Jamestown skeleton: Who was Gosnold?
The remains of one of Jamestown's original English settlers were discovered in 2002, outside the west wall of the original Jamestown fort. Atop the coffin was a wooden rust-encrusted staff, later X-rayed in NASA facilities to discover part of a ceremonial staff carried by a high-ranking officer, possibly Bartholomew Gosnold, captain of the God Speed. Now scientists in England are searching for the gravesites of Gosnold's sister and niece in order to confirm kinship with DNA analysis. The results will be aired on a National Geographic Society special, and this will add to the curiosity building as the settlement's 400th anniversary is marked with the Jamestown 2007 celebration. If the skeleton proves to be Gosnold, the question remains: who was he?
Bartholomew Gosnold has not received the popularity and publicity of John Smith, John Rolfe, and Pocahontas. However, without Gosnold it is possible Smith and the other English would have never traveled to the New World.
Bartholomew Gosnold was born in England in 1572. He had four sisters and one brother. Bartholomew studied law and simultaneously longed to explore the New World. His first voyage was with Sir Walter Raleigh in an unsuccessful quest to colonize Virginia.
His final voyage to the New World was with the Virginia Company in 1606. Gosnold captained second largest of the three ships, the 68-foot God Speed, carrying 52 of Jamestown's original 144 English colonists. For the duration of the voyage, the box containing the names of the colony's leadership and instructions was kept sealed, to preserve the captains' naval command during the voyage. When the box was opened at the future site of Jamestown, all three captains were among the seven council leaders listed, but history dwells more on the oddity of the non-gentleman on the list, John Smith. Gosnold was popular with the colonists, though opinions vary on how his popularity rested with the colony's leadership. Before Captain Newport returned to England, he asked Wingfield, the elected president and staunch foe of Smith, how secure Wingfield felt in his leadership, and learned "that no disturbance could endanger him or the colony, but it must be wrought either by Captain Gosnold, or Master Archer; for the one was strong with friends and followers, and could if he would; and the other was troubled with an ambitious spirit, and would if he could." Some see this as a sign that Wingfield distrusted Archer, but not Gosnold. Others infer that Wingfield did not trust either man. Aside from leadership responsibilities in the colony, Gosnold and Wingfield held one other common bond-Gosnold's uncle had married the daughter of Wingfield's great aunt, making them distant relations.
Half of the colonists died by the end of the first summer, including Bartholomew Gosnold on August 22, 1607. Colonists' notes indicate that Gosnold's death was given much ceremony, including a gun salute, surprising since the remaining colonists were starving, and a salute wasted ammunition that could be used to hunt food or for protection. That grave remained intact till discovered in 2002 by Jamestown chief archaeologist William M. Kelso.
While many important people died during the founding of the colony, the censored letters sent home did not allow English to see how difficult life in the New World truly was. More ships arrived with eager settlers, including Anthony Gosnold, Bartholomew's only brother. Anthony drowned with nine others in the freezing James River in January 1608, when a skiff heading for Hog Island capsized. Little detail was collected on this tragedy, as it happened simultaneously with a John Smith adventure in trading for corn.
For more information on Jamestown 2007, visit www.jamestown2007.org.
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