even as a bird out of the snare of the Fowler. Pace upon this
discovery, securing his house before day, rowed over the river to James City
(in that place near three miles in breadth) and gave notice thereof to the
Governor, by which means they were prevented there and at such other
plantations as was possible for timely intelligence to be given. For where they
saw us standing upon our guard, at the sight of a piece [musket] they all ran
away. "
Toward evening Sir George Yeardley went in his ship
up the river to Flowerdieu Hundred to give aid to those who might be wounded. A
list of those massacred includes: "At Martins, 73, at Berkeley 11, at
Edward Bennett's plantation (in the present Isle of Wight) 50, at Westover 2,
at Maycox 5, on Appomattox River 4, at Flowerdieu Hundred, 6, at Weyanoke 21."
The Corporation of Henrico and other settlements above the Appomattox were
literally wiped out for the time. At Henricopolis the people were killed or
driven away and their houses were burned. At Falling Creek the iron workers
were killed and everything possible destroyed. Two children who hid in the
bushes escaped. The residents of Bermuda City and at the settlements on the
south side of the river down to Chippoak Creek near Brandon, were nearly all
killed. Various accounts give the numbers murdered as from 347 to 400.
Colonists who held out against the assailants include Samuel Jordan, with the
aid of a few refugees at Begger's Bush (now Jordan's Point), Edward Hill, at
Elizabeth City, and "Mrs. Proctor, a proper, civil, Modest gentlewoman,
" who defended herself and household till the colonial authorities ordered
her and those with her to abandon her home and take refuge in one of the forts,
or they would burn it themselves, as the Indians did when it was vacated.
Daniel Gookin, at Newport News, declined to remove and with his thirty-five
men, successfully defended his plantation. At the time of the massacre there
were three or four ships in Jame River and one in the York, but there is no
evidence that any of the colonists deserted the colony in them.
From Mary Newton Stanard's Book "Virginia's
First Century" Chapter 16 p170-173
The following list of dead after the Massacre of
1622 according to "The Records of
the Virginia Company of London" Pages 565-571 Volume III 1933 US
Government Printing Office
Captain Berckley's
Plantation, (at Falling
Creek 66 mi from James Citty Co) 27
John
Berkley, esq
Thomas Brasington
John Sawyer
Roger David
Francis Gowsh
Bartholomew Peram
Giles Peram
John Dowler
Laurence Dowler
Lewis Williams
Richard Boscough
Robert
Horner Mason
Philip Barnes
William Swandal
Robert Williams, wife & child
Giles Bradshawe, wife & child
John Howlet, and son
Thomas Wood, and Collin's his man
Joseph Fitch Apothecary to Dr Pots
Thomas Holland
John Hunt
Thomas Sheffields Plantation, (3 mi from the Falling
Creek) 13
Master
Thomas Sheffield
& Rachael his wife
John Reeve
William Tyler, a boy
Samuel Reeve
John Ellen
Robert Tyler, a boy
Mathew_____
Judeth Howard
Thomas Poole
Methusalem_____
Thomas Taylor
William Tyler
Henrico Iland (2 mi from Sheffield's) 5
____Adkins
____Weston
Philip Shatford
William
Perigo
Owen Jones, one of Capt Berkley's people.
Colledge People, (2 mi from Henrico Citie) 17
Samuel
Stringer
George Soldan
William Basset
John Perry
Edward Ember
Jarret Moore
Thomas Xerles
Thomas Freeman
John Allen
Thomas Cooke
John Clements
James Faulkoner
Christopher Henley
William Jordan
Robert Davis
Thomas Hobson
William Baily
Abraham Pierce'sPlantation, (5 mi from the Colledge
People) 4
William
Charte
John Waterhouse
John Baker,
a boy
Robert Yeoman
Capt. Smith's Company 5
Roger Royal
Thomas Jones
Robert Maurel
Edward
Heydon
Henry Bushel
Adjoining Plantations 8
Richard
Prat, & brother
Henry Milward, wife,
Child, and sister
Richard, a
boy
Goodwife Redhead
William Farrar's House 9
Master John
England,
and his man John Bel
Henricke Peterson, Alice
His wife, William, his son
Thomas, his
man
James Woodshaw
Mary, a servant
Elizabeth, a servant
Berkley-Hundred, (5 mi from Charles Citie) 11
Capt George
Thrope, Esq
John Rowles
Richard Rowles, wife
And child
Giles Wilkins
Giles
Bradway
Richard Fereby
Thomas Thrope
Robert Jordan
Edward Painter
Westover, (1 mi from Berkley-Hundred)
2
James
English
Richard Dash
John West's Plantation 2
Christopher
Turner
David Owen
Capt Nathaniel West's 2
Michael
Aleworth
John Wright
Lt. Gib's Dividend 12
John Paly
Thomas Ratcliffe
Michael Booker
John Higglet
Nathaniel Earle
John Gibbes
Willaim Parker
Richard
Waineham
Benomy Reyman
Thomas Gay
James Vpfall (Usher)
Daniel _____Mr Dowbelowes man
Richard Owens house 6
Richard
Owens
Stephen Dubo
Francis, an Irishman
Thomas Paine
One old
maide called Margaret
William Reeve
Owen Macar's house 4
Owen Macar
Garret Farrel
Richard Yeaw
one boy
Master Macock's Dividend 4
Capt Samuel
Macock, esq
Edward Leister, a Signer
of the Mayflower Compact
Thomas
Browne
John Downes
Flowerdieu-Hundred,
Sir George Yeardley's Plantation 6
John Philips
Thomas Nufon
John Bradford
Robert
Taylor
Samuel Jarret
Elizabeth Bennet
Opposite Flowerdieu-Hundred 7
Master
Hobson, & his wife
Richard Storks
John Slaughter
Thomas
Philips
Richard Campton
Anne Greene
Mr Swinhowe's house 7
Mistress
Swinhowe,
sons Thomas and George
Richard Mosse
John Larkin
William Blyth
Thomas Grindal
Mr Wm Bikar's house
5
William
Bykar
Mathew Hawthorn & wife
Edward
Peirce
Nicholas Howsdon
Weynoack of Sir George Yeardley's people
21
Nathaniel
Elie
John Flores
Henry Gape
___Buckingham
William Pusset
William Walker
John Gray
James Boate
John Suersby
Thomas Evans
Thomas
Ap-Richard
Henry Haynes
John Blewet
Henry Rice
____Hurt
Jonas Alport
Thomas Stephens
Samuel Goodwine
John Snow & his boy
Margery Blewet
Powel-brooke 11
Capt. Nathan
Powel, esq
His wife dau of Mr Tracy
Mistress Bray
Adam Rayner's wife
Barbara Burges
William Head
Thomas
Woolcher
William Meakins
Robert ____
Peter Jordan
Peter Goodale
Southampton-Hundred 5
Robert
Goffe, his wife
William Larkum
John Davis
William Mountfort
Martin Brandon's
7
Lt Sanders
Ensigne Sherley
John Taylor & wife
2 boys
Mathew, a Polander
Capt Spilman's 2
John
Basingthwayte
Walter Shawe
Ensigne Spence's house
5
William Richmond
John Fowler
Alexander Bale
William
Fierfax
the Tinker
Martin's -Hundred, (7 miles from James Citie)
75
Lt, Richard
Kean
Master Thomas Boise
Mrs Boise and baby
4 of his men
& a maide
Ralphe Digginson & wife and servant
Nathaniel Jefferies wife
Margaret Davis
Richard Staples
His wife & child
2 maides
6 men and boys
Walter Davis & brother
Christopher Guillam
Thomas Combar
3 servants
John Boise & wife
A maide
4 man-servants
Laurence Wats & wife
2 man-servants
Henry Bromage & wife
His daughter and Man
Edward How,
his wife
& child
child of John Jackson
4 man-servants
2 children
Richard Cholfer
George Jones
Cisley Cooke & wife
David Bons
John Bennet
John Mason
William Pawmet
Thomas Bats
Peter Lightburrow
James Thorley
Robert Walden
Thomas Tolling
John Butler
Maximillian Russel
Henry, a Welsh-man
Timothy Moise, his man
Henry Bromage & wife
Thomas Peirce House over against Mulberry Island 6
Thoma Peirce
& wife
And child
John Hopkins
John Samon
a French boy
Edward Bennet's Plantation
46
Thomas
Brewood & wife
His child, 2 servants
Thomas Ferris
George Cole
Robert Gray
John Griffin
Ensigne Harrison
John Costard
David Barry
Thomas Sheppard
Henry Price
Robert ____
Alice Jones
Thomas Cooke
Philip Worth
Mathew a maide
Francis Winder
Thomas Couly
Richard Woodward
Humfrey Cropen
Thomas Bacon
Evan Watkins
Richard
Lewis
Edward Towse
Remember Michel
____Bullocke
Richard Chandler
Henry Moore
Nicholas Hunt
John Corderoy
Richard Cockwell
John Howard
Mrs Harrison
Rebbecca____
Master Prowse
Hugh_____
John______
Edward____
Mrs Chamberlen
Parnel a maide
Humfrey Sherbrooke
John Wilkins
John Burton
Mr. John Pounti's men:
6
John
Scotchmore
Lt Peirce Man
Edward Brewster
Edward Turner
Capt Whittaker's man
Thomas Holland
Master Walter's house
5
Edward
Walters
& His wife a boy and child
a maide
A TOTAL OF 347 men, women, and children.
Abstracted and compiled by Linda Chandler © 1999