John Trahorne (abt. 1592 - aft. 1630)

Born about 1592 in England

Died after 1630 after about age 38 in Virginia Colony

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Biography

John Trahorne is a Qualifying Ancestor of the Jamestowne Society

John Trahorne was a Jamestown colonist.

John Trahorne was born around 1592 in England. We have not found records of his ancestors, marriage, or descendants at this time. His birth year was determined from Virginia records.^[1]

He immigrated in the year 1622 to Jamestown, aboard the ship Truelove.^[2] The Truelove brought men that were to settle Rowland Truelove's plantation. The timing was unfortunate, however, because of the March 1622 Indian attack.^[3]

John survived the attack and is listed amoung the living at nearby Chaplain's Choice, Charles City County, in 1624.^[4] He was still there, apparently a free man, when the 1624/25 Census was taken. He was living alone, but still a part of the Truelove Company:^[1]

THE MUSTER OF THE INHABITANTS OF CHAPLAINS CHOYSE AND THE TRUELOVES COMPANY TAKEN THE 21TH JANUARY 1624

THE MUSTER OF JOHN TREHEARNE aged 33 yeares in the Truelove 1622

ARMES AND MUNITION: Peece fixt, 1; Armour, 1. POULTRIE: Poultrie, 2.

PROVISIONS belonging to the Trueloves Company:

Corne, 90 bushells; Meale, 5 bushells; Pease, 10 bushells; Oatmeale, 1 bushell; Murderers for the forte, 3.

Note: A "Murderer," or mordrer was a small piece of ordnance either of brass or of iron. Weapons of this type had chambers in the breeches and were used in ships at the bulkheads of the forecastles in order to clear the decks of boarders. Called also murdering-piece.^[1]

On 11 Dec 1626, John Trehern (Trahorne) of Chaplins Choice, appeared in court asking for help to recover value for a hogshead of tobacco that he had shipped in the Anne of London to be delivered to his brother in London. Testimony disclosed that the delivery could not be made because his brother had died. The ship's captain had then disposed of the tobacco, and Trahorne requested that he be compensated the worth of the tobacco at sale, so that he could pass along the proceeds to his brother's widow.^[5]

By 1629, John had moved to the peninsula of Weyanoke, located on the north side of the James River. There, he served as a burgess during 1629-1630.^[6][7]

Weyanoke plantation, which had originally belonged to George Yeardley, was decimated by the Indian massacre in 1622, with casualties among the highest of any of the James River plantations. The peninsula was subsequently abandoned by the English. and the Indians returned to re-establish a village there. In 1624, Yeardley sold his plantations, Weyanoke and Flowerdew, to Abraham Piersey, after whose death the Weyanoke patent was allowed to lapse. No new patents are found for the 1630's and early 1640's, possibly because it was still inhabited by the Weyanoke Indians, who left the area in 1645.^[8]

No additional records are found for John Trahorne after his term as burgess for Weyanoke plantation, so we will record that he died "after 1630."

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} 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, page 19.
2. ↑ Passenger List of the Truelove 1622 Research and compilation by Anne Stevens, packrat-pro.com.
3. ↑ McCartney, Martha W. Virginia Immigrants and Adventurers 1607-1635: A Biographical Dictionary; Genealogical Publishing Company, Baltimore, MD, 2007, p. 136
4. ↑ Coldham, Peter Wilson. The Complete Book of Emigrants, 1607-1660, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, MD, page 37.
5. ↑ McIlwaine, H.R., ed. Minutes of the Council and General court of Colonial Virginia, Richmond: The Library Board, 1924; repr. Richmond: Virginia State Library, 1979., page 126.
6. ↑ Jamestowne Society: Trahorne/Trehearne, John - A8011; Weyanoke: 1630 (Burgess). (accessed 18 Sep 2021)
7. ↑ Tyler, Lyon Gardiner, Ed. Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography, Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography, New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1915. p.344
8. ↑ McCartney, page 62.