On May 4 1607 [ O.S. 14 May 1607], 105 English men and boys (surviving the voyage from England) established the Jamestown Settlement for the Virginia Company of London, on a slender peninsula on the bank of the James River. It became the first long-term English settlement in North America. [1]
The trips aboard the ships Susan Constant, Discovery, and the Godspeed, and the settlement itself, were sponsored by the Virginia Company of London, whose stockholders hoped to make a profit from the resources of the New World. The community suffered terrible hardships in its early years, including starvation and native attacks. With resupply and additional immigrants, it managed to endure, becoming America's first permanent English colony. [2]
Once the settlement location was chosen, the company members opened sealed instructions containing the list of the previously chosen council members. The first council president was Edward Maria Wingfield. The other six council members were Bartholomew Gosnold, Christopher Newport, John Martin, John Ratcliffe, George Kendall, and John Smith. [3]
Name | Occupation | Alt. names | Death date (YYYY-MM-DD) [note 1] | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Henry Adling | Gentleman | Adding, H. | |||
Jeremy Alicock | Gentleman | Alikok, Jerome | 1607-08-04 | ||
Gabriel Archer | Captain and Gentleman | Archer, Gabriell | 1609 or 1610 winter | ||
John Asbie | 1607-08-06 | ||||
Robert Beheathland | Gentleman | Behethland, R. | 1627 | ||
Benjamin Best | Gentleman | Beast, B. | 1607-09-05 | ||
Edward Brinto | Mason and Soldier | Brinton, E. | |||
Edward Brookes | Gentleman | 1607-04-07 | |||
John Brookes | Gentleman | ||||
Edward Browne | Gentleman | Brown, E. | 1607-08-15 | ||
James Brumfield | Boy | Brunfield, J. | |||
William Bruster | Gentleman | Brewster, W. | 1607-08-10 | ||
John Capper | Carpenter | Not listed [as alive] as of June 1607 [6] | |||
George Cassen | Labourer | Cawson, G. | 1607-12-26 | Killed by natives [6] | |
Thomas Cassen | Labourer | ||||
William Cassen | Labourer | ||||
Ustis Clovill | Gentleman | Clovill, Eustice | 1607-06-07 | Killed by natives [6] | |
Samuell Collier | Boy | 1622 | |||
Roger Cooke | Gentleman | ||||
Thomas Couper | Barber | Cowper, T. | |||
Richard Crofts | Gentleman | ||||
Richard Dixon | Gentleman | ||||
John Dods | Labourer and Soldier | "1624 VA muster with wife Jane, 40 at muster, he was 36" [6] | |||
Ould Edward | Labourer | ||||
Thomas Emry | Carpenter | 1607-12-26 | Killed by natives [6] | ||
Robert Fenton | Gentleman | ||||
George Flowre | Gentleman | Flower, G. | 1607-08-09 | ||
Robert Ford | Gentleman | ||||
Richard Frith | Gentleman | ||||
Stephen Galithrope | Gentleman | Halthrop, S. | 1607-08-10 | Possible mutineer [6] | |
William Garrett | Bricklayer | ||||
George Golding | Labourer | Goulding, G. | |||
Thomas Gore | Gentleman | Gower, T. | 1607-08-16 | ||
Anthony Gosnold | Gentleman | 1609-01-07 | Possibly two cousins with identical names. Drowned Jan 1609 in James River. Grandson of Robert Gosnold of Earl Soham, Suffolk. [6] | ||
Bartholomew Gosnold | Councilor and Captain | 1607-08-22 | Captain of the Godspeed | ||
Edward Harrington | Gentleman | 1607-08-24 | |||
John Herd | Bricklayer | not listed [as alive] as of June 1607 [6] | |||
Nicholas Houlgrave | Gentleman | ||||
Robert Hunt | Preacher | before 1609 | |||
Thomas Jacon | Sergeant | 1607-09-18 | |||
William Johnson | Labourer | ||||
George Kendall | Councilor and Captain | 1607-12-01 | |||
Ellis Kingston | Gentleman | E. Kiniston | 1607-09-18 | ||
John Laydon | Carpenter and Labourer | ||||
William Laxon | Carpenter | Laxton, W. | |||
William Love | Tailor and Soldier | Loue, W. | |||
John Martin | Councilor and Captain | 1632-06-?? | Lower Brandon Plantation owner | ||
John Martin, Jr. | Gentleman | 1607-09-18 | Son of Councilor | ||
George Martin | Gentleman | ||||
Francis Midwinter | Gentleman | 1607-08-14 | |||
Edward Morish | Corporal and Gentleman | Morris, E. | 1607-08-14 | ||
Thomas Mounslie[ citation needed] | Labourer | 1607-08-17 | |||
Thomas Mouton | Gentleman | 1607-09-19 | |||
Richard Mutton | Boy | ||||
Nathaniel Peacock | Boy | Pecock, N. | |||
John Penington[ citation needed] | Gentleman | ||||
Robert Penington[ citation needed] | Gentleman | ||||
George Percy | Gentleman | Percie | 1632 | Eventual Governor of Virginia Colony. Son of Henry Percy, 8th Earl of Northumberland. | |
Drue Pickhouse | Gentleman | Piggas, Dru | 1607-08-19 | ||
Edward Pising | Carpenter | Posing, E. | |||
Nathaniel Powell | Captain [7] and Gentleman | Nathaniell | 1622-03-22 | ||
Jonas Profit | Fisherman and Sailor | ||||
John Ratcliffe | Councilor and Captain | Sicklemore, J. | 1609-11-?? | Captain of the Discovery, eventual Governor | |
James Read | Blacksmith and Soldier | 1622-03-13 | |||
John Robinson | Gentleman | Jehu | 1607-12-26 | Killed by natives [7] | |
William Rods | Labourer | Roods, W. | 1607-08-27 | not [as alive] listed as of June 1607 | |
Thomas Sands | Gentleman | ||||
Edward Short | Labourer | 1607-08-?? | |||
John Short | Gentleman | ||||
Richard Simons | Gentleman | 1607-09-18 | |||
Nicholas Scot | Drummer | Skot, N. | |||
Robert Small | Carpenter | ||||
John Smith | Councilor and Captain | Smyth, J. | 1631-06-?? | ||
William Smethes | Gentleman | ||||
Francis Snarsbrough | Gentleman | ||||
John Stevenson | Gentleman | ||||
Thomas Studley | Gentleman | Stoodie, T. | 1607-08-28 | ||
William Tanker | Gentleman | Tankard, W. | |||
Henry Tavin | Labourer | Tanin, H. | |||
Kellam Throgmorton | Gentleman | Throgmortine, Kenelme | 1607-08-26 | ||
Anas Todkill | Carpenter and Soldier | ||||
William Unger | Labourer | ||||
George Walker | Gentleman | ||||
Thomas Walker[ citation needed] | |||||
John Waller | Gentleman | Waler | 1607-08-24 | ||
Thomas Webbe | Gentleman | ||||
William White | Labourer | ||||
William Wilkinson | Surgeon | ||||
Edward Maria Wingfield | Councilor and Captain | 1631 | Captain of Susan Constant | ||
Thomas Wotton | Surgeon | 1638-04-28 | |||
Richard [ citation needed] | Commoner |
Mariners and others known to have been with the expedition (but did not remain at the colony)
Aboard the John and Francis (captained by Christopher Newport) and the Phoenix (captained by Francis Nelson), 120 settlers left England in October 1607. Only 100 made it to Virginia to settle. When they arrived at Jamestown, there were only 38 to 40 men that had survived the summer and autumn. [8] [9] [10]
Quickly after the first supply, Captain Newport boarded 70 new colonists to the Mary and Margaret. First women colonists in noted with a dagger (†).
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With 500 to 600 persons, a fleet of nine ships set sail in May 1609 led by Thomas Gates and George Somers. In July, a sea-storm hit the flotilla. One ship vanished and the Sea Venture was intentionally run aground, inadvertently colonizing Bermuda. [12] The seven remaining ships arrived at Jamestown only to bring diseased and hungry passengers to the stressed colony. [13] [14]
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Third Supply survivors from Bermuda (137 passengers and crew) eventually made it to Jamestown to find only 60 starving colonists, and chose to abandon the colony. In England, Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr and Samuel Argall (after hearing of John Smith's adventures) led a humanitarian mission with 150 men (including a doctor) and supplies. [15] They intercepted the weary colonists departing Virginia and compelled them to return to Jamestown with the new provisions and passengers. [16]
Notes