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35-518: Wolstenholme Towne was established around 1618 in Martin's Hundred , a plantation organized into a hundred , beginning with a population of about 40 settlers of the Virginia Company of London . The settlement was named for Sir John Wolstenholme (1562-1639), one of its investors, and housing consisted of rough cabins of wattle and daub woven on wooden posts thrust into the clay subsoil . William Harwood

70-577: A Councilman of the Jamestown Colony of Virginia in 1607 and was the proprietor of Martin's Brandon Plantation on the south bank of the James River , apparently named after his wife's family. Another son, Richard (died 1616), served with his father as a master-worker at the mint from 1599 to 1607. Their daughter Dorcas married Sir Julius Caesar , later Chancellor of the Exchequer and Master of

105-559: A grant for 80,000 acres from its parent company in 1618. In October of that year, about 250 settlers departed for the plantation, arriving in Virginia about January or March, 1619. Like all of the land the English claimed along the river, the plantation's 21,500 acres (87 km ) had been part of the domain of the Powhatans , an association of Native American Tidewater tribes formed at the end of

140-517: A last-minute warning. Wolstenholme Towne, like almost all English settlements in the region, was permanently abandoned. In the 20th century, separate groups of archaeologists uncovered the sites of both Wolstenholme Towne and Henricus , another settlement founded by Sir Thomas Dale in 1611 also destroyed in the Indian massacre. Wolstenholme Towne is located on the grounds of the Carter's Grove plantation in

175-593: A partial year as Lord Mayor in 1589, succeeding Sir Martin Calthrop who had died in office. He was Prime Warden or head of the Goldsmiths' Company 1592–1593, chairing the Court of Wardens or governing body of the company, and served a second term as Lord Mayor in 1593–1594, succeeding Sir Cuthbert Buckell . His other municipal offices included President of Christ's Hospital and Comptroller-General of Hospitals 1594–1602. Martin

210-566: A portrait medallion by Steven van Herwijk dated 1562. He was elected a liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths , one of the Livery Companies or craft guilds of the City of London, in 1558. He was elected alderman for the wards of Farringdon Within 1578–1598 and Bread Street 1598–1602. He was Sheriff of London in 1581–1582. Martin was knighted in 1588–1589 and served

245-478: A successful Welsh-born goldsmith, was his apprentice in 1584. Richard Martin married Dorcas Ecclestone (1537-1599) sometime before 1562. Martin had a silver medal with their portraits made to commemorate their marriage. The medal was designed by Steven Corneliszoon van Herwijck who was working in London in 1562. They had five sons and one daughter. Both Martins were active in radical religious causes including

280-715: The Admonition Controversy , part of an effort to encourage the queen to further reform Protestantism in England. The country house at Highgate later known as Lauderdale House was built for him in 1582. The Martins' son Captain John Martin commanded the Benjamin under Drake in the 1585–1586 expedition. On his return, John Martin married Mary Brandon (born 1566), daughter of Robert Brandon , Chamberlain of London, on 23 May 1586 at St Vedast, Foster Lane . John Martin became

315-608: The Busch Gardens Williamsburg theme park. Richard Martin (Lord Mayor of London) Sir Richard Martin (died July 1617 in London ) was an English goldsmith and Master of the Mint who served as Sheriff and twice as Lord Mayor of the City of London during the reign of Elizabeth I . Richard Martyn's birth is estimated at c. 1534 on the basis of his age given as 28 in

350-564: The Grove community of southeastern James City County , and the findings were chronicled by author and historian Ivor Noel Hume . In December 2007, Carter's Grove was acquired from the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation by CNET founder Halsey Minor for $ 15.3 million. Minor planned to use the mansion as a private residence and use the site as a center for a thoroughbred horse breeding program. However, Minor who never lived in

385-498: The baptism of Prince Henry in August 1594. He provided silver plate for the use of Mary, Queen of Scots , including a silver gilt bowl and cover in 1585, decorated with an engraved pattern of fish. In 1589 Martin supplied silver plate, silks, and other goods to the value of £2,000 which Elizabeth gave to James VI of Scotland for the reception of Anne of Denmark . James VI took some of this silver plate to Oslo and presented it to

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420-556: The 16th century by the Indian Chief Powhatan . On March 22, 1622, the Powhatans rose to kill as many English as they could surprise in their homes and fields. From near modern Richmond to Newport News , the Powhatans burned and looted dwellings and desecrated corpses. Death counts vary, but about 400 English died. Martin's Hundred, the plantation hardest hit, lost more than 50, perhaps as many as 70. Wolstenholme Towne's death toll

455-512: The Carter's Grove property, however, and the property is secured and maintained, even though not open to the public. In early 2008 archaeologists from Colonial Williamsburg finished surveying and testing various areas across Carter's Grove. Colonial Williamsburg sold the Carter's Grove plantation, Martin's Hundred, and the museum to a private individual whose use of the property remains unknown. Colonial Williamsburg archival staff are still allowed within

490-463: The City of London, (not to be confused with his near-contemporary Richard Martin who was the father of Jamestown councilor John Martin ). Sir John Wolstenholme was among its investors. William Harwood was governor of Martin's Hundred settlement. The administrative center of Martin's Hundred ( hundred defined a subdivision of an English county) was Wolstenholme Towne , a fortified settlement of rough cabins. The Society of Martin's Hundred obtained

525-476: The Danish councillors Steen Brahe and Axel Gyldenstierne . In 1591 Martin and Hugh Kayle supplied Queen Elizabeth with silver plate worth £2,213, some plate was for New Year's Day gifts and some for christening gifts. In 1597 a thief stole a silver inkstand and silver bowls belonging to Elizabeth I from Theobalds . Martin helped track down the dealers and goldsmiths who bought the stolen silver. John Williams ,

560-647: The Foundation won the property at auction. In September 2014, the Foundation sold Carter's Grove to Samuel Mencoff for $ 7.5 million (~$ 9.51 million in 2023). Mencoff is known for preservation projects, and Colin Campbell, the president of the foundation, stated, "The property is in the hands of somebody who is going to preserve it, take care of it." Mencoff stated that he and his team would work closely with Colonial Williamsburg to preserve Carter's Grove. What remained of Wolstenholme Towne and its dead lay forgotten beneath

595-549: The Mint, for to reckon and pass the said Lonison's Accompt [account] in form afore-declared. Which Martin they do not find to have done any Thing in this Controversy thereby to have any particular Gain to himself; but the whole Matters alleged by him to have tended to her Majesty's Service; and for discharging of his Duty belonging to the Office. Martin himself succeeded Lovyson as Master of the Mint in 1582, serving in that capacity until his death in 1617. Martin supplied silver plate to

630-592: The Rolls under James I . His 13X great-grandson is British horror actor Nathan Head . In March 1595 Martin raided the house of Edmund Williamson in Philip Lane, Cripplegate , after his brother Nicholas Williamson was arrested for treason. Martin discovered that Edmund Williamson ran a kind of pawnbroking business from his house, obtaining luxury goods from young men for small sums, less than their worth. Nicholas Skeres , an associate of Christopher Marlowe involved in

665-572: The Tower Mint in 1577. John Stow in his Survey of London recorded Martin's charges against John Lovyson, a matter that was finally weighed by a commission of Privy Council members including Nicholas Bacon , the Lord Keeper, William Cecil, Lord Burghley , the Lord Treasurer, and others, which recommended that it likewise please her Majesty to give a Discharge unto Richard Martin, now Warden of

700-530: The colonists in their homes and fields, burning and looting the settlements. This resulted in the killing of 347 of an estimated total of 1,200 colonists, a quarter of the population of Virginia. Martin's Hundred was the plantation hardest hit with more than 50 residents recorded as dead, with perhaps as many as 70 dying within the hundred. Wolstenholme Towne's death toll was not separated in the death rolls. Surviving settlers in Virginia were largely evacuated by governor's order to Jamestown, which had been spared due to

735-407: The credit racket, was taken by Martin and held for a few days. Martin had remained both Warden and Master of the Mint for almost two decades, but following charges in 1597 that he was profiteering by delaying repayments he sold his office of Warden to Sir Thomas Knyvet . The two soon fell out, with Knyvet accusing Martin of owing the crown substantial funds and Martin insisting he was owed. Martin

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770-536: The downtown Williamsburg area, Colonial Williamsburg now operates the Great Hopes Plantation interpretive site which can easily be reached by the pedestrian traffic from the restored area, and continues the story of the lives of the slaves who played a vital role in building Colonial Virginia. A future role of Carter's Grove as an attraction had not yet been determined as of October, 2006. Certain support functions of Colonial Williamsburg continue to operate on

805-420: The earlier time eras which are the main focus of Colonial Williamsburg presentations. During a period of declining attendance at Colonial Williamsburg attractions, the foundation determined the substantial distance from the main restored area (7 miles) to be an additional contributing factor to the need to reevaluate its role. On January 2, 2003, the site was closed to the public to save operating funds. Closer to

840-529: The mansion and made no changes or repairs to Carter's Grove, stopped making payments in 2010 announcing that he owed $ 12 million in debts. His Carter's Grove LLC went into bankruptcy resulting in a federal judge turning the property over to a trustee to run. The property was assessed by trustees in October 2011 to determine the actual extent of damage present. Repairs have been made to the HVAC system, which has stabilized

875-461: The museum since some artifacts still reside there and must be preserved. Carter's Grove Country Road , a narrow but paved bucolic link to the Historic Area of Colonial Williamsburg , was damaged during Hurricane Isabel in late 2003, and has been closed to traffic since then. A substantial portion of Martin's Hundred land is now occupied by the community of Grove along U.S. Route 60 east of

910-471: The plantation's fields and woodlands until 1976, when archaeologists discovered the site. It and interpretive slave quarters from a later period were partially restored to represent their respective periods during the almost 400-year history of the property, greatly adding to the attraction's features for tourists. However, the main house at Carter's Grove is furnished as it was in 1928, and therefore, while of increasing historic value, does not fit well into

945-548: The queen's privy kitchen in 1583, including a great standing cup gilt, with a cover, the body garnished with "sundry vermin as snakes ewetes (newts) frogs and others", and laid with colours, the cover garnished with sundry men and beasts hunting with a stag at the top. This cup, probably made in Germany, was admired in the Tower of London by Lupold von Wedel in November 1584. It was a gift at

980-489: The second quarter of the 17th century. In 2007, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation sold Carter's Grove - with conservation easements designed to protect the house and most of the land – to Halsey Minor. After Minor's company filed for bankruptcy in 2011, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation took over the needed repairs and then put the house on the market. There were no offers, and in the spring of 2014,

1015-427: The southeastern portion of present-day James City County, Virginia . The Martin's Hundred site is described in detail in the eponymous book of Ivor Noel Hume first published in 1979. Martin's Hundred was one of the subsidiary "particular" plantations of the joint-stock Virginia Company of London. It was owned by a group of investors known as The Society of Martin's Hundred, named for Richard Martin , recorder of

1050-493: The temperature within the building and eliminated the damaging mold previously noted. Repairs to the structure are ongoing with the goal of returning Carter's Grove to the condition when it had been sold to Minor. Martin%27s Hundred Martin's Hundred was an early 17th-century plantation located along about ten miles (16 km) of the north shore of the James River in the Virginia Colony east of Jamestown in

1085-640: The town was apparent by the time planter Robert "King" Carter bought the land about 1709. It later became known as Carter's Grove Plantation and descended through multiple owners until 1964, when it was acquired by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, which operates the many restored colonial-period capital city attractions in Williamsburg . In 1970 Ivor Noël Hume, Director, Department of Archaeology for The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, started excavating and found 23 grave sites dating from

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1120-673: Was an investor in Sir Francis Drake 's 1577–1580 voyage of circumnavigation and also in Drake's 1585–1586 expedition to harass the Spanish ports in the New World . Martin was Warden of the Royal Mint by 1572, and was responsible for overseeing the workings of the mint and the quality of the coinage. He supplied metal of specified fineness for gold coins to John Lovyson (Lawinson or Lonison), Master of

1155-468: Was briefly imprisoned for debt, which led to his removal from his Aldermanry on 31 August 1602 on account of his "unfitting demeanour and carriage". Suits and countersuits continued, with the Exchequer finding against Martin in 1607 and a further enquiry finding in his favour in 1615. In 1608 Martin asked to be involved in the assay of silver ore sent to the Tower Mint from Hilderston in Scotland. He sent

1190-555: Was governor of Wolstenholme Towne. On March 22 1622 [ O.S. 01 April 1622], the Native American Powhatans launched what became known as the Indian massacre of 1622 . Modern scholarship has questioned this framing and suggested that the campaign was in retaliation for previous violent acts committed by the English. The Powhatan attacked settlements from the fall line of the James River to Hampton Roads , surprising

1225-473: Was not separated in the death rolls. The Indian Massacre of 1622 nearly accomplished its purpose. The English withdrew from their scattered settlements to the safety of Jamestown. Wolstenholme Towne was resettled a year or more later but abandoned sometime after 1645. Martin's Hundred was represented in the House of Burgesses from 1619 until 1634, when Virginia's counties were formed. It may be that no trace of

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