Hon. George Percy of VA (1580-app.c.1632)
Tony Hoskins
immigrant of vast medieval ancestry, I hope you'll bear with me.
Curious if anyone out there can inform we as to when and wherein first
appeared the unsupported statements that the Hon. George Percy
(1580-apparently c. 1632), Governor of Virginia, 1609-11 - a resident of
Virginia from 1607-1612:
1) Married in VA Ann Floyd/Flood.
"George Percy, after the Earl the ablest of the seven brothers, was
born in 1580. He saw some service in the Low Countries (probably in the
company of Northumberland and Raleigh), and in December 1606 sailed for
Virginia with the first American expedition of James I's reign. On May
23, 1609, his name occurs in the list of incorporators of the second
company of Virginian adventurers. His first intention was to have
settled down in the Dominion, for he obtained considerable grants of
lands (subsequently alienated) and married Anne Floyd, daughter of one
of the colonists at Jameston [sic]. In August 1609 Gabriel Aucher
describes him as one of 'the respected gentlemen of Virginia.' In the
quarrel between the adventurers and Captain John Smith, Percy sided with
the former; and after Smith's recall in 1609 to answer the charges made
against him, Percy was made Deputy-Governor. On June 12, 1610, he became
a member of the Council under the new Governor, Delawarr, and in 1611
again was Deputy-Governor. Acting in this capacity he exchanged gifts
with 'the great sachem Powhatan,' father of Pocahontas. His expenditure
at this time proved larger than his income, for on August 17, 1611, he
wrote a letter to his eldest brother, the Earl, apologizing for having
overdrawn his allowance to the extent of L 432. 1s. 6d. It was
necessary, he explained, to 'keep a good table' at Jamestown, where
foods and wines were very costly. Northumberland paid the debt, but
apparently advised his brother to return to England; and on April 12,
1612, Percy resigned his office, disposed of whatever goods he owned,
and left Virginia. In London, he acted for some time as agent for the
Virginia adventurers opposed to John Smith. When Smith published his
'General History,' Percy wrote in reply, 'A True Relation of the
Proceedings and Occurrents of Moment which happened in Virginia
from...1609 until ...1612.' In this he accuses Smith of being a braggart
and a slanderer, and sets forth at length the various grievances of the
settlers. A second work followed of more permanent value, entitled 'A
Discourse of the Plantation of the Southern Colony of Virginia.' This
tract was republished by both Hakluyt and Purchas. Percy's restless
nature forbade that he should remain long inactive, and about 1625 he
entered the service of the United Provinces as a volunteer. He had a
finger shot off in one engagement (1627), and for some time commanded a
company with distinction. His death occurred in 1632, a few months after
that of Northumberland; and he does not appear to have left any children
by his wife, Anne Floyd [footnote # 1: This, however, is not absolutely
certain. Ann Floyd remained behind in America after her husband's return
to England.]" [Brenan, _The House of Percy_ (London, 1902), 2:208-9].
2) Left a daughter Ann (b.presumably c. 1610-11), later married c.1631
to the Hon. John West (1590-1659), sometime of Governor of Virginia,
founder in due course of the "West Point " plantation in New Kent (later
King and Queen, later still King William) County, Virginia. The Hon.
John and Ann (---) West's only known child and heir was their son (later
Col.) John West (c1632-1689), of "West Point", King William County,
Virginia
"Governor John West married Ann whose surname is unknown, though it is
believed by many of her descendants that she was the only child of
George Percy (1580-1632) [eighth and youngest son of Henry Percy, 8th
Earl of Northumberland] and his wife Ann Floyd, daughter of Nathaniel
Floyd of Jamestown. George Percy came to Virginia in 1607 and returned
to England in 1612, leaving his wife in Virginia." [Fox and Ayres, _The
Noble Lineage of the Delaware-West Family of Virginia_ (1958), p. 185].
The 1958 work by Fox and Ayres is at the moment the earliest reference
in print I have discovered on this matter. I can attest though that
among some descendants of the Hon. John West of Virginia this legend was
widely believed well before 1958.
For the record, the _Dictionary of American Biography_ [sub Percy,
George), 14:462 states, "In April 1612 Percy left Virginia and, although
retaining landed interests there for several years, apparently never
returned."
Thanks for any information (be glad to discuss this off-list).
Tony Hoskins
Anthony Hoskins
History, Genealogy and Archives Librarian
History and Genealogy Library
Sonoma County Library
3rd and E Streets
Santa Rosa, California 95404
Travis Jones
Does anyone know from where the author of this book would have found the list regarding Pocahontas's wedding attendees?
This would place George Percy back in the Jamestowne Colony area during 1614, of which is two years after his departure in 1612 for London, England.
. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/44229/44229-h/44229-h.htm .
Thus copied to here it read thus:
THE MARRIAGE OF POCAHONTAS AT JAMESTOWN.
Halberdiers
Gov. Sir Thos. Dale
Alex. Whittaker
Mrs. John Rolfe and Child
Mrs. Ed. Easton and Child
Choristers
Mattachanna and Cleopatre
Pocahontas
John Rolfe
Indian Attendants
Capt. George Percy
Brother to Pocahontas
Henry Spilman
William Spence
Thos. Savage
Master Sparkes
Thomas Powell, Wife and Child
Mrs. Horton and Grandchild
Sir Thos. Gates
Opachisco, Uncle to Pocahontas
A Younger Brother to Pocahontas
Before this time, in April, 1613, Pocahontas had been baptized in the church Lord Delaware had repaired and beautified. Her savage father had given her three names,—Matoaca, Amonate, and Pocahontas. Her spiritual sponsors gave her "Rebekah" at her baptism—no doubt in allusion to the Rebecca of Genesis, and she was thereafter known in England as "the Lady Rebekah."
*end quote*
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