Bartholomew Gosnold facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bartholomew Gosnold
Coat of Arms of Bartholomew Gosnold
Born	1571 Grundisburgh, Suffolk, England
Died	22 August 1607(1607-08-22) (aged 35–36) Jamestown, Virginia, United States
Nationality	English
Occupation	Lawyer, explorer and privateer
Known for	Founder of the Virginia Company of London
Spouse(s)	Mary Goldinge
Children	7
Parent(s)	Anthony Gosnold and Dorothy Bacon
Relatives	Richard Pepys (son-in-law)

Bartholomew Gosnold (1571 – 22 August 1607) was an English lawyer, explorer, and privateer. He played a key role in starting the Virginia Company in London. He also helped found Jamestown in early America. Gosnold led the first known European trip to Cape Cod. Many people see him as the main person behind the settlement of Virginia.

Early Life and Family History

Gosnold was born in Grundisburgh, England, in 1571. His family lived at Otley Hall in Otley, Suffolk. His parents were Anthony Gosnold and Dorothy Bacon. His cousin, Henry Gosnold, was a judge and friend of Francis Bacon. Bartholomew had a younger brother, Anthony, who went with him to Virginia.

Education and Marriage

Gosnold went to Jesus College at the University of Cambridge. He then studied law at the Middle Temple. He was a friend of Richard Hakluyt and sailed with Walter Raleigh.

In 1595, he married Mary Goldinge in Latton, Essex. Mary's grandfather was Sir Andrew Judde, a rich London merchant. Sir Andrew Judd was also the grandfather of Thomas Smythe, who helped start the Virginia Company. This marriage connected Gosnold to powerful and wealthy families. Bartholomew and Mary Gosnold had seven children.

Early Sea Adventures

We do not know much about Gosnold's first sea trips. But he must have had a lot of experience. In 1602, he was trusted to lead a trip to start a colony in New England. Some historians think he sailed with the Earl of Essex in 1597–98. Many people on that trip later helped settle Virginia.

Planning a New Colony

In the time of Queen Elizabeth I and later King James I, exploring and settling new lands was a private effort. The king or queen did not pay for these trips. Instead, they gave special rights to people or companies. These rights allowed them to make money from certain areas. This made colonization like privateering, where people sought profit.

So, a person like Gosnold had to find money from private investors. It was hard to get people to invest in New World colonies. Ireland was another place people wanted to settle, and it was cheaper to reach. Many investors in New World trips also invested in Ireland.

There was a new plan for colonies that many people liked. It was written by Edward Hayes in the 1590s. This plan suggested starting colonies in northern Virginia (now New England). The climate there was more like England's. It also had good fishing, which could make money. This would help a small settlement grow over time.

Journey to Cape Cod and Nearby Areas

English plans to settle New England began in the 1590s. Edward Hayes wrote a report to Lord Burghley. It explained why and how to settle new lands. The first trip from England to southern New England followed Hayes's ideas.

Captain Gosnold got money to start an English colony in the New World. In 1602, he sailed from Falmouth, Cornwall, on a small ship called the Concord. There were 32 people on board. They wanted to start a colony in New England.

Gosnold found a direct way to sail west from the Azores to what became New England. He arrived in May 1602 near Cape Elizabeth in Maine.

First Encounters and Naming Cape Cod

On May 14, 1602, Gosnold landed off the coast of Maine. He planned to set up a small fishing post for 20 of his crew. They met eight men in a boat. The English thought they were Christians, but they were Native Americans. These Natives had European items and acted bravely.

The next day, May 15, 1602, Gosnold sailed into Provincetown Harbor. He named Cape Cod because there were so many fish. He explored the land and met a young Native boy. The boy wore copper earrings and seemed friendly.

Gosnold continued along the coast of Cape Cod. He saw many Natives on shore. They often ran after the ship to watch.

Exploring Martha's Vineyard and Cuttyhunk

After a few days, he found Martha's Vineyard. They explored it but found no one living there. Gosnold named it after his daughter, Martha, who had passed away. He also named it for the wild grapes growing there.

From Martha's Vineyard, they sailed to the Elizabeth Islands. They reached Cuttyhunk Island on May 20. They decided to build their settlement on the western part of this island. They chose an island in the middle of a large freshwater lake. They built a flat-bottomed boat to get to it.

Challenges and Departure

Each time they met Natives, they were ready to trade. The Natives had metal ornaments and furs. This showed they already knew about Europeans. Gosnold's men were more interested in collecting sassafras root and cedar wood. These items would make money for their investors.

They tried to keep the Natives from finding their fort. It is not clear what happened, but by June 11, relations became tense. Four Natives attacked two Englishmen who were looking for shellfish. One Englishman was shot with an arrow.

Soon after, the settlers argued about staying or returning to England. They decided to leave the settlement. They feared they did not have enough supplies for the winter. All the settlers sailed back to England on June 17.

Over the next ten years, settlers had more and more fights with Natives. By the time the Mayflower arrived, the friendly Natives Gosnold met had become openly hostile.

Virginia Company and Jamestown

After returning to England, Gosnold spent several years planning a bigger trip. He got a special paper from King James I. This paper gave the Virginia Company the right to settle Virginia.

To start the Virginia Colony at Jamestown, Gosnold gathered many people. He recruited his brother Anthony, a cousin, and his cousin-by-marriage Edward Maria Wingfield. He also recruited John Smith and others from his 1602 trip.

Gosnold was the vice-admiral of the trip. He was also the captain of the Godspeed. The other two ships were the Susan Constant and the Discovery.

Gosnold also got help from Matthew Scrivener, Wingfield's cousin. Scrivener became the acting governor of the new colony. Sadly, he drowned in 1609 with Anthony Gosnold, Bartholomew's brother. They were trying to cross to Hog Island during a storm.

Death in Jamestown

Gosnold was well-liked by the colonists. He did not agree with placing the colony on Jamestown Island. He thought it was an unhealthy spot. He also helped design the fort for the first colony.

He died only four months after they landed, on August 22, 1607. George Percy wrote about Gosnold's death. He said Gosnold was buried with many gunshots fired from the fort.

Finding Gosnold's Possible Grave

In 2003, Preservation Virginia announced something exciting. Their archaeological dig at Jamestown found what might be Gosnold's grave. People had thought he was buried outside the old fort.

A skeleton found during the dig is now on display. It is at the Voorhees Archaearium in Historic Jamestown. Preservation Virginia tried to use DNA testing to confirm it was Gosnold. They hoped to do this before the Jamestown 400th anniversary.

In 2005, researchers tried to get DNA from his sister, Elizabeth Tilney. She was buried in a church in Shelley, Suffolk, England. They were allowed to take some bone pieces. But they could not find Tilney's exact remains. So, they could not confirm a match. In November 2005, Preservation Virginia said they still believed Tilney's remains were there. However, their DNA tests did not confirm a family link.

Images for kids

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  Gosnold at Cuttyhunk, 1602 by Albert Bierstadt (Oil on canvas. 1858. New Bedford Whaling Museum.)

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  Stone cross marking what is believed to be the gravesite of Bartholomew Gosnold

See also

In Spanish: Bartholomew Gosnold para niños