SEA VENTURE TIMELINE
From departing England (1609) to the shipwreck on Bermuda to finally arriving in Jamestown (1610)
- May 1609 - In the days and weeks before the fleet leaves England for Jamestown, the expedition received strong support from clergy throughout England. In the words of Rev. Daniel Price, "Go on as you have begun, and the Lord shall be with you, go, and possess the Land... a land of milk and honey, God shall bless you."
- June 1609 - The Sea Venture, Falcon, Diamond, Swallow, Unity, Blessing, Lion, and two smaller ships leave England
- July 24, 1609 - The fleet is struck by a tempest, possibly a hurricane. Governor Gates divided the entire company of the Sea Venture (except the women) into three groups that worked around the clock to bail water from the sinking ship. This continues for three days and three nights.
- July 28, 1609 (Friday), the passengers and crew were ready to give up before the Sea Venture wrecks on Bermuda
- August 11, 1609 - Ships Blessing, Falcon, Lion, and Unity arrive in Jamestown
- August 28, 1609 (Monday) - Henry Ravens leads a group of seven sailors to travel to Virginia in the recently completed longboat
- August 30, 1609 - The Ravens party returns to camp, frustrated by their inability to clear the island
- August 1609 - Plans underway to construct a new ship, Deliverance, from the wrecked Sea Venture
- September 1, 1609 - The Ravens party departs for Virginia from the southeast; a vigil is held for their safety
- September 1609 - The John Want conspiracy/mutiny (six settlers ultimately move to a neighboring island after dissenting from the leadership of Governor Thomas Gates); they wanted to remain in Bermuda and not attempt to continue to Virginia
- November 26, 1609 - Thomas Powell (cook) marries Elizabeth Pearson (maid)
- November 27, 1609 - With increasing tensions between landsmen and mariners, Admiral Somers takes two carpenters from the settlers and twenty other men to another island to begin building a second ship (Patience)
- January 1610 - Families of the Sea Venture passengers learn the ship is lost (and do not learn of their survival until September 1610)
- January 24, 1610 - Stephen Hopkins tried and condemned to death for trying to convince others to break contract with the Virginia Company, not participate in the building of ships, and to remain on the island. Plans for execution dropped after other beg for leniency on his behalf with a particular emphasis on his family left behind in England
- February 11, 1610 - Bermuda Rolfe, newborn daughter of John Rolfe and his wife was christened; she died a few weeks later
- March 13, 1610 - Trial for mariner mutineers who led armed attack against Gates and camp and stole supplies; Henry Paine found guilty and executed
- March 18, 1610 - All conspirators and all mariners fled into the wood, fearing arrest, leaving only Admiral Somers in his camp
- May 10, 1610 - Ships leave Bermuda for Jamestown with stores of turtles, birds and other food harvested in Bermuda; 137 passengers and crew traveled. 8 left in August 1609 - 2 left on Bermuda (Robert Waters and Christopher Carter) - 7 deaths
- May 23/24, 1610 - On arriving in Jamestown, the passengers and crew of Deliverance and Patience find only 60 colonists alive ("Starving Time"); suffering from starvation, ill health, and deep despair, the remaining Jamestown colonists were in the process of deserting the failed settlement when the ships arrived
- Late May 1610 - The Bermuda passengers convince the Jamestown settlers to re-establish the settlement
- June 23, 1610 - Two ships leave Jamestown to obtain a six-month supply of food from Bermuda for the settlement
- July 20, 1610 - Two ships, Blessing and Hercules, leave Jamestown to return to England; passengers include Captain Newport and Governor Gates and three native prisoners
- September 1610 - The two ships arrive in England; a copy of William Strachey's "True Report" of the Sea Venture is part of the cargo
Image - The Coat of Arms of Bermuda contains a representation of the wreck of the Sea Venture