Henry A. Wootten writes: Greetings, Syoung1016! Glad to meet you, and I am glad you enjoyed the website. I belong to an email list whose purpose is to explore the roots of the Wooten/Wootten family. Not long ago, we had a report on Thomas Wooten, Surgeon, of Jamestown, who was among the first immigrants to Jamestown. Jennifer Bell summarized what is known about him: 'The document... about Thomas Wooten, Surgeon, is taken from Richard C. Wooton's book, "Wootens of Isle of Wight County Virginia". Richard investigated the history of Jamestown and all references to the surgeon, to determine if he could possibly be the ancestor of the Wootens of IOW. Richard's conclusion was that this Thomas Wooten was not the ancestor. To sum it up: There is no mention of the man after that first cruel winter in Jamestown, when half the population died. A new surgeon was brought to the colony the following year, perhaps as a replacement. There is no mention of Thomas Wooten having returned to England either. His conclusion, was that the man probably died that first winter. There weren't very many women in the colony at that time, so it was unlikely that he was married and left any descendents. Jennifer Bell' I don't have your gggrandfather or his descendants in my data; I have only obtained a fraction of the work John Jacob, of Salisbury Maryland, has done on my line, which insofar as I know did not head south. We have always used two t's, back to John Wootten who arrived in Somerset Co., Maryland before 1671 with his wife Mary. As I understand the origin of the name, it is thought to originate in Shropshire near Wales, where the town 'Wootten-under-edge' is found. Wootten here means wood tun, a sort of corral made of wood. We pronounce the name with a short 'oo' as in Wood, though most people mispronounce it with a long 'oo' (never found in English before a double consonant). I am forwarding your message to the Wootten discussion list, as many there are quite knowledgeable about the Isle of Wight branch of the family, which populated much of the South after settling in Virginia early on. Richard Wooten (noted above) did an immense amount of research on this branch, much of which was published in the newsletter of his Wootten and Related Families Association. Alas, he is no longer with us but his spirit lives on in the discussion list, run by Martha Wooten Solomon. Can anyone on our list answer Syoung1016's question? Clear skies, Al Alwyn Wootten Slacktide, on Sturgeon Creek at the Rappahannock Deltaville Virginia http://members.tripod.com/~astral -> genealogy http://www.cv.nrao.edu/~awootten -> astronomy > --------- Begin forwarded message ---------- > From: Syoung1016 <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > Subject: Wootten Family Geneology Web Page > Date: Sun, 18 Jan 1998 22:15:18 EST > Message-ID: <[email protected]> > > Read with great interest on your web site your Wootten Family geneology. > My > mother was a Wootten and claimed that side of the family was decended > from a > Dr. Wootten who was a doctor who sailed on the Mayflower with John Smith. > I > really don't know if that is correct. Have you ever run across a Thomas > Lemuel Wootten in your research? He is my great great grandfather. > Thomas > Henry Wootten and Thomas Henry Wootten, Jr. were my great grandfather > and > grandfather, respectively. Thomas Lemuel Wootten b. 1800, d. 1888. was > born > in Wilkes County, Ga. > > Our spelling with two t's is rather unique. I've only met one or two > other > people with that spelling. Again, I enjoyed you're web site. > > --------- End forwarded message ---------- > >