Engraving Of Pocahontas

I have been very busy this week tracking down ancestors on my mothers side of the family.  It is my understanding that this engraving of Pocahontas is the only portrait she ever posed for.  There are other portraits of her that were made using this one as reference.  There are artifacts in relation to her, and her father Powhatan scattered throughout the United States and England where she died.  It is clear from this portrait that she was "colonized" by this time.  It is difficult to find where the mythical Pocahontas and the real woman converge as most of what is written about her comes from the accounts of Captain John Smith.

Powhatan Tribe

 Here is a drawing of Chief Powhatan, who was the father of Pocahontas (both my great grandparents).  I will be thinking of these ancestors when I attend The Selma Walker Memorial Pow Wow at The Great Circle Mound in Newark.  Last year when I went to the Pow Wow I didn't know about this ancestry, so it will be much more meaningful this year. 

Another Famous Ancestor

I inherited a book from my mothers estate in 1995 called The Hanover Story.  I had always heard that we had a Native American ancestor, but no one in my family has ever been able to confirm that.  As far as I know I am the only one in my family interested in genealogy which is surprising to me as our heritage is rich with famous ancestors such as Oscar Wilde and Grace O'Mally!  Friday night I got around to reading The Hanover Story and within the pages I discovered that my great great grandmother Laura Bell Bolen was a granddaughter of Colonel Robert Boling who married one of Pocahontas's grand daughters Jane Rolfe.  Colonel Boling changed the spelling of his name after his exile from England according to the book.  After all these years to find out that I am a grand daughter of Pocahontas was quite a shock and I confess I had difficulty sleeping after that.  And here it was right under my nose all along written in a book that I already had in my possession!
  On Saturday morning I took my feathers to Flint Ridge gift shop where I sold 2 feathers and the gift shop ordered two more plus a bead necklace.  I will be out at Flint Ridge for a flint knapping festival this coming weekend to do a demonstration on how I make my feathers and there is a possibility that I will sell more of them before the weekend is over.  I have always felt my feathers belonged at Flint Ridge as I grew up a few miles from there.  There is also a Pow Wow at The Circle Mound this weekend and I intend on trying to sell the rest of my feathers there if the opportunity arises.  It is called The Selma Walker Memorial Pow Wow.  I was honored to know Selma and I hope now that my Native American ancestry has been confirmed, I will be able to wholeheartedly participate in the activities.  Maybe I will be able to sit in on a drum circle if it is an open drum circle!  This painting is of Pocahontas saving Captain John Smith from being executed by her father Powhatan who was the chief.  So he is my ancestor as well, and I look forward to finding out more about him.
  Both my grandpa Russel and his father Henry had Bolen as their middle name to preserve the matriarchal line.  I have no idea if they knew they were grandchildren of the famous Indian princess.  I had been stuck on Laura Bell's origins for two summers and now can begin filling in the missing links on the O'Flaherty chart.  My living grandmother remembers her, but didn't know where she came from.  Now I know that the Bolen's came from Virginia when the Civil War was being fought basically out on their front lawn!  Laura Bell Bolen O'Flaherty is buried in the Hanover cemetery just a few miles from Flint Ridge.  Perhaps on my way home from Flint Ridge this weekend I will try to find her grave marker.