[MR] Wikipedia: Roanoke Colony Events

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends,

August 18th marks two significant events in English colonization of North
America.

On this day in 1587, the first child of English parents was born in Roanoke
Colony. Virginia Dare was the first (and presumably only) child of Ananias
Dare and his wife Eleanor, neé Eleanor White. Eleanor was the daughter of
Roanoke's colonial governor, John White.

In late 1587, John White returned to England to gather supplies for the
struggling colony. Then the simmering conflict with Spain erupted into
open naval warfare, leading to the Spanish Armada and all that drama. Queen
Elizabeth placed an embargo on nearly all shipping because of the war.
White managed to find two small ships deemed unsuitable for
military purposes, and obtained a release for the return to Roanoke. They
were set upon by French pirates, and forced to return to England. It was
not until 1590 that White was able to reach North America with relief
supplies. White landed at Roanoke on 18 August 1590, his granddaughter's
third birthday, only to find the colony deserted and no sign of any
settlers.

The fate of Virginia Dare, and all the colonists remains a great mystery.
Recent excavations on neighboring Outer Banks sites have turned up a few
artifacts that suggest that some colonists might have found refuge with
friendly Native American tribes, but this is not definite. John White died
in 1593, still hoping that his daughter and granddaughter might still be
alive.

You can learn more about Virginia Dare at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Dare .

More about the Roanoke Colony is at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roanoke_Colony .

Yours Aye,

Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆
Continuing a crusade to keep the original Merry Rose relevant and in
business.