Markers of History

Historic Jamestowne
Governor Yeardly’s Lot, 1620s

Location: Historic Jamestowne, Colonial NHP, Jamestown, VA 23185

Visited: July 4, 2009, 1:40pm

Transcription of marker:

George Yeardly arrived in Jamestown in 1610, was appointed cap­tain of the guard, and even­tu­ally lieu­tenant gov­er­nor. Later knighted and appointed gov­er­nor of Virginia in 1618, he issued the Great Charter in 1619, estab­lish­ing the first rep­re­sen­ta­tive gov­ern­ment in Virginia.

In 1620, Yeardly acquired a seven-and-a-quarter acre lot extend­ing east from this loca­tion. A 1625 muster roll listed the mem­bers of Yeardly’s large house­hold: Yeardly; his wife Lady Temperance Yeardly; their three chil­dren; and 24 ser­vants, includ­ing three African men and five African women (eight of the first nine Africans doc­u­mented at Jamestown). The muster also lists 50 cat­tle, 40 swine, and 11 goats and kids on Yeardly’s lot. In addi­tion to three dwellings, Yeardly owned three boats — a bar­que, four-ton shal­lop, and skiff.

At this loca­tion, archae­ol­o­gists exca­vated the brick foun­da­tions of a struc­ture that may have been Yeardly’s. Scattered build­ing mate­ri­als along Back River sug­gest that two addi­tional dwellings, per­haps for ser­vants, may have been located at the east­ern end of his lot.

My impres­sions: After writ­ing about the mark­ers on the Colonial Parkway, it’s nice to get to a marker that has a bit of meat to it. And after being in Yorktown, where Americans fought to gain con­trol of their coun­try from the British, it’s a bit of a start to remem­ber that, oh yes, the British were in charge here. I like that this marker both explains who Governor Yeardly was as well as gives a link to the place you are stand­ing when you see it.

It is also stag­ger­ing to see a fam­ily of five requir­ing two dozen ser­vants. It was a dif­fer­ent age, that’s for sure! And more than 100 animals…well, I guess I can see how they would keep many ser­vants busy, since that seems like the type of work a gov­er­nor would not want to sully his hands with.

Notes for future snar­fers: This marker is on the path behind the vis­i­tor cen­ter, after you’ve paid your admis­sion or shown your National Parks pass.