Historical Characters

Queen Elizabeth (1533-1603) was probably England’s most popular sovereign. In March 1584 she granted Sir Walter Raleigh a patent entitling him to occupy such lands as he may discover in the name of the crown of England. As a result of this patent, she was the benefactor of Virgina. In honor of her, the “Virgin Queen,” the name Virginia was given to the territory claimed by Raleigh’s men in the New World. Elizabeth I has been credited with the devotion to duty and love of her country that has made “England” stand forever.

Captain Philip Amadas (1550-1618) An English navigator was sent by Walter Raleigh to explore the North American coast of the New World. On April 27, 1584, he and Captain Arthur Barlowe set sail and commanded one of the two barks that made the first English voyage to Roanoke Island. He was trained in navigation by Thomas Harriott, English scientist and mathematician. Amadas returned to Roanoke Island in 1585 as “Admiral of Virginia.” His reports to Walter Raleigh provided “glowing accounts” of new found land in the New World.

Captain Arthur Barlowe (1550-1620) An English navigator also trained by Thomas Harriott, sent by Walter Raleigh to explore the North American coast of the New World. He was second captain to Amadas on the 1584 voyage to the North American coast. He accompanied Amadas on the visit to Chief Wingina village on Roanoke Island. On their return back to England in September 1584, they took back with them two Indians, Wanchese and Manteo, who were taught English and served as propaganda for the second voyage back to the New World. Barlowe is also known for his entertaining report to Walter Raleigh describing their discoveries and experiences of the 1584 Virginia voyage.

Ananias Dare (1560-1587) An English tiler and bricklayer, was the father of Virginia Dare, the first English child born on Roanoke Island. He was married to Eleanor White and was the son in law of Governor John White, who was appointed by Sir Walter Raleigh to lead his Roanoke colony. His name was third on the list of thirteen men to whom Sir Walter Raleigh granted certain privileges for establishing a colony in Virginia. Dare was also the first scientific illustrator appointed by Queen Elizabeth to illustrate everything in particular that he observed that was different from English eyes. It is believed that Ananias Dare lost his life while defending the fort on Roanoke Island from the local Native Americans.

Eleanor White Dare (1563-1599?) One of the sixteen women who left England in 1587 as part of the Roanoke expedition. She was the daughter of Governor John White and wife of Ananias Dare. Eleanor gave birth to Virginia Dare, the first child of English parents born on August 18, 1587 in North America shortly after their arrival from England. She disappeared with the colony while her father Governor White returned to England for supplies.

Virginia Dare (1587-?) The first child to be born in America of English parents on August 18, 1587. The infant, Virginia Dare vanished along with all of the other Roanoke colonists while awaiting supplies ships from England who was in the middle of the Spanish Armada. It is believed that what survivors of the “Lost Colony” there may have been were absorbed into the Croatan tribe.

Simon Fernandez was a Portuguese navigator from Azores Island. He piloted the Roanoke Voyages from 1584 to 1587. Fernandez was by trade a privateer in the escalating war between England and Spain. The Chesapeake Bay area was originally the decided area for the 1587 voyage with Governor White and his colonists. By the time the caravan arrived at Roanoke Island to check on the fifteen men that were left a year earlier, he had grown inpatient with Governor White and anxious to resume the hunt for Spanish trading. He ordered the colonists ashore on Roanoke Island and abandoned the idea of taking the colonists to the Chesapeake Bay area. Ten days later, Fernandez departed for England taking along the anxious John White, who reluctantly decided to return to England for supplies.

Ralph Lane (1530-1603) From Northampton, Ralph Lane may have served in the Parliament before engaging in various maritime activities and in the struggle against Spain. He was Governor for Sir Walter Raleigh’s first Roanoke colony in 1585 which consists of 107 military men which last approximately ten months from August 17, 1585 to June 18, 1586. Lane was knighted in 1593 and is buried in Dublin where he died.

Manteo was the Chief of a local Native American tribe that befriended the Ralph Lane colony that arrived on Roanoke Island in 1585. Arriving too late in the year to plant crops and harvest for food, Manteo helped the colonists to avoid starvation until they were able to provide food for themselves. He made two trips to England and was listed among those sailing for the New World in 1587 with Governor White and his colonists. By the command of Sir Walter Raleigh, Manteo was christened on Roanoke Island and invested with the title of a feudal baron, Lord of Roanoke and Dasamonqueponke on Sunday, August 13, 1587. This was the first peerage elected by the English in America. Manteo was also the first Native American to be received into the Church of England. It was Manteo and his people at Croatoan that the colonists expected to turn to in case of need until Governor White returned from England with supplies.

Sir Walter Raleigh (1522-1618) Born to a protestant family in Devon he is one of the most colorful characters in English history. Navigator, historian, soldier, poet and explorer, he initiated the Roanoke voyages and English colonization of the New World. Raleigh never visited the New World. He is credited with having introduced both the potato and tobacco to England from America. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 1585. It is historically true that the episode of the cloak thrown in the puddle for Queen Elizabeth I did indeed happen. It was from this incident that Raleigh’s favor with the Queen grew.

Wanchese was a Native American chief of Roanoke Island and probably a member of the eastern division of the Algonquian tribe. He returned to England with Captain’s Amadas and Barlowe’s expedition and became bitter towards the English.

John White (1540-1593) English artist and one of several early English colonists who sailed with Sir Richard Grenville’s expedition in 1585. During his time at Roanoke Island he made numerous famous drawings with watercolors of the landscapes and native people. His superb watercolors of native plants, animals and Indian life, give us an insight into what the English found during their explorations. White was described as a “Gentleman of London” became Governor of the second Roanoke colony in 1587. He led a band of settlers sent out by Sir Walter Raleigh under the authority of the Virginia Company. He was the father of Eleanor Dare and grandfather of Virginia Dare, the first English born child in the New World. He returned back to England for much needed supplies and was not able to return in 1590 finding the colony empty. He spent the remainder of his life in England and Ireland.

The Colonists – Very little is known about the vast majority of the colonists explorers who were not leaders. What little is known is interesting simply because it is a first step toward understanding who the colonists might have been and in trying to guess why they wanted to come to the New World.

Mark Bennett and William Berde both “Lost Colonist” are described quite simply as husbandman and a yeoman. Richard Berry, also a member of John Whites colonists was described as a “gentleman” and was a muster captain in 1572. Anthony Cage, another 1587 colonist, had been sheriff of Huntington in 1585. Two other “Lost Colonists,” James Hynde and William Clement, had been in prison together in Colchester Castle for stealing.

Thomas Ellis of the “Lost Colony” was at the other end of the social ladder. Before leaving home in Exeter, he had been a member of the vestry of his parish church, St. Petrock, which still stands today on the main business street of Exeter. It is believed that John Hewet was the “Lost Colonist” lawyer. He held a bachelor of civil law from Oxford. John Spendlove, later a “Lost Colonists” was described on a 1585 muster list as a “gentleman” and reported present with his horse.

It is also believed that there were three men who returned with Governor John White in search of the “Lost Colonists” who had the same or similar surnames as some of the members of the vanished expeditions. Robert Coleman, Henry Millett, John Taylor were in search of Thomas Colman and his wife, Michael Mylett and Clement and Hugh Taylor.