In 1611 Sir Thomas Dale founded his town of Henricopolis, the second established settlement in Virginia. It was named in honor of Prince Henry, the eldest son of James I. A church was soon after built. The bounds of Henrico parish, to which it belonged, were quite large until 1634, when the parish was made to include the present Chesterfield, Powhatan, and Goochland counties. Soon after the marriage of Pocahontas she moved to the plantation of her husband, John Rolfe, near Henricopolis, and they were both members of Henrico parish until they left Virginia. The written records of Henrico parish begin with 1730. At that time the principal church of the parish was on Curle's plantation, on the north side of the James, some miles below the present city of Richmond. Curle's church disappeared during the Civil War. The bowl of the baptismal font in St. John's Church, Richmond, is a relic of the old church. This was removed from the cellar of a house where it had been in use for beating hominy. Steps were taken in 1737 to build the present St. John's Church, because of the increase of population in Richmond. The first action was recorded as follows: "At a Vestry held at Curls Church for Henrico parish ye 8th day of October Anno Dom. 1737 for laying ye parish Levey-- "The Vestry do agree to build a Church on the most convenient place at or near Thomas Williamsons in this parish to be Sixty feet in Length and Twenty-five in Breadth and fourteen feet pitch to be finished in a plain Manner After the Moddle of Curls Church. And it is ordered that the Clerk do Set up Advertisements of the particular parts of the Said Building and of the time and place of undertaking the Same.... It is ordered that the Collector do receive of every Tithable person in this parish five pounds of Tobacco after the Usual deduction to be apply'd towards building the New Church at Williamsons." At a later meeting the location and the dimensions of the church were changed. Richmond was decided on, and it was stated that "Richard Randolph Gent undertakes the Said Building and engages to finish the Same by the Tenth day of June, which Shall be in the year of our Lord 1741; for which the Vestry agrees to pay him the Sum of L317 10s. Current Money to be paid by the amount of the Sale of Twenty thousand pounds of Tob'o Annually to be Levyd on the parish and Sold here for Money till the whole payment be compleat."