Dr. John Rhoades

He was named in a deposition on 16 May 1683 at Sussex Co, DE. In the Moneth of December in the year 1673 the Lord Baltimore sent a Company of horsemen in number about fortye under the Command of Capt Thomas Howell whoe came into the Whoore Kill Towne with swords drawn; And threatened & Terrified the In habitents whoe being frighted thereby submitted to them. After that they kild many of the Inhabitents Cattle; and when they had bene here about forteene days Cap1 Howell went to the Lord Balti more as he pretended to Aquaint him that the Inhabitents of this place was poor and not able to maintaine soe many souldgers; And when he came back again he Caused all the Inhabitents of the County or proven?s [province] to be warned to Come to the Whoore Kill Towne to Muster with order to bring all their Arms and Amuni son; And when the Inhabitents ware Come together the said Cap1 Howell Told them that he must tell them with Greife that his orders from the Lord Baltimore was that he must burne all their houses and that he must not Leave one stick standing; and that he Could not be Excused from soe doeing; And that he was to give but one quarter of an hour warning before he did it. Soe Immediatly the houses ware by them sett on fire and Burnt downe to the Ground; but before the houses ware all sett on fir[e] sume women very big with Child and others made their Addrasse to Capt Howell and Intreated him to spare one hous for their Releife in distrasse; the said Capt Howell Answered that he must obsarve his orders and that he could spare non; But said that if God would save them one they should have it and not Else. And the good providence of God was that day sene in that peticoler; for A Thatch Barne standing in the Middle or be tweene A Boorded Barne of Alexander Moulston that had about Two hundred Bushell of wheate unthrashe16 May 1683 in it. A dwelling house and severall other out houses standing betwene the said Thatch Barne ware sett on fir[e]; And the said Capt Howell said that if the Thatch Barne would not Burne it should be saft; the flame of the other barne and houses flying over the Thatch Barne sett it on fir[e] three times and it went out Again. Upon that Cap1 Howell said that God had saft the Thatch Barne; And that he did not dare to meddle anymore with it. After this the Lord Baltimores party went away Left the place and Carried away with them all the boats that ware in the Creeke and also the Arms belonging to the Inhabitents; soe that they ware left without Arms to defend themselves from the Indians being about sixty miles from any Inhabitents to goe to for Releife. Sume of the disstrassed Inhabitents Traviling sume Toward New York and sume to Another place. Two ware Muthered namly John Roades Senr and Thomas Tilley by the Indians that did not know them as was subposed. Sence that time the Lord Baltimore never by himselfe or others by his order or Authority never did settle any Government here or had any possession of this place; but it did Continoue in the possession of the Dutch untill it was surrendered by the Dutch to the King of England upon Articles of peace and after that it hath bene Governed by his Royall Highness James Duke of York and Allbany Governor, untill the Arrivall of Governor Penn sence which it hath bene upon the pet[it]ion of the Ancent and pres ent Inhabitents of this River and Bay by An Act of Generall Assem bly Annexed unto the provience of Pensilvania. Whilst the houseDr. John Rhoades (I) (Chyrurgion) ware Burning sume of the Inhabitents ware by the Lord Baltimore party kept prissoner not being Admitted to goe to presarve any part of there goods; and Many were Barbours Cruelityes the Lord Baltimore party used to the Inhabitents of these parts; in soe much as the Indians that Lived here about wept when they saw the spile [spoil] that the Inhabitents had suffered by there owne native Country men. And this was the Manner of the Lord Baltimore['s] taking the Whoor Kill now Called the County of Sussex. But now the Government and proprietary of this place is through the Greate marcy and good providence of God And the great goodness of his Royall Highness James Duke of York Invested in soe Honnorable A person wee doubt not but that wee shall not onely Live peaceably and Hapily under your honnors Government, But wee also Humbly pray that your Honnor being thus made senseable of our Greate This Loses and damidges that wee have suffered and sustayned by [t]he Lord Baltimore [t]hat he may make us satisfacon for the same And wee shall all wayes pray for your Honnors prospriety. The substance of what is above Exprassed was sworn unto by the said Halmanas Wiltbanck, John Kiphaven, Alexander Moulston, Harmon Cornelison, Anthony Inlose & Attested by Elizabeth Roades (the widdow of John Roades Senr that was Murthered) to be the truth; Before us William Clark and John Roades, Two of the Kings Justices of the peace for the County of Sussex formerly Called the Whoore Kill the sixteenth day of May 1683. Wm: Clark & John Roades [Endorsed] Affidavit how ye Ld Baltimore took ye Whorekills.

John married Katherine (?) about 1650. (Katherine (?) was born about 1630 and died about 1661 in Somerset Co., MD.)