Sarah Isabelle (Unknown) Winston (abt. 1595 - abt. 1659)

Born about 1595 in Devon, England

Wife of John Woodson — married 1619 in Devon, England

Descendants

Died about 17 Jan 1659 at about age 64 in Henrico, Colony of Virginia

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Sarah (Unknown) Winston resided in the Southern Colonies in North America before 1776. Join: US Southern Colonies Project Discuss: southern_colonies

Biography

Sarah arrived in Jamestown aboard the ship George in 1619.

Sarah (Unknown) Winston is a Qualifying Ancestor of the Jamestowne Society

Sarah Winston^[1][2]

Arrival

Date: 1619

Sarah WINSTON -- ^[3]"Dr.John Woodson and wife Sarah WINSTON (of Dorsetshire,England) came to Va. on the "George, having left England 29 Jan 1619, with her brother Anthony Winston and 100 other passengers."

JOHN WOODSON Doctor John Woodson, a surgeon, came to Virginia on the (ship) George in 1619 with incoming governor, Sir George Yeardley. On February 16, 1624, Woodson and his wife, Sarah, were living at Flowerdew Hundred where they were still residing on January 20, 1625. ^[4]

Residence

Date: 1624

Place: Flowerdew Hundred, VA

Death

17 Jan 1660

Henrico, Virginia

Died 17 JAN 1659, Prince George County, Virginia. Note: Prince George County was created in 1703 so this place cannot be correct

Sarah Woodson died 1660/1661 in Henrico County.^[5]

Probate

Date: 17 JAN 1661

Notes

DR. JOHN WOODSON-b. 1585-m SARAH WINSTON-MORE INFORMATION.^[6]

The story of Flowerdew has been featured in several magazines -- Colonial Williamsburg; American Spirit (DAR); TIME, among others.

“John Woodson and his wife Sarah came to the colony of Virginia on the ship, “George” in January 1619. (Flowerdew was established in 1618.) This was the same ship that brought Governor Sir George Yeardley and his wife, Temperance Flowerdew, Lady Yeardley, to the colony. John and Sarah were reported living at Flower de Hundred in the muster of February 16, 1623. In the muster of January 20, 1624, they were reported to be living at Piersey’s Hundred, nearby. These details are factual, as reported in the early records of the colony that remain extant.”

Davis^[7] goes on to state that later information about the lives of John and Sarah (and accounts of his death) was recorded in the “The Woodson Genealogy” written by Charles Woodson II, the son of Charles and Mary Pleasants Woodson and this genealogy was given to Sarah Bates, the daughter of Thomas Fleming Bates. It is thought that Charles I, the son of Tarleton wrote a part of the genealogy. It was this information that Dr. R. A. Brock used to write his booklet “Descendants of John Woodson of Dorchestshire, England, 1888.” The author goes on to say “It would seem that Charles Woodson (I) would have had an excellent opportunity to learn from his ancestors.”

Davis says “Tradition has perpetuated the maiden name of Sarah as Winston, but no documentation has been found for this.” ^[8]

1619 was a memorable year in Virginia. That was the first year that women arrived; the first year that slaves arrived, and it was also the year that the first House of Burgesses met, allowing government “by the people.”

The story of the Indian attack on John Woodson’s home was apparently part of the account of the Woodson history that was passed down to Charles, who was the GG Grandson of John Woodson. The Indian attack took place at several different areas along the James River, including Flowerdew, and over 500 people were killed. However it is not certain whether John and Sarah were living at Peircey’s Hundred or whether they had already settled at Curles (where sons John and Robert lived in 1679) when the attack occurred. (Curles is not part of the Curles Neck Farm.) Elaine Powell ^[9]

The Tale Goes: "John Woodson was a fifth son, had a patrimony suited to his station in life, and his people were of the Church of England in faith. But John fell in love with a little Quakeress Sarah Winston, and rather than make her give up her religion or distress her people, he forfeited his own inheritance as a Baron and married Sarah." When Governor Yeardley offered him a flattering gift of land holdings in the new world, he accepted the task of ship's surgeon and physician and came on with the new Governor.^[10]

Note that George Fox, founder of the Society of Friends (Quakers) did not begin to preach publically until 1647 ^[11]

There is also supposition that there were two Sarah Woodsons, the first one that came over from England with John, and possibly died here, and then another marriage to a Sarah who was the mother of John and Robert. A volume of Henrico County miscellaneous court records, 1650-1807, has been assembled from loose papers from the county records. An inventory for the estate of Sarah Johnson was recorded. It was, in effect, both a nuncupative will and an inventory of her possessions. She was identified as Sarah Johnson, widow, deceased and the date it was recorded was 17, January 1660.

The inventory leaves little doubt that Sarah Woodson married a second time to a Mr. Dunwell, and a third time to a Mr. Johnson. Her three husbands all dying before her. It seems unlikely that both John and Robert would have been involved in her affairs, and thus the disposition of her estate, had they not been her sons. Deborah may have been still under twenty-one at the time of her mother's death since Sarah was concerned about providing for her maintenance. Even though the daughter Sarah was not mentioned as being one of the children that Sarah hid during the fight with the Indians; she could have been pregnant at the time, delivering the child after her husband's death.

Research Notes

Uncertain Parents

Isaac Winston (abt.1570-abt.1628) and Mary Elizabeth (Daubney) Winston (abt.1568-1658) were detached as part of a merge as last name at birth is unknown.

Sources

1. ↑ The Edward Pleasants Valentine papers.
2. ↑ Dorman, p. 708.
3. ↑ William & Mary Quarterly Vol.9 pg 100.
4. ↑ "Virginia Immigrants and Adventurers 1607-1635: A Biographical Dictionary." Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2007.
5. ↑ Jamestowne Society: Woodson, Sarah - A9112; died 1660/1, Henrico Co.: (Muster of 1624/5). accessed 7 September 2018.
6. ↑ [1].
7. ↑ “Tidewater Virginia Families” by the late Virginia Lee Hutcheson Davis.
8. ↑ “Tidewater Virginia Families” by the late Virginia Lee Hutcheson Davis.
9. ↑ [2].
10. ↑ While no citation exists, this "tale" is repeated in the Jamestown stories when visiting.
11. ↑ Nickalls, John L. (editor). 1952. The Journal of George Fox. Cambridge University Press. (Reprinted by the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting; ISBN 0-941308-05-7).

See also:

• Dorman, John Frederick and Virginia M. Meyer. Adventurers of Purse and Person 1607-1624/5. 3rd edition. Richmond, VA: The Dietz Press, Inc., 1987.
• Kinard, June. comp.. Early Immigrants to Virginia from the 1500s and 1600s, Published by The Researchers, PO box 39063, Indianapolis IN. 46239-0063.
• http://www.jamestowne.org/george---goodrich.html
• Genealogies of Virginia Families, From The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, indexed by Thomas L. Hollowak
• Early Virginia Families Along the James River – Their Deep Roots and Tangled Branches, compiled by Louise Pledge Heath Foley.
• The Edward Pleasants Valentine papers.

See also - other family trees:

• Find A Grave: Memorial #67994638 for Sarah Isabelle Woodson (1595–1659) (memorial only, no gravestone photo).