| John Woodson resided in the Southern Colonies in North America before 1776. Join: US Southern Colonies Project Discuss: southern_colonies |
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John went to school at St. Johns College, Oxford, England and graduated a Doctor in 1604. He became a Surgeon working for Sir George Yeardley. Just after their marriage, John and Sarah came to America aboard the Ship "George", leaving England on 29 January 1619. John and Sarah accompanied Sir George Yeardley, newly appointed Governor to the Colonies and his Wife.
John Woodson is listed as head of household and Sarah Woodson is listed as his wife in the muster for Peirseys hundred (Jan. 1, 1624/1625). The same muster also gives their ship (the George) and their date of arrival (1619). Dr. Woodson came in the capacity of surgeon to a company of soldiers who were sent over for the protection of the colonists against the Indians. Dr. John Woodson was killed by Indians on 18 April 1644, Henrico, Virginia.[1]
: Author: Yates Publishing
Source:
: Author: Yates Publishing
1 JOHN WOODSON and his wife, Sarah, are mentioned as living at Flower de Hundred, or as it was sometimes called, Piersey's Hundred, on the south side of James River, in what is now Prince George county. They came to Virginia in the ship George in the year 1619. (Hotten's Emigrants to Virginia.)
2 ROBERT WOODSON (John,) and 3 JOHN WOODSON, (John,) brothers, appear among the tithables of Curls, a plantation on the north side of James River, above Flower de Hundred. Presumably they were sons of John Woodson and Sarah his wife.
In April 1606 King James 1st issued Letters Patent to a few English noblemen giving them land on the Atlantic Coast, resulting in the formation of the two companies the Plymouth and London. The same year the London Company sent three vessels with one hundred and five immigrants to America, and in May 1609 they secured a new charter for land two hundred miles north and south of Point Comfort and from coast to coast. That year their ships brought over five hundred immigrants. History records the various difficulties in forming the new world, but in 1618 Governor Dale returned to England and was succeeded by Sir George Yeardley. In January 1619 the ship "George Yeardley" sailed from England and reached Jamestown, Virginia, April 10, 1619 after a three months voyage. With the new Governor came a hundred passengers, among them Doctor John Woodson of Devonshire, and his wife Sarah (nee Winston) from Dorcestershire, England. John Woodson was a fifth son, had a patrimony suited to his station in life, and his people were of the Church of England in faith. But John fell in love with a little Quakeress Sarah Winston, and rather than make her give up her religion or distress her people, he forfeited his own inheritance as a Baron and married Sarah. When Governor Yeardley offered him a flattering gift of land holdings in the new world, he accepted the task of ship's surgeon and physician, and came on with the new Governor. There is well authenticated tradition that enrouted by sea, Lady Yeardley suffered greatly from that malady known as "sickness of the stomach" or "sea sickness" and Sarah, in her kindness of heart, was a faithful attendant on the Governor's wife, which cemented a friendship never broken. After reaching Virginia under the guidance of Governor Yeardley eleven Boroughs were formed, allowing two representatives each, and assembled they formed the House of Burgesses, and with the Governor and Council the General Assembly was convened at Jamestown July 1619, the first legislative body to function in Virginia. Of this body Doctor John Woodson, a member, is listed in the Colonial Dame Register of Virginia as one of the Historical Founders of the Colony of Virginia. John Woodson, Physician and Surgeon, was born in England in 1586, and matriculated at St. John's College March 1, 1604, age eighteen. Later he was a graduate of Oxford, and when he arrived in Virginia is noted as a man of high character and of great value in the Colony. In 1620 he purchased several negro servants at Jamestown and in 1623 had them registered as part of his property. Governor Yeardley as per his promise gave him land in Fleur de Hundred, then in Henrico County, later Prince George. For quite a while the Indians seemed to be quiet, then came the massacre in 1644. According to Woodson family tradition, the two Woodson sons, John and Robert, were twelve and ten years old in 1644 when the Indian chief, Opechacanogh, led an uprising against the settlement. John Woodson, returning home after visiting a patient, was killed in sight of his house. The Indians then began attacking the cabin which was barred against them. It was defended by Sarah and Ligon, a friend who was visiting at the time. Using an old musket, Ligon managed to kill nine of the Indians. Two others attempted to enter the house by the chimney, but Sarah scalded one to death with boiling water then seized the iron roasting spit with both hands and brained the other. The boys had been hidden away: one under a wash tub and the other in a pit used for storing potatoes. For several generations descendants of these boys were called either Tub Woodsons or Potato Hole Woodsons. After that Sarah used her knowledge and skill in medicine and nursing to help the sick and to comfort the sorrowful in her community. John Woodson (1586-1633) and his wife Sarah Winston were the immigrants of this family, arriving in Jamestown in 1619 on the ship George. Aboard was the new governor, Sir George Yeardley, about one hundred young Englishmen who would become settlers, and Woodson, a “surgeon” for the company of English soldiers protecting the new colony. He located on land owned by the governor, Flowerdew Hundred (named for his wife Temperance Flowerdew), thirty miles above Jamestown on the south side of the James River. Dr. John Woodson was born in the year 1586 in Dorchester, Devonshire, England. He married Sarah Winston who was born in the year of 1590, also in Devonshire, England. They were married in England. Dr. 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. (Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 20, 1976, p3-8). 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 tub and in a potato pit, respectively. The Indians were led by Chief Opechancano, who was the son of Powhaten and 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. John Woodson is the progenitor of the Woodson Family in America. Among his descendants are Dolley Todd Madison, wife of President James Madison and the famous outlaw Jesse Woodson James. Sources: Genealogies of Virginia Families, From the William and Mary Quarterly HistoricalMagazine, Volume V, Thompson-Yates (and Appendix), Baltimore, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1982 Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 20, 1976, p 3-8 Historical Genealogy of the Woodsons and Their Connections, Compiled by Henry Morton Woodson of Memphis, Tenn., Published in 1915, pgs 21, 23 IMMIGRANT ANCESTORS, by Frederick Adams Virkus, Volume 7, page 75: "Woodson, Dr. John (1586-1644) Grad. St. John's College, Oxford 1604, ADVENTURES OF PURSE AND PERSON, by Virginia M Meyer & John F Dorman
Matriculation is not graduation. The reference does not indicate what he was studying nor if he graduated.
He may have been a son of Alexander Woodson of Bristol, he may not.
He may have been the John Woodson who went to Virginia, he may not.
All other my goods to be devided into four parts "to my daughter Martha one parte to Allexander the sonne of my sonne John Woodsonne one parte to Francis and Grace the children of my sonne Francis Woodsonne both deceased one parte and to my daughter Anne Woodsonne one parte"
My interpretation is that his sons John and Francis were deceased when the will was made, hence John Woodson of Virginia was most probably not the son of Alexander Woodsonne of Bristol, England.
According to this new NPR article, this white Woodson ancestor (Woodson-13) shares dna with the black Woodson family (Woodson-1251). In the article several shared dna tests are mentioned and those hsould be identified and listed here. I assume they are autosomal tests since females were mentioned, but there may be a male Y-chromosome test for the white Woodson descendant in the article. I hope someone will find those who took the test and shared dna. My step-grandfather was Bill Mimms, and he was a descendant of Dr. John Woodson, the immigrant ancestor. Best regards, Lilly Martin
https://archive.org/details/historicalgeneal01wood "Historical Genealogy of the Woodsons and Their Connections by Woodson, Henry Morton, 1845- 4n Published 1915
BIRTHDAY Jesse Woodson JAMES (1847)-166 Jesse, outlaw, is the son of Robert Sallee & Zerelda Elizabeth COLE JAMES, grandson of John Martin & Mary Polly POOR JAMES, great-grandson of Robert & Elizabeth Woodson MIMMS POOR, 2nd great-grandson of Shadrach & Elizabeth WOODSON MIMMS, 3rd great-grandson of Robert & Rebecca PRYOR WOODSON, 4th great-grandson of John & Judith TARLETON WOODSON, 5th great-grandson of Col. Robert & Elizabeth FERRIS WOODSON, 6th great-grandson of Dr. John WOODSON.
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This is more on Dr. John Woodson