The Chesapeake Bay Company of the Jamestowne Society

What's New?

If you haven't visited the site since July 20, 2008, there are new additions you haven't seen yet! Always check here first on your return visits!

Added July 20, 2008:

Ancestor Sketch!

Bryan Godfrey has submitted an updated Ancestor Sketch of his ancestor, Col. John Mottrom of the Northern Neck. It's on the Ancestor Sketches of Members of the Chesapeake Bay Company page. Enjoy reading this and other Ancestor Sketches submitted by Company members!

Added June 22, 2008:

Links to Jamestowne Resources

A new link has been added to "The Life and Adventures of Captain John Smith: Comprising an Account of His Travels in Europe, Asia, Africa and America; Also, the Early History of Virginia and New England, including Sketches of Pocahontas, Powhatan, Opecancanough, and Other Distinguished Characters." The book, written by W. C. Armstrong and published in 1859, is available as an online text, and the link is in Jamestowne Resources

Added June 7, 2008:

W. Preston Haynie

W. Preston Haynie was not a Jamestowne Society member, but in his role as a volunteer librarian and archivist for many years at the Northumberland County Historical Society in Heathsville, Virginia, he was responsible for many Society members' being able to connect the generations on their applications and locating the necessary supporting documentation. Preston Haynie died in a Richmond hospital on June 6, 2008, following cardiac surgery in recent weeks. He left (typical of his unassuming nature) a request for no obit and no funeral. However, there are many whose lives he touched who will feel the need to say thank you in a tangible way. Those who remember him might consider a donation to the Northumberland County Historical Society, POB 221, Heathsville, Virginia 22473.  Northumberland County is the parent county of the Northern Neck of Virginia, and in that role, it was the repository for many of the very early records on which our research so depends. While the source documents lie in the courthouse in Heathsville, the key to locating them often was Preston Haynie's knowledge which he gladly and graciously dispensed a couple of doors away at the Historical Society, leading researchers to clues and data hidden deep in the Society's files and bookshelves. He left no children, although in a very real way, all of us whom he helped truly regard him as family.

Added May 26, 2008:

Pocahontas' Playmates

The booklet called "Pocahontas' Playmates" was written by Samuel Bemiss of Richmond in the 1950s, and will be of particular interest to Chesapeake Bay Company members who are descendants of Sisley/Cisley Jordan and of Temperance Flowerdew. The link to the pdf document has been added to Jamestowne Resources, where you'll find lots of other interesting reading.

Added April 27, 2008:

April 19 Meeting Photos

Members and guests of the Chesapeake Bay Company journeyed to Henricus Historical Park in Chester, Virginia, for the Spring Meeting 2008. Meeting in the Education Center, they viewed a Retrospective in PowerPoint of photos from all previous meetings and trips. They also enjoyed a delicious luncheon catered by Alice McIntyre, and afterwards went to the Mount Malady building for an informative presentation on 17th Century Medicine by Margaret Carlini, Education Specialist at Henricus. Afterwards, there was time and opportunity to look at the other reproduction buildings at Henricus. A golf cart provided effortless transportation for those with walking disabilities. Take a look at the photos from April 19th on the Notes from Meetings Spring 2008 & Forward Page. Notes from earlier meetings remain on the Notes from Meetings 2006 through Fall 2007 Page. Fortunately, after so many meetings, it has become necessary to split the page because of all the photos! Check out our Henricus trip at Notes from Meetings Spring 2008 & Forward!

Added April 15, 2008:

April 19 Meeting Info

Members and guests who will be attending the April 19 Meeting at Henricus Historical Park may be interested to know that this is a "rain or shine" event. Here is a link to the weather in Chester, VA, site of the park, so you can plan. Early indications are there's a 20% chance of precip in the afternoon. Check back through this Wunderground link to see how the weather shapes up this week. And do remember that our ancestors were never deterred by a little shower now and again. See details on the program and the luncheon by clicking here.

Added April 13, 2008:

Chesapeake Bay Company April 19 Meeting Info Update

If you want to attend the April 19 Meeting at Henricus Historical Park, but have not yet responded, please contact Susan Rager, Company Governor, by e-mail (click here to send) or by phone (804-472-2988). Members of the Jamestowne Society who are not yet members of the Chesapeake Bay Company are also invited to attend this interesting meeting. See details on the program and the luncheon by clicking here. Come join us!

Added March 19, 2008:

Chesapeake Bay Company April 19 Meeting Info

The Saturday, April 19 Spring Meeting of the Chesapeake Bay Company will be held at Henricus Historical Park. There will be an interesting program on 17th Century Medicine presented by Margaret Carlini, Education Specialist at Henricus, and a delicious hot luncheon will be served by Alice McIntyre, a caterer with 29 years' experience in catering, regularly including luncheons at Henricus. Chances are, you haven't visited Henricus, but have always wanted to - and now is your opportunity. CLICK HERE for the Meeting Notice & Information page for the April 19 event. Deadline to RSVP is April 11.  Bring your 2008 dues to the meeting, or mail them with your reservations. Thanks!

Added March 6, 2008:

National Society May Meeting Info

The Jamestowne Society will hold its Spring Membership Meeting on Saturday, May 17, 2008 at the Williamsburg Marriott. Click here to visit the page on the Jamestowne Society website with all the details, including menu and PDF form for making reservations. Seating is limited, and there is a deadline of April 25, 2008; no walk-ins or late reservations will be accepted.

Added February 29, 2008:

New Jamestowne Resource

You can access a new full text online through Jamestowne Resources which researchers and historians have used for years: "Gleanings of Virginia History: An Historical and Genealogical Collection, Largely from Original Sources," compiled and published by James Fletcher Boogher. This 1903 publication is available in its entirety for your perusal in Jamestowne Resources. This brings the total to 58 resources which are linked to online.

Added January 12, 2008:

New Jamestowne Resource

A link has been added to the Michigan Company's Photo Slideshow from the 400th Anniversary Celebration weekend in May 2007. The photos by Steven W. Baker present an overview of the historic event. The link is now added to Jamestowne Resources . Thanks to Jim McCall of the First California Company for forwarding this on!

Added January 9, 2008:

New Jamestowne Resource

The History Channel has an interesting online presentation, "Welcome to Jamestown," which requires a free Flash plug-in. The presentation moves you through an orderly overview of the early settlement. Visit it now through the new link in the Jamestowne Resources Section.

Added December 22, 2007:

New Ancestor Sketch!

If you read the Christmas Greeting 2007, you know that members were challenged to submit Ancestor Sketches for inclusion on the site. Bryan Godfrey, one of our newest members, met the challenge and has submitted an Ancestor Sketch on Col. John Mottrom of the Northern Neck. It's interesting reading, and is located on the Ancestor Sketches of Members of the Chesapeake Bay Company page. (Just because Bryan submitted his informative Sketch doesn't mean the rest of you are off the hook - ahem!)....It's a good project to begin after Christmas Day.

2 New Jamestowne Resources added

Two new links have been added to this really large portion of the site, which will direct you to interesting information online about the Jamestowne Settlement and related history:

(1) NOVA Companion Site to "Pocahontas Revealed: Archaeologists Uncover the Reality Behind a Great American Myth;" the program aired November 27 on PBS and will air again in 2008. Sections in the NOVA site include "John Smith's Bold Endeavor," "Images of a Legend," "The Science of Jamestown," "Touching the Past," and you can watch a preview - the program is available in HD;

(2) Waldseemuller Maps, 1507 and 1516, from the Library of Congress: these two maps, two of the most important in the history of cartography, were rediscovered in 1901. Made by Martin Waldseemuller who lived between about 1470 and 1522, these maps, which can be greatly enlarged for detail, show the world as it existed before Jamestown. Enjoy learning more through the Jamestowne Resources Section.

Added November 25, 2007:

Christmas Greeting 2007

A greeting to you from the 17th century is located at the bottom of the Christmas Greeting 2007 Page - but before you get to the bottom of the page, you'll discover what the Christmas Challenge is! Happy holidays!

Added November 11, 2007:

Company Members attend Richmond meeting

Susan Godman Rager, Mary Elizabeth Stewart, Virginia Appich Boudreaux and Janice Harris Shanks attended the Fall Meeting of the Jamestowne Society in Richmond at the Commonwealth Club on November 10.

Save the dates: Sat. Apr. 19 and Sat. Oct. 25!

Mark Saturday, April 19, 2008 on your calendar for the Spring Meeting/Field Trip of the Chesapeake Bay Company (Henricus Historical Park), and Saturday, October 25, 2008 on your calendar for the Fall Meeting which will take place at Historic Christ Church in Irvington. More details on both of these meetings will be posted on the website as the time approaches. Meanwhile, save the dates!

Added November 1, 2007:

What's New Page gets new graphic

The amusing graphic added above will continue to be a "What's New" Page presence. It was created by clever software available through Dumpr.net and appears to make the photo from our home page truly into a work of art.

Added October 15, 2007:

8 New Jamestowne Resources added

Eight new Jamestowne Resources have been added, and it's exciting because while the listings are new to this site, they are from quite old books. They have been digitized, and the full text of each is available online for free. The newly added titles are:

 (1) "The Historie of Travaile into Virginia Britannia, Expressing the Cosmographie and Comodities of the Country, Togither with the Manners and Customes of the People, Gathered and Observed as Well by Those Who Went First Thither, as Collected by William Strachey, Gent., The First Secretary of the Colony," edited by R. H. Major (London: The Hakluyt Society, 1849);

(2) "Virginia Vestusta, During the Reign of James the First, Containing Letters and Documents Never Before Printed, a Supplement to the History of the Virginia Company," by Edward D. Neill (Albany, NY: Joel Munsell's Sons, 1885);

 (3) "No.36: The Founding of Jamestown, Percy's Discourse of Virginia, Wingfield's Discourse of Virginia, 1607, 1619," American History Leaflets, Colonial and Constitutional, edited by Albert Bushnell Hart and Edward Channing; Parker P. Simmons, 1907;

(4) "The Cradle of the Republic, Jamestown and James River," by Lyon Tyler Gardiner (Richmond, VA: Whittet & Shepperson, 1900);

(5) "The Adventures of Captain John Smith, the Founder of the Colony of Virginia," by Lambert Lilly (New York: D. Appleton & Company, 1842);

(6) "Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography," edited by Lyon Gardiner Tyler (New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1915);

(7)"The Site of Old 'James Towne,' 1607-1698," by Samuel H. Yonge (Richmond: Wm. Ellis Jones, Printer, 1903);

(8)"Captain John Smith (1579-1631), Sometime Governor of Virginia, and Admiral of New England," by Charles Dudley Warner (New York: Henry Holt & Co, 1881). Remember, these are not just book listings, there are full texts of these books available online. Check out these new additions through the Jamestowne Resources Section.

Added October 7, 2007:

Report on September 29 Membership Meeting

The Chesapeake Bay Company's Fall 2007 Meeting was held at Historic Christ Church, Irvington, VA, on Saturday, September 29, with a good attendance, a great speaker, and a delicious menu for the luncheon. Read about the details in the Meeting Notes Section!

2 New Members!

New members who were approved by the membership were Bryan Godfrey of Richmond, Virginia, and Dr. Donald Richardson of Melbourne, Florida, whose names have been added to the Chesapeake Bay Company Members Roster on this site.

New Jamestowne Resource added

Jim McCall of the First California Company has passed along information on the Huntington Library's exhibit on Jamestown at 400. The Gallery Guide has been listed in the Jamestowne Resources Section of this site, and Company members (as well as Society members in general) who may be traveling to the West Coast between now and January are encouraged to attend this interesting presentation.

Added September 17, 2007:

Article on Plaque Presentation at Jamestown

The Richmond Law Magazine (Summer 2007) contains an article about the Rule of Law Conference Plaque Presentation which occurred last April on the Island (see article in Other Newsworthy Events). The presentation was made by Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and the Chief Justice of England and Wales, and other dignitaries. A PDF file of the article from the Richmond Law Magazine can be accessed by clicking here (the article contains, among its coverage, a perspective by Susan Rager, law school alum and Jamestowne Society member). With all PDF files, you can enlarge them to provide the amount of detail you desire.

Added September 12, 2007:

Exciting Jamestowne Rediscovery Program!

The program for our Fall Meeting on September 29 will be a presentation by Jamie May, Senior Staff Archaeologist from APVA, on the continuing archaeological digs on the Island. See the special page created with details on the program, as well as information on how you can make reservations for the luncheon catered by Classic Catering. The location is Historic Christ Church, Irvington, (a link to a map and driving directions is provided on the September 29 Meeting Notice page that you can print out if necessary and bring with you.) Don't wait - your reservations are due by September 22!

National Society meeting November 10

The Fall Meeting of the national Jamestowne Society will take place on Saturday, November 10, 2007 at the Commonwealth Club in Richmond. Here is a link to the Jamestowne Society website page providing information on it, and to the PDF which contains the reservations form. Space is limited, so don't delay making your reservations - deadline is October 31.

Added September 9, 2007: 3 Items - see below

Stay tuned for information on September 29 meeting:

Information on the September 29 meeting is forthcoming next week. The site is Historic Christ Church, near Irvington, Virginia. A landmark of colonial architecture, designed and built by Robert "King" Carter, the church has a museum, a movie, and tours of the historic sanctuary. Mark the date, and save it!

New makeover for national Jamestowne Society site
and new additions to Links to Jamestowne Resources:

Your Governor and Webmaster of the Chesapeake Bay Company website has had extra duties recently as new Webmaster of the Jamestowne Society national site. It's undergoing a complete site makeover, which has taken up quite a bit of time and energy. There are links to 5 of the newly redesigned (in both content and style) pages in Links to Jamestowne Resources on this site: (1) Qualifying Ancestors Index, (2) Membership Process and Application, (3) Jamestowne Reading Resources, (4) Chronology of the Jamestowne Period, and (5) the Jamestowne Society Shoppe for Members. Please visit the Jamestowne Society site itself to see all the newly redesigned portions of the site. More sections of the former website will be available shortly in the new format.

New Page: Membership Information

This new part of the Chesapeake Bay Company site gives links to the Jamestowne Society national site's Qualifying Ancestor Index and Membership Process and Application sections, and provides information on the national Society and on the Chesapeake Bay Company. Information on the region served by the Company is included, with links to sites of historic interest in the area. Present and prospective Jamestowne Society members are invited to visit the new "Membership Information" page on this site.

Added September 2, 2007:

New Addition to Site Index

A Google Custom Search box has been added to the Site Index, allowing you to enter the term you're looking for within the Chesapeake Bay Company site and getting to it faster than ever before. This internal search engine allows you to see all instances of the term within the site. Although our ancestors would have been amazed at computers in general, they would have been totally taken aback with this search capacity.

Added August 20, 2007:

New Addition to Ancestor Sketches:

The Ancestor Sketch of Richard Kenner (b. ca 1635 - d. 1692) has been prepared by Patty Stephens Arnold, Charter Member of the Chesapeake Bay Company. Kenner was a Burgess from Northumberland County while the Capitol was still in Jamestowne.

Added August 16, 2007:

New Additions to Links to Jamestowne Resources:

Links to two important first-hand accounts of the period bring history to life: (1) "Jamestown: 1607, The First Months," observations recorded and published in London in 1608 by George Percy, and (2) "Jamestown 1609-1610: "Starving Time, A True Relation," also by George Percy, published in 1624.

Added August 3, 2007:

New Addition to Ancestor Sketches:

The list of documentation for the lineage of Company Member Sheri Lynn Black Hillman has been added to the Ancestor Sketch of Robert Beheathland, Gentleman. The list of her lineage was added June 7.

Added July 23, 2007:

New Addition to Links to Jamestowne Resources:

A "List of English Monarchs" has been added, which shows the period of their lifetimes and of their reigns, and has the period of the Jamestowne Society's interest clearly outlined. The "List" is from Wikipedia, and has been modified to show the period 1600-1700 highlighted. It's a PDF file so you can enlarge it to see details.

Added July 19, 2007:

New Addition to Other Newsworthy Events:

Chesapeake Bay Company member Kathy Waltermire took photos when the replica of Captain John Smith's Shallop arrived on June 16 in Colonial Beach. The shallop replica and its crew attempted to reconstruct the 1608 voyages of Captain John Smith in his explorations of the Chesapeake Bay.

Added July 11, 2007:

New Addition to Ancestor Sketches:

The lineage of Company Member Mary Elizabeth Stewart has been added to the Ancestor Sketch of Robert Beheathland, Gentleman.

New Addition to Links to Jamestowne Resources:

"Bay, Plain and Piedmont: A Landscape History of the Chesapeake Heartland from 1.3 Billion Years Ago to 2000," is an extraordinary work which details the many interesting changes the Bay area has gone through in its history. The document is 196 pages in PDF format, which means you can enlarge it to see details of the many maps and to read it more easily. The document was produced in 2000 by the Chesapeake Bay Heritage Context Project.
 

Added July 4, 2007:

New Additions to Other Newsworthy Events:

(1) Virginia Brown, Chesapeake Bay Company member and President of the Northern Neck Historical Society, organized a ceremony commemorating the 231st anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence at Burnt House Field in Westmoreland County. Richard Henry Lee and Francis Lightfoot Lee, both sons of Thomas Lee, and natives of Westmoreland County, were Signers.

(2) Flowerdew Hundred, home of Jamestowne Ancestors George Yeardley and Temperance Flowerdew, and later of Abraham Piercey, will close to the public on October 12, 2007, permanently, after being open for visitors for the past 35 years. Read details and view lots of photos taken during a 2006 visit to Flowerdew Hundred.

June 9, 2007:

The Field Trip to Henricus Historical Park has been cancelled.

Added June 7, 2007:

New Additions to Ancestor Sketches:

The lineage of Company Member Sheri Black Hillman has been added to the Ancestor Sketch of Robert Beheathland, Gentleman.
 

Added June 2, 2007:

New Addition to Links to Jamestowne Resources:

(1) John Smith's map with original shoreline as outlined by Smith, superimposed on current day shoreline; circles indicate houses, arrows indicate king's houses; from Virtual Jamestown site;

(2) "Jamestown, VA - 1624 Census," from Rootsweb;

(3) and (4) John Smith's Voyages of Exploration, the first from June 2- July 21, 1608 and the second from July 24- September 7, 1608, in PDF files so you can enlarge them for detail, from the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network;

(5) Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail: Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Water Trails, a fascinating map in PDF format - enlarge it and see the many details on land-based gateways, interpretive buoys, routes and more, from the National Park Service/US Department of the Interior. R

This page was added to the site on June 2, 2007, so from that date forward, the date of the new additions appear as well as their listing.

Added since May 1, 2007:

May 2007 "Bowsprit" Newsletter - summary of 400th Anniversary events; Jamestown stamp issue; more!

400th Anniversary Commemoration - Jamestowne Society events of May 12, plus photographs!

Printable Chesapeake Bay Company Brochure - "Welcome to the NEXT 400 Years" - a brochure you can print (on both sides) and give to friends and family

Jamestowne Stamp - Issued on May 11, the triangular stamp is in the shape of James Fort

New Links to Jamestowne Resources:
(1) George Mason University News Network Article on Jamestown;
(2) Jamestowne Society: Jamestown Fashions;
(3) Jamestowne Society: Insignia Order Form;
(4) National Park Service: First Legislative Assembly;
(5) National Park Service: Jamestown vs. Plymouth;
(6) National Park Service: What Happened to the Three Ships

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