In 2015 I visited Jamestown, Virginia, and was particularly interested in the first inhabitants of the town. I found this list while I was there. At the time I was looking into Samuel Jordan, who is not on this list and turns out to be a later resident of the town, and who also turns out to not be my ancestor after all.
From Wikipedia we learn that
The Jamestown settlement in the Colony of Virginia was the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. It was located on the east bank of the Powhatan (James) River about 2.5 mi southwest of the center of modern Williamsburg. William Kelso writes that Jamestown “is where the British Empire began”. It was established by the Virginia Company of London as “James Fort” on May 4, 1607, and was considered permanent after brief abandonment in 1610. It followed several failed attempts, including the Lost Colony of Roanoke, established in 1585 on Roanoke Island. Jamestown served as the capital of the colony of Virginia for 83 years, from 1616 until 1699.
This first group is a list of those who remained after the settlement had been established and the ships returned to England:
Adling, (or Adding), Henry – Gentleman
Alicock (or Alikock), Jeremy (or Jerome) – Gentleman – died August 14, 1607
Archer, Gabriel – Captain, Gentleman – died Winter 1609-1610
Asbie, John – died August 6, 1607
Beast (or Best), Benjamin – Gentleman – died September 5, 1607
Behothland (or Behethand, Beheland), Robert – Gentleman – died 1628
Brinto (or Brinton), Edward – Mason, Soldier
Brookes, Edward – Gentleman – died April 7, 1607
Brookes, John – Gentleman
Browne, Edward – Gentleman – died August 15, 1607
Brunfield, James – Boy
Bruster (or Brewster), William -Gentleman – died August 10, 1607
Capper, John
Cassen (or Cawsen), George – Laborer – died December 1607
Cassen, Thomas – Laborer
Cassen, William – Laborer
Clovill, Ustis (or Eustace) – Gentleman – died June 7, 1607
Collier, Samuel – Boy – died 1622
Cooke, Roger – Gentleman
Cooper (or Cowper), Thomas – Barber
Crofts, Richard – Gentleman
Dixon, Richard – Gentleman
Dods, John – Laborer, Soldier
Emry, Thomas – Carpenter – died December 1607
Fenton, Robert – Gentleman
Flower (or Flowre), George – Gentleman – died August 9, 1607
Ford, Robert – Gentleman
Frith, Richard – Gentleman
Galthrope (or Halthrop, Calthrop), Stephen – Gentleman – died August 15, 1607
Garret, William – Bricklayer
Golding (or Goulding), George – Laborer
Gosnold (or Gosnoll), Anthony, (Cousin) – Gentleman – died January 7, 1609
Gosnold (or Gosnoll), Anthony, (Cousin) – Gentleman
Gosnold (or Gosnoll), Bartholomew – Captain, Councilor – died August 16, 1607
Gower (or Gore), Thomas – Gentleman – died August 16, 1607
Harrington, Edward – Gentleman – died August 24, 1607
Herd, John – Bricklayer
Houlgrave, Nicholas – Gentleman
Hunt, Robert – Master, Preacher, Gentleman – died before 1609
Jacob, Thomas – Sergeant – died September 4, 1607
Johnson, William – Laborer
Kendall, George – Captain, Councilor – died December 1, 1607
Kingston (or Kiniston) Ellis – Gentleman – died September 18, 1607
Laxton (or Laxon) William – Carpenter
Laydon, John – Laborer, Carpenter
Loue (or Love), William – Tailor, Soldier
Martin, John, (Senior), Captain, Councilor – died June 1632
Martin, John (Junior), Gentleman – died August 18, 1607
Martin, George – Gentleman
Midwinter, Francis – Gentleman – died August 14, 1607
Morish (or Morris), Edward – Gentleman, Corporal – died August 14, 1607
Morton, Matthew – Sailor
Mounslie, Thomas – Laborer – died August 17, 1607
Mouton, Thomas – Gentleman – died September 19, 1607
Mutton, Richard – Boy
Peacock (or Peacocke, Pecock) Nathaniel – Boy
Penington, Robert – Gentleman – died August 18, 1607
Percy (or Percie, Percye), George – Master, Gentleman – died 1632
Pickhouse (or Piggas), Drue – Gentleman – died August 19, 1607
Posing (or Pising), Edward – Carpenter
Powell, Nathaniel – Gentleman – died March 22, 1622
Profit, Jonas – Fisherman
Ratcliffe (or Sicklemore) John – Captain, Councilor – died November 1609
Read, James – Blacksmith, Soldier – died March 13, 1622
Robinson, John (or Jehu) – Gentleman – died December 1607
Rods (or Rodes, Roods), William – Laborer – died August 27, 1607
Sands, Thomas – Gentleman
Short, John – Gentleman
Short, Edward – Laborer – died August 1607
Simons, Richard – Gentleman – died September 18, 1607
Skot (or Scot), Nicholas -Drummer
Small, Robert – Carpenter
Smethes, William – Gentleman
Smith (or Smyth), John – Captain, Councilor – died June 1631
Snarsbrough, Francis – Gentleman Stevenson, John – Gentleman
Studley (or Stoodie), Thomas – Gentleman – died August 28, 1607
Tankard, William – Gentleman
Tavin (or Tauin), Henry – Laborer
Throgmorton (or Throgmortine), Kellam (or Kenelme) – Gentleman – died August 26, 1607
Todkill, Anas – Soldier
Vnger (or Unger), William – Laborer
Waller (or Waler), John – Gentleman – died August 24, 1607
Walker, George – Gentleman
Webbe, Thomas – Gentleman
White, William – Laborer
Wilkinson, William – Surgeon
Wingfield, Edward Maria – Master, Councilor President – died 1613
Wotton, Thomas – Gentleman, Surgeon – died April 28, 1638
“With diverse others to the number of 105”
Mariners and others known to have been with the expedition that established Jamestown on May 13, 1607:
Browne, Oliver – Mariner
Clarke, Charles – Mariner
Collson (or Cotson), John – Mariner
Crookdeck, John – Mariner
Deale, Jeremy – Mariner
Fitch, Mathew – Mariner – died July 1609
Genoway, Richard – Mariner
Godword, Thomas – Mariner
Jackson, Robert – Mariner
Markham, Robert – Mariner
Nelson, Francys – Captain – died Winter 1612-1613
Poole, Jonas – Mariner – died 1612
Skynner, Thomas – Mariner
Turnbrydge (or Turnbridge), Thomas – Mariner
Newport, Christopher – Captain, Councilor – died 1617
Tyndall, Robert – Mariner, Gunner
White, Benjamyn – Mariner
Danynell
Stephen
There were 144 persons in the expedition including those 104 who remained in Virginia.
Jamestown Research
I also found this list of resources to help you research your Jamestown ancestor.
- Jamestown Archeological Assessment Studies
Documentary History of Jamestown Island, Volume I: Narrative History
Documentary History of Jamestown Island, Volume II: Land Ownership
Documentary History of Jamestown Island, Volume III: Biographies of Owners and Residents - APVA Preservation Virginia, 204 West Franklin Street, Richmond, Virginia 23220 | preservationvirginia.org
- The Virginia Historical Society, 428 North Boulevard, Richmond, Virginia 23220 | vahistorical.org
- Library of Virginia, 800 East Broad Street Richmond, Virginia 23219 | lvalib.va.us/
- Jamestowne Society
- Roots Web
- Brown, Stuart E. and Lorraine F. Myers and Eileen M. Chappel, Pocohontas’ Descendents (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1994)
- Hotten, John Camden, editor, Original Lists of persons of of Quality 1600-1700 (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1980)
- McGinnis, Carol, Virginia Genealogy: Sources and Resources (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1993).
- Meyer, Virginia M., Adventures of Purse and Person: Virginia 1607-1624/5 (Richmond, Virginia: Dietz Press, 1987).
- Nugent, Nell Marion, Cavaliers and Pioneers: Abstracts of Virginia Land Patents and Grants (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1979).
Thank You! I am verifying my connections
to Robert Hunt and Christopher Newport,
along with many subsequent immigrants,
(along with several native wives). Ironically,
I just uploaded my first preview of this research:
Red Hawk. A Civil War Journal
On the Waters of my Fathers
from the Mountains of my Mothers
it is New Year’s morning, 2024.
paddling among the replica ships at Jamestown.
May I share this article as a reference in my
Research Notes ?
Yes