My Liffe in a Tyme Lyne
1615: I was borne and baptised in Pittminster, England in the West Shire Countie of Somersett, in the District of Tauntonn Deane, in the Year of Our Lord 1615.
My day of birthe was Alle Hallows’ Evening, the 31st of Octobre.
My father was the honourable John Foljambe of Woodbrooke.
My deare sweete mother was the lovelie Sarah Hole Foljambe.
1625: At the tender younge age of ten years, muche to my dis pleasure, my father changed his name whenn his familie wass relegated down to a cadette branche of the familie Foljambe.
Father’s newe name was Fuljames.
I tolde himm thenn and there thate I was nott aboute to lose my goode name Foljambe.
A cadette Foljambe, I woulde nott be.
1628: I grew up in moste beautifull Pitminster and had a wonderr full childe hoode, playing bothe in and oute of doors.
I was certainely motivated in my studies and withe plenty of goode friends, I had a happie boy hoode and beganne to growe into mann hoode.
My beste friende was one Robert Colles, who livved in a massive manor house, downe the roade and outt in the countrie.
Our familie's house of Christiann worshipp was The Church of Saintt Andrew and Sainte Mary, Church of England/Anglican.
My churche was builte on the site of an older, English/Germanicc church, but my French Normand ancestors all but eliminated all Anglo/Saxon places of worshipp by my tyme.
The Church of Saintt Andrew and Sainte Mary was builte in The Year of Our Lord 1300 and stille standes to this daye.
I was confirmed as a Christian and joined Saintt Andrew and Sainte Mary in The Year of Our Lord 1628, when I turned ten and three yeares.
1636: As is stille the custome in England, on my birthday celebrating my firste and twentiethe year, I was, by my father and mother, kindley given the keye to our house in olde Pitminster.
By nowe, I had saved up quite a bitt of monies, as I was a fruggal lad.
I hadd becomme verie keene on seeing The New World, as tales of Captain John Smith’s Jamestowne colonie had beene making their way for arounde thirty yeares, to where we lived in the West of England.
So, in Novembre of my firste and twentiethe year, I booked passage from Bristoll to Jamestowne, in the English colonie of Virginia, and sailed that monthe.
I, muche to my wondere ment and amaze ment, landed in Virginia for the verie firste tyme -- I was enchanted and enthralled by this lovelie and ex citing Newe World, and felte it was my destinie to live there, somme fine daye.
1637: Luckilie, I hadd the goode for tune to meete the verie young and quite lovelie Elizabeth Norris, soon after my returne from my moste exciting tripp to the English colonie Virginia.
I was two and twenty and she was but fourteen.
Although eighte yeares separated us, we felle quite deepley in love.
1638: In Pitminster, I didd happilie marrie younge Elizabeth.
1638: Againne, I booked a tripp oute of Bristoll citie with the verie pregnant, but brave younge Elizabeth, to see The New World of beautiful Virginia for the first time withe the idea of making it our newe houme.
1638: I arrived in Virginia with Elizabeth, she quite ill fromme carrying our childe for over four monthes at sea, across the rolling grey Atlantic.
The ship’s bad foode and the constantly pitching ocean made Elizabeth so verie sicke, as she was due to give birthe verie soone.
As soone as we landed in Virginia, we swiftly sought oute a doctor at the house where he was liveing in Jamestowne.
Fore poore deare Elizabeth, we alsoe founde a mid wyffe for the baby, as it was due any day.
1638: Baby Sarah, named for my mother, as my bride didd actually get on with her mother in law, arrived, bourne in Isle of Wight County, between Jamestowne and what is nowe Isle of Wight County at the home of the mid wyffe.
Sadly, wee little Sarah only survived in the harsh American winter for three weekes before her un timely passing in the home of the physician who firste saw Elizabeth.
We were hearte broken.
1639: Early in the Winter, Elizabeth and I are able to book passage backe to Bristoll, she never wanting to see Virginia ever againne.
I was now foure and twentie years of age, and un sure as to whate to do nexte.
1639: I returned to English life in Pitminster with Elizabeth.
She was againe pregnant and bravely bore us a hand somme babie, our wonderfull sonne, John.
He was later to travel with me backe to Virginia.
1640: Muche to the surprise of bothe my selfe and Elizabeth, I travelled againne to Virginia by sea to look for lande to purchase neare Jamestowne.
1641: Returnned to England yett againne, have ing hadd little luckk finding suit able lande at a goode pryce, inn Virginia.
Life continued on with me doing a varietie of jobs and managing our familie lande and property in and arounde Pitminster.
In this year our seconde sonne was bourne, and we named him Thomas.
He is a fine boy like his brother, John.
I stille oft dreamte of living inn The New Worlde: English America’s sweete Virginia.
1643: Whatt joy. Another little girle, is bourne to us in olde Pitminster.
We named her for her beautiful mother, Elizabeth.
1643: I had bye nowe decided to move to Virginia permanently.
Tobaccoe was a farming and exx porting trade for the Scots that eventually made them famous - The Tobacco Lordes of bothe North America and Europe.
At this tyme, I wanted a newe lyffe away fromme England and all the constraintes of familie and titled hierarchie.
I wanted inn on these vaste tobacco monies, as I had a groweing familie with a younge wyffe and childrene.
1643: Tragedy struckk againne.
I was but eight and twenty years whenn little Thomas and wee Elizabeth are cruellie taken fromme us, as they died fromme a fever sweeping Somerset at thatt tyme.
Luckilie, younge John survives.
1643: We have finally shipped out of England and moved the entire familie to Virginia.
On 22 October, a weeke before my All Hallows’ Evening birth daye, I was verie luckie to be granted my firste Virginia lande patentt in Isle of Wight County fore growing tobacco and raising live stocke.
My newe life in America was truly begunne.
1643: Nowe, I have builte my newe houme and started growing a goode bit of the Native American weede for po tential sale and profitt.
I returned to England, to fynde newe working people who woulde come to Virginia to helpe me withe my endeavours.
I hired several Native American workers locallie to tende the farme.
They were goode fellowes, recommended bye one trusted friende of myne, Sylvestre Thacker, also an English immigrant to Virginia.
1643: Later thate year, I broughte these English endentured servants, also called heade rightes, including the lovelie Martha Greene, to my farme in Isle of Wight Countie, via Bristoll.
1645: Yett another tripp backe fore morre English heade righte servantes to helpe me withe the newe Virginian farme.
1647: I made anothere voyage to England fore bothe farme and crafte heade rights.
I wanted inn on these vaste tobacco monies, as I had a groweing familie with a younge wyffe and childrene.
1643: Tragedy struckk againne.
I was but eight and twenty years whenn little Thomas and wee Elizabeth are cruellie taken fromme us, as they died fromme a fever sweeping Somerset at thatt tyme.
Luckilie, younge John survives.
1643: We have finally shipped out of England and moved the entire familie to Virginia.
On 22 October, a weeke before my All Hallows’ Evening birth daye, I was verie luckie to be granted my firste Virginia lande patentt in Isle of Wight County fore growing tobacco and raising live stocke.
My newe life in America was truly begunne.
1643: Nowe, I have builte my newe houme and started growing a goode bit of the Native American weede for po tential sale and profitt.
I returned to England, to fynde newe working people who woulde come to Virginia to helpe me withe my endeavours.
I hired several Native American workers locallie to tende the farme.
They were goode fellowes, recommended bye one trusted friende of myne, Sylvestre Thacker, also an English immigrant to Virginia.
1643: Later thate year, I broughte these English endentured servants, also called heade rightes, including the lovelie Martha Greene, to my farme in Isle of Wight Countie, via Bristoll.
1645: Yett another tripp backe fore morre English heade righte servantes to helpe me withe the newe Virginian farme.
1647: I made anothere voyage to England fore bothe farme and crafte heade rights.
I broughte my oldest, English bourne sonne John, to Virginia to helpe me withe planting and to showe himme alle I have done in Isle of Wight Countie.
1647: I filed for a newe 500 acre lande patentt in whate was then Chicacoan Territorie, still occupied by mostlie Native Americans.
The lande was out syde the towne of Smithfield in Isle of Wight Countie.
1649: My perfecte love, my sweete and beautifule Elizabeth, succumbs to a fever similar to the one what tooke our little children, Thomas and Elizabeth.
Wille my sorrowe never ende?
1650: Planted tobacco and maize on the 500 acres, as welle as grazed live stocke.
Seeding our Foljambe lande was finally com pleted withe my sonne John.
1651: Returned to Bristol and then tooke a tripp to Northumberland County England with former Virginia heade righte and now financee, Martha Greene.
Mett with familie and olde friends, as I have luckilie founde love againe my lyfe, a year after loseing itt.
1652: After a brief Virginia voyage, I made an other trippe back to England to visite and tooke a two year breake fromme the farme, as it was in goode hands, overseen by the Native Americans and my head rightes.
Travelled about visiting with Greene family and Foljambe family memebers.
1654: Another trip back to sweete Virginia with Martha.
1655: Back to England I goe to find workers and married, moste happilie, Martha, as welle - suche joy.
Yongue Anthony was borne to wonder full Martha and me in England, later that yeare.
Returnned to Virginia and began long terme permanente farming, in earneste.
1656: Son Michael was born in Isle of Wight Countie, Virginia.
1657: A sonne, Nicholas, was bourne in Virginia, later thate yeare.
1667: A daughter, Mary, was alsoe born in Virginia, whenn I was two and fiftie years olde, a decade after younge Nicholas.
1668: Bye nowe, I had farmed in Virginia for twentie years, and much of the worke now was given over to alle my sons.
Penned my laste will & test a mente thate gave the Smithfield house, furniture and farm implements, to deare Martha.
1669: I died at the age of foure and fifity years, aftere a goode runn and quite a liffe.
I passed contente and happie.
Incredibly, I beganne my eternale dirte napp on my birthe day, as I died on All Hallows’ Evening, 31 Octobre.
Finis: According to my finale wishes, I was buried under a moste lovelie olde oake tree nexte to a prettie and sunnie meadow, beside my wonder full and beautie full firste daughter, Sarah, who had tragically passed in The Year of Our Lord 1638, so manie moons ago.
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