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CHAPTER 1 COLEMANS IN AMERICA PRIOR TO THE SETTLEMENTS AT JAMESTOWN AND PLYMOUTH By J. P. COLEMAN After receiving from Queen Elizabeth a patent for colonization in the new world, Sir Walter Raleigh, in April, 1584, sent out Philip Amader and Arthur Barlowe to discover a suitable location for a colony. On April 9, 1585, a colony of about 108 men sailed in seven small vessels from Plymouth. The colony was established at the northern end of Roanoke Island on August 17th, and about a week later the Commander of the expedition, Sir Richard Grenville returned to England. In June 1586, threatened with famine and the hostilities of the Indians, this entire colony returned to England on vessels of Sir Francis Drake's fleet. Only a few days after their departure, Sir Richard Grenville arrived with supplies and more colonists. Only fifteen of these remained when Grenville sailed away. A second colony, sent out by Sir Walter Raleigh, composed of 121 persons under John White arrived at Roanoke Island July 22, 1587. Not one of the fifteen persons left by Grenville in 1586 were found alive. The sailors refused to transport the second colony to the shores of Chesapeake Bay as Raleigh had directed, so they were forced to remain at Roanoke Island. John White's granddaughter, Virginia Dare, was born only twenty- nine days after the second colony arrived at Roanoke, and she was thus the first English child born in America. In this group of 121 persons were Thomas Colman and his wife, whose given name was not listed. See Page 211 of Dr. Francis L. Hawks' History of North Carolina, Volume 1, published 1857. John White returned to England for supplies and did not get back to Roanoke Island for three years, arriving there August 15, 1590. After various delays, at 10 o'clock in the morning of August 17th, the ships were anchored about two miles off-shore. One group safely made it to shore. White reported that there was a great gale of wind blowing from the northeast. Captain Spicer, in another boat, steered by Ralph Skinner, was very nearly overturned, and then White gave the following description: "The men kept the boat, some in it and some hanging on it, but the next sea set the boat on ground, where it beat so, that some of - 29 - . THE ROBERT COLEMAN FAMILY them were forced to let go their hold, hoping to wade ashore, but the sea still beat them down, so that they could neither stand nor swim, and the boat twice or thrice was turned keel upward, whereon Captain Spicer and Skinner hung until they sank and were seen no more. But four that could swim, kept themselves in deeper water and were saved by Captain Cook's means, who, so soon as he saw their oversetting, stripped himself and four others that could swim very well, and with all haste possible rode unto them and saved four. They were eleven in all, and seven of the chiefest were drowned, whose names were: Edward Spicer, Ralph Skinner, Edward Kelly, Thomas Bevis, Hance, the surgeon, Edward Kilborne, Robert Coleman." This account is to be found at Page 224 of Dr. Hawks' book and shows us that Thomas Coleman and his wife first arrived on the eastern shores of North Carolina July 22, 1587, and Robert Coleman was drowned while attempting to reach them August 17, 1590. This was nearly twenty years before the first permanent settlement at Jamestown, and thirty years before the arrival of the Pilgrims at Plymouth. As is well known, the 121 colonists were never found. They had completely disappeared, leaving no clue except the word CROATOAN carved on a tree. One could well imagine that possibly Robert Coleman was of some close kin to Thomas, and was willing to brave the great likelihood of drowning out of a frantic desire to learn something of what had happened to the colonists. White reached England, after the fruitless search at Roanoke, on October 24, 1590. - 30 - .
EDWARD WILSON COLEMAN and his wife, MRS. JENNIE I. COLEMAN, with their son, JOHN ALBERT FEASTER COLEMAN, who died at the age of twenty-one. - 31 - .
MRS. JENNIE I. COLEMAN, who made the first great contribution to Coleman Family History. - 32 - .
Top Row, left to right: Mrs. Mary Coleman Faucette, Henry David Coleman, and John Albert Feaster Coleman. BOTTOM ROW, left to right: Samuel Stevenson Coleman, Julia Stevenson Coleman, and Mrs. Jennie I. Coleman. - 33 - .
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