The "Sea Venture"
John Thomas, who was born about 1585 in Carmarthenshire, Wales was the first of our Thomas family to land in America. He arrived in Jamestown, Virginia on May 24, 1610. He later lived near Williamsburg, Virginia, on the north side of Queen's Creek in the County of Yorke, raising his sons with his wife Dorothy Cymru.
John Thomas sailed from England in 1609 aboard the Sea Venture with Sir Thomas Gates, Sir George Somers, Admiral of the Fleet, and Samuel Jordan. His passage on the ship was paid by St. Samuel Sharpe, who was also aboard the ship. No doubt John had to work off this passage obligation before acquiring land of his own.
The Sea Venture sailed from Plymouth, England, on June 2, 1909. It was the flagship of a fleet of seven vessels and two small ships, a fleet called the "Third Supply" by the Virginia Company. On July 24, about eight days from Virginia, the fleet encountered a hurricane. In his book on the family Edison H. Thomas quotes an account of the journey written by William Strachey, secretary-elect of the new Virginia colony.
"A dreadful storme and hideous began to blow from out of the north-east, which swelling, and roaring as it were by fits, some houres with more violence than others, at length did bete all light from heaven, which like an hell of darkenesse turned blacke upon us, so much the more fuller of horror ... Waters like whole rivers did flood in the ayre..."
Strachey sent a copy of his journal back to England to his friend William Shakespeare, who wrote a play titled The Tempest, using much of the journal in the play's dialogue.
The Sea Venture floundered off the coast of the Isle of Bermuda, washing ashore there three days later. One Hundred fifty people, and one dog, landed safely ashore. The survivors were stranded on Bermuda for approximately nine months. However, nothing daunted the victims of this disaster who rallied and built two small ships capable of withstanding the rough seas, which they named Deliverance and Patience, and on May 24, 1610 they came sailing up the James River to the headquarters of the new colony with all safe on board, save Lt. Edward Watters and one other, who had elected to remain in the Bermudas to which they had taken a fancy. Another member of this fateful journey was John Rolfe who later would marry the Indian princess Pocahontas.
On reaching Jamestown, the survivors of the Sea Venture discovered that there were only 60 survivors of the 500 or so who had preceded them. Many of these were dying, and Jamestown was quickly judged to be nonviable. Everyone then boarded the Deliverance and the Patience, and set sail for England. But the timely arrival of another relief fleet, granted Jamestown a reprieve. All the settlers were relanded at the colony, but there was still a critical shortage of food.
Overall, the food and supplies brought by the Third Supply were not adequate. 80% of the colonists would die during the Starving Time of 1610. Afterwards, survivors at Jamestown again boarded the Deliverance and Patience and were sailing downstream to the ocean when they met yet another resupply fleet which was led by Lord Delaware.
This new governor brought additional colonists, a doctor, food, and much-needed supplies. He also was of a strong determination that Jamestown and the colony were not to be abandoned. He turned the departing ships around and brought the entire group back to Jamestown. This was certainly not a popular decision at the time with at least some of the group, but Lord Delaware was to prove a new kind of leader for Virginia.
John Thomas was among these determined settlers and as an indentured servant he had to work to pay off his benefactor for the cost of his transportation to the new world. He agreed to work without salary for the lender for a specific number of years. Records indicate that John and eight others whose fares had been paid by Mr. Sharpe remained with for a time to help stake out his claim for land. One land patent issued in 1637 mentions property "upon the Baye S. into the woods & W. upon land of John Thomas... “indicates that he was living on his own land at that time.
An excellent book on the last voyage of the Sea Ventures and what happened to its passengers.
LINEAGE:
(John Thomas (born abt 1585) was the father of John Thomas, Jr, (born abt 1911). John, Jr, was the father of Richard Thomas (born abt 1929). Richard was the father of John Thomas (born abt 1948). John was the father of Joseph Thomas (born abt 1680). Joseph was the father of James Thomas (born 1714). James was the father of James Thomas (born 1762) who settled in Trigg County, Kentucky. In other words, the John Thomas in this article was the great-great-great-great-great-grandfather of James Thomas of Trigg County.)
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