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The Journal of Lady Raleigh on October 29, 1645

AN INTRODUCTION MADE IN HINDSIGHT OF THE JOURNALING AND WRITING OF Lady Throckmorton Raleigh OCTOBER 29, 1645

Greetings, FRIEND. My proper name is Lady Elizabeth Throckmorton Raleigh. You may know me as Lady Raleigh or the lady-in-waiting of the privy chamber of Queen Elizabeth. Nevertheless, I hope you call me Bess. It is the name I prefer and it eliminates the unimportant.

As I pen the tales of my life, and the lives I hear about because of my former position in society, I realize how few have made it to my age. Even fewer have made it to my age after my former experiences. Even fewer know the stories I do. I have known richness, glory, and fame, and I have known corruption, destitution, and what I means to fight for my life. After all, I am in a very unique position now and have been all of my life. Am I blessed or cursed? I will leave it to you to decide.

Today marks the twenty-seventh year since my husband's beheading. Therefore, I feel quite melancholy and decided to do something more useful with my time than feel sorrow and act a sluggard. Walter would not want me to mourn him anyway. He wanted me to live a strong faith and to grow it by the day, so I could act as an inspiration for others. Consequently, this is my attempt to do so and I hope to convey how faith is the only way I got through the last fifty-three years, if I were to speak in such a frank manner.

Walter also did not want any of our stories to fade into the annals of time. The truth of what really happened mattered to Walter, as it does to me, and I want to make sure to capture our stories on the page. Our stories, by the way, can be defined as those we lived or witnessed. After all, if you witness a story, it becomes part of your story assume well.

Hence, I write this volume of stories for Walter. I hope to join you in eternity soon. However, I pray it is not too soon. I have much to accomplish. I have been dabbling with this project for years. It seems befitting to start this project in full on the anniversary of the worst day of my life and the best day of yours since you joined our Lord in and for eternity.

I know many people and they have shared with me the stories I want to impart to you, my reader and friend. Furthermore, I will share some stories from my point-of-view, for they are my personal stories. I will also share stories with you from the perspective of others. These are the stories I heard about from another, whether I was told them directly or overheard others speaking. Regardless, my recollection of the stories now is through the wisdom of age and the lenses of hindsight, reflection, and lessons learned and analyzed.

Decades ago I collected these stories in my secret journals. Women were not supposed to write for entertainment, let alone keep journals. My position naturally barred me from doing so as well, but I just could not resist.

I wanted and want to provide a new look at history, not the shiny and sparkling one the Queens and Kings have chosen to tell. Royalty must always appear victorious and in charge, and they rarely show how they are human like the rest of us. Hence, they paint a different painting of history than what really transpired oftentimes. Moreover, the story of history they tell is of those who are wealthy, not of the peasants. Hence, the history of the kingdoms with a royal family is mostly false and is a small and somewhat untrue history.

The purpose of my writing is to show you the story of the commoner, not just those with wealth. It is my desire to share the true history, not a colored one. Or you might say I want to share a complete history, not an abbreviated one.

I have hundreds of stories to share with you in time. After all, time has certainly been my friend and has not been my enemy. What happened to my husband and myself has meant I have had great time alone to write and reflect. I also hope to live long enough to go through all of my penned stories and share them with you from the perspective of the hindsight of an old lady, both smaller case and upper case L.

I am eighty years old now and I want to retell my former stories I kept in journals and I have memorialized these stories on the page through the wisdom of my years and through looking back to see where we have come. I also want to leave my children, grandchildren, and other descendants a legacy and the story of what really happened is the single best legacy I can offer them. I also offer the same legacy of full truth to you, whoever you are, as well.

What stories can you look forward to reading? You might wonder.

I will share with you about my childhood, so you can learn the deranged nature of a family who wanted to join high society, raise within its ranks, and my family's  power and prestige. Oh, how we were greedy. We were so ambitious we forgot to fully live and certainly forgot how to have hope. I will paint a very unvarnished truth of what really happened and of my family and will not trivialize our sins or accidental missteps.

When I lost everything, including my husband and wealth, I learned what truly matters in this world. It is not any human being, anything you can buy with money, and any circumstance. A strong faith is what matters more than anything. Earthly people, things, and events are temporary. Faith is eternal.

Furthermore, I will tell of world historical and current events, along with the facts and rumors we heard in the day. I will make sure I explain what happened, when, and why at the time as well as through the hindsight and reflective lens of today as I share the true stories from my life.

If you keep reading my stories, you will learn about my relationship with the Queen, others of noble blood, and with the other courtiers.

You will also learn about the plight of establishing the first permanently English settlement in the New World and in America. Since my husband was one who spearheaded this colonization, I know a great deal of what happened in private and in the public, from Roanoke to Jamestown. I will share about the trials and heartbreak regarding the lost colony. I know personally all of the key players and have spoken with each of them about Roanoke, before and after they were lost.

I will also share the success of Jamestown, after much turmoil. The truth is what Jamestown became was in part because of the vision of my husband and Queen Elizabeth, God rest their souls.

Several years, my husband and I risked the chance of losing our heads. My husband lost the battle, but I survived because of the grace of God and it is how I am able to tell you the stories now. It is also the reason why I found it all the more important to capture the stories those of the throne would never dare divulge. History is incomplete without the full story, of those of wealth, of course, because they have the power. However, history is also incomplete if the stories of the commoners are not shared, learned from, or remembered.

I write so we will never forget.

I hope the plans I have for preserving these stories help true and you are reading these words hundreds and thousands of years later.

This first volume of the stories I have collected will be more about life in England than the rest of the volumes I will share with you in time. I have twenty-six or so planned at this point. I will do my best to entertain you and not bore you. Most of these volumes will be told through the eyes of future generations, though. You just get my stories for a volume or two or three. We shall see.

These stories are of the best sort. They are full of adventure, conflict, romance, and drama. No. I do not think you will get bored. Just remember these stories really happened. That is the most exciting part of all.

Let us get started, shall we?

The Short Stories of My Family Will Begin Tomorrow (and a Disclaimer)

I am pleased to announce the short stories of my family will begin tomorrow.

This good news is followed by a but, however.

DISCLAIMER

Each blog post will not be perfect. In fact, they will be far from perfect. They will have some errors and will need some work. By the time they make it to this blog, I will be on the third or forth draft at least with each blog post, but they will still need a great deal of polishing.

I do not want to put the final drafts on this blog. Rather, it is meant to be a sampling to peak your curiosity to read the stories in their entirety, once I edit them and add more material to them and publish them in book format. Also, I will not include every story here on this blog, but many.

THE PURPOSE OF THESE SHORT STORIES

The purpose of this blog is to give a sampling of the stories of my family tree stories and to share a more comprehensive history of the United States of America and about the founding fathers and mothers, starting in 1584.

Additionally, I hope they will inspire you to find out about your own family stories and write about them as well.

RESEARCH

I cannot believe how much time it takes to even attempt to thoroughly investigate each piece, each bit, of history. Never mind about my family. I'm talking about just a date or an event that happened in history. This is what is zapping up most of my time right now. That being said though, I cannot even begin to tell you how fascinating it is and how much I am enjoying the research. Now, I hope I can convey the important details in a fascinating way, but still keep things true to the time, people, places, and events.

STAY TUNED

So, stay tuned. Tomorrow will bring the first short story of the Family Trees of the USA and the Lost Colony of Roanoke.

The Stories of the Lost Colony of Roanoke

Last week I went to a writing conference and was able to focus my vision for my writing and this blog. Hence, the book title mentioned in the image above. It is just a working title at this point.

The Stories of the Lost Colony of Roanoke:
The Family Trees of the USA

I have decided to write the history of the United States through the eyes of my family, which had been here since 1607 in Jamestown. I will share the stories first in blog posts, which will be short stories and a combination of American historical fiction and creative nonfiction. Then, in time, I will combine the stories and put them into a book.

It's an unique way to learn American history, which is appealing to me. After all, I hated history in school. It was before I knew about my family tree. Knowing my family's stories changes the way I view this country and the way I view my life today.

The stories could take me a few lifetimes to tell, but I will try to capture the most intriguing stories in this blog and in my writing. They are the stories of the names we all recognize, but also of the commoner, which has the most appeal to me personally.

This will be an epic saga of my family and their plight in the United States from Roanoke Island to today. The stories will be of adventure, drama, love, patriotism, and faith. It will be a sweeping tale and will take us across many lands, events, times, and families.

I am in the research phase and it will be a couple of weeks before I share a short story here. I will share with you my writing process and progress, though, in the meanwhile.

I am researching in order to find out about the people from my family tree I want to share first, along with the events and the state of the families of the individuals I will write about for the first book in this family tree series.

Then, I will start planning how to write the short stories and how to fit them into a novel.

Then, I will write them and do several edits before they are shared on this blog.

Therefore, at first, I imagine I will start here only one short story per week for a while, then two, then three. In time, I hope to build up to at least three per week.

Bear with me as I make sure to get their stories right. They deserve no less, the people and their stories.

The sweeping epic story which traces a family in the USA from the year 1607 to today

A NEW BEGINNING

I have decided to share the facts of history through my family's story. I will not just list the facts any longer. Rather, I will tell them through the medium of story... through short stories.

This will be highly based on the facts of history, first and foremost. However, in order to learn these facts, the best way we can learn them is through story.

Every story is sacred. The story of an individual. The story of a family. The story of a nation. They are all holy, set apart, and are sacred. Hence, they should be shared so we can all learn from them and see how others live and have lived.

Hence, I have written a new blog description.

A NEW BLOG DESCRIPTION

This is the epic story which traces a family in the USA from the year 1607 to today. Their tale will be shared through the medium of short stories of American historical fiction and creative nonfiction. The family is mine, by the way. Hence, this is a true story. (I will share some thoughts and tips on how to do your family tree as well.)

So, stay tuned. The stories will be shared soon.

1611-1619 Timeline

Note: I will keep adding to this, so please make sure to check back here periodically.

1616

1616 Sir Walter Raleigh or Ralegh was released from the Tower of London so he could go on a second expedition looking for El Dorado. However, he found more trouble when members of his crew ransacked an outpost of Spain. To appease the Spanish, he was arrested and then executed later on October 29, 1618.

1618

October 29, 1618 is when Sir Walter Raleigh or Ralegh died. He was age 65. He died in London, England, when and where he was beheaded.

Sir Walter Raleigh or Ralegh

Name: Sir Walter Raleigh or Ralegh

He is a distant ancestor on my family tree.

January 22, 1552 or 1554, Sir Walter Raleigh or Ralegh was born in Hayes Barton, East Budleigh, Devon, England.

Links for Raleigh's birthplace:

1 http://www.britishexplorers.com/woodbury/hayesba.html

2 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Budleigh

3 http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/place/2698

October 29, 1618 is when Sir Walter Raleigh or Ralegh died. He was age 65. He died in London, England, when and where he was beheaded.

Occupation and title: Explorer, soldier, courtier, spy, poet, and writer.

Schooling: Oriol College, Oxford

Wife: He was married to Elizabeth Throckmorton.

Religion: Protestant

Children: Damerei, Walter "Wat," and Carew

His parents were: Walter Raleigh, Sr. and Catherine Champermowne.

1584 Queen Elizabeth I gave Sir Walter Raleigh or Ralegh Royal Charter to set up a colony in lands that are not Christian lands.

He gained favor with Queen Elizabeth I and she knighted him in 1585.

What should he be remembered for? He was instrumental in making a permanent English settlement in North America in Virginia.

1591 Sir Walter Raleigh or Ralegh married Elizabeth Throckmorton in secret. She was one of Queen Elizabeth the First's ladies-in-waiting. They did not have the queen's permission and because of this, both Walter and Elizabeth (his wife) were sent to the tower of London.

Links about the Tower of London:

1 http://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/#gs.6Mnef04

2 http://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/history-and-stories/#gs.vyiyGNo

3 http://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/history-and-stories/events-timeline/#gs.TfSH8YQ

4 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_London

5 http://www.britainexpress.com/articles/London/tower-of-london.htm

6 http://www.history.co.uk/study-topics/history-of-london/tower-of-london

When Walter was released from the Tower, they retired to his estate in Sherbourne, Dorset.

Links about Sherbourne, Dorset:

1 http://www.sherbornetown.com

2 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherborne

3 http://www.sherbornedorset.co.uk

4 http://www.sherbornedorset.co.uk/history-2/american-links/

Raleigh got into a fair amount of mischief or trouble. First, there was she's secret marriage. Then...

1594 Sir Walter Raleigh or Ralegh heard the reports of a city of gold located in South America. He sailed off to find it, but didn't, and he exaggerated his experiences, which led to the myth of El Dorado.

1603 Queen Elizabeth I died.

1603 Sir Walter Raleigh or Ralegh was imprisoned in the Tower of London because he was involved in a plot against King James I.

1616 Sir Walter Raleigh or Ralegh was released from the Tower of London so he could go on a second expedition looking for El Dorado. However, he found more trouble when members of his crew ransacked an outpost of Spain. To appease the Spanish, he was arrested and then executed later on October 29, 1618.

The Lost Colony of Roanoke

Stay tuned. I will keep adding information here.

The Lost Colony of Roanoke is also known as Roanoke Colony.

The Roanoke Colony was located on Roanoke Island in today's Dare County, North Carolina in the States.

Information about Dare County today :

1 http://www.co.dare.nc.us

2 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dare_County,_North_Carolina

This was an attempt by Queen Elizabeth I establish a permanent English colony in America.

Sir Humphrey Gilbert (see) was the one who originally organized and financed this venture. Then, his half-brother Sir Walter Raleigh took over the charter from the queen. Raleigh then assigned Sir Richard Grenville (his distant cousin) and Ralph Lane as his delegates.

The Roanoke Colony was founded by Sir Walter Raleigh or Ralegh.

MORE TO COME.

1560-1569 Timeline

Note: I will keep adding to this, so please make sure to check back here periodically.

1565

1565 Sir Richard Grenville married Mary St. Leger.

Learn About American History Here

Want to learn more about American history? That is the whole purpose of this blog. Except, this blog has a slightly different slant in that here, we learn about American history through my family tree. Historical facts are shared here, along with some short stories of American historical fiction to help make history come alive.

So, welcome. This blog is for anyone who wants to learn more about the history of the USA.

My Story of Starting My Family Tree: Inspiration for beginning genealogists and those who need inspiration

I began researching my family tree out of curiosity, after years of not being interested in it whatsoever. I had no idea whatsoever what I was doing. I was beyond clueless.

I have always been the type that figures things out, mostly accidentally. This family tree and genealogy business has been no exception.

It is rather funny. Professional genealogists have been stumped by portions of my family tree, which I have accidentally stumbled upon the answer. So, I am quite blessed and unfortunate, though is has nothing to do with any skill on my part, but on dumb luck, thanks to the grace of God.

If you want to do your family tree, or are, keep digging. Don't give up. And, make searching online and opening up most every link you find. It's been through looking at the links I didn't think would help me at all that have filled in a missing piece.

Read every link online all the way through. You may think most of what is written junk. But, I guarantee there is at least one nugget of good information in most blog posts.

Think of yourself as a private investigator and an explorer. Grab your spyglass and hat. Then, grab your hiking gear and go wandering. Look at other family trees. Look everything up online through an online search. Keep digging. Act like an archaeologist.

Keep the excitement of adventure.

And, then you will grow your family tree.

And, not only that, history will become alive to you and will be a quite exciting and thrilling adventure.

This is what I have done and keeps off the pressure. It makes it enjoyable, not the type of hitting your head against the wall activity.

Online Research

As I research my family tree, and as I research and write this blog, I do extensive online research.

Every name

Every place

Every date

Every event

I look up all of those online and I try to learn as much information as possible as I go. And, I always ask myself the question as I do online research for genealogy and my family tree is:

Who are they, what happened, when, why, and what was their life like?

Then, I follow up with: What does that mean for me, and for us, today?

I will try to include links as I go for now to help you to do your own research as well.

Oh! I forgot to mention. With every place, when online I enter the place name and hit search. Then, I look at the map and at images, as well as at the websites and blogs about the place. I like to picture it as much as possible. It helps me picture it and remember it. It also makes history come alive for me.

It does require enormous amounts of time, though, doing as thorough of research lone as possible. But, it is quite worthwhile.

This is how I do things. I hope it helps.

To all Genealogists, Professional or Dabbler: Let's form a community

For anyone else working on a family tree, I hope this blog might inspire you.

I also hope we can get to know one another and share hints, tips, and resources on how to do make our family trees. We can also ask questions as well, which is probably the most helpful, and we can all share our responses and help one another. I could sure use any tip you have. And, I figure, we are all in this together. Let's inspire one another and help each other.

Please add a comment to the comment form on this blog, on the right hand side of the page, email me, and/or add a comment at the end of any blog page.

I would love for us to start a community here, where we can ask questions and offer tips and resources.

Cannot wait to hear from you.

My Family

I also write this blog, and share all of this, with the hope it will help my family (anyone on my family tree, direct relation or indirect) to get to know our history and American history.

I hope my family will find these stories, fact and short stories based on fact, helpful to imagine what our family went through in the day.

Therefore, if anyone knows any true stories, I hope you'll share them so I can in turn share them here. Use the contact form on this blog, email me, or add a comment at the end of any blog post.

I also help we can help each learn as much about our family as possible.

Every person lived and should be remembered, along with their stories. This is the goal of this blog and my writing.

What Am I Doing and Who Am I to Do It?

As I sit here this morning, after everything I did yesterday, and after starting this blog five days ago, and I have developed butterflies and nervousness.

What am I doing? And who am I to do it anyway?

I am not a historian. Not in the least. History was my worse subject in school. Then again, twelve years of leaning about the explorers could do that to anyone. Never kind all of the false history I was taught. For instance, I was taught that Plymouth was the first English colony and that Thanksgiving began there. Both are lies. Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement and the first Thanksgiving was at Berkeley Plantation. Both were in Virginia, let me add. Never mind how I was never taught that Virginia was the birthplace of the United States of America. But, the only reason why I know these things is because I lived in Virginia for four years (and visited the historic sits at least once a month) and because of my family tree.

But, no. I am no historian. My degrees are in psychology and chaplaincy, for goodness sake.

So, what am I doing? I am so far out of my league it isn't funny. Who am I to do it? Probably most everyone is far more qualified than I am to write this blog.

Nonetheless, I realize not everyone has a traceable family tree that goes back as far as mine does and they don't have the same ancestry I do. My family tree makes me uniquely qualified to write about my family tree.

But, the historical part... I am scared of erring and of not learning enough, never mind sharing enough. Then, I also am fearful of sharing too much. I sure don't want to bore anyone to pieces.

Then, to complicate things even more, I am attending a writing conference this week and will present this idea and learn more how to write these stories. No pressure. It's all self-imposed pressure, I realize. Am I on track? Am I doing what God really wants me to be doing?

I find sharing the facts a little on the dull side. But, that is what I need to do first. Then, when I write the short stories, there is a background to the story, so it makes even more sense. This is the ultimate goal. I will use short stories of historical fiction to help us go there and see it for ourselves in our minds and imagination. I hope to make history come alive and help us remember the facts, not opinions, of American history.

Yesterday, though, felt great with everything I accomplished. Learning and sharing the facts can be a slight bore, but it wasn't yesterday. In fact, it pumped me up and got me excited for what is to come and my writing short stories of historical fiction based off of my family tree.

I pause.

Yes. This blog is what I am supposed to be doing, regardless of how intimidating and how insecure I feel. This blog is one big homecoming where I learn about my family and the history of the country I love.

Since I leave tomorrow for the writing conference, I pray I am able to get even more done than I did yesterday.

Bear with me dear and precious readers and friends. I will find my way and my rhythm of writing this blog.

Writing this blog is sure stretching me. I am far outside of my comfort zone. However, while it makes me feel horribly uncomfortable and nervous, not wanting to get it wrong, it is not unbearable and I will not try to avoid it. The best things in life come from times of uneasiness and fear. It's what we do with them that counts. I am going to to keep at this no matter what.

Learning history from my family tree will make history come alive and will help me make sense of my nation today and will help me speak out about it. It will also help me pray for my nation.

Leaning, though, is never a fruitless activity. And, I sure love to learn. I cannot wait to see what all I learn. Even though I still wonder... What am I doing and who am I to do it?

Thomasine Cole

Thomasine Cole is a distant ancestor on my family tree.

Thomasine Cole was the wife of Sir Roger Grenville, who died in 1545. He was the captain of the ship, "Mary Rose," which sank in the Portsmouth Harbour.

Daughter of Thomas Cole of Slade.

Thomasine remarried Thomas Arundell.

1590-1599 Timeline

Note: I will keep adding to this, so please make sure to check back here periodically.

1591

1591 Sir Walter Raleigh or Ralegh married Elizabeth Throckmorton in secret. She was one of Queen Elizabeth the First's ladies-in-waiting. They did not have the queen's permission and because of this, both Walter and Elizabeth (his wife) were sent to the tower of London.

September 10, 1591 Sir Richard Grenville died near the Azore Islands. He died from wounds sustained in a battle at sea with Spain. He was 49 years old.

1594

August 1594 to March 31, 1603 was the Nine Years' War (Gaelic Irish Chieftqins vs. England). It's also known as Tyrone's Rebellion.
1594 Sir Walter Raleigh or Ralegh heard the reports of a city of gold located in South America. He sailed off to find it, but didn't, and he exaggerated his experiences, which led to the myth of El Dorado.

1540-1549 Timeline

Note: I will keep adding to this, so please make sure to check back here periodically.

1542

June 15, 1542 Sir Richard Grenville was born in Bideford, Devon, England.

Sir Richard Grenville

Sir Richard Grenville is a distant ancestor on my family tree.

Also known as Greenfield, Greynvile, Greeneville, tec.

June 15, 1542 Sir Richard Grenville was born in Bideford, Devon, England.

September 10, 1591 Sir Richard Grenville died near the Azore Islands in the Battle of Flores. He died from wounds sustained in a battle at sea with Spain. He was 49 years old.

Sir Richard Grenville was the heir and eldest son of Sir Roger Grenville (died in 1545) and Thomasine Cole. His father died in 1545 when Richard was an infant while he was the captain of the "Mary Rose," which sank in the Portsmouth Harbour.

The Grenville family were lords of the manors of Stowe, Kilkhampton in Cornwall and of Bideford in Devon, England.

His mother remarried to Thomas Arundell. He was of the Clifton Arundell House. This was where Grenville spent a great feel of his childhood.

Grandfather of Sir Bevil  Grenville (1596-1643).

Sir Richard Grenville was the cousin of Sir Humphrey Gilbert and Sir Walter Raleigh.

He served in parliament from 1562-1563.

When he was 21, he inherited his grandfather's Estates in Buckland Abbey in Devon, Bideford, and Stowe, Cornwall, England.

He married Mary St. Leger in 1565. She was the daughter of Sir John St. Leger and was then an heir to her brother.

Grenville and family lived at Buckland Abbey 1575-1576 (MORE RESEARCH NEEDED ABOUT THESE DATES.). See these links:

1 http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/buckland-abbey

2 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckland_Abbey

3 http://www.britainexpress.com/counties/devon/houses/buckland.htm

4 https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g315961-d584741-Reviews-Buckland_Abbey-Yelverton_Dartmoor_National_Park_Devon_England.html

5 http://www.cider-house.co.uk/index.php

6 http://www.indrakeswake.co.uk/Society/Research/buckland.htm

7 http://www.devonmuseums.net/Buckland-Abbey,-Garden-and-Estate/Devon-Museums/

In 1585, Sir Richard Grenville acted the Admiral of a fleet of seven ships which brought English settlers to form a military colony on the island of Roanoke.

Look at these links about Roanoke Island and colony:

1 http://www.roanokeisland.com

2 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roanoke_Island

3 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roanoke_Colony

4 http://roanokeisland.net

5 https://www.outerbanks.org/outerbanks-the-lost-colony/

6 https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60755-d108283-Reviews-Roanoke_Island_Festival_Park-Manteo_Roanoke_Island_Outer_Banks_North_Carolina.html

7 https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60755-d143137-Reviews-Fort_Raleigh_National_Historic_Site-Manteo_Roanoke_Island_Outer_Banks_North_Carolin.html

8 https://www.nps.gov/fora/index.htm

9 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Raleigh_National_Historic_Site

10 http://www.outerbanks.com/fort-raleigh.html

See The Lost Colony of Roanoke for more information at this link on this blog:

http://familytreesoftheusa.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-lost-colony-of-roanoke.html

He served in the Royal Navy of England. His rank was Admiral and he held command of "Revenge." He served in  these battles and war: Second Desmond Rebellion, Anglo-Spanish War in 1585, Battle of Gravelines, and Battle of Flores in 1591.

Where is his birthplace of Bideford, Devon, England? See these links:

1 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bideford

2 https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g190807-Activities-Bideford_Devon_England.html

3 http://www.devonguide.com/bideford

4 http://www.bideford-tc.gov.uk/your-history-and-our-friends/bideford-history/town-history

See

Note:

Any time you see the word "see," set off in parentheses, like this:

(see)

This means that you can look up the previous word, name, or phrase on this blog for more information.

I will try to include links, but if I have not, at least you can look up more information on that in this blog by doing a search or looking in the labels to the right side of this blog.

Queen Elizabeth I

She was the Queen of England and Ireland.

She is also known as: Elizabeth of England, Elizabeth of Tudor, Elizabeth Tudor, The Virginia Queen, Good Queen Bess, and Gloriana.

Lived September 07, 1533 to March 24, 1603. She died when she was 69 years old.

Reigned November 17, 1558 to March 24, 1603.

Coronation date (when she took the throne) was January 15, 1559.

April 28, 1603 is when Queen Elizabeth I  was buried at Westminster Abbey.

Her parents were: King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.

Her royal lineage: She was from the House of Tudor.

Her religion: She was Anglican.

Her mother, Anne Boleyn,  was executed when Elizabeth was two and a half years old. Anne's marriage to Henry VIII was annulled and Elizabeth received a declaration of being illegitimate.

She did not have any children.

1550-1559 Timeline

Note: I will keep adding to this, so please make sure to check back here periodically.

1552

January 22, 1552 or 1554, Sir Walter Raleigh or Ralegh was born in Hayes Barton, East Budleigh, Devon, England.

1554

January 22, 1552 or 1554, Sir Walter Raleigh or Ralegh was born in Hayes Barton, East Budleigh, Devon, England.

1558

November 17, 1558 is when Queen Elizabeth I began her reign.

1559

January 15, 1559 is the coronation date of  Queen Elizabeth I.  This is when she took the throne.

1530-1539 Timeline

Note: I will keep adding to this, so please make sure to check back here periodically.

1533

September 07, 1533 is when Queen Elizabeth I was born.

1538

November 17, 1558 Sir Humphrey Gilbert was born.

1600-1609 Timeline

Note: I will keep adding to this, so please make sure to check back here periodically.

1603

March 24, 1603 is when Queen Elizabeth I died. She died when she was 69 years old.

August 1594 to March 31, 1603 was the Nine Years' War (Gaelic Irish Chieftqins vs. England). It's also known as Tyrone's Rebellion.

April 28, 1603 is when Queen Elizabeth I  was buried at Westminster Abbey.

1603 Sir Walter Raleigh or Ralegh was imprisoned in the Tower of London because he was involved in a plot against King James I.

1606

1606 Sir Walter Raleigh received the high honor of being one of eight who received Letters Patents by King James I. This particular patent was to establish two colonies: the Plymouth Colony and the London Colony.

December 1606 Captain Christopher Newport of the London colony (aka the London Company) set sail.

1607

May 13, 1607 Captain Christopher Newporthe reached the Chesapeake Bay. Jamestown was founded.

May 31, 1607 Sir Walter Raleigh and George Popham of the Plymouth colony  (aka the Plymouth Company) left from Plymouth, England.

August 01, 1607 Sir Walter Raleigh and George Popham arrived in what we now call Maine. Many colonists died that winter there. MORE INFORMATION NEEDED HERE.

Just the Facts, Then the Stories

I think you will see as I write this blog, and its blog posts, I'm going to first share the historical facts. Then, I will write the biography of each of my ancestors. Then, I will write the short stories of historical fiction of several of my ancestors.

This is the process of how I have decided to write this blog, where I'm learning, and have learned, American history through my research of my family tree and doing the genealogy.

Thank you for your patience as it takes time to set up the historical background.

The good news is I am compiling a who's and what's what informational index, encyclopedia, and dictionary in the process. It's an all you ever wanted to know about American history blog, told through the lens of my family tree and some short stories in historical fiction.

Adrian Gilbert

Distant relation and ancestor on my family tree.

Brother of Sir Humphrey Gilbert.

February 06, 1584  brother of Sir Humphrey Gilbert, received Letters Patent to continue the search for the Northwest Passage.

Sir Humphrey Gilbert

Another spelling is: Sir Humphrey Gylberte.

He is a distant relation and ancestor of mine.

He lived 1538 to September 09, 1583. Age 44 or so was when he died.

He was born in Greenway, Brixham, Devon, England. 

Parents are: Otho (or Otto or Otes) Gilbert and Catherine Champermowne. Otho was of Compton Castle and was the son of Thomas Gilbert and Isabel Reynward. Otho was born August 05, 1513 to 1518 and died February 18, 1547 to 1547. 

He was the fifth son of his parents, according to one source. He was the second son, according to another source. I will research and answer this. RESEARCH AND WRITE MORE. 

One source says he had six sons and 1 daughter. Another source says he had two sons: John and Raleigh Gilbert. I WILL RESEARCH MORE.

His brothers were: Sir John Gilbert and Adrian Gilbert (see).

His half brothers were: Carew Raleigh and Sir Walter Raleigh. They shared the same mother, Catherine Champermowne.

Cousin of Sir Richard Grenville.

The family seat was Compton Castle. 

Married Anne Aucher in 1570 and they had six sons and one daughter.

His titles were: Explorer, adventurer, soldier, member of parliament, and pioneer.

He is the first colonizer of England.

He was not a sailor, but knew how to circumnavigate.

See 1570-1579 Timeline at:
http://familytreesoftheusa.blogspot.com/2016/05/1570-1579-timeline.html

See Timeline 1580-1589:
http://familytreesoftheusa.blogspot.com/2016/05/1580-1589-timeline.html

1580-1589 Timeline

Note: I will keep adding to this, so please make sure to check back here periodically.

1580

1578-1580 Sir Francis Drake circumnavigate the world.

1583

June 11, 1583 Sir Humphrey Gilbert made his second attempt to find where to plant an English colony in America. They left Plymouth, England on this day. They arrived in Newfoundland on August 03, 1583.

August 03, 1583 Sir Humphrey Gilbert and crew arrived in Newfoundland.

August 29, 1583, the "Delight" sunk. One hundred souls were lost, along with many of Sir Humphrey Gilbert's records. The "Delight" was part of the June 11th expedition.

September 09, 1583 Sir Humphrey Gilbert sank at sea in the "Squirrel." It was on his return home to England from the June 11th expedition.

1584

February 06, 1584 Adrian Gilbert, brother of Sir Humphrey Gilbert, received Letters Patent to continue the search for the Northwest Passage.

March 25, 1584 Sir Humphrey Gilbert's half brother, Sir Walter Raleigh, received a Royal Patent to explore and setup a colony to the South.

1584 Queen Elizabeth I gave Sir Walter Raleigh or Ralegh Royal Charter to set up a colony in lands that are not Christian lands.

1584-1587 is a period of time known as Raleigh's Roanoke Voyages.

1570-1579 Timeline

Note: I will keep adding to this, so please make sure to check back here periodically.

1570 Sir Humphrey Gilbert (see) married Anne Aucher and they had six sons and one daughter.

1578

1578-1580 Sir Francis Drake circumnavigate the world.

June 11, 1578 A Letters Patent was issued to Sir Humphrey Gilbert (aka Sir Humfrey Gylberte) by the Queen Elizabeth I for Western discoveries, and to plant an English colony in America, with the provision he would not cause any harm to Spanish subjects.

September 26, 1578 Sir Humphrey Gilbert assembled a rather large fleet, which sailed from Dartmouth, England. However, storms made them seek refuge in Plymouth, England until November 19, 1578. He gave up this attempt. The plan of the voyage by Sir Humphrey Gilbert was to establish a new English colony between Cape Hatteras and the Hudson River.

1579 April Sir Humphrey Gilbert returned to England after his sailing.

Where to Begin: A Look at History Through My Family Tree

THE PLAN AND STARTING POINT OF THIS BLOG

Where should I begin? The truth is I can start with Adam from the Bible or with several other individuals and several other nations. However, I have decided to start with the history of the United States of America. I live here and my immediate family tree is from here, after all. This is the best point in time in which to begin, needless to say. Never mind how our current events, nationally and globally, have made me all the more curious as to our beginnings as a nation and how the values and principles have sustained us to this point.

I have chosen the year 1585 to begin my pursuit of getting to know American history through my family tree. But, why start here?

People lived in what we now call the USA for many years before 1585, but this is when the King of England, and the explorers, had the vision to have a permanent English settlement in North America. It is where our values and principles had their foundation.  I could start before this point, and will one day, but I have decided this is where I will begin.

I also have decided I will tell the historical facts through the eyes of my ancestors and will do so in story form. I will share a story of what might have been, based off of the historical facts, and will convey what happened in the day and the ramifications of what it meant then and what it means today. Some will be written as though it was a journal and some will be in conversation. I call it historical storytelling. It is much like a historical reenactment, but done on the page and not on the stage or at the historical site.

For the first glimpses of American History, I have several distant ancestors and a few direct relations from this period of time.

Down the Rabbit Hole and Up the Family Tree

Let me begin with the story of how all of this was set into motion. Remember from the last blog post that doing the family tree thing was just... well... not my cup of tea. It wasn't what I was interested in at all.

DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE AND UP THE FAMILY TREE

Four years ago, my Granny called me and told me how a family member was working on our family tree and how that family member discovered some interesting and unexpected information. Since Granny sounded interested in it, I was. But, that was the only reason.

After all, before my family member's search, here is what we knew: We knew that Granny's side was here in the U.S. for only four or five generations or so and my grandfather was the second generation. Therefore, we were relatively new to the United States.

Well, we have discovered since how what we thought we knew was not entirely true.

Granny brought to my attention, at this point, how we had a family member by the name of Bryan, Brian with a 'y' she said. At any rate, Bryan Penny lived in Elizabeth City, Virginia in 1670. "How close is that to where you live now?" She asked with hopeful anticipation.

Huh? Pardon? That sure caught my attention as I shrugged my shoulders. We were on the phone, so she couldn't see me.

"Do you know where that is?" She asked me before I could respond. Her excitement and curiosity was more than evident at this point. I couldn't let her down.

"I don’t have any idea. But, give me a moment. I can find out." My heart picked up its pace and I had the sense I just fell down a rabbit hole, but wasn't sure why.

Thank the Lord, I was at my desk so it was easy for me to do a quick Internet search and lo and behold, I discovered where I lived was what was once called Elizabeth Cittie, not to be confused with modern day Elizabeth City in North Carolina. "Granny, you won't believe this... It's right where I live."

We both chuckled.

"Well, isn't that something?" Granny asked, but it was more of a praise than a question.

My husband and I lived in the Tidewater area of Virginia, also known as Hampton Roads, near the cities of Hampton and Newport News, just north of Norfolk and across the bridge. We lived on the peninsula and had for about a year at this point.

The history in this part of Virginia is out of this world. It is a history lover's dream and it will make anyone who didn't like history like it. I was the latter, once again.

When we moved to the area, we had no idea about the true history, or the extent of the American history, in this place. Little did we know, but we woke up that first morning of our move in the true birthplace of the United States of America. Therefore, this only added to my intrigue.

Could our family have ties to Jamestown or to the battle of Yorktown in the American Revolutionary War? Just the thought seemed incredible to me. It was also the very thing that made me want to do more research.

"That's quite the surprise. So, no one knew we have been here in the States that long?" I asked as I searched online.

"It is a surprise. We had no idea." Granny sounded as excited about the prospect as I did.

"Huh. It looks like he was in Norfolk, which is about forty-five miles south and across the water and tunnel from here. It's where the Naval Yard is located. From what I can see, he was born there and died there."

"That is close, isn't it?"

It is... It looks like I need time to do some more research. How much has she gotten done with the tree?"

"Some, but not a great deal."

"Well, Granny... give me some time and will let you know what I discover."

That was all it took. I became obsessive over the next two weeks in order to get the most for the free access I had during that time and I bought one month of a subscription thereafter.

Sure enough. We had family members as Yorktown in the American Revolutionary War and at Jamestown a stand at last count, we had sixty-five members of our family executed at the Tower of London. Never mind the U.S. presidents and signers of the Declaration of Independence. There, also, have been numerous kings, queens, and emperors from several countries. All of which are interesting, but it's the lives of the more simple folk I tend to be most interested in. Who were they, what did they do, what was their life like, and what was their faith? It makes me quite curious.

It's the history I can learn from that also makes me even more intrigued. I cannot wait to explore American History through the eyes of my ancestors. It makes history real and come alive for me. And I hope it does the same for you.

WAS THE USA STARTED AS A CHRISTIAN NATION?

This is a question we will address as we learn the history of the USA from the history books and from my family tree.

REMEMBERED

Every person has thousands of stories over their life. I wish I had time to tell several stories of each individual so we could do what should be done. Every person has lived. Hence, they should be remembered. Granted, from some stories we can learn what to do from but from others, we can learn what to do. But, they should be remembered nonetheless. The more stories that are remembered, the more we learn the truth about history and what really happened and why.

Let's look back and see what brought the United States of America into existence, why, and how, and see what we can learn from and apply today.

Let's learn the stories and remember.

The Stories of History and My Family Tree

THE STORIES OF HISTORY

Life is full of stories. Some are true and some are make-believe.

Every life has several stories which could be told of every day, never mind over the course of a week, month, year, or decade. What makes things fascinating is how most of our stories intersect with other people's stories and how each person will remember only their version or angle of the story. After all, stories are individual and collective.

I don't know about you, but I love a good story, true or make-believe, and I enjoy reading them, hearing them, telling them, and even making them up or embellishing them in an effort for entertainment or escapism. However, one of my favorite ways to tell an tale is to make up stories based off of historical facts and fill in the gaps of what could have happened when we do not know the full story. Its purpose is to explain what could have been and helps us learn about what that life was like and teaches us about history.

Have you ever thought how history, while it is factual, is actually comprised of stories?

If I would have realized this when I went to school, history would have been one of my favorite subjects, not my least favorite.

This blog is about my family tree. From my family tree, I have learned a great deal already about roots, history, and faith. It amazes me how many stories I can learn about my family doing an Internet search. What a blessing it is to be able to do so. Technology is truly amazing.

What can be frustrating is how many lives there are from my family tree; however, there are several family members I do cannot find their stories. They lived. It seems so wrong not to know their stories and I find it rather gut-wrenching.

Wouldn't it have been nice if we had their journals or letters so that we could know their stories?

That thought got me thinking and is the foundation of this new blog. I will share my family's stories. I will use history to fill in the gaps and form a story of what was or what could have been for each individual and with some of them, I will share a few more.

I never imagined I would learn so much about history than I have through researching and learning about my family tree. Then again, I am quite blessed because my family tree is quite large and there are several familiar historical names. However, there are those of us who are simple and wouldn't be known. These are the stories I want to focus on most, but it takes the well-known stories to help fill in the gaps of the unknown and what could have beens.

Now, this is the way to get to know history.

What is exciting is this blog has the potential of over 17,499 stories. And, let me add how I do not have my family tree near completion. That number will most likely grow, by the way, in the upcoming months. Therefore, I guarantee I can share many stories based on history and what could have happened, and stories based off of historical facts, and tell these stories over a period of years and even decades.

This blog is a memoir of sorts, is a family tree and genealogical blog, is a history blog, and is a blog on faith. It's a blog of stories. Welcome to this new blog about roots, my family tree, history, and faith... and lessons learned from each. It also will help you get to know how to do online genealogy.

This blog will help you to know the true foundations of the USA... the foundations of truth, not a political agenda,mas what is taught in schools and textbooks today. This is the real and unvarnished depiction of history, told through the eyes of those who lived it, and through the eyes of those with prestige and those with none (according to the world, that is). Let's get to know the history of the USA through the eyes of those who actually lived.

I will start our stories with what happened in 1585 and Roanoke and then move to those who came here to the USA through Jamestown, Virginia between 1607 and 1699. But, first, let me tell you the story of how I started to research my family tree. It was not something I ever imagined doing or wanted to do. Little did I know how captivating it would be and how much it would change me.

BIOLOGY, ROOTS, HISTORY, AND FAITH

A family tree offers more than information about biology. It offers roots and a chance to learn about faith, history, and life in a very real way. While your family tree tells you where you came from, and by whom, it also teaches a great deal more. (So much more!) I have discovered studying my family tree is by far the best way to learn history and about faith. It makes history come alive in a fresh way and this alone can change you and enrich your life tremendously. My life certainly has been.

Learning about my family tree has been a very rewarding endeavor and I never would have dreamed this was the case. The truth is, sad to admit, I just wasn’t all that interested in doing anything with genealogy.

No. Scratch that. That is putting it a little too kindly. The truth is, four years ago, I could care less about my family tree, never mind spending the time, effort, and money in actually researching something which didn’t interest me. If someone else did it, great. But, I didn’t want to waste my time. Let me be even more straightforward and confess how I found genealogy interesting, but I just couldn't imagine doing it, let alone with my small family. After all, we knew so little about all four of my family trees. I didn’t imagine there would be much to research.

Life, however, brings unexpected surprises which can change the course of our lives.

Sometimes, when we look back, we can say we should have seen it coming. Other times, there is no way we could have foreseen what transpires. This family tree business is the latter for me. I never would have dreamt this would happen, or how much it would transform me and my life, never mind how it continues to do so nearly four years later. This is what researching my family tree has done for me and for my family. And, this is my story.

I think it has taken me four years to realize what my family tree means to me.

Frankly, I also am still trying to sort it out, I should probably mention. However, it is one of those family trees too interesting not to invest time and energy for, and a little bit of money. In fact, it is more than worthwhile.

I started a very interesting journey back in June 2012 and my life has not been the same since.

This means it is now a time for another confession. I haven't spent too much time at all tracing my family tree. It is expensive to do so, in my estimation, unless you have a great deal of time to invest in doing the necessary research. Therefore, I usually get a one month subscription and I then work on it day and night for a month in order to cram as much into that month of money spent. The first two weeks of most online family tree creators are free and that is what started my journey. Since then, I have only spent the money for five months, I think, of additional research. That is it. But, I have made my time count, that is for sure.

Although, I wish I would have invested more in it, I think there is a reason why I didn't yet. I will get into that in a moment.
Would you believe I have 17,499 individuals on my family tree so far? (No joke.) Never mind how I still have quite a bit to research with it, including making some changes where I have duplicates of certain individuals and a few other errors. But, that is what I have at this point.

And, the story gets better. This is with just one of my family trees. Not all four (the four sets of grandparents).  The tree I am describing is with my paternal grandmother.

However, the fruit of my research has been beyond bewildering. My mind just started to try to process more of it, but I am not sure if I can, without intentionally spending some time trying to do so. The information has been so astounding I think it has taken me nearly four years to attempt to grasp what I have revealed and have learned so far. Furthermore, I do not think it has come even close to fully sinking in yet, let alone fully grasping the implications of what I have uncovered and learned. I imagine this is why I have decided to write my story is to figure out what this really means for my life. (I also hope to inspire you to do your family tree as well.)

I will share all of my interesting finds shortly, but first want to share where I am currently with this Jamestown Ancestry family tree project.

Just yesterday, I sent my ancestral DNA kit back to the company I ordered it from and that has opened the proverbial can of worms. Now, the waiting begins. I have waited a few years for them to build up their database and perfect their DNA testing and how they keep the information secure. They were having a sale and I decided to ask my husband if he would mind and he told me to jump at the opportunity, so I did. It could take between six and eight weeks for them to process my saliva sample and to downloqd the results online for me. Or, that is what I was initially told. I looked online earlier today, however, and they said it could take longer before I get my results because they have received many sales, which I imagine is thanks to the discount they have been offering.

Curses. Doesn't that just figure? I am finally read for it, and am beyond excited, and this is what happens. I am told to wait. Unfortunately, I have had much experience with waiting, so I can wait. I just prefer not to do so. (Sigh.)

I am curious to see what the DNA results will being to my family tree since I do not know much about my maternal grandmother's, my maternal grandfather's, or my paternal grandfather's family trees. I barely have any information on those three trees. Furthermore, I am curious to see what more I learn about my maternal grandmother's family tree. It's that tee that has so many precious gems. Will the others, too? What will I learn? Curiosity builds as I wait.

The results of the testing of my DNA will be added, by the family tree company I use, to the current family tree I have online. More family tree branches and leaves will be added from there. Then, I will also be able to look at other family trees on the site, of other individuals I do not even know, to see if I can glean more information from their trees regarding my family trees. It should fill in some gaps and make some corrections, but I imagine it will bring more questions as well. I look forward to the challenge.

I do not want to waste my time with doing the DNA testing and then do nothing with it. Therefore, I have decided to invest my time and resources and get serious about doing a full study of my four family trees and get every branch to the point I cannot go any further because of a lack of data. Or, in genealogical terms, I want to get to the end of the line. And, I have decided to write the story about my research, my results, what I have learned, and what it means to me, to my family, and even to you, reader.

I will be forthcoming here and add that it could take me years to fully research my tree, never mind write what I learn from it. Therefore, this blog will be a different kind of history blog and will be told through my family tree.

Additionally, I have decided how once I receive my DNA results, I'm going to order either a three month or a six month subscription to my family tree site. Now, I just need to tell my husband about the investment we will need to make. Wish me luck.