Images of Pocahontas. The image without a child in it is the only 100% verified portrait of her that was done while she was alive. It is her 'court' portrait done while she was visiting England right before her death.
One of the genealogists of my family is quite convinced that Pocahontas,( Matoaka,Lady Rebecca Rolfe) had a child with John Smith and that we are descendants of that child.(we all have a few nutcases in our family trees eh? :) He swears he has proof of this and that is the reason why the child in this portrait is 4 or so but her son with John Rolfe (the only historically recognized heir) was only 2 at the time of her death.
Considering that she was also possibly married to a chief of her tribe, averted war with the English and rescued John Smith, she was held hostage, for a year by the English before marrying John Rolfe and becoming Rebecca Rolfe, AND traveling to England and appearing in court at the time when this sort of travel was very difficult and dangerous. It appears that Matoaka ("Pocahontas" was a nickname, meaning "the naughty one", "playful one" or "spoiled child"), was extremely busy in the few short years of her life! Some of this is just fanciful thinking but a lot of it is historically documented. She died of smallpox in Gravesend, England March 21, 1617, at the age of 21 or so.
Also clicking the headline will open a different account of Pocahontas
