Why did the spelling of Poythress change in old church and court papers?
Research question: What spelling variants of Poythress appear in old church, court, and newspaper records, and why did they change?
The verified facts do not mention church, court, or newspaper records of the name, so they only partly answer the question. They do show Poythress listed as a surname among Pocahontas's descendants in an 1887 work 1. A footnote in that work links the spellings 'Poyers' and 'Pyers' to the modern name Pierce or Peirce 3, while the author rejects 'Poyers' as a name for Rolfe's second wife because no such name is known in records 1. The author argues that the Poythress family name was already established in Virginia near Rolfe's residence, which supported that spelling over others 2. None of the facts explain why the spelling changed over time. The newest fact dates from 1887, about 139 years before October 2026 1.
Sources
"I adopt "Jane Povthress" (not Poyers),* whom he is stated in the " Boiling Memoirs" to have married in England : I. Because no such name as "Poyers" is anywhere known, so far as I am advised."Pocahontas, alias Matoaka, and her descendants through her marriage at Jamestown, Virginia, in April, 1614, with John Rolfe, gentleman; including the names of Alfriend, Archer, Bentley, Bernard, Bland, Boling, Branch, Cabell, Catlett, Cary, Dandridge, Dixon, Douglas, Duval, Eldridge, Ellett, Ferguson, Field, Fleming, Gay, Gordon, Griffin, Grayson, Harrison, Hubard, Lewis, Logan, Markham, Meade, McRae, Murray, Page, Poythress, Randolph, Robertson, Skipwith, Stanard, Tazewel, Walke, West, Whittle, and others (1887)
"2. Because the family of Poythress was already settled in Virginia, and in the immediate neighborhood of Rolfe's residence at Henricopolis (but a few miles below, and on the opposite side of the river)— Francis Poythress appearing as a member of the House of Burgesses, A. D. 1644, for Charles City"Pocahontas, alias Matoaka, and her descendants through her marriage at Jamestown, Virginia, in April, 1614, with John Rolfe, gentleman; including the names of Alfriend, Archer, Bentley, Bernard, Bland, Boling, Branch, Cabell, Catlett, Cary, Dandridge, Dixon, Douglas, Duval, Eldridge, Ellett, Ferguson, Field, Fleming, Gay, Gordon, Griffin, Grayson, Harrison, Hubard, Lewis, Logan, Markham, Meade, McRae, Murray, Page, Poythress, Randolph, Robertson, Skipwith, Stanard, Tazewel, Walke, West, Whittle, and others (1887)
"Poyers or Pyers, o'ne of the forms of spelling the modern Pierce or Peirce. The third wife of John Rolfe was Jane, daughter of Lieutenant William Poyers, Pyers or Peirce, of"Pocahontas, alias Matoaka, and her descendants through her marriage at Jamestown, Virginia, in April, 1614, with John Rolfe, gentleman; including the names of Alfriend, Archer, Bentley, Bernard, Bland, Boling, Branch, Cabell, Catlett, Cary, Dandridge, Dixon, Douglas, Duval, Eldridge, Ellett, Ferguson, Field, Fleming, Gay, Gordon, Griffin, Grayson, Harrison, Hubard, Lewis, Logan, Markham, Meade, McRae, Murray, Page, Poythress, Randolph, Robertson, Skipwith, Stanard, Tazewel, Walke, West, Whittle, and others (1887)