Bartholomew Gilbert
Encyclopedia
Captain
Bartholomew Gilbert was an English
mariner
who in 1602 served as co-captain on the first recorded European expedition to Cape Cod
. His decisions resulted in that expedition's failure to establish a colony there.
which sailed out of Dartmouth, Devon
, to establish a colony in New England
(which was then known as Northern Virginia
and was considered a part of the Colony of Virginia). The ship's captain was Bartholomew Gosnold
, an experienced seaman who had sailed with Walter Raleigh
and who was related to Gilbert on Gosnold's father's side.
The Concord had thirty-two men on board and sailed due west from the Azores
to New England, arriving in May 1602 at Cape Elizabeth in Maine
(latitude 43 degrees
) and skirted the coastline for several days before anchoring in York Harbor, Maine, on May 14, 1602. The next day, they sailed into Provincetown Harbor
and named Cape Cod.
Following the coastline for several days, they discovered and touched at Martha's Vineyard
, entered Buzzard's Bay (which they called Gosnold's Hope), and established a small post on Elizabeth's Island, which is now called Cuttyhunk Island
and is part of the town of Gosnold
. In nineteen days they built a fort and storehouse on an islet and began to trade with the Massachusett
in fur
s, skins, and the sassafras
plant. They sowed wheat
, barley
, and peas
, and in fourteen days the young plants had sprung nine inches and more.
They planned to leave Gosnold and some of the crew to start a colony while Gilbert returned to Devon
for more supplies. However, when it became known that Gilbert had provided insufficient provisions to overwinter (their provisions, after division, would have lasted only six weeks), all hands decided to return to England with him. They made a very short voyage of five weeks and landed at Exmouth
on 23 July. Their freight realised a great profit, the sassafras alone selling for £336 a ton.
A notable account of the voyage, written by John Brereton
, one of the gentlemen adventurers, was published in 1602, and this helped in popularising subsequent voyages of exploration and colonisation of the northeast seaboard of North America
. A second account by Gabriel Archer was not published until over 20 years later. Although the mission failed to establish a colony, the attempt is commemorated by the New World Tapestry
and Gilbert is one of the people represented thereon.
, Gilbert and four crewmen went ashore to search for the missing members of the Roanoke Colony
. They subsequently ran afoul of and were killed by a group of Algonquians
on July 29.
The date of this historic landing is represented in the Seal of Northampton County, Virginia
. Not until 1607 did the English successfully establish Jamestown, Virginia
, their first colony in what is now the United States
.
Captain (nautical)
A sea captain is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. The captain is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel complies with local and international laws, as well as company and flag...
Bartholomew Gilbert was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
mariner
Sailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
who in 1602 served as co-captain on the first recorded European expedition to Cape Cod
Cape Cod
Cape Cod, often referred to locally as simply the Cape, is a cape in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts, in the Northeastern United States...
. His decisions resulted in that expedition's failure to establish a colony there.
Voyage to Cape Cod
Gilbert served aboard the The Concord, a small barkBarque
A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts.- History of the term :The word barque appears to have come from the Greek word baris, a term for an Egyptian boat. This entered Latin as barca, which gave rise to the Italian barca, Spanish barco, and the French barge and...
which sailed out of Dartmouth, Devon
Dartmouth, Devon
Dartmouth is a town and civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is a tourist destination set on the banks of the estuary of the River Dart, which is a long narrow tidal ria that runs inland as far as Totnes...
, to establish a colony in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
(which was then known as Northern Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and was considered a part of the Colony of Virginia). The ship's captain was Bartholomew Gosnold
Bartholomew Gosnold
Bartholomew Gosnold was an English lawyer, explorer, and privateer, instrumental in founding the Virginia Company of London, and Jamestown, Virginia, United States...
, an experienced seaman who had sailed with Walter Raleigh
Walter Raleigh
Sir Walter Raleigh was an English aristocrat, writer, poet, soldier, courtier, spy, and explorer. He is also well known for popularising tobacco in England....
and who was related to Gilbert on Gosnold's father's side.
The Concord had thirty-two men on board and sailed due west from the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
to New England, arriving in May 1602 at Cape Elizabeth in Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
(latitude 43 degrees
43rd parallel north
The 43rd parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 43 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean....
) and skirted the coastline for several days before anchoring in York Harbor, Maine, on May 14, 1602. The next day, they sailed into Provincetown Harbor
Provincetown Harbor
Provincetown Harbor is a large natural harbor located in the town of Provincetown, Massachusetts. The harbor is mostly 30 to deep and stretches roughly one mile from northwest to southeast and two miles from northeast to southwest, i.e., one large, deep bowl with no dredged channel necessary for...
and named Cape Cod.
Following the coastline for several days, they discovered and touched at Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard is an island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, known for being an affluent summer colony....
, entered Buzzard's Bay (which they called Gosnold's Hope), and established a small post on Elizabeth's Island, which is now called Cuttyhunk Island
Cuttyhunk
Cuttyhunk Island is the outermost of the Elizabeth Islands in Massachusetts. It was the first site of English settlement in New England. It is located between Buzzards Bay to the north and Vineyard Sound to the south...
and is part of the town of Gosnold
Gosnold, Massachusetts
Gosnold is a town that encompasses the Elizabeth Islands in Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 75, making it the least populous town in Massachusetts...
. In nineteen days they built a fort and storehouse on an islet and began to trade with the Massachusett
Massachusett
The Massachusett are a tribe of Native Americans who lived in areas surrounding Massachusetts Bay in what is now the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in particular present-day Greater Boston; they spoke the Massachusett language...
in fur
Fur
Fur is a synonym for hair, used more in reference to non-human animals, usually mammals; particularly those with extensives body hair coverage. The term is sometimes used to refer to the body hair of an animal as a complete coat, also known as the "pelage". Fur is also used to refer to animal...
s, skins, and the sassafras
Sassafras
Sassafras is a genus of three extant and one extinct species of deciduous trees in the family Lauraceae, native to eastern North America and eastern Asia.-Overview:...
plant. They sowed wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
, barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
, and peas
PEAS
P.E.A.S. is an acronym in artificial intelligence that stands for Performance, Environment, Actuators, Sensors.-Performance:Performance is a function that measures the quality of the actions the agent did....
, and in fourteen days the young plants had sprung nine inches and more.
They planned to leave Gosnold and some of the crew to start a colony while Gilbert returned to Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
for more supplies. However, when it became known that Gilbert had provided insufficient provisions to overwinter (their provisions, after division, would have lasted only six weeks), all hands decided to return to England with him. They made a very short voyage of five weeks and landed at Exmouth
Exmouth, Devon
Exmouth is a port town, civil parish and seaside resort in East Devon, England, sited on the east bank of the mouth of the River Exe. In 2001, it had a population of 32,972.-History:...
on 23 July. Their freight realised a great profit, the sassafras alone selling for £336 a ton.
A notable account of the voyage, written by John Brereton
John Brereton
John Brereton was a gentleman adventurer and chronicler of the 1602 voyage to the New World led by Bartholomew Gosnold.Brereton recorded the first European exploration of Cape Cod and its environs...
, one of the gentlemen adventurers, was published in 1602, and this helped in popularising subsequent voyages of exploration and colonisation of the northeast seaboard of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. A second account by Gabriel Archer was not published until over 20 years later. Although the mission failed to establish a colony, the attempt is commemorated by the New World Tapestry
New World Tapestry
The New World Tapestry is the largest stitched embroidery in the world, larger than the Bayeux Tapestry. It depicts English colonisation attempts in Newfoundland, North America, the Guyanas and Bermuda between the years 1583 and 1642, when the English Civil War began.Work began on the tapestry in...
and Gilbert is one of the people represented thereon.
Voyage to Virginia
In 1603, Gilbert returned to the Americas. Setting anchor in Chesapeake BayChesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
, Gilbert and four crewmen went ashore to search for the missing members of the Roanoke Colony
Roanoke Colony
The Roanoke Colony on Roanoke Island in Dare County, present-day North Carolina, United States was a late 16th-century attempt to establish a permanent English settlement in what later became the Virginia Colony. The enterprise was financed and organized by Sir Walter Raleigh and carried out by...
. They subsequently ran afoul of and were killed by a group of Algonquians
Algonquian peoples
The Algonquian are one of the most populous and widespread North American native language groups, with tribes originally numbering in the hundreds. Today hundreds of thousands of individuals identify with various Algonquian peoples...
on July 29.
The date of this historic landing is represented in the Seal of Northampton County, Virginia
Seal of Northampton County, Virginia
The seal of Northampton County, Virginia, was developed to reflect the county's history, its traditional way of life and its ties to the marine environment....
. Not until 1607 did the English successfully establish Jamestown, Virginia
Jamestown, Virginia
Jamestown was a settlement in the Colony of Virginia. Established by the Virginia Company of London as "James Fort" on May 14, 1607 , it was the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States, following several earlier failed attempts, including the Lost Colony of Roanoke...
, their first colony in what is now the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.