The colonization of the American continent, in modern times, began with the arrival of three boatloads of English immigrants, in May of 1607, on the northeast shore of the James River, in Virginia. One of the leaders was Captain John Smith, a daring adventurous fellow with an inquisitive mind who had been in many tight situations on the outskirts of civilization.. This palisaded little settlements of Anglo-Saxons was named Jamestown, in honor of England's king, James I, who ruled from 1603 through 1625. [George B. Everton, Sr. The Handy Book For Genealogists, Sixth Edition. The Everton Publishers, Inc.; Logan, Utah, p. 231].
For many of the first immigrants, coming to America became a nightmare. During the first decade, many of them died and those who survived became so disillusioned and discouraged that they were ready to abandon the venture, as a losing cause, and return to their native England. They had suffered from deprivation, starvation, and constant Indian reprisals. At the beginning of the winter of 1609, the Virginia colony consisted of 490 persons, but when the spring of 1610 arrived, there were only 60 persons left in the colony. Determined to return to England, this small group of survivors set sail and embarked. As their ship was coming out of the mouth of the James River, some other Virginia-bound ships, under the command of Lord Delaware, came into sight. Against their own judgment, the disgruntled colonists were persuaded to return to their abandoned homes. Early in 1610, more food and additional colonists arrived from England. Every month in the year, with the exception of the winter months, saw more boatloads of new immigrants arriving. More and more settlements were established, some as far north as the Potomac River. [Ibid[.
Every person who, after 1616, came into the colony from overseas or from a neighboring settlement was entitled to 50 acres of land (100 acres, if he came by 1616) in his own name and in the name of the person who paid his passage. By act of the Council for Virginia, 18 November 1618, each of the four corporations- Charles City, Henrico, James City, and Kecoughtan (Elizabeth City) was assigned 3,000 acres of land. Those colonists, who were transported to Virginia at the Company's expense, were seated on Company lands and the Company was entitled to one-half of the profits of their labors, during seven-year terms. The other half of the profits was to be used to defray costs of government. [Ibid., p. xxiii].
According to two writers, there were two Woodwards, who immigrated to Virginia in 1618. One was WILLIAM WOODWARD [Lloyd Dewitt Bockstruck. "Some Spotsylvania County, Virginia Immigrants." National Genealogical Society Quarterly. 68:1 (March 1980) p. 69]. The other was CHRISTOPHER WOODWARD, in the ship- "Gifte" [Louise Niemeyer Fontaine. "Genealogy of the Niemeyer, Chandler, Lawson, Calvert Families and Others." The Society of Genealogists, London, 1952, pp. 405-406]. Neither of these has been proven. Their names have not been found on any passenger list for the year 1618.
According to Louise Niemeyer Fontaine, the first Woodward to arrive in America was CHRISTOPHER WOODWARD in the ship- "Gifte", in 1618. He came as an expert in metals and was at Martin's hundred, in charge of the Iron Mine, which was commemorated as "Woodward's Labour," in 1620. He may have been the one who was killed in the great Indian Massacre of 1622. Later documents may lend some credibility to this.
The First Thanksgiving - Massachusetts (December 1620) or Virginia (December 1619, on the Berkeley Plantation in Charles City Co.). See the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UP2co9MTpc
The great Indian Massacre occurred on Good Friday in March of 1622. Of the 1,240 English living in Virginia, about 340 were killed. The Corporation of Charles City suffered a great loss of life in its settlements on both sides of the River. That part above the Appomattox was literally wiped out for a time. The settlements from the Appomattox down to Upper Chippoakes Creek suffered most severely. This area, however, appeared to be quick to recover and a number of earlier settlers returned to their former lands; also, to lands deserted by the Indians.
On February 16, 1623, a list of those still living in Virginia included the following:
MARY WOODWARD - "At James Cittye and with the Corporation tereof.
HENRY WOODWARD - "At Hogg Iland."
HENRY WOODWARD - "AT Warwick Squeake."
while a list of the dead in Virginia since April showed:
CHRISTOPHER WOODWARD - At Martin's hundred.
RICHARD WOODWARD - At Edward Bennett's plantation.
[John Camden Hotten. The Original Lists of Persons of Quality, 1600-1700. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc.; Baltimore, 1978].
Following the great Indian Massacre of 1622, the colonists gathered together and formed musters to defend themselves against further Indian attacks. Among those listed in these musters were the following:
"West & Sherley Ths Muster of the Inhabitants of West and Sherley Hundred
hundred taken the 22th of January 1624. . . .
Charles Cittie
CHRISTOPHER WOODWARD's Muster
CHRISTOPHER WOODWARD - aged 30 yeares in the "Tryall" in June 1620.
his ptn's: John Higgins - aged 21 yeres in the "George" 1616.
Rice Howe - aged 26 yeres in the "Gifte" 1618.
Servant's
Mathew Gloster - aged 20 yeres in the "Warwick" 1621.
William Totle - aged 18 yeres in the "George" 1623.
John Canon - aged 20 yeres in the "Abigaile" 1622.
Provisions: Corne, 50 bushells; Fish, 1 hundred; Armes and Munition; Powder,
1 lb.; Lead, 4 lb.; Peeces fixt, 5; Coats of Male, 1; Swine & Poultrie: Swine, 3,
Poultrie, 14; Houses: House, 1. [Ibid., pp. 205-206]
{NOTE: According to the above muster, if Christopher Woodward was 30 years old in 1624, he would have been born ca. 1594. The following baptisms/births were found in the parish records of England:
1.) CHRISTOPHER WOODWARD, son of ROWLAND and DENNIS (DENISE ?) WOODWARD, was baptized 1 May 1594, in Orwell Parish, Cambridge, England.
2.) CHRIS WOODWARDE, son of JOHN WOODWARDE, was baptized 14 July 1594, in Terling Parish, Co. Essex, England.
3.) CHRISTOPHER WOODWARD, son of JO WOODWARD, was baptized 17 March 1595, in Claines Parish, Worcester, England.
4.) CHRISTOPHER WOODWARD, parents unknown, was born 7 September 1595, in Lillingston Lovell Parish, Buckinghamshire, England.
The Muster of Lieutenant Barkley (at "Hog Iland"):
HENERY WOODWARD, in the "Diana" 1619
JANE his wife [Ibid., pp. 236-237]
HENRIE WOODWARD his Muster (at "Wariscoyack"):
HENRIE WOODWARD aged 30 in the
John Browninge aged 22 in the "Abigall" 1621
Servant's
Ambrose - aged 25 in the "Marmiducke" 1621
Peeter - aged 19 in the "Margett and John" 1620
Provision: Corne, 40 bushells; houses, 2. Armes: Corslett, 2;
Coates of Male, 2; peeces, 3; pistole, 1.
[Ibid., p. 242]
Virginia became a royal colony in 1624 and remained as such until 1776, when it announced its independence. [Everton, op. cit., p. 232]. On May 21, 1625, HENRY WOODWARD served on a committee of the General Assembly, at James City, to settle a complaint against a ship captain- Captain John Martin.[7WMQ130].
The will of Richard Biggs, of West and Shirley hundred (Charles City Co.), written September 10, 1625 and proven August 9, 1626, mentioned six acres of land given to his sister- Rebecca Rose, "adjoining to the now dwelling house and lying by the swamp side next to CHRISTOPHER WOODWARD's ground. Witnesses: Thomas Pawlett, Samuel Sharpe. Proved by Sarah Biggs, relict &c. [11V361]; [Lothrop Withington. Virginia Gleaning In England. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, 1980, pp. 53-54].
CHRISTOPHER WOODWARD, JR., Esq., of Lambeth, Co. Surrey, England (born ca. 1570) died 25 Aug. 1627 in England. He was the husband of CATHERINE AUDLEY and son of CHRISTOPHER WOODWARD and ELIZABETH WESTWOOD (of Oldbury), of Shropsghire (Salop) and Co. Surrey, England. [Parish Records]. His will was dated 22 Aug. 1627 & proven 5 Sept. 1627. He name his wife KATHERINE; daughters- ELIZABETH Ash, KATHERINE, SUSAN, MARY, and ANN; and sons- THOMAS and WILLIAM. He also mentioned his mother- Mrs. ELIZABETH FELTHAM, deceased. {NOTE: Some researchers have mistakenly claimed that this Christopher Woodward (1570-1627) was the Christopher Woodward (1594-1650), who came to Virginia in 1620 and patented 600 acres of land in Charles City Co. in 1637.}.
CHRISTOPHER WOODWARD was Burgess for Westover (Charles City Co.) in 1629. [41V76]; [Withington, op. cit., p. 54]; [Tyler Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography, Vol. I, p. 363]; & [Meyer & Dorman. Adventures of Purse and Person. p. 717]. {NOTE: There was a "CHRISTOPHER WODWART", who married MARGARET UDDYNS, 14 Oct. 1629, in Whaddon Parish, Buckinghamshire, England.}.
Lt. Col. RICHARD COCKE (1600-1665), of "Bremo", emigrated from Leeds, England to Virginis, ca. 1630, and settled in Henrico Co. With him came Captain Francis West, his sister having married Robert West, son of Lord de la Warr. He took a leading part in the affairs of the colony, serving as a Burgess, in 1632, 1644, and 1654; and was a member of the General Assembly of Virginia.
CHRISTOPHER WODWART was baptized 28 Oct. 1632, in Whaddon Parish, Buckinghamshire, England, son of CHRISTOPHER WOODWARD.
In 1634, the Colony of Virginia was divided into eight shires (or counties), to be governed as the shires in England, These shires and their populations at that time were as follows:
1. ACCAWMACK - "on the Eastern Shore, over the bay." Population = 396.
2. CHARLES CITY - extending on both sides of James River. Population = 511.
3. CHARLES RIVER - became YORK CO.; composed of plantations on York River. Population = 510.
4. ELIZABETH CITY - both sides of Hampton Roads, north sides of Newport News. Population combine
with Warwick River (below).
5. HENRICO - extended westward from Charles City County. Population = 419.
6. JAMES CITY - both sides of the River. Population = 886.
7. WARROSQUYOAKE - became ISLE OF WIGHT CO. in 1637. Population = 522.
8. WARWICK RIVER - became WARWICK CO. in 1642. Population, combined with Elizabeth City
(above) = 1,670.
[Virginia M. Meyer & John Frederick Dorman. Adventures of Purse and Person - Virginia 1607-1624/5. Published by Order of First Families of Virginia, 1607-1624/5. The Dietz Press, Inc., Richmond, 1987, p. xxiv.
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