Down Jamestown way, Monday last, we met a most interesting character - John Rolfe, sometime member of the House of Burgesses of Virginia Colony, husband (briefly) of Pocahontas, and cultivator of the lands (circa 1620) south of James City Shire.
Remember you John Rolfe? No? 'Twas him who set the colonists straight on making a profit in Virginia - yes, profit! Otherwise, t'was no way to pay for the expensive passage from England. Well, my friends, coming here was no pleasure cruise. Either you came because you led a dirt poor life in Britain, or you came because you were a middling gentleman hoping to be a greater gentleman - either way, t'was dangerous, hard work. You were quite likely to die. (Of the two, you generally wanted to be a laborer--gentlemen tended to die; whilst laborers lived better, longer lives here than in back in England).
At any cause, Mr. Rolfe was generous enough to instruct us upon the keys to survival in Colonial Jamestown. And informative (and entertaining) he was! Rolfe (a.k.a. Dick Cheatam in 2006) came to us courtesy of the U.S.Park Service, who contract with Living History Associates.
Talking with Cheatam afterwards was even more educational - as he is one of those brave souls who are able to make a living from telling stories of History.
If you can enguage one of these great historic characters (hire one of the LHALTD speakers) for your corporate or other event, do!
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