The Voyage of Captain Bartholomew Gosnold In 1602 To Cape Cod and the Vineyard. by Captain John I^acouture THE VOYAGE OF CAPTAIN Bartholomew Gosnold in the bark Con from England and the Azores, in 1602 established the location of Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard in May of this year. Whether, in his sail along the southern shores of Cape Cod, he did manage to sight Nan tucket is a question as it was a low shore well out to sea. In any event, he did discover the Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands, and returned to England with the news, anchoring at Exmouth on July 23,1602. This was the beginninng of his subsequent voyaging with John Smith, a soldier of fortune, which led to further adventures. Mr. Lacouture's story follows: cord,
Bartholomew Gosnold, one of England's earliest explorers and in the words of Captain John Smith The "Pathfinder for New England" and the "Prime Mover of Virginia", has never received the acknowledge ment due him. He lies buried in an unknown and an unmarked grave in Jamestown, neglected by history. His role in the establishment of the first permanent English speaking settlement in America is even less remembered than his earlier attempt to plant a small English trading settlement in the New England area. Conversely, Capt. John Smith, well known for his leadership role during the first two critical years at Jamestown, is seldom mentioned for his exploration and naming of New England and for his continuous writings and efforts to encourage English colonization of New England. Bartholomew Gosnold was born in Suffolk County, England in 1571 or 1572. He grew up near the seacoast towns of Woodbridge and Ipswich, when tales of exploration and adventure at sea were being recorded and talked about. He could read about Drake's voyage around the world in 1577, about Verrazzano's voyage of exploration up the East Coast of North America in 1524, and about Sir Humphrey Gilbert's unsuccessful attempts of establish a colony in the New England area in 1583. The first record of Gosnold's early life is contained in the records of the Univer sity of Cambridge, showing him matriculating at Jesus College in 1587. After Cambridge, Gosnold attended New Inns to study law. In 1595 Gosnold married Mary Golding, from Bury St. Edmonds. This was a fortunate marriage for Gosnold since Martha Golding, Mary's mother, was the aunt of Sir Thomas Smythe. He was the leading merchant of London, governor of the Muscovy Company, founder and governor of the East India Company, and was to become the founder and head of the Virginia Company. For the next few years Gosnold apparently settl ed in Suffolk as a country squire where he started raising a family.
