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From: <>
Subject: Lost Colony
Date: Sat, 2 Jan 1999 11:29:19 EST

Hi,
Regarding Rex's post on early settlements, I think he is speaking of the
Lost Colony of Roanoke Island, North Carolina. As a NC resident, I have some
info on this occurence. I do not recall Sir Francis Drake being involved,
although he may have been. The first expedition was ca. 1585 and failed, the
colonists returned to England and a handful of men were left to protect the
fort that the colonists had built.
Most if not all the colonists came to the New World in order to obtain
land, as land was in short supply in England. A newly married couple had
little option to obtain a home in England due to the overcrowding, so people
were enticed to go to the New World and were promised 50 acres each, after the
colony was established.
They weren't slaves or servants, just people looking for an opportunity.
A second expedition ca. 1587 brought the 100 colonists, men, women,
children, craftsmen. They found the fort deserted and no trace of the men of
the first expedition. The fort was still somewhat in tact, so repairs were
made. ( The fort consisted basically of trees and logs in a palisade and the
original site indicates it was square and small than 1100 square feet. The
colonists would have constructed small cabins in the forest surrounding the
fort.) They had not prepared themselves well for winter survival and were
starving, as the land in that region is not well suited for vegetables. The
ship returned to England for supplies, but the Queen would not let the ship
return to the Colony because she pressed every ship into service against the
Spanish, with whom they were at War. It was 2 years later that the supply
ship returned to find the colonists gone. Someone had carved the initials CRO
into one of the fort palisades, and therein lies the mystery.
Keeping in mind this was the first ENGLISH colony, it is thought that the
Spanish already had settlements farther south in Georgia and Florida, and
possibly one in the NC area toward the mountains.
There are lists of the colonists of both expeditions at the offices of the
Roanoke Island Historical Society. Roanoke Island is in DARE COUNTY, NC and
the only city is MANTEO. Perhaps the Dare Co. website has more information
and possibly the names of the colonists.
2 popular theories surround the fate of the colonists. One is that they
moved inward with the friendly Indians, and the Lumbie Indians of NC have
characteristic blue eyes, along with family legends of ancestors from across
the water.
The 2nd is that the colony went northward into what is now Virginia to the
Williamsburg VA area and settled at the Jamestown area.
When another English settlement was established in Jamestown VA in the
early 1600's there is a legend that some of the native Indians told the new
colonists of former "white men" who came and lived among the Indians. However
these Indians were attacked by a warring tribe and destroyed also, but 2 white
men were thought to have survived the Indian attack.

Rex, you should be able to find several books on the Lost Colony and the
other early settlements. Another settlement at Jamestown VA was attacked in
1622 and 1623 with half of the colonists killed, however the half that did
survive prospered in Surry Co VA and surrounding counties. So there may have
been the starting place for your ancestor.
The Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth Rock were the first PERMANENT colony.
There were others before them who were temporary attempts because they failed.

Roanoke Island NC has the motto, " The birthplace of our nation."

hope I haven't bored everyone,
Carolyn

P.S. My eldest son works for the LOST COLONY outdoor drama in Manteo, the
oldest outdoor drama in the country.

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