On this day in Tudor history, 18th August 1587, the first child born to English settlers in the New World was born in the Roanoke Colony. Her name was Virginia Dare.
This colony has become known as the lost colony because all 115 colonists disappeared.
I explain what happened in today's talk.
The article I mention can be found at https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/carolinas-lost-colony-the-fate-of-the-first-british-settlers-in-america-was-a-mystery-until-now-10457335.html
Also on this day in history:
- 1536 – Baptism of William Borough, explorer and naval officer, at St Mary's in Northam, Devon. Borough served Elizabeth I as Comptroller of the Queen's Ships.
- 1562 – Death of John Mordaunt, 1st Baron Mordaunt of Turvey, politician, peer and member of Henry VIII's council. He died at his home at Turvey, in Bedfordshire, and was buried in the church there.
- 1572 – Marriage of Henry III, King of Navarre (future Henry IV of France), and Margaret of Valois at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The aim of the marriage was to unite the Bourbon and Valois families, and also to bring peace between the Catholics and Huguenots. The St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre of the Huguenots took place just six days after the wedding.
I personally believe the Colony moved and those who didn’t die on the journey were assimilated into local tribes and the one mentioned in the article has modern descendants with colonial surnames and other lack of evidence points to some survivors.
There were no graves when White returned, so if the Colony was attacked and killed, where are the bodies?
No evidence of disease or cannibalism as in James Town and no evidence of weapons.
Some people may died while making a long journey to a more suitable place to settle. However, I believe that many made it and realised they couldn’t live without help from the native people and accepted offers to live and marry with them.