17th Century

SUSANNA HARVEY HOPTON

SUSANNA HARVEY HOPTON

In searching for early colonial ladies for my continuing Founding Mothers blog, I came upon one who does not quite fit the bill but is so outstanding that I decided to include her, anyhow.

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LYDIA BUSHROD CHEESMAN

LYDIA BUSHROD CHEESMAN

Cheesman may have embraced Bacon’s plans to make war on Virginia’s Indians. It also appears that Lydia agreed with, or even encouraged, his actions.

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ELIZABETH WORMELEY KEMP LUNSFORD SMITH

ELIZABETH WORMELEY KEMP LUNSFORD SMITH

By April, 1656, Elizabeth, being referred to as Lady (or Dame) Lunsford, was doing business under her own name. After all, she still had the 1200-acre Rich Neck as well as the developing new plantation. Her annual income from all that tobacco was pretty substantial.

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Those left decided they had had enough. With only a handful of people left, the desire to return to England was in most people’s minds.

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ANNE ORTHWOOD

Despite the hardship that Anne went through, she will be remembered for the attitudes of councils. Which laws the court would choose, rule by, or ignore was based on how the people in the community felt about the case being prosecuted. With criminal conduct cases, the court acted upon moral justification rather than law. In paternity cases, they acted upon the community’s best financial interests, finding a responsible party to take the burden off themselves.

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ANNE JACKSON, SURVIVOR

ANNE JACKSON, SURVIVOR

Starting in 1619, the company advertised for sensible, honest young ladies to join the men in Virginia and marry if they found someone who could attract them.

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