Bartholomew Gosnold

Bartholomew Gosnold (1572–August 22, 1607) was an English lawyer, explorer, and privateer, instrumental in founding the Virginia Company of London, and Jamestown, Virginia. He is considered by the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (APVA) to be the "prime mover of the colonization of Virginia." Gosnold also led the first recorded European expedition to visit Cape Cod, on May 15, 1602.

Early life

He was born in Grundisburgh in Suffolk, England in 1572, and his family seat was at Otley, Suffolk. His parents were Anthony Gosnold and Dorothy Bacon. He graduated from the University of Cambridge and studied law at Middle Temple.

Early adventures

Gosnold was a friend of Richard Hakluyt and sailed with Walter Raleigh. He obtained backing to attempt a colony in the New World and in 1602 he sailed from Falmouth in a small Dartmouth bark, the "Concord", with thirty-two on board. They intended to establish a colony in New England, which was then known as Northern Virginia.

Bartholomew Gosnold pioneered a direct sailing route due west from the Azores to New England, arriving in May 1602 at Cape Elizabeth in Maine (Lat 43 degrees). He skirted the coastline for several days before anchoring in York Harbor, Maine, on May 14, 1602.

The next day, he sailed into Provincetown Harbor, where he is credited with naming Cape Cod.cite book | title=GREAT EPOCHS IN AMERICAN HISTORY: The Relation of Captain Gosnold's Voyage| url=http://www.usgennet.org/usa/topic/preservation/epochs/vol2/pg38.htm| last=Archer| first=Gabriel| date=1912| pages=page 38| editor=Ed. Frances Healey| publisher=Funk & Wagnalls Co.] Following the coastline for several days, he discovered Martha's Vineyard and perhaps named it after his daughter or wife. He established a small post on Elizabeth's Island, which is now called Cuttyhunk Island and is part of the town of Gosnold. The post was abandoned when intending settlers decided to return on the ship to England since they had insufficient provisions to overwinter.

A notable account of the voyage, written by John Brereton, one of the gentlemen adventurers, was published in 1602, and this helped in popularising subsequent voyages of exploration and colonisation of the northeast seaboard of America. A second account by Gabriel Archer was not published until over 20 years later, after Gosnold's death.

Virginia Company, Jamestown

Gosnold spent several years after his return to England promoting a more ambitious attempt; he obtained from King James I an exclusive charter for a Virginia Company to settle Virginia. To form the core of what would become the Virginia Colony at Jamestown, he recruited his cousin-by-marriage Edward Maria Wingfield, as well as John Smith, his brother and a cousin, in addition to members of his 1602 expedition. Gosnold himself served as vice-admiral of the expedition, and captain of the "Godspeed" (one of the three ships of the expedition).

He was popular among the colonists and opposed the location of the colony at Jamestown Island; he also helped design the fort that held the initial colony. He died of dysentery and scurvy only four months after they landed, on August 22, 1607.

Possible discovery of his grave

In 2005, the APVA announced that they believed their archaeological dig at Jamestown had found his grave, and started an attempt to verify their identity through genetic fingerprinting. By June researchers had received the approval of the Church of England to take DNA samples from the remains of his sister, located in an English church, the first ever granted for such purposes. However, in November 2005 the APVA announced that while they were still confident her remains were located beneath the church, they had been unable to locate them.

The DNA analysis will be conducted by the Smithsonian Institution.

Notes

Further reading

* David A. Price, "Love and Hate in Jamestown" (Alfred A. Knopf, 2003: ISBN 0-375-41541-6)
* David R. Ransome, ‘Gosnold, Bartholomew (d. 1607)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004

External links

* http://ancientgreece-earlyamerica.com/gosnold.html - An excellent Gosnold overview -
* [http://www.historicjamestowne.org/news/gosnold_dna_01.php Is it Gosnold?] , from an APVA website
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/suffolk/dont_miss/usa/gosnold/gosnold.shtml Bartholomew Gosnold documentary] , a June 2002 article from a BBC Suffolk website
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/suffolk/4220503.stm DNA bid for US founding father] , a January 2005 article from the BBC
* [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1650821,00.html Suffolk tombs hold key to US founding father] , a June 2005 article from "The Times" of London
* [http://www.cuttyhunkhistoricalsociety.org/gosnold16021607.html Bartholomew Gosnold, 1602-1607] , a 2007-2008 (open in the summer) exhibit at the Cuttyhunk Historical Society