Posted on 04/21/2005 11:21:53 AM PDT by blam
April 21, 2005
Clue to earliest American may lie in Suffolk grave
By David Sanderson
A SAMPLE from the bones of a Suffolk woman buried 400 years ago is to be exhumed by scientists seeking to discover more about an English explorer who is the unsung founding father of America. Archaeologists are to crosscheck DNA from remains they believe belong to the explorer Bartholomew Gosnold with samples from his sister, who was thought to have been buried in a Suffolk churchyard in the 1600s.
Church officials have given their backing to the project, which is thought to be the first of its kind in Britain. It will involve remains being taken from a narrow shaft in the grave of his sister Elizabeth Gosnold Tilney, who records show lies in the chapel of Shelley All Saints Church in Suffolk.
Although Captain Gosnold died within three months of arrival on American soil in 1607, he is credited with laying the foundations for the American legal system and government that remain to this day. He is also credited with naming Cape Cod after the fish that he found there and Martha’s Vineyard, the island off the southern Cape coast, in remembrance of his daughter, who died in infancy.
It is argued that had he not assembled and funded his crew of adventurers, who set off on the Godspeed 13 years before the Pilgrim Fathers set sail, the United States of America would now be a Spanish- speaking nation.
Two years ago the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (APVA), the driving force behind the project to give Captain Gosnold his due credit, discovered the remains of a 17th-century sea captain at what is believed to be the site of the Jamestown settlement founded by him in Virginia.
William Kelso, the APVA director of archaeology, said: “Based on the archaeological evidence and forensic analysis, we are confident that the remains excavated at Jamestown are those of Bartholomew Gosnold. If we can find matching DNA, we will have done everything possible to confirm the identity of this great man and raise awareness about his contribution to the founding of the United States.” The site of the colony had been thought to have been swept into the James River. But artefacts uncovered from 1994 confirmed its location on dry land.
A spokeswoman for the APVA said that Gosnold was the “most overlooked of the country’s founders . . . Gosnold was the principal promoter, vice-admiral and one of the most influential leaders of the Jamestown colony, which eventually gave birth to the development of the United States. America’s English language, rule of law and representative government all evolved from the pioneering efforts of Gosnold and others at Jamestown”.
Yesterday the Diocese of St Edmondsbury and Ipswich gave its backing to the DNA- matching project. A spokesman for the diocese said that it was an exciting development and added: “For the first time a scientific project has been given the go-ahead to seek to extract DNA material to establish the identity of a family member.
“It has taken a lot of work and co-operation between the parish, diocese and national church authorities in Britain and American scientists.
“The experts say that it will not be necessary to exhume remains, but that samples can be taken after digging a narrow shaft in specific areas.
“That means that there would be no need for reburials or religious services.”
Permission needed to be granted by the Council of the Care of Churches to approve the excavation and extraction of fragments of the remains, and from the Home Office.
"Clue To Earliest American May Lay In Suffolk Grave"
This is the oldest American:
Arlington Springs Woman (13,000 Years Old)
Good thing she's not a Native American. Otherwise we'd never be able to solve this mystery.
Say what?!? Is the requirement to become a journalist is to fail every high school course that's offered including lunch?
My ancestors came over with John Smith to Jamestown in 1607 as well!
Nice thread on this subject about three weeks ago on FR. I had first acquired a 55 Ford on coming to Canada in 1957. Managed to explore Jamestown, Virginia. Models of the three ships that came from England. Only the "Susan Constant" looked as a ship should look. Two others mere barges- ah, brave souls they were.
I think that there is a lot of money around for these exciting enterprises. Hard fact is though, that much of it is "got up". Nothing really wrong in that really. I accessed Genforum, a genealogy site. Thirty Bagnolds entered. At least four living Bagnolds claim descent from swashbuckling Bartholomew Bagnold.
All lots of fun and interest here. Take a positive attitude myself. The only threat to English speaking America as another language nation ,is just coming. It will not succeed. LOL.
What he really did was establish a British outpost in an area that was already under scrutiny for colonization by Spain. Kelso's work at Jamestown was, in fact, aided by a Spanish spy's map of the Jamestown fort made soon after it was built.
Okay. . .but a far cry from claiming the form of government and laws we have today.
Later, when we asked him how he know exactly where to dig, he said he didn't, but it's better to be lucky than good.
Cool story. brave and good folk to tame a wild land. Smart and with a good doese of common-sense.
Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on, off, or alter the "Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list --
Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
The GGG Digest -- Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)
Cool news!
Is this guy the "nasty governor" as depicted in Disney's animated film "Pocahontas" (1994, featuring the voice of Mel Gibson as Captain John Smith).
Well, I wish that they would find my ancestor, Edward Gurganoy who arrived in 1607 on the 1st Supply. He must have died early too because his daughter came over from England to take up his estate, married another early settler, and we are descended from her.
I think we came over with George Oglethorpe to settle Georgia. He got most of his settlers from 'debtors-prison' in England. Our name is Lamb, as in my name 'blam,' LOL.
Oglethorpe's intention was to 'cut-off' the Spanish migrations up from Florida.
There already was a Spanish Mission and settlement west of Jamestown when the Jamestown company arrived. We learned NOTHING about that in school. I think that I read that the Spanish and the Indians banded together from time to time to drive the English settlers out -- especially those who eventually moved outside the confines of the Fort. Eventually the Spanish Mission was driven out, and I really wish that I knew more about that! I also hope that they some day discover what happened to the first settlement on Roanoke Island and Virginia Dare.
Mobile is the city of five flags. US, Confederate, French, Spanish and English.
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