In November of 2006 my husband and I visited the Williamsburg area for a vacation. I picked up a pamphlet and it talked about a James River tour of historical places. One location jumped out at me -- Flowerdew Hundred. I knew that John Woodson had settled in Flowerdew. There was a phone number listed for a Flowerdew Museum, so I called it and made arrangements to visit there later that week. On that day, we followed the map to find Flowerdew and arrived at the site and drove up to a small white building that was the museum. There was one woman inside and she said she was a volunteer and she asked me if I was a Flowerdew descendant. I told her yes, that John Woodson was my 10th great grandfather. She showed me a T-shirt that had the Flowerdew families on it, and there was John Woodson shown on one of the branches on the tree on the T-shirt. I of course, purchased the T-shirt. She then let my husband and myself look around the museum. I found the typed muster (census) from 1624 and it is shown below:
THE MUSTER OF THE INHABITANTS
OF PEIRSEYS HUNDRED TAKEN THE 20TH
OF JANUARY 1624
Pierseys hundred
THE MUSTER OF JOHN WOODSON
JOHN WOODSON }
} in the George 1619
SARAH his wife }
Corne, 4 bushells; Powder, 1 lb; Lead, 3 lob; Peece fixt, 1; Sword, 1.
Dr. John Woodson was born in the year 1586 in Devonshire, England. He married Sarah, who was born in the year of 1590, also in Devonshire, England. Dr. John Woodson came to Jamestown as a surgeon with Sir George Yeardly. The young couple embarked on the ship GEORGE, January 29, 1619 and landed in Jamestown, Virginia in April 1619. (This was one year before the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth, Mass. on the Mayflower.)
Dr. John Woodson located at Flowerdew Hundred (also called Fleur de Hundred, Flour De Hundred, or Piersey's Hundred), which is on the south side of the James River some thirty miles above Jamestown, in what is now Prince George County. Two Woodson sons were born at Flowerdew Hundred; John born in 1632 and Robert born in 1637.
In 1632, Dr. Woodson was listed as the Surgeon of the Flour De Hundred Colony in Virginia. On April 19, 1644, Dr. Woodson was killed in sight of his house by Indians, who had called him out apparently to see the sick. After killing him, they attacked his home which was successfully defended by his wife and a shoemaker named Ligon. Ligon killed seven of the Indians with an old muzzleloading gun eight feet long, now one of the prized possessions of the Virginia Historical Society. Mrs. Sarah Woodson killed two Indians who came down the chimney; One with boiling water and one with a roasting spit. The boys, John and Robert, were concealed during the attack under a washtub and in a potato pit, respectively.
The Indians were led by Chief Opechancano, who was the son of Powhaten and he had killed 300 settlers on April 18, the day before. Opechancano had also led the Massacres of 1622 at Martin's Hundred. Several weeks later Opechancano was captured by the colonists and executed. The Indians were permanently driven out of that part of Virginia as a result of the uprisings of 1644.
Dr. Woodson's many descendants include Dolley Madison and Jesse James.
Unfortunately, the Flowerdew Hundred Museum was on private property and was closed in October 2007. Over 1/2 million artifacts were put into storage (where I do not know). It's such a shame that such an important part of American History has been lost.
THE MUSTER OF THE INHABITANTS
OF PEIRSEYS HUNDRED TAKEN THE 20TH
OF JANUARY 1624
Pierseys hundred
THE MUSTER OF JOHN WOODSON
JOHN WOODSON }
} in the George 1619
SARAH his wife }
Corne, 4 bushells; Powder, 1 lb; Lead, 3 lob; Peece fixt, 1; Sword, 1.
Dr. John Woodson was born in the year 1586 in Devonshire, England. He married Sarah, who was born in the year of 1590, also in Devonshire, England. Dr. John Woodson came to Jamestown as a surgeon with Sir George Yeardly. The young couple embarked on the ship GEORGE, January 29, 1619 and landed in Jamestown, Virginia in April 1619. (This was one year before the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth, Mass. on the Mayflower.)
Dr. John Woodson located at Flowerdew Hundred (also called Fleur de Hundred, Flour De Hundred, or Piersey's Hundred), which is on the south side of the James River some thirty miles above Jamestown, in what is now Prince George County. Two Woodson sons were born at Flowerdew Hundred; John born in 1632 and Robert born in 1637.
In 1632, Dr. Woodson was listed as the Surgeon of the Flour De Hundred Colony in Virginia. On April 19, 1644, Dr. Woodson was killed in sight of his house by Indians, who had called him out apparently to see the sick. After killing him, they attacked his home which was successfully defended by his wife and a shoemaker named Ligon. Ligon killed seven of the Indians with an old muzzleloading gun eight feet long, now one of the prized possessions of the Virginia Historical Society. Mrs. Sarah Woodson killed two Indians who came down the chimney; One with boiling water and one with a roasting spit. The boys, John and Robert, were concealed during the attack under a washtub and in a potato pit, respectively.
The Indians were led by Chief Opechancano, who was the son of Powhaten and he had killed 300 settlers on April 18, the day before. Opechancano had also led the Massacres of 1622 at Martin's Hundred. Several weeks later Opechancano was captured by the colonists and executed. The Indians were permanently driven out of that part of Virginia as a result of the uprisings of 1644.
Dr. Woodson's many descendants include Dolley Madison and Jesse James.
Unfortunately, the Flowerdew Hundred Museum was on private property and was closed in October 2007. Over 1/2 million artifacts were put into storage (where I do not know). It's such a shame that such an important part of American History has been lost.
posted by Elaine Powell | 8:40 PM
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