![Bartholomew Gosnold hero 1500x390](https://bury-stedmunds.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Main-Images/Bartholomew-Gosnold-hero-1500x390.jpg?w=1504&h=390&q=95&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.4857&fp-y=0.5&dm=1655721573&s=77a22df033da07b41790b33383ad2c39)
Back to Blogs
Discover
How A Bury Lawyer Founded Jamestown
Discover how lawyer Bartholomew Gosnold left Bury St Edmunds to found the first permanent English settlement in America - Jamestown and how he named Martha’s Vineyard and Cape Cod.
Who Was Bartholomew Gosnold?
![Bartholomew Gosnold 1 Preservation Virginia 965x540](https://bury-stedmunds.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Full-Width-Images/Bartholomew-Gosnold-1-Preservation-Virginia-965x540.jpg?w=965&h=543&q=95&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1655721186&s=3bdf15eaaad07a3debfc4610dc64e0aa)
Bartholomew Gosnold. Photo: Preservation Virginia
Bartholomew Gosnold is considered by Preservation Virginia to be the "prime mover of the colonization of Virginia". His legacy - Jamestown in Virginia - led him to become one of the world's most renowned travellers.
Visitors to Bury St Edmunds can see a permanent reminder of Bartholomew Gosnold’s adventures in the Refectory garden of St Edmundsbury Cathedral, outside the Pilgrims Kitchen cafe.
There sits a beautifully modern piece of art by Jonathan Clarke which depicts Gosnold’s ship, the Godspeed. Gosnold commanded the ship when it set sail for on December 10 1606 to found the first permanent English settlement in America, 14 years before the famous Mayflower which took Pilgrims, from Plymouth, England to the New World.
![Godspeed Sue Warren 965x540](https://bury-stedmunds.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Full-Width-Images/Godspeed-Sue-Warren-965x540.jpg?w=965&h=543&q=95&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1654854164&s=406811690a54bca5950be83abd1fd546)
Gosnold’s ship, the Godspeed by Jonathan Clarke can be found in the garden of Pilgrim's Kitchen Cafe
Bartholomew Gosnold and his wife Mary (nee Golding) lived in Bury St Edmunds and had seven children, six of whom were baptized at Bury St Edmunds, between 1597 and 1607. Although a lawyer, between 1595 and 1601 it seems Gosnold spent little time practicing the law, choosing to spend time planning his adventures on the sea!
Bartholomew started his first voyage to the New World departing Falmouth on 26 March 1602 commanding the ship 'Concord', carrying twenty colonists and a dozen crew members.
On 14 May 14 1602 the ship made landfall off the southern coast of Maine and 15 May 1602 - Bartholomew Gosnold sailed into Provincetown Harbor, naming the peninsula Cape Cod after the huge schools of fish sighted. On 21 May 1602 Bartholomew Gosnold sighted the island he named Martha's Vineyard, after his daughter who died in Bury St Edmunds before the age of 2. Martha is buried in St Edmundsbury Cathedral churchyard.
![Gosnold Memorial in the Great Churchyard Martyn Taylor 965x540](https://bury-stedmunds.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Full-Width-Images/Gosnold-Memorial-in-the-Great-ChurchyardMartyn-Taylor-965x540.jpg?w=965&h=543&q=95&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1655721328&s=1b970a972320bc2d037f2533655c6401)
A memorial to Gosnold sits on Charnel House in the Great Churchyard, near to the Cathedral.
It is not until 10 April 1606 that King James I grants an exclusive Royal Charter for Gosnold to settle Virginia. This was the start of The Virginia Company of London (although the original charter did not mention a ‘Virginia Company’; the name were applied later to the overall enterprise).
It was on his second journey to the New World, which departed on 20 December 1606, that Gosnold commanded the ship 'Godspeed'. They made landfall on the coast of Virginia on 26 April 1607 and later reached the settlement which Gosnold was to name Jamestown, in honour of the king, on 13 May 1607.
His adventures in Jamestown were to be short lived, as Gosnold died just 4 months later on 22 August 1607 after falling ill.
On 16 September 1620, 13 years after Gosnold's death, The Mayflower would follow the northern route across the North Atlantic that he pioneered, following his charts into Cape Cod Bay.
Did You Know?
![Cape Cod Pixaby 965x540](https://bury-stedmunds.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Full-Width-Images/Cape-Cod-Pixaby-965x540.jpg?w=965&h=543&q=95&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1655721030&s=30e3193974691118f8ce5bbceb3f4dfd)
Cape Cod
1. You can find a memorial plaque on the Chapel of the Charnel in St Edmundsbury Cathedral's Churchyard at Bury St Edmunds. It was erected in 2007 as part of the celebrations to commemorate the founding of Jamestown.
2. Buzzards Bay (a bay of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to the U.S. state of Massachusetts) was originally named Gosnold's Hope by Captain Bartholomew Gosnold. It is a popular destination for fishing, boating, and tourism.
3. In 2003, archaeologists at the Jamestown site unearth a skeleton they believe may be that of Bartholomew Gosnold, an original settler who died in August 1607. In 2005, after an unsuccessful attempt to obtain DNA samples from the bones of Bartholomew Gosnold's sister Elizabeth Tilney, APVA/Preservation Virginia announces that it cannot confirm that a skeleton found in 2003 is that of Gosnold.
4. Gosnold's signature was found by accident in 2007. The Gosnold family sold some land at Great Barton, and the deed survives in the West Suffolk Record Office to this day. It was discovered when research was being undertaken into the family to prepare for the centenary celebrations of the founding of Jamestown and was displayed as part of those celebrations.
5. Gosnold Street at the town's arc shopping centre also pays tribute to the intrepid Bury St Edmunds lawyer and explorer.
6. Gosnold’s widow Mary Gosnold married Jasper Sharpe on 23 May 1615 at Fornham St Martin near Bury St Edmunds. She was buried at St James’ Church, Bury St Edmunds, now St Edmundsbury Cathedral, on 23 October 1665.
Related Blogs
![New Sightseeing PedalCab Rides Launched to Delight Visitors to Bury St Edmunds this Summer](https://bury-stedmunds.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Main-Images/Burys-Best-By-Bike-hero-1500x390.jpg?w=1500&h=390&auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.3452&fp-y=0.4554&dm=1720602549&s=814b3f5f48806e5afcf2bd8f57c054c0)
News
New Sightseeing PedalCab…
Join Ecocarriers Bury St Edmunds for a Bury's Best, By…
![Suffolk Regiment Museum Re-Opens After Refurbishment](https://bury-stedmunds.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Main-Images/Suffolk-Regiment-Museum-1500x390.jpg?w=1500&h=390&auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=crop&dm=1716203507&s=aec4996d833c7315db7ed48dbad7bdf7)
News
Suffolk Regiment Museum…
The Suffolk Regiment Museum has reopened its doors to…
![Cathedral Launches Three Gins](https://bury-stedmunds.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Main-Images/Cathedral-Gin-hero-1500x390.jpg?w=1500&h=390&auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=crop&dm=1717754453&s=4d2797b7141938e175158fdc52964150)
News
Cathedral Launches Three Gins
St Edmundsbury Cathedral has partnered with Heart of…
![New Film on Suffolk Regiment's Battles in Normandy](https://bury-stedmunds.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Main-Images/Suffolk-Regiment-Badges-1500x390.jpg?w=1500&h=390&auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=crop&dm=1717578362&s=c187288ff44c72e87a9f1e53cb84660d)
News
New Film on Suffolk…
The Bloodiest Square Mile film - a tribute to all the…
![Suffolk Regiment Museum in 10 Objects](https://bury-stedmunds.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Main-Images/Suffolk-Regiment-Museum-Hero-1500x390.jpg?w=1500&h=390&auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=crop&dm=1716206171&s=163633d468f598315fd297e293b9d105)
News
Suffolk Regiment Museum in 10…
From a teddy bear to a chocolate box and a fan to a…
Latest news
![Abbey Gardens family 1500x390](https://bury-stedmunds.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Main-Images/Abbey-Gardens-family-1500x390.jpg?w=728&h=376&q=95&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1652275168&s=b6bd35533a1c7bd1ddc9af5cb332588d)
News
Bury St Edmunds Parks awarded Green Flag Status!
Bury St Edmunds Parks awarded Green Flag status!
![Burys Best By Bike hero 1500x390](https://bury-stedmunds.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Main-Images/Burys-Best-By-Bike-hero-1500x390.jpg?w=728&h=376&q=95&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.3452&fp-y=0.4554&dm=1720602549&s=9a9a607225afcb57e27b70aed3143ca2)
News
New Sightseeing PedalCab Rides Launched to Delight Visitors to Bury St Edmunds this Summer
Join Ecocarriers Bury St Edmunds for a Bury's Best, By Bike PedalCab rides around the town's iconic historic sights!
![Abbey gardens hero 1500x390 2024](https://bury-stedmunds.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Main-Images/Abbey-gardens-hero-1500x390-2024.jpg?w=728&h=376&q=95&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1720702975&s=6175c66b51bf48449190bb1b2d89b1c9)
News
Abbey Gardens in Top 20 Most Visited Free Attractions in England and Top in the East of England
The historic Abbey Gardens in Bury St Edmunds with the ruins of the Abbey of St Edmund is in the Top 20 most visited free attractions in England and the top free attraction in the East of…
News
Unmissable Events for Families this Summer
Whether you're heading here for a summer holiday or simply looking for a fun day out, these unmissable family events and activities are sure to keep everyone entertained!
![Theatre in The Park hero image 1500x390](https://bury-stedmunds.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Main-Images/Theatre-in-The-Park-hero-image-1500x390.jpg?w=728&h=376&q=95&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1720428255&s=a499c13c9b8a61672deeb0e8b804fcbc)
News
Get Ready for Theatre in The Parks This Summer
The popular outdoor theatre season returns for 2024 with a new programme of performances in the beautiful Abbey Gardens and West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village.
![Bury St Edmunds Tour Guides 1500x390](https://bury-stedmunds.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Main-Images/Bury-St-Edmunds-Tour-Guides-1500x390.jpg?w=728&h=376&q=95&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1705586876&s=862b6e66ef83e0437ac2329bae7af599)
News
Bury St Edmunds Tour Guides in the top 10% of attractions worldwide
Reviews of Bury St Edmunds Tour Guides via Tripadvisor have resulted in them being rated in the top 10% attractions worldwide, classing them as a winner in the Travellers’ Choice Awards for 2024.
![Suffolk Regiment Museum 1500x390](https://bury-stedmunds.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Main-Images/Suffolk-Regiment-Museum-1500x390.jpg?w=728&h=376&q=95&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1716203507&s=bddc78c644c3d3ae7bcf76dd9a646667)
News
Suffolk Regiment Museum Re-Opens After Refurbishment
The Suffolk Regiment Museum has reopened its doors to visitors after an eight-month long refurbishment.
![Pickwick Afternoon Tea 1500x390](https://bury-stedmunds.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Main-Images/Pickwick-Afternoon-Tea-1500x390.jpg?w=728&h=376&q=95&auto=format&fit=crop&crop=focalpoint&fp-x=0.485&fp-y=0.5262&dm=1718272069&s=a600ffc1b248685e08a90eb5030ab358)
News
The Angel Hotel Launches a new Dickens-themed themed afternoon tea experience
The Angel Hotel launches new themed afternoon tea experience based on the life & works of Charles Dickens.
![Cathedral Gin hero 1500x390](https://bury-stedmunds.transforms.svdcdn.com/production/assets/images/Main-Images/Cathedral-Gin-hero-1500x390.jpg?w=728&h=376&q=95&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1717754453&s=49cc6a4596077ef8a04159bf9e6f6d67)
News
Cathedral Launches Three Gins
St Edmundsbury Cathedral has partnered with Heart of Suffolk Distillery to produce three Cathedral-inspired gins.