"Some Materials Towards a Geneology of the Family of the name of Rolfe".
No persons of the name have come under our observations of very great distinction (WELL!), and but one of any extraordinary notoriety; nor was the name ever very common in England, judging from such researches as we have been able to make in the local and other histories of that country.
The armorial bearings are thus published by the Burkes:
Rolfe, of Deptford, co. of Kent, and Hackney, co. of Middlesex, Ar.,three ravens sa.; a trefoil vert, for diff. Crest- a raven close sa., in the bill a trefoil slipped vert.-Rolfes of Chiselhurst, co. of Kent, and London, same Arms, with a cinqfoil in chief, vert..-Rolfe of Sarum co. Wiltshire. Ar three ravens sa. Crest- On a staff, couped and raguly, lying fesseways and sprouting at the dexter end , vert, a raven close sa.-Rolfe of Inglethorpe co. York. Ar. three water bougets or.-Rolfe of Yorkshire. Or, three water bougets sa. Rolfes-ar. a raven sa. Rolfe of Heacham Hall, co. Norfolk as born by S.C.E. Neville Rolfe, of Heacham Hall, Esq., who took the name and arms of Rolfe by Royal License, 19 April, 1837, on coming into possesion of the property of the late Edward Rolfe, of Heacham Hall, Esq. Quarterly, first and fourth gyronny of eight, or. and az. on a chief sa. three annulets ar., second and third gu, five mascles in fesse ar. within a bordure ar. Crests- First, a lion's head, erased; second, on a mount a crescent; and therefrom issuant a rose slipped.
The following are some of the early notices of the name in England. In the will of Humphery de Bohun, earl of Hereford, dated on the Sunday following St. Denis, (October 10) 1361, John Rolfe is a legatee, and also John Ralph, who, in the obscurity of venour", a garson pur le ferourXX s.may be an expected son of the former.
When the "Survey of Domesday" was taken, a person of the name of Rolf possessed the manor then called Chenvestan, since Cheinstone in Devonshire; none of the name appear to have been there in the time of Edward the Confessor, but a person named Algar, abbot of Buckfastleigh. We find a Ralph(Time of the Conquest) at Chivelstone also in the county of Devon.
In 1447, William Rolph was a bailiff of Bristol. In 1532, Robert Rolfe was one of the executors of the will of Lord Berners, the well-known translator of Froissart. He was then Recorder of Calais.
Robert Rolfe, of Hadley, co. Suffolk m. Bridget, fifth daughter of Edward Wright of Sutton Hall in the same county. George Wright, brother of Edward, m. in 1542. Bridget, daughter of Robert Rolfe, Esq., m. Richard Champney, who d. 1653.
There was a family of Rolfe at Harwich in the county of Essex, of great respectability, two centuries ago (Now three): The names of the members of which are spelt with nearly all the variations to be found at the commencement of this memoir. From some circumstances we hazard the opinion that the Rolfs of New England are of this family. Between 1612 and 1620, Mr. Edward Rafe (Rolfe) was mayor of Harwich. In 1636, Mr. John Rolfe was mayor of that place and in 1643 he was again chosen to the same office.
In 1674, Mr. John Rolfe (not the same) was mayor, and again a second time in 1685. And as late as 1728, a Mr. George Rolf was mayor of that borough.
In the church-yard of Harwich are some monuments to the family of Rolfe. On one of black marble we read-
On another stone-
William Rolfe was one of the executors of the will of the eccentric and vastly rich Henry Smyth of London, 1627.
There was a Captain (though oftener perhaps styled Major) Rolfe, of extensive notoriety in the time of the "Civil War". He was accused of attempting the life of the king (Charles I). The matter was long under the consideration of Parliament, and at the Restoration he was brought to trial, but was eventually discharged on the ground of his being non compos mentis.(Hmm. Explains a lot. )
In the 16th of Charles II, Abraham Rolfe, clerk, had erected at Lusham, near Greenwich in Kent, two Free Schools and an Almshouse.
Of what family Mr. John Rolfe, who was married to the Indian Princess POCOHONTAS*, (Real Name, Matoaka, daughter of Chief Powhatan) we are not able to state. There cannot, however, be much doubt that he was of some of the families enumerated above; and we hope at some time to be able to show the connections of all these families and those with that of New England, if any ever existed. The gentleman who married POCOHONTAS* had one son (Thomas) but this son left no male posterity. In the female line, however, are descended the Bollings, Randolphs, Blands, and many other distinguished families of Virginia.
*(Warning: If you are a Rolfe, this link could be disturbing. The Powhatan Renape Nation has become even more antagonized since Disney's spectacle, and they have their reasons.)
We come now to the family of Rolfe in New England. The following is the article concerning them in Farmer's Geneological Register: Rolfe, Benjamin, Newbury, where he was b.a. 1641. Benjamin, the second minister of Haverhill, was son of Benjamin Rolfe and was b. 13 September, 1662(Coffin); grad at H.C. 1684, ordained in Jan, 1694, and was slain by the Indians on an attack on Haverhill, 29 August, 1708 ae 46. Daniel, Ezra, and Thomas were of Ipswich in 1648, and David Rolfe died in Salem ab. 1684. Henry, one of the proprietors of Newbury in 1635. John, one of the first settlers of Newbury, and a proprietor of Salisbury was admitted freeman, 1639, and d. 8 February, 1663. His last wife, Mary Scullard, he m. in 1656.
For much of the above, as is seen, Farmer was indebted to the since historian of Newbury. In his work, Mr. Coffin has added something to Farmer's article, but he was not able to establish or define a relationship between many of the members of the family which he has given. From what he has given, and several other sources, the following pedigree is made out.
Honour Rolfe appears to have been the immediate ancestor of two or more Newbury emigrants of the name. It is not ascertained that this person came to America.
=============================================================The "Rolfe - Pocahontas" Connection ========================================================= John ROLFE m Dorothy MASON 24 September 1582 (Dorothy MASON married Dr Robert REDMAIN after John's death in 1594) | | | John (Henry m Frances PIGOTT 1612) (Edward) | ========================================================= Marriage 1 1st wife name unknown (died 1610) Daughter - Bermuda b 1610 (Christened 21 February 1610) d 1610 ========================================================= Marriage 2 Princess POCAHONTAS 1614 (died 1616 buried at Gravesend 21 March) | Thomas ROLFE m Jane POYTHRESS | Jane ROLFE (d 1676) m Col Robert BOLLING 1675 | John BOLLING b 1676 ========================================================= Marriage 3 Jane PIERCE 1619 (Jane later married Capt Roger SMITH 1622) | Elizabeth b 1620 ========================================================= John ROLFE Senior married Dorothy (or Dorothea) Mason on 24 September 1582. They definitely had two sons, possibly a third, i.e. John, Henry and Edward. John Junior married an unknown lady who died in 1610, either in childbirth or shortly after. The baby, christened Bermuda whilst en route to America, did not survive the journey. In 1614 John married Princess POCAHONTAS and they had a son, Thomas, although the precise date of birth is unknown. Princess POCAHONTAS died at Gravesend, Kent, in March 1616 where she had been put ashore after beginning the journey home to America with her husband and son, who continued the journey after her burial in Gravesend churchyard on 21 March 1616. (The church, where she was interred in the crypt has since been destroyed by fire but there is a statue of her in the town.) John later married Jane PIERCE in 1619 upon his return to America and they had a daughter, Elizabeth, in 1620. John died in either 1621 or 1622, soon after which Jane PIERCE ROLFE married Captain Roger SMITH. John ROLFE's son, Thomas, married Jane POYTHRESS (date unknown), having settled in America, and they had a daughter, also named Jane, who married Captain Robert BOLLING in 1675, but died in childbirth in 1676. Her son, John, survived her. The ROLFE name in direct descent from John ROLFE and Princess POCAHONTAS therefore appears to have ceased at their son Thomas's death. The only possible descendancy to my mother, Mona ROLFE, could be through one of John's brothers, Henry and Edward, of whom little is known. The ROLFE family home, Heacham Hall at Heacham, Norfolk, was destroyed by fire in 1945. ============================================================= ......and here is a note of my Essex Rolfe's down to my mother........ ============================================================= ROLFE, Isaac b c1784 @ Faulkbourne, Essex m Ann (Surname not known - b c1786 @ Bures, Suffolk) ROLF(E), Isaac Agricultural Labourer - Hatfield Green, Hatfield Peverel, Essex b c1817 @ Hatfield Peverel, Essex m Hannah (Anna) WARRICKER 10 October 1844 @ Hatfield Peverel, Essex ROLFE, Abraham Gardener with Mr Aubrey, Springfield Place, Chelmsford b 8 November 1845 @ Hatfield Peverel, Essex m Susannah FREER 3 November 1867 @ Tolleshunt Knights, Essex ROLFE, Arthur Henry Police Sergeant/Deputy Registrar b 2 August 1872 @ 24 New Writtle Street, Chelmsford, Essex m Emma (Maud) WARREN 7 September 1898 @ Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex d 4 October 1931 @ 86 Cromwell Road, Grays Essex ROLFE, Mona Maud Ada Retired Book-keeper b 13 March 1909 @ Mayland, Essex m Leslie Alan RICKARDS 19 October 1946 @ Grays, Essex
