Christopher Newport facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Captain Christopher Newport
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Statue of Christopher Newport on the campus at Christopher Newport University depicts him with both arms, prior to the loss of one arm in the Anglo-Spanish War. Monumental Sculpture by Jon Hair.
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| Born | December 1561 |
| Died | August 1617 (aged 55) Bantam, Java
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Christopher Newport (born 1561, died 1617) was an English sailor and a privateer. A privateer was like a legal pirate, hired by the government to attack enemy ships. He is most famous for being the captain of the Susan Constant. This was the largest of three ships that carried English settlers to North America in 1607.
These settlers founded Jamestown in the Virginia Colony. Jamestown became the first lasting English settlement in North America. Captain Newport was also in charge of the other two ships, the Godspeed and the Discovery. He made several trips between England and Jamestown, bringing supplies. In 1609, he became captain of the Virginia Company's new main ship, the Sea Venture. This ship was caught in a hurricane and wrecked on the islands of Bermuda. Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia, is named after him.
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Early Life of Christopher Newport
Christopher Newport was born in December 1561 in Limehouse, England. Limehouse was an important port on the River Thames. His father was also a shipmaster, working in trade along England's east coast. Christopher started sailing in 1580. He quickly became a master mariner, handling trade ships going to London.
Newport the Privateer
From 1585, England was at war with Spain. Newport began working as a privateer. He raided Spanish ships in the Caribbean. Over the years, he commanded several privateer ships. These included the Little John and the Golden Dragon.
In 1590, Newport went on a trip to the Caribbean. This trip was paid for by a rich London merchant named John Watts. During this voyage, Newport lost an arm while fighting to capture a Spanish ship. Even with his injury, Newport continued to be a privateer for almost 20 years. He worked closely with Watts.
His successes included a trip off Cuba in 1591. He also helped capture the Portuguese ship Madre de Deus in 1592. This ship carried the most treasure ever taken by the English in that century. It had tons of spices, silks, jewels, and other valuable items.
Newport captured Tabasco in November 1599. He tried to raid Spanish Jamaica in 1603 but failed. A month later, he made his last big raid of the war. He attacked Puerto Caballos. He kept raiding the Caribbean until May, taking more Spanish ships. The treasures from these raids were shared with the merchants who funded them. By the end of the war in 1604, Newport had raided the Spanish Main more times than Francis Drake.
In 1605, he returned to England from the Caribbean. He brought two baby crocodiles and a wild boar. He gave these exotic animals as gifts to King James I. The King loved strange animals.
Voyages to Jamestown
Newport's sailing experience and good reputation led the Virginia Company of London to hire him in 1606. King James I had given this company permission to start a settlement in the Virginia Colony. Newport took charge of the ship Susan Constant. On the voyage in 1606-1607, his ship carried 71 male colonists. One of them was John Smith.
When they saw land, they opened secret orders from the Virginia Company. These orders named Newport as a member of the colony's governing Council. On April 29, Newport put up a cross at the mouth of the bay. They named this spot Cape Henry. This claimed the land for England. In the next few days, the ships sailed up the James River inland. They looked for a good place for their settlement, as their orders described. Newport, with John Smith, explored the river up to Richmond. A few weeks after arriving at Jamestown, Newport joined the council.
First and Second Supply Missions
In June 1607, a week after the first fort at Jamestown was finished, Newport sailed back to London. He took the Susan Constant with a load of pyrite (also called "fools' gold") and other minerals. He left behind 104 colonists and the small ship Discovery. The Susan Constant was a rented ship and did not return to Virginia.
However, Newport returned twice from England with more supplies. These were called the First and Second Supply missions. The colonists struggled to grow food and trade with Native Americans. They became very dependent on these supply missions. Before the First Supply arrived, more than half of the colonists died in the winter of 1607–08.
The much-needed First Supply mission reached Jamestown on January 8, 1608. Newport commanded two ships, the John and Francis and the Phoenix. These ships brought supplies, but also 120 more men. This meant there were now 158 colonists. Newport left for England almost right away to get more supplies. On this trip, Newport took Powhatan's tribesman Namontack to London. Namontack stayed in London for three months. Then he returned to Virginia with Newport.
The Second Supply arrived in September 1608. This time, Newport commanded the Mary Margaret. This ship brought urgently needed supplies and 70 more people. It also brought the first two English women to the colony. The Virginia Company leaders knew that Chief Powhatan's friendship was vital for Jamestown to survive. Newport was ordered to "crown" the chief with a special crown. This was to make him an English "vassal," or loyal subject. The crowning did not go well. Powhatan said he was already a king and refused to kneel for the crown. When Newport returned to England, he told the Virginia Company that another, much larger, supply mission was needed. More money and resources were gathered. However, the Third Supply and the company's new main ship, the Sea Venture, would cause big problems for Jamestown.
Third Supply: The Sea Venture Shipwreck
Newport made his third trip to America in June 1609. He was captain of the Sea Venture and "Vice Admiral" of the Third Supply mission. Ships sailing from Europe to North America usually went south to the Canary Islands. From there, winds would push them across the Atlantic. Then they would follow the West Indian islands to Florida and up the coast. But the Spanish controlled the West Indies. So, the English fleet turned north in the open Atlantic. They wanted to avoid the Spanish and sail straight to Virginia.
Days away from Jamestown, on July 24, the nine ships met a huge storm that lasted three days. The ships became separated. The Sea Venture was new, but it was leaking badly. Admiral Sir George Somers steered the ship onto a reef in Bermuda to stop it from sinking.
In May 1610, the survivors built two smaller ships. They named them the Deliverance and the Patience. They used wood from the wrecked Sea Venture and local Bermuda cedar. They arrived at Jamestown 10 months later than planned. They found that over 80% of the colonists had died during the Starving Time. Newport and the others had very few supplies to share. Both groups felt they had no choice but to return to England. On June 7, they got on the ships and started to sail away from Jamestown. But as they neared Mulberry Island, they met a "fourth" supply mission. This mission was sailing upstream, led by a new governor, Thomas West. He ordered the remaining settlers to return to Jamestown.
Later Voyages and Death
On May 12, 1611, Newport arrived back at Jamestown. He was with Sir Thomas Dale. He left on August 20, for what would be his last time in Virginia. In 1612, he joined the Royal Navy. He also joined the English East India Company. In 1613, Newport commanded the company's twelfth voyage to the Far East on the Expedition. In 1615, he sailed to India.
In November 1616, he wrote his will. He then set out on his third voyage to the East Indies. His son, also named Christopher, joined the crew. By May 1617, he was in South Africa. He died in Java (now part of Indonesia) sometime after August 15, 1617. The cause of his death is not known.
Legacy
- Newport, Kentucky, in the US, was named in his honor.
- Newport News Point and the city of Newport News, Virginia in the US, are thought to be named after him. However, this is debated.
- Christopher Newport University, in Newport News, Virginia, is named after him.
- The World War II Liberty Ship SS Christopher Newport was named in his honor.
- Captain Newport has been played by actors in movies. David Hemblen played him in Pocahontas: The Legend (1999). Christopher Plummer played him in Terrence Malick's 2005 film The New World. He did not appear in the 1995 Disney animated film or its 1998 direct-to-video sequel. In the Disney films, his role is replaced by the bad guy, Governor Ratcliffe.
See also
In Spanish: Christopher Newport para niños
