Near Williamsburg in James City County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Wowinchapuncke
Photographed By Bernard Fisher, January 7, 2010
1. Wowinchapuncke Marker
Inscription.
Wowinchapuncke was the chief of the Paspahegh Indians when the English established Jamestown in the tribe’s territory in 1607. He consistently resisted the English intrusion, earning both respect and hostility from Jamestown leaders. Captured and imprisoned at Jamestown, he escaped, and the English retaliated by killing several Paspahegh men. After the English destroyed a Paspahegh town in August 1610 and executed Wowinchapuncke’s wife and children, he continued to harass the English until he was killed in a skirmish near Jamestown in February 1611. In 1991, the archaeological remains of a large Paspahegh community near here were excavated.
Wowinchapuncke was the chief of the Paspahegh
Indians when the English established Jamestown
in the tribe’s territory in 1607. He consistently
resisted the English intrusion, earning both
respect and hostility from Jamestown leaders.
Captured and imprisoned at Jamestown, he
escaped, and the English retaliated by killing
several Paspahegh men. After the English
destroyed a Paspahegh town in August 1610
and executed Wowinchapuncke’s wife and
children, he continued to harass the English
until he was killed in a skirmish near Jamestown
in February 1611. In 1991, the archaeological
remains of a large Paspahegh community near
here were excavated.
Erected 2008 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number V-52.)
Location. 37° 15.898′ N, 76° 52.234′ W. Marker is near Williamsburg, Virginia, in James City County. Marker is on John Tyler Highway (Virginia Route 5) half a mile west of Barretts Ferry Road, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near
Click or scan to see this page online
this postal address: 1350 John Tyler Highway, Williamsburg VA 23185, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 9, 2021. It was originally submitted on January 10, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,144 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on January 10, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.