Heacham, Norfolk
Posted by: 
Norfolk12
N 52° 54.438 E 000° 30.186
31U E 332087 N 5864877
A historic sign showing the Indian Princess Pocahontas, who married John Rolfe son of the vicar. The Rolfe's are buried in the churchyard.
Waymark Code: WMA8AE
Location: Eastern England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 12/01/2010
Views: 5
This attractive sign on the verge of the busy A 149.
Pocahontas was the daughter of Powhatan An american Indian chief.She married John Rolfe son of the local vicar,who was born in 1586.she died in Gravesend whie waiting to sail back to Virginia.
A memorial to her was placed in the north aise of the church in 1933.
John Rolfe returned to Virginia and re married it is believed he died in an Indian uprising at Henrico in 1622.
On either side of Pocahontas a horse is portrayed as suporting her image the one on the left is typical of those bred in the area the other is a sea horse.
There are several theories about how Heacham got its' name: Possibly, the name comes from an olde English word "hitch" meaning 'enclosure and land in a river bend'. Another theory is that it got its' name from its' 12th century overlord, Geoffrey de Hecham. There has been a settlement here for the last 5,000 years although it officially became a village in Anglo Saxon times (5th century).
Heacham became popular in the 1860's as a seaside resort with the advancement of the railway from Kings Lynn to Hunstanton. It has been popular ever since.
The Lavender Farm was begun in 1932 and bunches of lavender were sold to passing traffic. With the purchase of Caley Mill in 1936, it began to realise its' potential in producing lavender for the world market.
The villages' main claim to fame however is for being the birthplace of John Rolfe - who married the famous native american Princess Pochohontas. After her death in 1617, John Rolfe was killed in an indian uprising in Virginia in 1622. He and his descendants are buried in the village church, St. Mary the Virgin. Sadly, Heacham Hall, family home of the Rolfes', was burnt down to the ground in a fire in 1934. Only the parklands remain.
Location: Opposite the Norfolk lavender fields
Plaque: no
Construction Material: carved wood and stone base
Web Address: [Web Link]
Sign Date: Not listed
Occasion Commemorated: Not listed
Artist: Not listed
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