The Resume

(May 1585-March 1622)
Born in Heacham, Norfolk, England, United Kingdom
Colonist at Jamestown, Virginia (arrived in 1610)
Married to Pocahontas (1611-14; second of three wives)
Established the plantation Varina Farms
First settler to successfully cultivate tobacco in Virginia

Why he might be annoying:

In his letter to the Virginia governor asking for permission to marry Pocahontas, he agonizes repeatedly over being in love with a 'heathen,' even though she had already converted to Christianity.
Even though he was her husband, popular accounts of Pocahontas' life tend to focus much more on her (probably nonexistent) love affair with John Smith.
There was no contemporary account of his death, leaving it unclear if he died in a March 22, 1622, Indian massacre or before it.

Why he might not be annoying:

His first wife and their newborn daughter died in Bermuda (1609), where their ship had run aground, delaying their arrival in Jamestown.
His introduction of tobacco turned the Virginia colony into a profitable venture.
His marriage to Pocahontas contributed to several years of peace between the English settlers and neighboring Native American tribes.
During a promotional trip to England, Pocahontas died of pneumonia and their son Thomas became too ill to sail (1617).
He returned to Virginia, leaving Thomas in care of an uncle; he would never see his son again, as Thomas did not return to Jamestown until 1640.

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 88]
• Colonial America
• I Died in My 30s (Ranked: 36)
• I Fathered Children With At Least Three Women
• I Married Outside My Race
• I Outlived My Child
• Look at Me, My Picture Is Art
• People with John or Mary in their Names
• Profiles 54501-54750 (Ranked: 54647)

Year In Review:

In 2023, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying