Dr. John Woodson is the progenitor of the Woodson Family in America. Among his
descendants are Dolley Todd Madison, wife of President James Madison and the 
famous outlaw Jesse Woodson James. 

Graduated from St. John's College in Oxford in 1604. 

Left England with his wife Sarah Winston in 1619 on the "George" and arrived in 
Jamestown, VA in 1619. They were married in 1619 shortly before they left. 

According to other information when he came on the ship "George" in 1619 he was 
a surgeon to a company of British soldiers. From Devonshire they settled at 
"Fleur de Hundred." He was among the early founders of the Virginia Colony. 

Cause of Death: Murder. Medical Information: Killed in Indian attack. 

"John Woodson came to Virginia in the "George", which left England January 29, 
1619, bearing the new Governor, Sir George Yardley(Yeardly?), and about one 
hundred passengers (Genealogies of Virginia Families, From the William and Mary 
Quarterly Historical magazine, Volume V, Thompson-Yates ( and Appendix), 
Baltimore, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. 1982) 

Arrived in Jamestown, Virginia on ship "George" in April,1619. (This was one year before the 
Pilgrims landed in Plymouth, Mass on the Mayflower). Survivor of Indian massacre, March 22, 1622. 
Killed in Indian massacre, April 18, 1644, within sight of his own home (Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 20, 1976, p. 3-8)

Flower de Hundred, sometimes called Peirsey's Hundred was on the south side of 
the James River some thirty miles above Jamestown, in what is now Prince 
George County. Curls (or Curles) was a plantation on the north side of the 
James River, above Flower de Hundred. (Genealogies of Virginia Families, From 
the William and Mary Quarterly Historical Magazine, Volumve V, Thompson-Yates 
(and Appendix), Baltimore, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. 1982) 

Dr. John Woodson located Flowerdew Hundred (also called Fleur de Hundred, Flour 
De Hundred or Piersey's Hundred) 

Sources for some of the above information: Genealogies of Virginia Families, 
From the William and Mary Quarterly Historical magazine, Volume V, 
Thompson-Yates (and Appendix) Baltimore, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc. 1982 

Virginia Genealogist, Vol, 20, 1976 p. 3-8 Historical genealogy of the Woodsons 
and Their Connections, compiled by Henry Morton Woodson of Memphis Tenn, 
published in 1915, pgs 21,23. 

Immigrant Ancestors, by Frederick Adams Virkus, Volume 7, page 75: "Woodson, 
Dr. John (1586-1644) Grad. St. John's College, Oxford 1604. 

Adventures of Purse and Person, by Virginia M. Meyer & John F. Dorman. 

From: Valentine, Edward Pleasants. The Edward Pleasants Valentine papers: abstracts of records
in the local and general archives of Virginia relating to the families of, et.al. (Ferris, 
Woodson, etc.) Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1979, 2784 pgs. Vol IV, pp 2381-2383. 

John Woodson and Sara 

John Woodson and Sarah Woodson were living at Flourer de Hundred, in Virginia, in February, 1623
and in the Muster of the Inhabitants of Virginia in 1624/5 is given:

The Muster of John Woodson 
John Woodson and Sarah, his wife, in the George, 1619. (source: Hotten: emigrants and Virginia 
Census 1624-5- Senate Document, Virginia, 1875.)
This indicates that these parties came to the colony of Virginia in the ship "George", in 1619,
and were living in 1623 and 1625 at Flower de Hundred. Flower de Hundred, sometimes called
Piercey's Hundred, was on the south side of James River, in what is now Prince George County, but 
prior to 1702, Charles City County. There are no remaining records for Charles City county (which 
was one of the original eight shires or counties into which the colony was divided in 1632), for 
the seventeenth century, save one volume of general records, 1655-1665, but which throws no light 
on the Woodson family history.
The constant tradition in the Woodson family is of descent from John and Sarah Woodson, of Flower
de Hundred, and that John Woodson was a surgeon by profession. There is a further tradition that
John Woodson, the Virginia immigrant, was from Devonshire, England. (Notes: The traditions
relative to the origin of the Woodson family are fully set forth in Woodson's Historical
Genealogy of the Woodsons and Their Connections; but as none of them are substantiated by
record evidence, it is unnecessary to repeat them here. Suffice it to say that no connection
between the earliest Woodsons in Virginia and any branch of the family in England that has been
established). 
While no record evidence has so far been discovered to that effect, it is doubtless a fact that
Robert and John Woodson, Senior (II) of Henrico County, the two brothers from whom the Virginia
Woodsons descended <(John Woodson, Senior (I), died in Henrico County in Sept, 1684, leaving
children, Robert Woodson and John Woodson. The will of John Woodson, Senior (I)(dated Aug. 20,
and probated Oct. 1 1684) proves that he and Robert Woodson were brothers. (See Vol III, p. 1954
of this same book).> were sons or grandsons of John and Sarah Woodson of Flower de Hundred.
Robert Woodson was born circa 1634. The date of John Woodson (II)'s birth is not now known. There
are no remaining Henrico County records prior to 1677 (though Henrico County was one of the
original eight shires of 1632), and the first mention that we have of the Woodsons in Henrico is
in June, 1679, when there was entered An Account of ye Severall Fortye Tytheables Ordered by this
Worll Court to fitt out men, horse, etc., according to Act: viz.:At Curles: 
Robert Woodson 5 (titheables) 
John Woodson, Sr.(I) 3 (titheables) 
John Woodson, Jr. (II) 2 (titheables) 
This record shows the Woodsons living in June, 1679, in the viscinity of Curles Neck on the
James River, a location since distinguished in history, and some few miles below the present 
city of Richmond.
The descent with which this note is concerned is from Robert Woodson (circa 1634-circ a 1707-11).
Robert Woodson lived in Varina Parish, Henrico County and followed the life of a planter . He
acquired both by patent and purchase a comfortable estate in land. His name appears frequently in
the extant records as witness to various documents. The only public service recorded of him is
that of surveyor of highways in Henrico County in 1685. Robert Woodson died in Henrico County
sometime between 1707 and 1711; but, there is no remaining record of his will or of
administration of his estate.
Robert Woodson married Sarah, daughter of Richard Ferris of Henrico County had 5 children.