Nathaniel Butler facts for kids

Nathaniel Butler was an English privateer (a type of sailor who was allowed by the government to attack enemy ships). He later became a colonial governor in the early 1600s. He is known for building many structures in Bermuda that are still standing today. These include coastal forts and the State House in St. George's. The State House, finished in 1620, was the first building made specifically for a parliament in the New World (the Americas). Butler also brought the first potato to the early English settlers in Jamestown, Virginia.

Early Life and Adventures

Nathaniel Butler was born around 1577. In his early sailing career, he worked for the Earl of Warwick. This was before he became a governor.

Governor of Bermuda

Butler was appointed as the governor of Bermuda in 1619. At that time, Bermuda was managed by the Somers Isles Company. This company was connected to the Virginia Company. He served as governor until 1622. He was the third person to hold this important position.

During his time as governor, Butler found guns from a shipwrecked vessel. He used these guns to arm the island's forts. These forts were being built at the time. Some of these forts included Southampton Fort and those on Smith's and Paget Island. This event was even written about by John Smith in 1624.

Butler also played a part in developing the Bermuda rig for sailing ships. He hired a Dutch boat builder whose ship had been wrecked. This builder helped improve ship designs.

Introducing the Potato

In 1621, Governor Butler made history by introducing the potato to North America. He arranged for a shipment of potatoes to be sent to Governor Francis Wyatt in Jamestown. This was the first time potatoes were seen by English colonists in North America.

Later Career and Expeditions

After his time in Bermuda, Butler visited Jamestown in 1622. He wrote a report about the colony called "Unmasked Face of Our Colony in Virginia as it was in the winter of the Year 1622". He presented this report to the privy council (a group of advisors to the king) when he returned to London.

Later, at 61 years old, Butler became an Admiral for the Providence Island colony. He also worked for the Providence Island Company between 1639 and 1640.

Privateering in the Caribbean

In mid-1639, Butler led a privateering trip along the Spanish Main. This was the name for the Caribbean coast of mainland America. He successfully captured a Spanish ship at the harbor of Trujillo. He was paid 16,000 pesos as a ransom.

However, this trip was not very successful overall. The captured ship was not considered a great prize. His officers were not familiar with the area. Because of this, the expedition traveled in a very disorganized way through the Caribbean. They did not capture much else of value before returning to Providence in September 1639.