Sentimental Sunday - Jonathan Tosh, the romantic hero

An 18th century carriage in Colonial Williamsburg. Taken by Mr. G's Travels and accessed on Flickr.com. 

My ancestor, Jonathan Tosh, could have a Jane Austen novel based on his heroics...or so this article would make it seem:

Travel in the early days was frequently interrupted by bad weather--and sometimes pleasantly enough. For instance, high water at Tosh's Ford on the Roanoke River resulted not only in a fair traveler's delay but in a romance. A strange Negro brought to Jonathan Tosh--son of the pioneers, Thomas and Mary Tosh--news that his mistress and her maid sat in a carriage midstream, unable to cross or turn back. Jonathan effected a gallant rescue and then persuaded the travelers to spend the night at his father's house. The lady was a beautiful widow, en route to Richmond to visit cousins. Jonathan must have been a fast worker in affairs of the heart. Instead of the visit to Richmond there was a wedding at the Tosh house. Jonathan and his wife Elizabeth lived at the Tosh homestead, Lone Oak (the Lawrence S. Davis home on Franklin Road), and their daughter Jane achieved the age of 93 years.

Taken from: Roanoke, Story of County and City. Compiled by the workers of the Writers' Program of the Work Projects Administration in the State of Virginia. Sponsored by the School Board of Roanoke City and The School Board of Roanoke County. 1942