Arthur Wodenoth or Woodnoth (c.1594–1645) was an English goldsmith and colonial pioneer, a member of the

Virginia Company The Virginia Company was an English trading company chartered by King James I on 10 April 1606 with the object of colonizing the eastern coast of America. The coast was named Virginia, after Elizabeth I, and it stretched from present-day Main ...

and Somers Islands Company.

Life

He was born about 1594, the son of John Wodenoth of Shavington and his wife Jane Touchet, and nephew of Mary Ferrar née Wodenoth. He became a goldsmith in

Foster Lane Foster Lane is a short street within Cheap (ward), Cheap ward, in the City of London. It is situated northeast of St Paul's Cathedral and runs southbound Gresham Street to Cheapside. "Foster" is a corruption of 'St Vedast' to whom St Vedast Fost ...

, London. At one time Arthur thought of taking holy orders, but was dissuaded by his cousin

Nicholas Ferrar Nicholas Ferrar (22 February 1592 – 4 December 1637) was an English scholar, courtier and businessman, who was ordained a deacon in the Church of England. He lost much of his fortune in the Virginia Company and retreated with his extended fami ...

. It was he who arranged the 1625 purchase of

Little Gidding Little Gidding is a small village and civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England. It lies approximately northwest of Huntingdon, near Sawtry, within Huntingdonshire, which is a district of Cambridgeshire as well as a historic county. A small p ...

by Mary Ferrar, and he supervised the restoration of the neighbouring church at

Leighton Bromswold Leighton Bromswold (also known as Leighton) is a small village and civil parish in Cambridgeshire, England. Leighton lies approximately west of Huntingdon. Leighton is situated within Huntingdonshire which is a non-metropolitan district of Cambr ...

, to which Ferrar's friend

George Herbert George Herbert (3 April 1593 – 1 March 1633) was an English poet, orator, and priest of the Church of England. His poetry is associated with the writings of the metaphysical poets, and he is recognised as "one of the foremost British devoti ...

had been presented in 1626. He was a correspondent of Ferrar's sister Susanna Collett, and a close friend of Herbert. He witnessed Mrs Ferrar's will in 1628, was present at Herbert's death in 1633, and was executor of his will. He was also well known to

Izaak Walton Izaak Walton (baptised 21 September 1593 – 15 December 1683) was an English writer. Best known as the author of ''The Compleat Angler'', he also wrote a number of short biographies including one of his friend John Donne. They have been colle ...

, whom he supplied with details of Herbert's life. It was probably through Sir John Danvers that Wodenoth became interested in the Virginia Company. He was not a member till some time after 1612, but he took an active part in the affairs of the company till the revocation of its charter, siding, like Ferrar, with the party of Sir Edwin Sandys against that of Sir Thomas Smith. In 1644 he was deputy governor of the Somers Islands Company, and before his death he drew up a ''Short Collection of the most Remarkable Passages from the Originall to the Dissolution of the Virginia Company'', London, 1651; it is in the main a defence of Sandys, Ferrar, and Danvers. Wodenoth was dead before the publication, and in the preface is said to have been a parliamentarian.

Family

He was descended from the Wodenoths or Woodnoths of Savington,

Cheshire Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county t ...

. He was second son of John Wodenoth of Savington, by his second wife, Jane, daughter of John Touchet of Whitley. Mary Wodenoth, the mother of Nicholas Ferrar, was his father's sister; and his father's brother Thomas, who settled at

Linkinhorne Linkinhorne (in Cornish ''Lanngynhorn'') is a civil parish and village in southeast Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The village itself is situated at and is approximately four miles (6.5 km) northwest of Callington and seven miles (1 ...

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

, and spelled the name Wodenote, was father of Theophilus Wodenote. He was married, and had a son Ralph.

References

Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Wodenoth, Arthur 1590s births 1645 deaths English goldsmiths 17th-century English businesspeople