"Cleopatra", of the Powhatan

The record of the General Court was evidently intended to be a verbatim copy though they differ in phraseology and spelling:Note: "Dec. 17th, 1641 -- Thomas Rolph petitions Gov. to let him go see Opechanko, to whom he is allied, and Cleopatre, his mother's sister."

Was she the same person as Matachanna, of the Powhatan?

Historian Helen C. Rountree suggests she may (or may not) have been Matachanna, a sister of Pocohantas who married the priest Uttamanakin:

https://www.geni.com/documents/view?doc_id=6000000095209279076&amp

Some say Opechancanough "Mangopeesomon", paramount chief of the Powhatan was her husband.

notes of varying quality follow

Not validated, they are user contributions

Gayle Prettyhawk Phillips Bausmith

Chief Nemattanon Don Luis de Velsco Japasaw my 15th great grandfather

YESTERDAY FRIENDS

Nemattanon alias Don Luis de Velasco, Chief Powatan, taken by the Spanish when he was young and returned many years later. b about 1545 c 1590. He had 3 brothers Opitchapan, Opechancanough (said to have married Cleopatra, sister of Pocahontas), and Catataughm1unknown, Princess who was probably either a sister or more likely the daughter of a maternal aunt or granddaughter of a maternal great aunt and daughter of one of the chiefs of a tribe of the realm. The as yet unnamed matriarch of this dynasty would have been born about 1550 had 4 sons as follows and succeeded in Reign as Chief Powatan, leaving a a realm of six tribes Po15Wahunsenacawh, Sachem, Chief Powatan. Powhatan was both the name of a single tribe and their chief, he inherited a realm of six tribes and form a confederation of a total of 30 between 1597 and 1607. b about 1575, d 1618. He made his first capital at Werowomocomo. He made his next capital at Orapakes, located about 50 miles (80 km) west in a swamp at the head of the Chickahominy River, near the modern-day interchange of Interstate 64 and Interstate 295. Sometime between 1611 and 1614, he moved further north to Matchut, in present-day King William County on the north bank of the Pamunkey River, near where his younger brother Opechancanough ruled at Youghtanund. By the time Smith left Virginia in 1609, the fragile peace was already beginning to fray. Soon conflict led to the First Anglo-Powhatan War, and further English expansion beyond Jamestown and into Powhatan's territory. Two of his subtribes, the Kecoughtan and the Paspahegh, were effectively destroyed at the beginning of this war. Powhatan sent the cackarous Nemattanew to operate against the English on the upper James River, though they held out at Henricus. With the capture of Pocahontas in 1613, Powhatan sued for peace. It came about after her alliance in marriage in 1614 to John Rolfe, a leading tobacco planter. Po14-1a son. Po14-2a son. Po14-3Matachanna, went to England with Pocahontas to take care of the son of Pocahontas and John Rolfe. m2Winganuske, Princess eldest of the two sisters of Chief Powatan, sister of Machumps. Po14-4Cleopatra married uncle Opechancanough Po14Matoaka "Pocahontas", Princess (Rebecca) b about 1595 d 21 March1617. Pocahontas, which means "Little Wanton," a playful, frolicsome little girl. There additional information obtained from the sacred oral history of the Mattaponi Tribe. See her biography. m11610 Ja13 Kocoum Po13Ka-Okee b about 1609/10Her existence was probably kept secret by the Patawomecks for the safety of the child. Some of the families who carry the traditional descent from Pocahontas and Kocoum are: Martin, Threlkeld, Porch, Sullivan, Fugate, Roberson, Curtis, Limbrick, Newton, Green, Butler, Courtney, Humphries, Brown, Jett, Peyton/Payton, Chilton, Burton, Hudson, Jones, Cox, Grigsby, Bates, Berry, Kitchen, Fines, Chinn, McGuire, Payne, Rollow, and many others. m1?Theodore Pettus/Pettis. He was likely a brother of Col. Thomas Pettus, who had a sister named “Christian” and owned land that adjoined that of Chief Wahanganoche which was the later home of Ka-Okee’s daughter, Christian. Col. Thomas Pettus did have a brother, Theodore, who came to Virginia in 1623 and was still in Virginia near the end of 1626, when he made a testimony in court. It is important to note that the famous Matoaka portrait of Pocahontas was found in England in a Pettus home! Col. Thomas Pettus’ uncle, William Pettus, married Elizabeth Rolfe, the daughter of John Rolfe’s own granduncle, Henry Rolfe! Ja12-1Christian Pettus, born about 1636 or 1637, known to have had much Indian blood. Multiple ancestress of the Sullivan family, known to have had much Indian blood but who did not know the name of their Indian ancestor. mJohn Martin. Ja9-1-1Christian (Pettus) Martin, born about 1636 or 1637, known to have had much Indian blood. Multiple ancestress of the Sullivan family, known to have had much Indian blood but who did not know the name of their Indian ancestor. m1Evan Williams and was the ancestor by Williams . Po9-1-2+descendants of the Families of Elkins, Grigsby, Redman, and Peyton. m2Rev. John Waugh. Rev. Waugh’s descendants by his first wife carry the strong tradition of Indian blood. Ja9-1-3x Martin, mRev. John Waugh, her sister's widower. Ja12-1-4Mary Martin married Josiah Fugate Ja12-2daughter

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John Rolfe married Pocahontas. Cleopatra was Pocahontas's younger sister by roughly 17 years and was Chief Powhatan's youngest daughter (he had many). It was thought the "Indians" would never concoct nor had ever heard the name Cleopatra and it is believed that John Rolfe suggested the name for Pocahontas younger sister.

Information from Arnold gedcom, JD Watson: There is positive and indisputable proof that Pocahontas had a sister named Cleopatra (or Matachanna). This proof was located in the old library of the Maryland Historical Society, an item of three lines covering eleven years. During the period covered by the fragment, matters became so bad between the Whites and the Indians that Opechancanough, Chief of the Powhatans, was induced to agree upon a line being established which neither White nor Indian, excepting truce bearers, should cross under penalty of being shot on sight. To insure strict obedience to the compact, a law was passed at Jamestown imposing a heavy penalty on any people crossing the line without a special permit from the Commissioners Council and the General Court. This accounts for the item alluded to, which is given verbatim. It reads: "Note: Dec. 17th, 1641 -- Thomas Rolfe petitions the governor to let him see Opechankeno to whom he is allied, and Cleopatra, his mother's sister."

Thomas Rolfe was the son of John Rolfe and Pocahontas.

The record of the General Court was evidently intended to be a verbatim copy though they differ in phraseology and spelling:Note: "Dec. 17th, 1641 -- Thomas Rolph petitions Gov. to let him go see Opechanko, to whom he is allied, and Cleopatre, his mother's sister."

John Rolfe married Pocahontas. Cleopatra was Pocahontas's younger sister by roughly 17 years and was Chief Powhatan's youngest daughter (he had many). It was thought the "Indians" would never concoct nor had ever heard the name Cleopatra and it is believed that John Rolfe suggested the name for Pocahontas younger sister.

Powhatan lived long, and allegedly had 100 wives, with one child by each. There were a dozen known children of his; Pocahontas was his favorite. King James had Powhatan coronated Emperor of Virginia.

While living with the Shawnee, Cleopatra's children and great grandchildren married Passmere Carpenter and Thomas Carpenters grandson. Thomas and his son, Moytoy, with other Shawnee moved into Cherokee territory founding the town Running Water. They were evading Iroquois and Catawba raids. They became Uku or principal Chiefs of the Cherokee up to the ealy 1800's when Ross was elected. Sequoyah is a descendant.

• http://www.gurganus.org/ourfamily/browse.cfm?pid=90804
• http://reedcookdearman.blogspot.com/2011/07/powhatan-lineage.html
• http://www.genealogy.com/ftm/b/o/l/Michelle-A-Bollar/WEBSITE-0001/U...
• http://pocahontas.morenus.org/
• http://boards.ancestry.com/thread.aspx?o=20&m=1.6.10.1&p=topics.eth...
• http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=10179459
• http://mornstarz.blogspot.com/
• Shawnee Heritage IV  By Don Greene.  Page 168

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Birth: 1602 Virginia, USA Death: 1641 Virginia, USA

d/o Emperor Wahunsonacock Big Chief Powhatan

Family links:

Parents:

  Powhatan (1545 - 1618)

Spouse:

 Opechancanough Mangopeesomon Powhatan (1554 - 1646)

Children:

 Weroance Nectowance Powhatan (1615 - 1649)*

Sibling:

  Pocahontas (1595 - 1617)*

 Cleopatra Shawano Powhatan (1602 - 1641)

*Calculated relationship

Burial: Mardela Memorial Cemetery Mardela Springs Wicomico County Maryland, USA

Created by: Lisa Coy Record added: Jul 07, 2015 Find A Grave Memorial# 148810018