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Thomas Savage (interpreter)

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Ensign Thomas Savage
Bornc. 1594
Cheshire, England
Died1635(1635-00-00) (aged 40–41)
Accomac Shire, Virginia
Other namesThomas Salvage, Thomas Savadge, Thomas Newport[1]
Occupation(s)Adventurer, Powhatan interpreter, ancient planter

Thomas Savage (b. c. 1594 - d. 1635) was an English adventurer to the Virginia colony. At age thirteen he emigrated to the New World, and soon after lived with Powhatan (Native American leader) as an "cultural emmissary" from 1608 to 1610. Savage became a Tidewater Algonquian interpreter for the English. Savage settled on the Eastern Shore of Virginia where he interacted with native leader Debedeavon. Thomas Savage was an ancient planter, married a tobacco bride, and had a son (John) that represented Northampton County, Virginia in the House of Burgesses.

Young Virginia adventurer (1608-1610)

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Thomas Savage (sometimes written as "Salvage" or "Savadge")[2] was probably born in Cheshire, England, in 1594.[3] Recorded as a "boy, labouror", Savage traveled with Captain Christopher Newport on the John and Francis with the First Supply mission to Jamestown, arriving with about 100 other settlers in early 1608.[3] In February 1608, to aid native-English relations, Savage was "gifted" to Paramount Chief Powhatan in trade for young native page (servant) named Namontack.[3][4] [5] Thomas Savage resided in Werowocomoco, while Namontack served as emissary abroad in England with Captain Newport. Namontack would attempt to return to Virginia on the fated Sea Venture supply mission, but would be killed in Bermuda (c. 1610).

Thomas Savage learned Virginia Algonquian language, observed Powhatan culture, and kept the English informed as to the native relations. Savage interacted with Pocahontas, who was about the same age. In August 1609, Henry Spelman of Jamestown (aged fourteen) accompanied Thomas Savage to also be an emissary.[3] Eventually, Samuel Collier (John Smith's page (servant)) also served as an emissary.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). By 1619, Savage lived at Martin's Brandon plantation.[citation needed]

In 1621, Savage (aged about 27 years) accompanied John Pory on trading expeditions to the Eastern Shore of Virginia. He developed a special relationship with Accomac and Occohannock people, notably leader Debedeavon. Debedeavon eventually gifted Savage 9,000 acres (36 km2) of land on the Eastern Shore, called Savage's Neck.[6] Debedeavon warned Savage of a plot to poison Jamestown by Opechancanough, which Savage reported to Governor Francis Wyatt but the warning was ignored.[7] In March 1622, the Indian massacre of 1622 began which killed almost 350 settlers.

Life after 1623

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In c. 1623, Thomas Savage married Hannah (or Ann), who arrived on the Seaflower as a "tobacco bride". The couple had a son, John, around 1624. By early 1625, Savage was recorded as possessing a house, a barn, a boat, and two servants. In c. 1626, Thomas Savage (now an ancient planter owned Savage's Choice, a 150 acres (0.61 km2) plantation. He became wealthy by trading, specifically fur trading.[8]

Around the same time period, Savage came in conflict with George Yeardley and associate Captain William Eppes, and was brought up on legal charges.[9] By March 1625, Savage was forced into the government's service, by way of official interpreter of the Accomac region.[10][9] Savage continued to serve as an interpreter until his death in or before September, 1633. He was survived by his son, who inherited his land, and his wife, who by 1638 had married a planter named Daniel Cugley. 

died before September 1633, when his son John inherited his land.  His wife Ann had remarried planter Daniel Cugley by 1638.
  • HANNAH SAVAGE, wife of Thomas Savage, of Accomack, Gentleman, 50 acres on the Eastern Shore in the Plantation of Accomack, being a small neck of land abutting northward on the main river, where they are now seated, eastward on the creek, called the Long Creek, and westward on Curtaile Creek, dividing same from the land of Capt. Clement Dilke. Her first dividend due for having defrayed the charges of her own transportation into this country in the Seaflower with Captain Ralph Hamor in 1621. Granted by Francis West, Dec. 1, 1627.
  • Hannah came to Virginia in 1621, married first Ensign Thomas Savage: second Daniel Cugley.
  • Thomas Savage, afterwards Ensign Thomas Savage, came to Virginia with the first settlers in 1607, when thirteen years old, and in 1608 was given to Powhatan by Captain Newport in exchange for an Indian boy.
  • Thomas Savage remained some time with the Indians and learnt their language, so that he was able afterwards to render much service to the colony as an interpreter.
  • John Pory, writing in 1624, says that he had "with much honestie and successe served the publique, without any publique recompense, yet had an arrow shot through his body in their service." On one occasion when at Opechancanough's town, for the purpose of securing a captive -- Thomas Graves -- some difficulty arising, Savage and three others offered to fight thirteen of the Indians at once, but the latter were afraid to accept. He settled on the Eastern Shore, where his descendants of the name have continued to the present day.
  • In the census of 1623-4 (Hotten) appears:
    • "Ancient planter [Ensign] Thomas Savage his name to: Thomas Savage in the John and Frances 1607, Ann Savage in the Sea Flower 1621," and two servants. He was dead in 1635. He married Hannah, and had an only son, Captain John Savage, of "Savage's Neck," Northampton, born 1624; burgess for Northampton, 1666 to 1676; married first, Ann Elkington; second, Mary, daughter of Colonel Obedience Robins, of " Cherrystone." Captain John Savage had issue by his first marriage with Ann Elkington: x, Susannah married John Kendall; 2, Grace married George Corbin.
  • Captain John Savage had issue by his second marriage with Mary Robins; 3, Captain Thomas, of "Savage's Neck," married Alicia Harmonson; 4, Mary died unmarried; 5, John appointed justice of Northampton, 1739; 6, Elkington; 7, Sarah. Captain Thomas and Alicia (Harmonson) Savage had a son Thomas, of Cherrystone, who married, November 9, 1722, Esther, daughter of Nathaniel Littleton, of Northampton county, and had with other issue Nathaniel Littleton Savage, member of the Northampton committee of safety, I774-'6; of the convention of 1776, and of the House of Delegates, 1776.
  • Dorothy Savage and John Stringer were married in Hungar's parish, Northampton, September 1st, 1661 (Northampton Records). Griffith Savage was appointed justice of Accomack, 1731. Thomas Littleton Savage was clerk of Accomack, 1774-1804. Thomas Littleton Savage, clerk of Northampton, 1801. George Savage, member of Northampton committee of safety, I774-'5; of the convention of 1776, and justice of Northampton, 1792. Colonel Littleton Savage, of Northampton, married January 14, I768, Mary, daughter of William Burton, of Northampton, and was a member of the Northampton committee of safety, I774-'6, and justice I792. Nathaniel Savage was an officer in the Revolutionary army, 1779-83. Nathaniel Littleton Savage entered the Revolutionary army as cornet of cavalry, 1779, was promoted to lieutenant, and served through the war. William L. Savage was member of the House of Delegates from Northampton, 1838. One or more members of the family removed to New Kent county in the latter part of the last century.
  • In regard to this branch the following is chiefly from newspapers: Nathaniel L. Savage, justice of New Kent, 1782. William Savage appointed justice of New Kent, x804. Thomes Littleton Savage. of New Kent, married June, 1789, Mary Burton, daughter of Colonel Littleton Savage, of Northampton. George Savage, of Green Meadow, Henrico, appointed justice, I804; member of the House of Delegates, x8i5-'6, and died June 3, 1824. His eldest son, Littleton, died at the University of Virginia, July 17, I830, in his twentieth year. Anne Savage and Doctor John T. Christian were married at Cedar Plains, New Kent, in I827. Harriet R., daughter of Nathaniel L. Savage, of " Windsor Forest," New Kent, married, I850, M. C. Starke, of Richmond. Doctor William R. Savage, of New Kent, and Ann E. Williamson, of Richmond, were married 1833. Southey L. Savage was a lieutenant in the New Kent cavalry, Confederate States army, in 1861. Mrs. Harriet Savage, of "Windsor Forest," New Kent, died July 27, 1862, aged 79. Mary E., wife of George M. Savage, of Henrico, died August 15, 1862.
  • This branch of the family is represented in Richmond by Mr. Norton R. Savage. This family enjoys the distinction of being the only one (as far as known to me) that can trace in a male line to one of the first settlers of 1607.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Kupperman, Karen Ordahl (2000). Indians and English: Facing Off in Early America. p. 206. ISBN 9780801482823.
  2. ^ https://www.google.com/books/edition/Narratives_of_Early_Virginia_1606_1625/MrQnAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=thomas%20salvage%20virginia&pg=PA140&printsec=frontcover
  3. ^ a b c d CLAUSEN, CHRISTOPHER. “Between Two Worlds: The Familiar Story of Pocahontas Was Mirrored by That of a Young Englishman given as a Hostage to Her Father.” The American Scholar, vol. 76, no. 3, 2007, pp. 80–90. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41221734. Accessed 26 July 2024.
  4. ^ VAUGHAN, ALDEN T. “Namontack’s Itinerant Life and Mysterious Death: Sources and Speculations.” The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, vol. 126, no. 2, 2018, pp. 170–209. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/26431964. Accessed 26 July 2024.
  5. ^ "A Brief History of Jamestown, Virginia". web.archive.org. October 17, 2007.
  6. ^ https://www.jamestowne.org/blog/thomas-savage-c-1592-1633-jamestown-and-accomack-county
  7. ^ https://www.jamestowne.org/blog/thomas-savage-c-1592-1633-jamestown-and-accomack-county
  8. ^ Stanard, W. G. (April 1894). "Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents". The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography. 1 (4): 436–452. Retrieved July 24 2024. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  9. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference encyclopv was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ https://www.jamestowne.org/blog/thomas-savage-c-1592-1633-jamestown-and-accomack-county

{{WikiProject Virginia}} [[Category:English emigrants]] [[Category:Interpreters]] [[Category:People from Jamestown, Virginia]]

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