John Pedro (abt. 1595 - aft. 1625)

Died after 1625 after about age 30 in Virginia Colony

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Biography

John Pedro was a Jamestown colonist.

John Pedro is Notable.

John Pedro, an African man born around 1595, came to Jamestown aboard the Swan in 1623.^[1] Although we don't know John's country of origin, his surname suggests that he may have been associated with a Spanish-occupied territory, perhaps the West Indies or Africa.^[2]

The 1624/25 census tells us that John was a servant in the muster of Captain Francis West, located in Elizabeth City, beyond the Hampton River, in The Company's Land.^[3][4][5] This was the site of old Point Comfort.^[6]

"THE MUSTER OF CAPT FRANCIS WEST Counseler aged 36 in the Mary Ann Margett 1610

Mrs FRANCIS WEST Widdowe in the Supply 1620

NATHANIELL WEST borne in Virginia"

"SERVANTS

JOANE FAIRCHILD aged 20 in the George 1618

BENIAMIN OWIN aged 18 in the Swan 1623

WILLIAM PARNELL aged 18 in the Southampton 1622

WALTER COUPER aged 22 in the Neptune 1618

REINOULD GODWIN aged 30 in the Abigail 1620

JOHN PEDRO a Neger aged 30 in the Swan 1623"

"PROVISION:

Corne, 2 barreles; Fish, 300 ct; goates, 14; Kiddes, 18; Houses, 2; Pallizado, 1; boate, i, ARMES: Armors, 4; peeces, 10; pistoles, 3; Swords, 6; powder 4 lb; lead, 10 lb"^[3]

Finding no further information about the life of John Pedro, we record on this profile that he died "after 1625," the time of the census.

Research Note

From Skip White: I have been researching my ancestor, Francis West, and wrote a note regarding John Pedro before I found your page. I hope my information is interesting to you, especially that regarding his death.

"The January 1625 muster lists Francis West as living "beyond Hampton River Beinge the Companyes land", with his brother Nathaniel’s widow, Frances Greville West, and her son Nathaniel in his household. Six servants lived there as well, including “John Pedro, a Neger, aged 30”.

"John (sometimes spelled as Juan) Pedro was among the twenty-nine kidnapped Angolans from Capt. Manuel Mendes da Cunha’s slave ship São João Bautista who in August 1619 were taken on Capt. Daniel Elfrith’s privateer Treasurer to Bermuda, eventually working on lands owned by Robert Rich, Earl of Warwick. Twenty other Africans disembarked from Capt. John Colyn Jope's privateer White Lion, sailing under Dutch letters of marque, at Point Comfort, VA. Elfrith’s Savoy letters of marque were invalid, and he was, by definition, a pirate. In 1621 John Pedro, with fellow São João Bautista slaves Antonio (sometimes spelled Anthonio) and Maria, sailed on the James from Bermuda to Bristol, England. They were to testify on behalf of the Earl of Warwick, who owned the Treasurer, against a piracy charge filed by Spain’s Ambassador to England, Diego Sarmiento de Acuña, Count of Gondomar, who on behalf of the São João Bautista captain’s family, his relatives, sued for damages. Anthonia arrived in Virginia in 1621 on the ship James, and Maria arrived in 1622 on Capt. Anthony Chester's ship Margrett & John. Both became indentured servants of Edward Bennett at Wariscoyack and would have a son named William. Nothing more is known about them. John Pedro sailed to the Plymouth colony. In 1623 he left Cape Cod for Virginia on Luke Boyse’s pinnace Swan. John Pedro went on to own land in Lancaster County on Dragon Run Swamp. He eventually moved to Maryland. On 25 March 1655 John Pedro was summarily executed by firing squad after capture by Puritan forces at the Battle of the Severn while serving under Gov. William Stone."

Sources

1. ↑ Passenger List of the Swan 1623 Research and compilation by Anne Stevens, packrat-pro.com.
2. ↑ McCartney, Martha W. Virginia Immigrants and Adventurers 1607-1635: A Biographical Dictionary; Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore, MD, 2007, p. 543.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Jester, Annie Lash., Hiden, Martha Woodruff. 1883. Musters of the Inhabitants in Virginia 1624/1625, Adventurers of Purse and Person Virginia 1607-1625: FamilySearch International, Title No. 2058494., p. 62.
4. ↑ Coldham, Peter Wilson. The Complete Book of Emigrants, 1607-1660, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, MD, P. 67
5. ↑ The Census of Virginia in 1624/25
6. ↑ McCartney, page 45.