THE WILKINS FAMILY AND THE BUILDING OF AMERICA: Second Edition

By Arthur F. Wilkins

Born in San Bernardino, California, the author enlisted in the U.S. Navy immediately after his high school graduation and served as a radioman. Later he attended Mt. San Antonio College, and following graduation there he earned his Bachelor’s Degree (Social Sciences) at California State Polytechnic University in Pomona. Wilkins has always taken a keen interest in social issues. In Santa Ana, California, he founded Catholic Americans for Peace Through Strength.
In the early 1990s he actively participated in Right to Life, and in 1996 he joined the Indiana Citizens Volunteer Militia, where he served as an officer until 2002.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 9, 2023
• ISBN: 9798369409602

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Copyright © 2023 by Arthur F. Wilkins.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 11/17/2023

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CONTENTS

Book Summary

Special Request For Fellow Scholars And Writers

Special Thanks

How To Use The Source Notes

List Of Illustrations Contained In This Book

Chapter 1:    Virginia, The Old Dominion— The Wilkins Family’s Earliest Beginnings In America

Chapter 2:    The Descendants Of Andrew Wilkins— What Was Once A Dark Age In The Family History Is Now Illuminated

Chapter 3:    Father And Sons— Pioneers And Tillers Of The Soil

Chapter 4:    From Virginia To The Carolinas

Chapter 5:    The Wilkins Family In The Revolutionary War

Chapter 6:    The Postwar Years— The Start Of A New And Unprecedented Era

Chapter 7:    The Life Of Moses Franklin Wilkins, A Man Who Stood By His Convictions And Lived His Faith

Chapter 8:    Our Wilkins Family In Britain, That Land Of Castles And The Magna Carta

Chapter 9:    DNA Science Takes Us Back Many Centuries, Revealing The Ancient Origins Of Our Wilkins Line

Chapter 10:   Where Does It Go From Here? The Future Of Research On The Wilkins Line, And Of DNA Science In General

Special Appendix No. 1

Special Appendix No. 2

Special Appendix No. 3

Afterword

Autobiography

DEDICATION

This small genealogical work is dedicated to the people and government of the United Kingdom, the land of our Wilkins ancestors.

In the early history of the United States, the British were twice this country’s enemies. But throughout the last century, Great Britain has proved to be the greatest friend and ally America has ever known.

May both great nations continue their work for peace in this darkened world, and strive for that day— as prayed for in the hymn, America the Beautiful— when God will mend their every flaw.

BOOK SUMMARY

This slender volume is intended to give other Wilkins family members a sense of where our family fits into American history. I’ve tried to draw the family’s growth, from the early days of colonization in Virginia to the 19th century. Each chapter covers a certain period in Wilkins family history, and/or a specific geographic area. I’ve tried to supply as many useful facts as I can, in order to help other family historians carry the research further. Several appendices are added, to provide additional information. If you find this book readable, informative, or useful for your research, it has served its purpose.

SPECIAL REQUEST FOR

FELLOW SCHOLARS

AND WRITERS

After the first edition of this book was published in 2007, I noticed that other writers were benefiting from its content. Occasionally I would see a random reference to William Wilkins (b. 1746) receiving his first land grant from George III on December 8, 1774— a fact which I had never seen anywhere else before the first edition was published. Obviously such tidbits of information were getting around.

I certainly don’t claim any monopoly on such knowledge. Historical facts are for everyone. However, for whoever happens to find the information in this book worth repeating, I do have one small request. Would you please show me the same courtesy that I’ve shown to my sources, and at least cite this book as your own source?

We all want to be useful for others. We all like to be seen as an authority on one subject or another. But still, after spending virtually my entire life gathering family information, traveling to numerous states and many, many libraries in search of new information— after paying large sums of money out of my own funds for travel expenses, as well as for hiring professional genealogists— I don’t think this is asking too much. Can you please be courteous enough to give some credit to your own sources? Including this one?

SPECIAL THANKS

I’d like to thank several people who helped to make this new edition possible— my cousin Jeffry G. Wilkins of Tennessee, who supplied many documents relating to the Revolutionary War service of our ancestors; Traci Thompson of North Carolina, a professional genealogist who discovered critical information regarding William Wilkins himself; Anne Taylor Brown of Virginia, another professional researcher who unearthed many important Wilkins documents in that State; and also Mr. Alton Rabon, another professional who found a great many documents relating to William Wilkins (1746–1807) in South Carolina. I would also like to express my sincere thanks to Kim Riley, Wynn Zetterberg, Virginia Dunn, and to the countless other librarians, record agency employees, and others who have helped me with their patience, and who are too numerous to name.

HOW TO USE THE

SOURCE NOTES

In the text you will find source notes contained in brackets such as this: [15:325]. This simply means that the source for the information being discussed is item No. 15 below, page 325. Each chapter has its own list of sources shown at the end. When a note is written like this: [10:58-63], it means that it is from source No. 10 for that chapter, and the information is from pages 58 to 63. I hope that this method will help the reader to find the text more readable, and the sources easily understandable.

A.F.W.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

CONTAINED IN THIS BOOK

1. Artist’s representation of early 17th century colonial buildings. (National Geographic Magazine, January 1982) (Printed under license from National Geographic Magazine.)

2. Colonial Map showing location of Point Comfort.

3. Map showing Flowerdew Hundred area of Charles City County in the 17th century. (VA State Library Bulletin, 1916)

4. Signature of William Wilkins Sr. (c1636–1705), January 1693/94. (Charles City Co., VA, Order Book, p. 178)

5. Signature mark of John Wilkins, brother of William Wilkins Jr., Feb. 1693. (Charles City Co., VA, Order Book, p. 458)

6. Robert Wilkins’ first plat survey (March 1747).

7. Robert Wilkins’ second plat survey (March 1748).

8. Robert Wilken listing from 1748 Tithable list for Lunenburg County, Virginia.

9. Map showing location of Robert Wilkins’ first parcel (and William Byrd’s land just to the east of it).

10. Page from the 1822 estate file of Alexander Wilkins, listing William Wilkins’ children as beneficiaries.

11. Robert Wilkins’ Deed of Gift to his son Alexander. (Tryon County, North Carolina, Deed Book 1, p. 269)

12. Robert Wilkins’ original Granville Grant document (Face of document).

13. Robert Wilkins’ original Granville Grant document (Back of document).

14. Plat of the Granville Grant surveyed for Robert Wilkins, dated February 19, 1754.

15. Map showing location of Robert Wilkins’ new parcel on Country (County) Line Creek.

16. Deposition filed by John Wilkins reporting an extortionist fee charged for a deed registration, 1768.

17. Governor William Tryon’s proclamation against the North Carolina Regulators, 1768.

18. William Wilkins’ signature as a witness to his father’s land purchase, 1769. (Tryon Co., NC, Deed Book 1, p. 249.)

19. Specimen of North Carolina proclamation money, 40 shilling (2 pound) note issued in 1768.

20. Deed of Sale for William Wilkins’ parcel in Tryon County, North Carolina.

21. Deed of Purchase for William Wilkins’ parcel in Tryon County, North Carolina.

22. Robert Wilkins’ signature mark, 1770. (Tryon Co., NC, Deed Book 1, p. 418-419)

23. Robert Wilkins’ signature mark, 1749. (Lunenburg Co., VA, Deed Book 2, p. 97)

24. Memorial stone for Elizabeth Ann Wilkins (1756?–1820); Wilkins family cemetery near Gaffney, South Carolina. (Photo provided by Mr. Jeffry G. Wilkins of Tennessee)

25. Royal land grant for William Wilkins’ property in South Carolina, granted in December 1774.

26. Official uniform for a North Carolina private— Continental Army regulations of 1779.

27. Unofficial uniform worn by most North Carolina troops in the field. (Painting by Lt. Charles M. Lefferts)

28. Robert Wilkins’ full signature, from an account payment chit signed on February 10, 1785.

29. Robert Wilkins’ original grant for land near Rocky Comfort Creek. (Columbia Co., Georgia, Deed Book B, p. 20-21)

30. 1799 Survey Warrant for a grant to Robert Wilkins for 100 acres in Hancock County, Georgia.

31. Robert Wilkins’ sale of his first parcel to William Thomas Jr. (Richmond County, Georgia, Deed Book G, p. 175)

32. William Wilkins’ listing in the 1790 Federal Census for Spartanburg County, South Carolina.

33. Clipping about political campaign of one of William Wilkins’ grandsons, published by the Mountain Banner in 1848.

34. Crop showing where plantation was crossed out in William Wilkins’ will.

35. Memorial stone for William Wilkins (1746–1807), Wilkins family cemetery near Gaffney, South Carolina. (Photo provided by Mr. Jeffry G. Wilkins of Tennessee)

36. Silver spoon which belonged to William Wilkins (1746–1807).

37. William Wilkins’ last signature, signed to his will on March 30, 1807.

38. William Wilkins’ signature from a deed which he signed in 1794. (Spartanburg County, SC, Deed Book D, p. 256)

39. News article from Harper’s New Monthly Magazine about a speech by Senator Jefferson Davis, published in 1850.

40. Obituary of Mattie M. Walker (daughter of William M. Wilkins), published in 1873. (Clipping provided by the late Miss Mattie Leslie of Abbeville, Mississippi)

41. Obituary notices for Ellen Wilkins (1795–1854) and infant James Jefferies Wilkins, published in 1854. (Clipping provided by the late Miss Mattie Leslie of Abbeville, Mississippi)

42. Headstone for grave of daughter Willie Maud Wilkins (1869–1878) in Pleasant View Cemetery, Holly Springs, Miss. (Photo provided by the late Mr. Jesse Lee Wilkins of Holly Springs, Mississippi)

43. Men of the 9th Mississippi Regiment training in 1861 at Camp Esau, near Warrington, Florida.

44. Typescript copy of Moses F. Wilkins’ commission in the 37th Mississippi Regiment.

45. Capt. Moses F. Wilkins’ resignation from his commission, page 1. (US National Archives, General Services Admin.)

46. Capt. Moses F. Wilkins’ resignation from his commission, page 2. (US National Archives, General Services Admin.)

47. John P. Fennell (1836–1878) and compatriots in camp with the 9th Mississippi Regiment, 1861.

48. News article on the marriage of Moses Wilkins and Mellie Fennell, from the Holly Springs South, September 20, 1882.

49. Photograph of Moses and Mellie Wilkins, taken c1882. (Photo provided by the late Mr. Frank M. Wilkins of Memphis, Tennessee)

50. Birth announcement for Arthur Fennell Wilkins, published by the Holly Springs Reporter on January 7, 1886.

51. Toddy glass which was owned and used by Moses F. Wilkins (1823–1898).

52. Photograph of Aaron F. Wilkins (1862–1895), taken on December 31, 1886. (Photo provided by the late Mr. Frank M. Wilkins of Memphis, Tennessee)

53. Photograph of Anna Louise Fennell Wilkins (1870–1957), taken in July of 1899. (Photo provided by the late Mr. Frank M. Wilkins of Memphis, Tennessee)

54. Editorial against lynching from the Holly Springs South, published in 1895.

55. Artist’s portrait of Moses F. Wilkins, sketched in the 1890s. (Original portrait provided by the late Mrs. Bettie L. Wilkins of California)

56. Photograph of Moses F. Wilkins, taken in the 1890s. (Photo provided by the late Mr. Frank M. Wilkins of Memphis, Tennessee)

57. Obituary notice for Moses F. Wilkins, published by the Holly Springs South in 1898.

58. News article and eulogy (by Moses F. Wilkins’ fellow veterans), published by the Holly Springs Reporter in 1898.

59. Outline map showing traditional counties of England and Wales prior to 1974.

60. Map for SNPs R1b-U152 through R1b-Z49 with cluster showing ancestral homeland area in southeastern England. (Reprinted here with permission of Family Tree DNA.)

61. Map for the SNP R1b-FGC12378 with cluster of dots showing ancestral homeland location in the last centuries BC. (Reprinted here with permission of Mr. Mark Mitchell, author of the map.)

62. Map for the SNP R1b-Z49 with cluster of dots showing ancestral homeland location before the 6th century BC. (Reprinted here with permission of Family Tree DNA.)

CHAPTER 1

VIRGINIA, THE OLD DOMINION—

THE WILKINS FAMILY’S EARLIEST

BEGINNINGS IN AMERICA

(For footnotes shown in brackets, see list

of sources at end of chapter.)

THE SEED OF LIBERTY PLANTED

IN AMERICA: JAMESTOWN

FOUNDED— MAY 13/14, 1607

Virginia, named in honor of the Virgin Queen, Elizabeth I, was the first permanent colony founded by England in what is now the United States. After a failed attempt in the 1580s to establish a colony at Roanoke Island (now in North Carolina), the British government determined to try again; and once again, the destination was Roanoke Island.

If everything had gone as planned, Virginia would now be located farther south on the Atlantic seaboard. But the same divine hand which controls all of history intervened on this singular occasion:

"In 1606, King James I. of England, granted letters patent,—an exclusive right, or privilege,—to two companies, called the London and Plymouth Companies : by which they were authorized to possess the lands, in America, lying between the 34th and 45th degrees of north latitude ; the southern part, called South Virginia, to the London, and the ¹northern, called North Virginia, to the Plymouth Company.

"Under this patent, the London Company sent Capt. Christopher Newport to Virginia, Dec. 20th, 1606, with a colony of one hundred and five persons, to commence a settlement on the island of Roanoke,—now in North Carolina.— after a tedious voyage of four months, by the circuitous route of the West Indies, he entered Chesapeake Bay, having been driven north of the place of his destination.

"Here it was concluded to land ; and, proceeding up a river, called by the Indians, Powhatan, but, by the colony, James River, on a beautiful peninsula, in May, 1607, they began the first permanent [English] settlement in North America, and called it Jamestown." [15:21-22]

THE FIRST WILKINS IN

VIRGINIA AND AMERICA

In spite of terrible hardships and privations in the early years, settlers from Britain continued to brave the uncertainties of life in the New World. The name of Wilkins was not long in being established on this new beachhead of civilization. John Wilkins arrived on the ship Mary gould (Marigold) in May of 1618. [1:69] Also: [30:26-27]

It is likely that John Wilkins first lived in Isle of Wight County at the plantation established by ²Christopher Lawne, who had brought the Marigold over. [25:3] Also: [30:26-27] Some time after the Indian attack of 1622, however, John Wilkins is found settled on the Eastern Shore (the Chesapeake Peninsula), in Accomack County. [4:54] Also: [25:3-4] Several years after arriving in Virginia he married a lady named Bridget Craft, and later he went on to become active in the politics of the Eastern Shore. In 1639, and again in 1641, he represented Accomack County in the Virginia House of Burgesses. [6:xiv]

The area where he settled, Accomack County, was later re-named Northampton County. In his will, drawn up on December 23, 1649, he described himself as John Wilkins of Accomacke alias Northampton County in Virginia gent. [17:36] Since this was his own self-identification, throughout this work he will be called John Wilkins of Accomack, in deference to his own words.

ANDREW WILKINS— OUR

EMIGRANT ANCESTOR

The original emigrant ancestor of our own family was one Andrew Wilkins. This fact is recorded in the recollections of Jane Wilkins Austell, the daughter of William Wilkins (1746–1807) of Spartanburg County, South Carolina. Jane was born on Friday, August 14, 1778, and lived until 1851. Her recollections of our family history were handed down through her descendants in the Austell family of Georgia, and published in a work titled Men of Mark in Georgia. [20:363-365]

Remarkably, both Andrew and his father’s christening records have been found in the files of Ancestry.com. Andrew Wilkins’ christening was recorded in the town or village of Hatfield, in Hertfordshire, England. (Not far north of London.) The church record shows that he was christened on (Friday,) October 28, 1608, indicating his birth had taken place not many days before that.

The christening record of Andrew’s father, Richard Wilkins, is also contained in the files of Ancestry.com. Richard Wilkins’ birth was recorded in the town or village of Aldenham. The church record shows he was christened on (Sunday,) April 9, 1570. How can we know that this was not a coincidence— some other (random) Richard Wilkins? As it happens, his own father is named in this christening record as another Andrew Wilkins. And that is what we call conclusive.

How can we describe the fact of these original records corroborating the family lore of Jane Wilkins Austell? Astounding? Fantastic? A miracle of serendipity? Yet this is what we have. I call it a gift from a generous God. But this is not all He has gifted us with. For the first time in the history of Wilkins family research, we have entirely new proof showing which facts in the family lore are reliable— and which facts are not. All of this will soon be made clear.

New information brought to light in 2020 has shown that much of the family history information contained in Men of Mark [Source No. 20] was not taken directly from Jane Austell’s recollections, but derived from separate research. It’s now known that this added material was erroneous— in its entirety. In my estimation, the only genuine recollections of Jane Austell can be narrowed down to these four: (1) Andrew Wilkins was our emigrant ancestor. (2) Andrew’s father was Richard Wilkins. (3) Richard was a sea captain. (4) Richard was involved in some activity which Jane recalled as the West India trade. These first four facts— presented in Men of Mark [20:364]— are without doubt from the original family lore preserved by Jane Austell; and two of them (the 2nd and 4th) are unique, appearing nowhere else in the known Wilkins family literature.

Jane might also have thought that Richard Wilkins was a Welshman by birth; or, this may have been added on by the outside researcher. (In any case, this Welsh origin for Richard has been disproved by his christening record, as well as indisputable DNA evidence.) The fact that Richard Wilkins was a sea captain was independently recorded in the Simpson B. Wilkins family lore, although his name was misremembered as Robert in that source. [13:379]

JOHN WILKINS OF

NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY

There is a fifth fact purported to be from Jane, which may also be authentic. It was stated in Men of Mark that one of Andrew’s sons, named John, eventually settled in Northumberland County, Virginia. The few surviving 17th century records of Northumberland County do prove that a John Wilkins was living there, until he passed away about 1695.

However, this fifth fact (that Andrew’s son John settled in Northumberland County) might also be the result of outside research. The narrative in Men of Mark erroneously identified Andrew’s son John with a later (18th century) John Wilkins who purportedly married Elizabeth Haynie. The Haynie family is known to have been active in the affairs of Northumberland County in the 18th century. We (as researchers) must consider the unpleasant possibility that John Wilkins, the son of Andrew, was transposed (by the researcher hired by the Austell family) into Northumberland County to explain the later John Wilkins’ purported marriage to Elizabeth Haynie, whose family lived there. (Since these two men with the name of John Wilkins had mistakenly been combined into one, that could have seemed perfectly logical to the genealogist who made the mistake.)

Yet surviving original records from Northumberland County do prove that there was a John Wilkins living there in the 17th century. [Source No. 26] Also: [36:106] This individual could well have been that remembered son of the emigrant ancestor Andrew. So— until new research can show otherwise— I will operate under the assumption that this recollection of Jane Austell regarding Northumberland County is authentic. According to Men of Mark, Jane Wilkins Austell identified John Wilkins of Northumberland as a son of Andrew, and nothing has been found which actually contradicts this.

At the very least, the first four core facts which I’ve cited in Jane Wilkins Austell’s recollections are not found in any published sources which were available to researchers in 1911 (when Men of Mark was published). Therefore it stands to reason that these facts (and very possibly all five of them) originated from Jane herself.

A SECOND SOURCE OF EARLY FAMILY LORE

There is another source available to us which is derived from an early family tradition, a source which has already been mentioned just above. There are a number of unique facts handed down in the family of Simpson B. Wilkins (1854–1922), a businessman of Spartanburg County, South Carolina. [13:379-380] Simpson B. Wilkins was a grandson of William Wilkins’ son John (1789–1872). [40:57-60] In these memoirs, Andrew’s name is for some reason recorded as Peter Andrew Wilkins. Since middle names were exceedingly rare in 17th-century England, the added name of Peter seems extremely unlikely. However, there may be another explanation. Families in those days often gave their children names derived from biblical origins. (Generations later, the Wilkins family produced twin brothers named for Moses and Aaron, who were brothers in the Old Testament.) In the New Testament, it is recorded that one of the Apostle Peter’s brothers was named Andrew. Could this ancient family tradition of a Peter Andrew Wilkins be a garbled memory of two brothers— Peter and Andrew Wilkins? I believe this is a distinct possibility.

There’s an interesting claim made in both these family traditions: Andrew Wilkins is said to have been the brother of the same John Wilkins of the Eastern Shore, who came to Virginia in 1618. Of course, John Wilkins of Accomack County was the most prominent Wilkins in colonial Virginia. There is no doubt that generations of Wilkins researchers have made the leap of faith to name him as an ancestor. (In my earliest years of research I thought so myself.) But genetic science has finally solved this mystery.

THE NEW PROOF: JOHN WILKINS OF ACCOMACK’S RELATIONSHIP TO ANDREW WILKINS— A REVELATION WHICH THROWS A FLOOD OF LIGHT ON ALL OUR MAJOR SOURCES

In the first edition of this book (2007), I noted that John Wilkins of Accomack— the most prominent Wilkins in colonial Virginia— was often claimed by Wilkins researchers as a relative to Andrew Wilkins. I also recommended that such claims should be taken with a grain of salt. Now, at long last, the question of his relationship to our Wilkins line has been answered conclusively:

John Wilkins of Accomack County, Virginia, and our own ancestor Andrew Wilkins were definitely not related.

Thanks to the science of DNA testing, it is now known that John Wilkins of Accomack County was not related to Andrew. Genetic testing in 2021 on two known descendants of John Wilkins— the late Mr. William B. Wilkins of Virginia, and Mr. Drew Wilkins of the greater New York City area— has established the Y-DNA haplotype for John Wilkins of Accomack as R1b-FT416738.

Regarding Andrew Wilkins and his male descendants, the Y-DNA haplotype has been found to be R1b-FGC12378, which is the farthest downstream ²SNP for which individual testing is available, as of 2023. For those men who take the comprehensive Y-genome test, the haplotype will likely be either R1b-BY123490 or R1b-FT285495. But neither of these haplotypes are related to the one determined for John Wilkins of Accomack. It is quite possible that future testing will establish still newer downstream haplotypes for John and/or Andrew Wilkins. But no amount of testing will ever show them to be Y-DNA relatives.

To sum it up in plain language: John Wilkins of Accomack County and our ancestor Andrew Wilkins were not brothers. They were not father and son; nor were they uncle and nephew. They weren’t even cousins— at least, not through their male lines. And John Wilkins’ descendant (often identified as the John Wilkins of Northampton County, Virginia, who was an active Patriot official in that county during the Revolutionary War) was not the father of William Wilkins (1746–1807). As far as our Wilkins family male line is concerned, John Wilkins of Accomack might as well be the Duke of Scuttlebutt.

VIRGINIA— A COLONY FROM

SEA TO SHINING SEA

In its earliest stages, the colony of Virginia was the strongest British foothold in what would become the United States. In 1609 its boundaries were legally set to include all the lands as far as the distant Western shore. This would actually have extended Virginia into modern southern California, and well up into Canada— nearly the whole of the present 48 contiguous states! It was a legal fiction, of course, and an untenable claim. But a map [23:XX] of this super colony shows what the British Crown originally had in mind. While the Virginia Company men in London made their plans and drew their maps, the struggling pioneers in Virginia were seeing quite another picture.

Life in those earliest days is hard for the modern American to comprehend. The tiny colony was surrounded by tribes of the Powhatan Confederation, who were ruled by a tyrant of the same name. Chief ⁴Powhatan ruled like a despot, exercising dictatorial power over his subjects and taxing them at the rate of 80% of all that they produced. And he was not well-disposed toward the English settlers. [24:18] The colonists would face years of deadly harassment from the Indians.

The first years of settlement were, in fact, a period of extreme tribulation for the new colony. One of the reasons Jamestown survived its first two years was the leadership of ⁵Captain John Smith, and the discipline which he’d imposed. But Smith suffered serious burns from a gunpowder explosion, and he left for England on October 1, 1609, to seek better medical attention. [24:113]

Smith’s departure was a disaster for Jamestown. The Indians, upon learning he had left, intensified their harassment of the English. But far worse, the ensuing winter would bring a horrible famine. The colonists would never forget the winter of 1609-’10. Before that, there had been 490 settlers in Virginia. When spring finally came, sixty were left. [22:193] Forever after, it would be known simply as the Starving Time. [11:709] Severe as it was, that winter’s losses were but a small part of the sufferings those early pioneers would endure. Vast numbers of English settlers would perish before Virginia became a viable and self-sufficient province.

The colony was, actually, like a great testing-ground— one which winnowed out the weak and ensured that only the strongest and most resourceful survived. Of course, it’s easy to look back in time and say all this, from a comfortable perch in our 21st century society. But that’s how it was 400 years ago. Those people suffered tremendous hardships.

The losses continued well after Jamestown’s founding; many colonists died of disease as well as starvation. The census of 1623 reveals a mortality rate for the previous year approaching