I have a little book called "Colonial Records of Virginia" which was
originally published as "Senate Document - Extra" in Richmond in 1874.  This
version is a reprint by the Clearfield Company from 1992.  It contains a 16
page article entitled "A Briefe Declaration of the Plantation of Virginia
During the First Twelve Yeares When Sir Thomas Smith was Governor of the
Companie & Downe to the Present Tyme" by the Ancient Planters Nowe Remaining
Alive in Virginia 1624.  All spelling is theirs.  It isn't copyrighted (or
copyrightable) since it is just copies of lists and documents.

Has anybody else seen this?  And, if so, how much credence do you give it?
It claims they resorted to cannibalism and other equally disgusting acts.
They put the blame squarely on Smith so I don't know how politically
motivated it may have been.  I just cannot imagine that people would have
hated him so much as to admit they, themselves, had resorted to such inhuman
and inhumane behavior.

Also, it mentions several times that they built houses that fell down.  Did
they not have tools?  Or skills?  They were in a dense forest so they surely
had plenty raw materials.  During the same time period they mention erecting
forts.  Did the forts fare any better and, if so, why?

Mildred "Mickey" Fournier
1730 SE CR 252
Lake City, FL 32025
[log in to unmask]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Discussion of research and writing about Virginia
> history [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Emily Rose
> Sent: Sunday, December 04, 2005 7:37 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Jamestown ( was "northern bias")
>
> For those wondering about the "Starving Time" in Jamestown, see
>
> "Tree-ring data from Virginia indicate that the Lost Colony
> of Roanoke Island disappeared during the most extreme drought
> in 800 years (1587-1589) and that the alarming mortality and
> the near abandonment of Jamestown colony occurred during the
> driest 7-year episode in 770 years (1606-1612). These
> extraordinary droughts can now be implicated in the fate of
> the Lost Colony and in the appalling death rate during the
> early occupations at Jamestown,the first permanent English
> settlement in America."
> [Stahle, David W., Malcolm K. Cleaveland, Dennis B. Blanton, Mathew D.
> Therrell, and David A. Gay. "-the Lost Colony and Jamestown Droughts."
> Science 280, no. April 24 (1998): 564-67.]
>
> Great picture of tree-rings analysis that shows the drought!!
>
> Also, Randy, Do you by any chance have the ballad music sung
> to  "lusty gallant"  to which "London live thou famous long" was sung?
>
> Emily Rose
> Cambridge University
>
> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the
> instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html
>

To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions
at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html