Herbicide Accident has Tragic Consequences

Ancient N.C. grape vine has near-death experience

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Jack Wilson stands next to the power pole and damaged portion of the grapevine at his home in Manteo, N.C., on Wednesday, June 30, 2010. The "mother vine" as it's known, is believed to be the first cultivated vine in America and more than 400 years old. It was sprayed with herbicide while utility workers were trying to clear the nearby power pole. Wilson works to clear away the dead leaves every day (the pile is visible in the background) and hopes that the vine will survive. (Preston Gannawayt)

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MANTEO

A large, old grape vine possibly growing here before the Lost Colony disappeared is on the mend after getting an accidental dose of a powerful herbicide.

But as experts continue to nurse the Mother Vine, including more pruning and fertilizing scheduled this week, a warning goes out to those who spray weeds in public places - be more cautious.

"From what I saw, this was just basically a lack of common sense," said Donald Hawkins, owner of Vineworks in Duplin County.

This blog is © History ChasersClick here to view all recent Searching for the Lost Colony DNA Blog posts

Report from the Outer Banks

Baum bridge over Roanoke Sound

Day 1 Aug 16 2009 Sunday

By Roberta Estes

I had been looking forward to arriving on the Outer Banks for the Virginia Dare Faire for weeks now. My car looked more like I was moving than going on a working vacation. I felt like a modern day Beverly Hillbilly. Anne has moved into her summer home in Wanchese and I’m contributing things from my mother’s home. It’s only fitting it seems, as Anne and I are on a mission together and I’ll be staying with her from time to time as we research and search for the Colonists.

So the back of my Jeep has the seats laid flat, a table with the legs removed, several boxed with miscellaneous kitchen paraphernalia that each has a memory for me, and of course really important things like books relating to our search, several inches of paper relating to our research plan, and, oh yes, trivial necessities like clothes. Of course, I can’t go anyplace without my electronic tether, or lifeline, whatever the days perspective…..my computer and cell phone. I’d be lost without either.

Last night after arriving, I answered e-mails and sent clients information and kept up with the world outside of Wanchese. But back to the Outer Banks.

I drove from Michigan via Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia this time, as opposed to the more westerly route down 77. I have driven that before to Washington DC, but never beyond. The area through Pennsylvania and Maryland is connected to my early German families and I always think that I need to do more research on them and stop and see where they lived. But that trip will have to wait for another time.

Given that I was in the area of our nation’s capital on a weekend, I didn’t mind risking the Capital Beltway, but I’d never do it on a weekday. That’s analogous to taking your tourist type life in your hands. The 150 miles and supposed two hours I would have saved taking this route would have been likely to evaporate in a single traffic jam.

But on Sunday I whizzed around Washington and noticed that building construction continues there. They apparently aren’t experiencing the same level of recession we are suffering under in Michigan where there is no building and many half-constructed buildings have been abandoned and sold at auction. I whispered my perennial prayer for wisdom and guidance for those in power as I drove by….although my prayers perennially seem to go unanswered in regard to politicians.

I stayed in either Thornburg or Woodford. It’s a schizophrenic place. The Google map and the Holiday Inn website say Thornburg, but my GPS doesn’t know Thornburg Virginia exists, so I called the Holiday Inn and they said “oh yea, type in Woodford. Ok, so Woodford it was. And Google had the location the wrong expressway too, but details….who cares. At least my gps could find it after I typed it the second city. Maybe it’s like a maiden name and a married name for women…..

The free internet was awful, the room had once been a smoking room (do they think we can’t smell), but today the entire property is nonsmoking, and I managed to leave have of the cheesekeeper I was using to hold watermelon in my cooler. Rats. I always take a last look around the room too…..but I missed it somehow and I’m sure that the cleaning staff took one look at that and said “oh well” and into the trash it went. One more of Mother’s things I don’t have to figure out what to do with I guess….but that wasn’t what I had in mind.

Next I passed Richmond and Newport News which began to look like a coastal area with boats, ships really, and cranes and port type of paraphernalia towering over the horizon. Before arriving at Newport News, the area looked strikingly colonial, not nautical. I’m always amazed when traveling in the eastern Virginia area, even near large cities, how wooded the landscape remains. The expressways look more like parkways and not like the sprawling cement ribbons that clear everything to desolation with half a mile in all directions that we have in the Midwest.

South of Newport News, I encountered a surprise. My GPS indicated that I was going to cross an expanse of water, which would be my first real glimpse of the Atlantic on this trip. As I approached, I noticed signs for a tunnel. Hmmmm…..now tunnels are not my favorite things, but they are a fact of a driving/traveling lifestyle, and once you’re in route they are impossible to avoid, so tunnel it was. This tunnel was unusual though in that it only went half way across the channel or estuary and rose in the middle of the river (whatever you call these wide entrances into the ocean that empties fresh water into the ocean but is also tidal in nature) and became a bridge for the second two thirds or so of the crossing. How so they keep the tunnel from flooding? Amazing. However, I noticed the large “doors” on the end as I entered which made me a little nervous and could be the makings of a horror movie or a nightmare, but I chose not to think about those. They are probably closed during hurricanes.

Speaking of hurricanes, when I left Michigan, there had been none yet this year. Last night there were 3, one which arrived in Florida already and is weakening, one which is heading for the Caribbean, and one, Bill, who is going northwest of the Caribbean, may become a level 3 or 4 and is likely to strike the mainland by or on Friday. Now of course, this area is prime hurricane alley, much to the chagrin of Sir Walter Raleigh’s military colonists. Sir Francis Drake lost several ships in his visit in August of 1586 on these Outer Banks and he ended up rescuing the military colonists instead of resupplying them….but I digress.

As I approached the Virginia/North Carolina border yesterday, 64 transitioned from an expressway to a non-limited access 4 lane road. This is more than a technical transition and the introduction of stop lights. It was a complete change in flavor from a sterile environment with beehives of activity called exits where travelers stop and never stay beyond the closest meal, bathroom and gas pump to an area where travels pass through, but also where people live. It became alive with businesses, and few if any chains. I saw a few Home Depots, but then again, everyone needs those types of stores and here probably more than most with the constant battle of the elements of wind, sand and sea.

Mostly I saw flavorful and colorful hometown restaurants, fruit stands that advertised “free bathrooms” and Burma shave type signs for upcoming businesses. Somehow we subtracted about 40 years and returned to a slower, sweeter time when travel was more of an adventure and less of a race. I wanted to stop at several gift shops, a pawn shop or two (who knows what jewels await in there) and those luscious looking fruits stands with fresh fruit and local crafts decorating the outside of the barns by the roads. Yes, they are all inviting and call out as you drive by.

Further south, the fields continued and the crops looked healthy. Whoever said that the colonists would have not been able to sustain themselves on these islands? Did they visit and take a look at the agriculture? Sand dunes replace trees and marsh replaced fields eventually. In some places condos hug the very edge of the marshy expanses, making me wonder if some of those condos might just tip over and sink. And of course, facing the sea, I wondered about how to protect them from the raging hurricanes and if they could even purchase insurance, but then again, not my worry, I’m just a visitor. Many of the condos and beach houses weren’t on the beach, and frankly, couldn’t even see the beach. They could just see the other houses that also couldn’t see the beach. Talking to Anne later, she mentioned that even the “unlucky” houses were quite expensive. I have to wonder why you’d spend that kind of money to not be beachfront. I guess I’m way too logical. For me it would be beachfront or nothing at all I guess. If I couldn’t afford beachfront, there would be no point in second string. However, I suspect most of these are rentals or timeshares, so perhaps the answer is that they are investments. If that’s the case, then many of these investments are for sale now. I noticed one street of waterfront units where every single unit had a for sale sign on the side. I guess even if Washington isn’t experiencing our recession, the Outer Banks is, if the amount of real estate for sale is any indication.

Crossing from Manteo to Wanchese is the bouncing bridge. I’ve never been on a bridge that literally makes your car bounce up and down like a large beach ball. Now my Jeep has heavy duty suspension (it’s trailer rated), and that makes it ride a little tighter and not so sloshy as the land yachts, but still, this was a huge bounce. I noticed the pickup truck in front of me was bouncing too and so was whatever was in the pickup bed. The contents of the bed were bouncing at a different pace so the truck “caught” the boxes. I guess the message here is to tie everything down if you have a truck and are crossing the bouncing bridge.

Now I think this is new-fangled speed control device and a pretty good one too because the speed limit was about all the faster you could drive and not bounce yourself to death and into another lane. Each section of the bridge every few feet declined where it connected to the next section and then raised midway a bit, causing the wave action of bouncing up and down.

Arriving at Anne’s house was a real treat. She lived on Old Wharf Road with is the old road around the island. The turn into her road is landmarked by a beautiful old white church. Turning into her place leads you back away from the little old road and her house is back under a very large poplar tree. The tree shades the whole house and you park under the front part. The ground everyplace here is sandy, even if grass manages to grow on top of the sand. A tame female turkey named Turkey Lurkey greeted me. She had to check me out to be sure I was Ok and that I was a female. Turkey Lurkey doesn’t like males for some reason. I passed inspection and she settled down and let Anne pet her after eating some bread scraps. Turkey Lurkey is smart, she can fly over the fence in and out of the pen. Her friends or rather, penmates, the chickens simply stand and squawk at that uppity turkey who has the audacity to stand outside the fence and look back at them like they are, well, birdbrains.

After getting settled in and looking longingly at Anne’s screened in front porch, making mental plans for later, we ventured out for dinner. Most of the businesses and restaurants are closed here on Sunday, another, return to times of the past for me, but we went to a local favorite, Sam & Omie’s, which has been here since 1937. http://www.samandomies.net/ Sam & Omie’s has legendary She Crab Soup. Now what exactly is a She Crab and why do they make soup out of it? Well, duh, it’s a female crab and the soup includes crab roe (that’s eggs). It’s made in a cream based chicken stock broth with a touch of sherry. It’s a specialty of the area, but for Anne, it’s just a special treat for visiting Sam & Omie’s. Anne says the She Crab soup just isn’t right anyplace else.

http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Chowder/SheCrabSoup.htm

It was yummy, yummy and so was the crab cake I had for dinner. Fresh and you can actually taste the crab. I didn’t even notice any filling but there had to be because it did hold together in a patty. I love the coast for the fresh seafood.

Our next adventure was to the grocery store where a pack of vultures had descended. Our first clue was no carts. No carts? On a Sunday evening? Well, all those rental properties rent from Sunday to Saturday and the new crop of vacationers all arrive at the grocery….you guessed it….on Sunday evening. Thankfully, the grocery was relatively prepared for the descending vacationers and we got in and out relatively quickly with our supplies for lunches this upcoming week. On Tuesday, Anne and I are going to have a table at the Virginia Dare Faire on Tuesday and there isn’t any food service right there. Anne and I take coolers and food and ice cold water. It’s August in the Outer Banks and HOT and HUMID here. And of course we don’t want to leave the table because after all, we’re there to talk to visitors will hopefully come to visit and learn about the colonists.

In preparation for the Faire, we have prepared a “Most Wanted” list of surnames associated with the colonists. We prepared this list based on the colonists’ roster, of course, plus historical records in NC that indicate these surnames were found there early and are associated with Native American tribes in the area.

Hopefully, fate with be with us and some folks will visit the Faire, visit our table and will be interested enough to work with us on their genealogy and maybe, just maybe, will be the right person in their line to take a genealogy DNA test.

Here is our “most wanted” list. Do you have any of these surnames in your family from eastern early North Carolina?



Allen

Bennett

Berry

Barbour

Beasley

Blount

Brooks

Brown

Buck

Carawan

Carroon

Carrow

Chapman

Chavis

Chavous

Cheven

Coleman

Cooper

Dare

Elks

Gibbs

Gurganos

Harris

Hewett

Johnson

Jones

Locklear

Lowrey

Lucas

Martin

Pierce

Scott

Smith

Squires

Payne

If you can’t visit us in Manteo tomorrow at Fort Raleigh at the Waterside Theater, then visit our Lost Colony website.

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~molcgdrg/


We hope to see you soon!!!

Read all posts in the Trip to Roanoke series:

http://the-lost-colony.blogspot.com/2009/08/report-from-outer-banks.html

http://the-lost-colony.blogspot.com/2009/08/live-blogging-from-roanoke-island-day-2.html

http://the-lost-colony.blogspot.com/2009/08/happy-birthday-virginia-dare.html

http://the-lost-colony.blogspot.com/2009/08/roanoke-island-trip-day-4.html

http://the-lost-colony.blogspot.com/2009/08/roanoke-island-trip-day-5.html

© History Chasers

Click here to view all recent Searching for the Lost Colony DNA Blog posts

Roanoke Colonies Research Newsletter

Volume 4.1 (November 1996)
Manteo, Wanchese, or Whoever?
David Beers Quinn Emeritus, University of Liverpool

We know nothing about Manteo and Wanchese in the early months of 1585. Manteo certainly helped Ralegh and Barlowe in the closing months of 1584 when material was being prepared for Barlowe's narrative and for the publicity associated with Ralegh's bill before Parliament, but thereafter he would have had Manteo and Wanchese on his hands at a time when he was putting every penny he had into the preparation of the new expedition. It does not seem improbable that he would have introduced them to the households of his friends and supporters in order to spread the expense of maintaining them. It might appear he did so in the case of the Earl of Leicester, one of Queen Elizabeth's closest advisers. It so happens that the Royal Historical Society has just published a volume of the surviving household accounts of Leicester, Household Accounts and Disbursement Books of Robert, Earl of Leicester, 1558 to 1585 (Camden Fifth Series 6 [London: Cambridge UP for the Royal Historical Society, 1995]). In it, the following item appears:

Gyven in reward the same day [January 6,1585]
by your lordship's commandement to Mr
[Master, but actually Sir] Rawles Blackamoore
xx s. [twenty shillings]. (210)

The Shorter Oxford Dictionary's definition of a blackamoore is "a Negro; any very dark-skinned person." Leicester's servant who compiled the account could well have used it for one of the two Carolina Algonquian men who were, at this time, in Ralegh's care. We do not know that he had any other dark-skinned person in his household, even if neither Manteo nor Wanchese could be described as "very dark-skinned," even if they were darker-skinned than the average Englishman.

We must be careful, however, since Leicester had had a dark- skinned person in his household in the previous year. Under April 17,1584, we have:

Gyven in reward the same day by your
lordship's commandment to the blackamore v
s. [five shillings].

This person evidently lived at Leicester House as a mattress was supplied for him-an African from Morocco or Guinea we must assume. The fashion of keeping a black servant in a noble household may already have become established, while we know that, in late Elizabethan times, Africans were to be found living in port areas in London and Plymouth.

We must be cautious about the identity of Ralegh's "blackamoore," but there is perhaps more than a chance that he was either Manteo or Wanchese.
From Roanoke Colonies Research Office

Virginia Dare Birthday Celebration

Virginia Dare Birthday Celebration
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site Visitor Center
US 64/264, Roanoke Island
(252) 473-2127

This event, held August 18, commemorates the birth of Virginia Dare, the first English child born in the New World. The celebration features a day long series of special happenings. Past events featured performances by members of the cast of The Lost Colony and demonstrations of arms from that period in history. Call the National Park Service for details. This event is free. The Elizabethan Gardens, right next to Fort Raleigh, honors Virginia Dare's birthday by offering free admission to the gardens on this day and a free play about Queen Elizabeth and Sir Walter Raleigh.

The Lost Colony DNA Project will be represented at the Virginia Dare Faire on her birthday, August 18th, at Fort Raleigh on Manteo, which is also the last night for the Lost Colony production for the season. We were there last year as well and talked to a great number of people about our project, the Lost Colony and DNA. Several staff members will be on hand to visit with guests during the afternoon and will be located at the brand new Costume Shop.

Please stop by and visit if you can!

Lost Colony Baptisms to be Commemorated Aug. 17th

The first Protestant Baptisms in the New World to be commemorated on August 17th.

Image Credit:
© 2008 Episcopal Life Online

The Diocese of East Carolina will hold "The Commemoration of the Baptisms of Manteo and Virginia Dare at the Lost Colony" on August 17 at the Waterside Theatre in Manteo, North Carolina.

Little certainty surrounds the fate of the English settlers who inhabited Roanoke Island's lost colony, but it is known that in August 1587, Native American Manteo and English baby Virginia Dare were baptized. Manteo's baptism was the first recorded baptism of the Church of England in North America, while Dare was the first child born to English settlers on the North American continent.

"The baptisms of the lost colony mark a peaceful beginning to multi-cultural relations in North America," says East Carolina Bishop Clifton Daniel 3rd. "A commemoration of this event allows us as a people to reflect on this beginning and the changes that have shaped our nation and shed light on the challenges we face today," he said.

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/81803_99569_ENG_HTM.htm

Supporting Lost Colony Drama is a Family Tradition

Fearing family continues tradition of support for The Lost Colony

Keeping the longstanding Fearing family tradition of generosity and support for The Lost Colony, Mollie A. Fearing & Associates has again renewed their $5,000 corporate sponsorship to offset overall costs of the production.Fearing's family ties to The Lost Colony story pre-date the symphonic drama. In the late 1920's her great uncle, the late D. Bradford Fearing chaired a committee that organized "The Pageant of Roanoke". The idea inspired Fearing and others who persuaded Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paul Green to write a play about Roanoke Island's famed "lost colony."

The elder Fearing, a local merchant and politician, oversaw the production its inaugural year and served as producer and general manager for many years until his death."When you're in our family, you are in service to The Lost Colony," said Grizelle Fearing, president of the Manteo insurance company. "As a kid, I saw The Lost Colony almost every night. Half of the family was in The Lost Colony every summer as costumer, actor-tech, principal, or board member and I was often there to help."Grizelle Fearing's mother, the late Mollie A. Fearing, was one of the production's greatest champions. A gifted hostess, "Miss Mollie" organized The Lost Colony's opening night receptions, board dinners and other social events for years, in addition to serving as a long-time officer and board member.

Fearing's husband, Tom McDonald (grandson of the late Irene Smart Rains, the show's former costumer) has long lent a helping hand, from creating exhibits at places like the Outer Banks History Center, alumni committee work, and even donating items for fundraising auctions from their personal collection. He performed in the show in his youth.

First staged in 1937, The Lost Colony tells the real-life story of America's "lost colony" of men, women and children who sailed from Plymouth, England, in 1587 to establish an English colony on Roanoke Island (N.C.). Predating Jamestown by 22 years and Plymouth by 35 years, the settlement disappeared with hardly a trace, leaving historians and archaeologists with a mystery that has never been solved.

Cont. here:

http://obsentinel.womacknewspapers.com/articles/2008/07/16/business/bus1692.txt

'Lost Colony' has brand-new old clothes

Tony-winning designer made sure each outfit has the aged look it needs.
By Martha Waggoner
Associated Press

RALEIGH --Two days before opening night of “The Lost Colony,” Tony award-winning designer William Ivey Long was still working on costumes. They were all new, but had to look very, very old.

“The Lost Colony” tells the true story of an English settlement founded in 1587 on North Carolina's Outer Banks whose colonists mysteriously disappeared.
And so, Long was at it with cheese graters and rasps, aging the costumes that he and his staff had created. The costumes were made to replace more than 1,000 outfits destroyed in a fire last fall at the Waterside Theatre in Manteo, not far from the site of the original colony on Roanoke Island.

“This has been the greatest challenge and, for me, the greatest assignment of my entire life,” said Long.

It seems implausible that work on a regional outdoor drama could top the five Tonys that Long has won for his costume work in “Hairspray,” “Grey Gardens,” “The Producers,” “Crazy for You,” and “Nine.”

But Long, who donated his time and labor to “The Lost Colony,” has been affiliated with the show his entire life. His father was technical director for “The Lost Colony,” and Long was 8 when he first performed as a colonist boy.
He dyed and mottled the clothes himself before moving on to tear the sleeves, hems and, for the men, the knees, to age the clothes the colonists wear in the final scenes before they disappear.

“The Lost Colony” production, which has been performed each summer at the Waterside since 1937, bills itself as the nation's longest-running symphonic outdoor drama. Producer Carl Curnutte said the show was bound to return despite last year's blaze, which caused more than $2.7 million in damage. The cause of the fire remains undetermined.

http://www.charlotte.com/breaking_news/story/684671.html

Lost Colony: The Legend of Roanoke

by Austin age 12

It was a scary movie. I knew about most of the historical happenings at Roanoke. The ghost looked fake and unrealistic. I think they should have built a raft and sailed away. The fort and indian village looked very realistic. I didn't get why they built a moat full of holy water because the ghost could fly over it. The costumes were cool and looked real, but I don't think men wore their hair that short because everybody's hair was long back then and in the movie there were men with short hair. I liked the indian village. I thought it was cool because you would find a lot of arrowheads there.

See also:

http://www.lostcolony-themovie.com/story.htm

http://www.adrianpaul.net/movies/lostcolony.html

Lost Colony's Croatan Connection

The Croatan Indians of Sampson County, North Carolina:
Their Origin and Racial Status
A Plea for Separate Schools

WHITE'S LOST COLONY

There is a tradition among these Indians that their ancestors were white people, a part of Gov. White's Lost Colony, who amalgamated with the coast Indians and afterwards removed

Page 11

to the interior, where they now reside. It is a matter of common knowledge that the Indians are a people of "traditions," being entirely destitute of written records. These traditions would be of little value were they not supported by authentic historical data.

Governor White left a colony of 120 men and women from England on Roanoke Island in 1587, and when he returned in 1590, he found no trace of the colony save the word "Croatan" carved upon a tree. According to a secret understanding which White had with the colonists before he returned to England, if they departed from Roanoke Island before his return they were to carve upon the trees or posts of doors "the name of the place where they should be seated." When White and his men returned in 1590 where they had left the colony three years before, they saw upon a tree carved in Roman letters the word "CROATAN" without any cross or sign of distress about the word, for he had the understanding that if any misfortune came to them they should put a cross over the word.

One of the early maps of the Carolina coast, which appears in Lederer's Travels, prepared in 1666, represents Croatoan as an island south of Cape Hatteras. Croatan is made as a part of the mainland directly west of Roanoke Island. Governor White indicates that the colony originally removed to Croatoan, and not Croatan.

The term Croatan, or Croatoan was applied by the English to the friendly tribe of Manteo, whose chief abode was on the island on the coast southward from Roanoke. The name Croatan seems to indicate a locality in the territory claimed by Manteo and his tribe. Manteo was one of two friendly Indians who had been carried to England by Sir Richard Grenville, and returned with Governor White, on the occasion of his first voyage in 1587. By direction of Sir Walter Raleigh, Manteo was baptized and in reward for his services to the English he was designated "Lord of Roanoke."

McMillan in his pamphlet says:

"It is evident from the story of Governor White, that the colonists went southward along the coast to Croatoan Island, now a part of

Page 12

Carteret County, in North Carolina, and distant about 100 miles in a direct line from Albemarle Sound."

Dr. Hawks, in his history, speaks of this tribe as the "Hatteras Indians." From the first appearance of the English, relations of the most friendly character were known to exist between this tribe and the colony. Manteo was their chief.

The Hatteras Indians are described in the Hand Book of American Indians as follows:

"HATTERAS;--An Algonquian tribe living in 1701 on the sand banks about C. Hatteras, N. C., E. of Pamlico Sound, and frequenting Roanoke Id. Their single village, Sandbanks, had then only about 80 inhabitants. They showed traces of white blood and claimed that some of their ancestors were white. They may have been identical with the Croatan Indians (q. c.), with whom Raleigh's colonists at Roanoke Island are supposed to have taken refuge."

Full Text of John Lawson's Journal

John Lawson was an early English explorer who left a permanent record of his travels among the tribes of the Carolinas. He commenced his journey on December 28th, 1700. Lawson's History of North Carolina is regarded as the standard authority for the period it covers, and he says that there was a band of Indians in the eastern part of North Carolina known as Hatteras Indians, that had lived on Roanoke Island and that these told him that many of their ancestors were white people and could "talk in a book." That many of these Indians had grey eyes that were found among no other Indians, that they were friendly to the English and were ready to do all friendly services.

He says it is probable that White's Colony miscarried for want of timely supplies from England, or through the treachery of the natives, for we may reasonably suppose that the English were forced to cohabit with them and that in process of time, they conformed themselves to the manners of their Indian relations.

John Lawson travelled among the Indians of North Carolina before they had come in contact with any of the white settlers, and found the same tribe of Indians residing on the south side of the Neuse River known as the Coree Tribe. One

Page 13

of the head men of this tribe was an Indian of the name of Enoe-Will, who travelled several days with Lawson as his guide. Speaking of this Indian Lawson says: "Our guide and land-lord, Enoe-Will, was the best and most agreeable temper that ever I saw within an Indian. Being always ready to serve not out of gain but real affection."

Lawson had with him his Bible, and Enoe-Will, his guide, was accompanied by his son Jack, 14 years old, and Enoe-Will requested Lawson to teach his son "to talk in his book" and "to make paper speak, which was called our way of writing."

From McPherson's Report, commenting on the above, we copy as follows:

"The presence of grey eyes and fair skin among these people in Lawson's time can not be explained on any other hypothesis than that of amalgamation with the white race; and when Lawson wrote (1709) there was a tradition among the Hatteras Indians that their ancestors were white people 'and could talk in a book;' and that 'they valued themselves extremely for their affinity to the English and were ready to do them all friendly offices.' I have already referred to the fact that Enoe-Will, a Coree Indian, who had been raised on the coast and who was probably nearly 70 years of age when he acted as Lawson's guide, knew that the English could 'talk in a book' and as he further expressed it, 'could make paper talk,' indication that he was familiar with the customs of the English.

"Couple this with the fact that the guide had an English name, 'Will,' which he probably assumed at the age of 20 or 21, and the information previously given by him that he lived on Enoe Bay when he was a boy leads quite certainly to the conclusion that the Corees had come in contact with at least some portion of the lost colony. It must be remembered that when Will was a boy there were no English settlements on the east coast of North Carolina other than White's Lost Colony.

"Their religion and idea of faith was more exalted than was common among the savages, and leads to the belief that they had had communication with the more civilized race from the East.
"There is an abiding tradition among these people at the present time that their ancestors were the Lost Colony, amalgamated with some tribe of Indians. This tradition is supported by their looks, their complexion, color of skin, hair and eyes, by their manners, customs and habits, and by the fact that while they are, in part, of undoubted Indian origin, they have no Indian names and no Indian language--not

Lost Colony Drama is Back Thanks to the Generosity of Many

'The Lost Colony' returns, with new costumes
Posted: May. 31 10:37 p.m. Updated: 28 minutes ago

Manteo, N.C. — The longest running outdoor drama in the country – "The Lost Colony" – opened its 71st season this weekend with more than 1,000 new costumes, less than a year after a devastating fire.

Only a few costumes that were on exhibit elsewhere survived the September 2007 fire that destroyed the group's costume shop, maintenance building and storage shed. Damage at the Waterside Theatre totally nearly $3 million.

“The whole area ... is deeply rooted in history, and you just hate to see anything with historical value destroyed,” said Tony Duvall, of the Roanoke Island Fire Department.

However, Randi Winter, an actress from Apex, described the opening night as a “new beginning” for the summer show about the disastrous first attempt at a permanent English settlement in the New World in 1587.

Tony-award-winning designer William Ivey Long and his New York-based staff of 60 spent the past month in Manteo attempting to re-creating the costumes. They surrounded themselves with enlarged photos of costumes from previous years for inspiration.

"This has been the greatest challenge and, for me, the greatest assignment of my entire life," Long said.

Cont. here:

http://www.wral.com/entertainment/story/2971461/

View Queen Elizabeth's New Costume here:

http://www.wral.com/entertainment/image/2971500/?img_list=2971500%2C1951328%2C1801840%2C1803973%2C1811167%2C1999624&ref_id=2971461

Opening Night Nears for Lost Colony Drama's 71st Season

Lost Colony production rises from the ashes


ROANOKE ISLAND, NC (WAVY.com) -- A local production company is getting ready for an opening night unlike any they've seen before.

WAVY News 10 was there last September, when a fire destroyed the Lost Colony's shop and its costumes. Eight months later, a piece of American history prepares to take the stage once again.

Friday, May 30th is opening night for the outdoor drama.

"The Lost Colony" depicts the first English settlers, who vanished without a trace. The production that battled back from a devastating fire is breathing new life into its 71st season.

Tony-award winning designer William Ivey Long's life has been a blur of fabric and thread for months. What began in his New York studio now overflows in the Lost Colony's new costume shop. Long grew up in the show. Even so, he went back to the drawing board, recreating the pieces with historical accuracy. "Now was the time to really show some of the reasons the colony may have failed. It was quite top heavy with gentry, and investors and merchants and upper class people of the 116 people that came over, only 40 were workers," said Long.

Again, opening night is May 30th at 8:30 p.m.

While the production is back on its feet, it still needs donations to help pay off the rebuilding efforts.

For more information about The Lost Colony, click HERE.

To read all this story and watch a video, click HERE.

North Carolina: Birthplace of the Outdoor Drama; Continues Rich Tradition

Outdoor Drama Takes the Stage in NC

Outdoor drama is a melding of literature and landscape. North Carolina – with its scenic beauty, history and love of storytelling – is its birthplace. Ten outdoor dramas take to the North Carolina stage this summer. Most are historical in nature, depicting actual events near the site where history happened.

Pulitzer Prize winner and North Carolina native Paul Green gave birth to outdoor drama when he wrote The Lost Colony in 1937, the nation’s oldest and longest-running outdoor drama.

Cinematic in scale and production quality, outdoor dramas are staged in huge amphitheaters with mountains, rolling hills and beaches as backdrops. They feature music and dance, huge casts of extras, special effects like pyrotechnics, beautiful costumes, battles and even horse-drawn wagon trains.

So, find an aisle seat and get ready to meet the players of outdoor drama in North Carolina.

The Lost Colony, Manteo. Performed in the Waterside Theatre, this symphonic drama depicts the valiant struggle of 117 men, women and children attempting to settle in the New World in 1587. They disappeared without a trace, and for over 400 years, this has been one of history’s greatest mysteries. Many famous actors such as Andy Griffith got their start in this drama. This year’s performance marks a triumph for the Lost Colony; despite the burning of their costume shop last year, the drama will not miss this season.

Full Article Here:

http://findamountainhome.com/blog/?p=141

New Dig on Roanoke Reveals Artifacts Previously Not Seen

Search ongoing for Lost Colony site

BY JESSICA BOWEN SENTINEL STAFF

Director of Native American Studies Program at University of Oklahoma, Joe Watkins, Ph.D., screens dirt for potential clues leading the the disappearance of America's early settlers. With his experienced eye he carefully examines for any sign of native American or European lifestyle.

Archaeological teams are geared up to answer the on-going mystery of Fort Raleigh's early settlers.Last week, First Colony Foundation (FCF) teamed up with scholars and the premier production of Time Team America to excavate grounds in hopes of finding artifacts that would answer any of the numerous questions surrounding the mystery. Fort Raleigh is the first of five sites for Time Team America's series and the team only had three days to complete the excavation. Thus, they worked from sun-up to sun-down, ensuring not a minute was wasted.

The team consists of archaeologists, geophysicists, sketch artists, and graphic artists along with the several in the production field. Lead digger Chelsea Rose explained the teams are "looking for artifacts or evidence of features of buildings" including post-holes relative to structures.To ensure no artifacts are being destroyed or overlooked, the diggers take extra care when sifting the soil. The first few layers, according to Rose, are from blown sand that came in as part of a dune, making it easy for the team to sift through. "We've got to get to the darker layers underneath if we're going to find anything," she noted.

After the soil has been removed, the team carefully sifts through each layer with screens. Ian MacDonald, with FCF, explained the soil goes through a large screen, then a smaller window screen, to guarantee no small pieces have been ignored. "We go as quickly as reasonable," noted MacDonald, "being very thorough in the process."If the team discovers an artifact, FCF Co-Director Nick Luccketti and archaeologist Eric Klingelhofer of FCF will analyze the findings to determine its authenticity.On the second day, the team found a very small piece of what is believed to be Native American pottery. "If you look real closely you can see pieces of shell, and you learn to recognize immediately," said Joe Watkins, Ph.D., Native American Archaeologist and a member of the Time Team. "I have a point of view different that others, I use the point of view of Native Americans."



As of press time, the teams had discovered several artifacts "both prehistoric and historic," said Klingelhofer. Along with the pottery found on their second day, two small sherds of English essex black ware was found on their third day. The black-ware is believed to have been used for cups and plates. According to Luccketti, the essex black-ware is unlike any artifact from previous excavations and seem to be connected with domestic use.

Full Article Here:

http://obsentinel.womacknewspapers.com/articles/2008/05/21/features/feats2251.txt

English Delegation Visits Manteo, Jamestown and Williamsburg

By JON CAWLEY
5:17 PM EDT, April 28, 2008

JAMES CITY - The first ever visit by an English delegation from the town of Bideford to their sister-city of Manteo, North Carolina, will end Wednesday after a trip to Jamestown Settlement and Colonial Williamsburg.The group includes Bideford's Mayor, his wife and 17-year-old daughter along with the town's vice mayor and two residents. They arrived in Norfolk on April 23 and have since been meeting their North Carolina contemporaries and seeing the sights of coastal Manteo, just inland from the Outer Banks, said Bryant Brooks, a Dominion Virginia Power spokesman. Brooks said Dominion's involvement stemmed from "wanting to be good corporate citizens" and included trip coordination between the Virginia and North Carolina locales, where the power company has a widespread service area on both sides of the border.Brooks said the trip marked the first official visit to Manteo by a Bideford delegation.

A group of Manteo representatives toured Bideford on a similar trip about 10 years ago, he said.
A historic tie between the two towns extends to the late 1500s when Sir Walter Raleigh sailed from Bideford to Roanoke Island — a site that later became known as the Lost Colony after its inhabitants inexplicably disappeared.

cont. here:

http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/williamsburg/dp-local_english_0429apr29,0,7165613.story

Queen's Portrait in Manteo Reportedly Worth Millions

By Catherine Kozak
The Virginian-Pilot
© April 12, 2008
Roanoke island, N.C.

Until recently, an oil painting of Queen Elizabeth I had been hanging, unprotected and barely noticed, in the gift shop at The Elizabethan Gardens gatehouse.
It is believed that the portrait was painted in 1592, when Elizabeth would have been about 60 years old. It is one of the few portraits of the queen in her declining years.
If it is authentic, it could be worth millions.

“Certainly, paintings of Elizabeth are pretty sought-after,” said Christopher Apostle, senior vice president and director of old master paintings at Sotheby’s in New York. “It would be valuable.”
The earliest known full-length image of the monarch, who died in 1603, sold at Sotheby’s in London on Nov. 22 for more than $5.3 million, Apostle said.

cont. here:

http://hamptonroads.com/2008/04/queen-isn’t-smiling-owners-her-portrait-are

Black-Tie Gala to Benefit the Lost Colony

Black-Tie Gala at the Lost Colony

4/12/2008 - 4/12/2008

Experience a party on a grand scale like none other. Feast on sumptuous food; hustle to win the bid for art work, vacation packages, memorabilia and other items in a silent auction; have your sweet delights in a sweet shop; relax to the elegance of a classical ensemble; and dance the night away to the eclectic mix of Beach Music, Disco, Classic Motown, Oldies, and Big Band Swing. Proceeds to benefit The Lost Colony.

Address:

1409 National Park Dr
Manteo, NC 27954

URL:

http://www.thelostcolony.org/

Map:

http://maps.google.com/maps?z=5&f=d&ie=UTF8&hl=en&q=1409%20National%20Park%20Dr%20Manteo%20NC%2027954

Email:

info@thelostcolony.org

Telephone Number(s):

Business Phone: (252)473-3414
Business Phone 2: (252)473-3414
Toll Free: (800)488-5012

Designer to recreate Lost Colony costumes burned in fire

Designer to recreate Lost Colony costumes burned in fire

February 15, 2008 07:32 EST


MANTEO, N.C. (AP) -- Tony Award winning costume designer William Ivey Long says he plans to recreate more than one thousand costumes that were lost in the September fire at "The Lost Colony."The fire in Manteo caused nearly 3 million dollars damage.Long was happy to see one item yesterday that he thought had burned. Andy Griffith brought a sword that he used in 1949 while portraying Sir Walter Raleigh in the historical drama. The sword had been at the actor's Manteo home. A previous costume director had given the sword to Griffith in 1983.

cont.
http://www.wlos.com/template/inews_wire/wires.regional.nc/2a8348e9-www.wlos.com.shtml

'Mysteries of the Lost Colony' Exhibit Proves to be Huge Hit

Nearly 58,000 Saw Lost Colony Exhibit

Approximately 58,000 people took advantage of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the exhibit “Mysteries of the Lost Colony” and “A New World: England’s First View of America” from the British Museum. The exhibit ran from Oct. 20, 2007, to Jan. 14, 2008, at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh.

“This was the most exciting exhibit the museum has ever presented,” says Ken Howard, director of the N.C. Museum of History. “It had one of the highest attendance records for an exhibit, and visitor response was extremely positive.”

“Mysteries of the Lost Colony” and “A New World” brought many “firsts” to the N.C. Museum of History. For example, it was the first venue in North America to showcase the complete collection of watercolor drawings made by John White on his voyages to Virginia (now North Carolina) in the 1580s. These watercolors appeared in the traveling exhibition “A New World: England’s First View of America,” presented by the British Museum in London.

In “Mysteries of the Lost Colony,” visitors learned about England’s first attempts at a permanent settlement in America and about several theories surrounding the colonists’ disappearance at Roanoke Island. The exhibit also featured the 70-year history of the outdoor drama “The Lost Colony,” based in Manteo. Mysteries of the Lost Colony was presented by the N.C. Museum of History in collaboration with the Roanoke Island Historical Association, producer of “The Lost Colony.”

Visitors Contributed Toward Costume Replacement Fund

Mysteries of the Lost Colony showcased nine costumes, stage props and a number of artifacts saved from the Sept. 11, 2007, fire that struck Waterside Theatre and destroyed three buildings at “The Lost Colony” site. Among the devastating losses were hundreds of the costumes, including historic ones from the drama’s early years, housed in the Irene Smart Rains Costume Shop.

To help with recovery efforts, a donation box was placed in the exhibit for “The Lost Colony” Costume Replacement Fund, and visitors contributed more than $1,300 toward new costumes. Additionally, the Museum Shop carried merchandise from “The Lost Colony” gift shop in Manteo. All proceeds from these items went toward the fund, and the sales raised more than $5,000.

“We are thankful to the N.C. Museum of History for allowing us to partner with this historical project,” says Carl V. Curnutte, executive director and producer of “The Lost Colony.” “The funds collected from exhibit visitors reaffirm our commitment to ‘The Lost Colony’ — America’s story. We are thankful to those who contributed to our replacement fund. Their gift will help us keep telling this story for the next 70 years.”

The museum’s hours are Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. For more information, call 919-807-7900 or visit ncmuseumofhistory.org. The museum is part of the Division of State History Museums, Office of Archives and History, an agency of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, http://www.ncculture.com/.

http://news.ncdcr.gov/2008/02/04/lost-colony-exhibit-attracted-nearly-58000/

Descendants of the 'Lost Colonists' Forced to Flee Their Own Homes

Cartuca was the capital of the people whose ancestors were known to Raleigh's colonists as Croatans. That the people of King Tom Taylor of Cartuca were descended from members of the Lost Colony may be concluded from the Congressional Report of 1914-1915, by Special Indian Agent O.M. McPherson. It precluded their classification as "Native Americans," with the benefits they would derive from this status. Hugh and Clement Taylor were both members of the Lost colony, but it is not known which, if either, was an ancestor of King Taylor.

When John Lawson and Baron De Graffenried conspired and contracted for the settlement of Palatines in the geographically strategic site of Cartuca--now New Bern--in 1710, the people of King Taylor were pleased at the prospect of European neighbors. Their king was maternally descended from Sir Manteo (knighted Lord of Roanoake and Dasamonguepeuk by Queen Elizabeth) and an english adventurer named Taylor, and they were pleased at the prospect of European neighbors.

The Palatines, from the border electorate of European kings, between France and Germany, had other plans, however. They had no intentions of allowing the Indians to remain in the area of the junction of the Trent and Neuse Rivers. The site controlled heavy freight traffic to the land's interior. With a few well-placed cannons De Graffenried could control shipping there as surely as his ancestors (cousins to the English royalty) controlled the junction of the Neckar and the Rhine.

The sale of Cartuca (Core Tucka, the new Currituck)was a momentous event for the Indians. They saw it as the beginning of a new way of life for them. What sort of a new way of life was soon to become clear to them as the mysterious Corees, who became extinct.

On the night of the celebration of the sale of Cartuca to the whites, it became clear to King Taylor that John Lawson had bargained away far more than Taylor ever intended to sell. His first awareness of the real extent of his peoples' loss brought from him an eloquent plea for brotherhood and cooperation between the whites and the Indians, in the English dialect of the Raleigh colonists.

The unaccustomed spectacle of a savage in European clothing, presenting an impassioned plea for unity with the Europeans, was more than one of the Palatines could take. Michel, a geologist and mining expert, raging drunk on raw rum, jumped on King Taylor and pummeled him mercilessly.

Such behavior on such an occasion was inconceivable to the Indians. To even interrupt a tribal chief was a capitol offense, at the chief's discretion. Michel's brutality ended the festivities for the natives of Cartuca. When Michel was pulled from the battered and bleeding Taylor, John Lawson delivered an ultimatum to the Indians. They must immediately leave Cartuca--and the surrounding area!

The shock to the Indians was profound. The loss to them was suddenly clear. Their home, with its wattled Welsh peasant style houses was no longer theirs. They were expected to vacate Cartuca immediately!

After his painful humiliation before the assembly of whites and his people, King Taylor raged in drunken indignation and disbelief in his own cabin. He rambled on about his white ancestry. He spoke of the nobility of his Indian ancestors, and the appreciation shown to them by the Virgin Queen. And he moaned his grief that John Lawson and the Palatines were such ungracious subjects of a sovereign who succeeded her.

As King Taylor rambled on, loudly and bitterly, English settlers and their friendly Tuscarora neighbors from the Albemarle, who had come to the celebration of New Bern's founding, continued to carouse around the big bonfire with the Palatines. Each outburst of rage and frustration from Taylor's house brought a roar of raucous laughter from the wild gang around the fire.

Loudly some wag in the crowd pointed out to Michel that his English was not nearly so fine as that of King Taylor! Another pointed out that the beating Michel gave him only served to sharpen Taylor's tongue! At this, Michel jumped up, kicked a shower of burning embers from the fire, and vowed to kick as many sparks from the Indian leader's arsch!

Michel ran to Taylor's house, followed by the drunken mob that roared its approval, and kicked open the door. King Taylor was astonished to find his privacy so violated. As he rose to protest, the enraged German pounced on him. Michel again pummeled Taylor mercilessly, knocking him down. When the Indian chief struggled to rise, Michel slammed a boot to his body that kicked him out the door. That was the way King Taylor left his home in Cartuca.
The Indian leader sprawled unconscious in the dirt, as Michel ordered the other Indians from their home. The women of the Taylor household were allowed to hastily gather a few belongings, as the young Indian men picked up their battered father and erstwhile spokesman, of whom they had always been so proud. Then they vanished into the darkness, the way Indians always do.

This was really the opening battle of the Tuscarora War, of which John Lawson was the first officially documented victim. This was the opening battle of the war that pitted the Iroquoian Tuscaroras of Roquis Pocosin, who allied themselves with their English neighbors, against a hodge-podge of Sioux, Algonquins and renegade Iroquois (mostly Tuscaroras)--who saw their destinies prefigured in the disgraceful beating Taylor took. King Taylor--who had so prided himself on his English ancestry.....

Full Article Here:

http://www.dickshovel.com/coreewho.html

Gods and Men: The Meeting of Indian and White Worlds on the Carolina Outer Banks

by Michael Leroy Oberg

It was on the fourth of July in 1584 that Philip Amadas and Arthur Barlowe, soldiers and sailors both in the service of Sir Walter Ralegh, arrived off the coast of what is today North Carolina, setting in motion the forces that would transform the life of Manteo The two explorers travelled with instructions to scout out the location for the colony Ralegh hoped to establish in America in the very near future.

By the 13th ofJuly, the English voyagers had landed on Hatorask Island, taking possession of the land in the name of the Queen 'according to the ceremonies used in such enterprises'. They then returned to their two ships, anchored off the western side of the island, and waited. On the third day, according to Barlowe, they 'espied one small boate rowing towards us, having in it three persons'. These Roanoke Indians landed at Hatorask. Two of them remained with their boat while 'the third came along the shoare side towards us'. Where 'he walked up and downe upon the point of the lande next unto us'. Several Englishmen, including Barlowe and Amadas, rowed ashore to greet him. After the lone Indian 'had spoken of many things not understoode by us, we brought him with his owne good liking, aboord the shippes, and gave him a shirt, a hatte, and some other things, and made him taste of our wine, and our meate, which he liked very well'. He then 'requited the former benefits receaved' before he departed by providing the explorers with enough fish for an impressive banquet.

The three natives returned to Roanoke Island with word that the newcomers posed no threat, for the next day, Barlowe reported, 'there came unto us divers boats, and in one of them the Kings brother, accompanied with fourtie or fiftie men, very handsome, and goodly people, and in their behaviour as mannerly, and civill, as any of Europe'. Granganimeo, the brother of the Roanoke weroance Wingina, met the English on the shore, and 'made all signes of joy, and welcome, striking on his head, and his breast, and afterwardes on ours, to shewe we were all one, smiling and making shewe the best he could, of all love, and familiaritie'.

'We were all one', Granganimeo tried to tell Barlowe. The Roanokes took great interest in the English voyagers. Trading commenced quickly. Indians offered deerskins for English trade goods. Others brought 'with them leather, corrall, divers kindes of dies very excellent, and exchanged with us'. Such intercultural exchange provided the foundation for a fragile middle ground on the coast of Hatorask Island, as Indians and Englishmen each took steps to incorporate the other into their own conceptual world, and to make sense of the strangers they then were encountering.

After several days, and after the Indians 'had beene divers times aboord our shippes', Barlowe and seven others sailed around the southern tip of Roanoke Island, and north along the island's western shore, before stopping for several nights at the Roanokes' village 'of nine houses, built of Cedar, and fortified round about with sharpe trees, to keepe out their enemies', on the northern tip of the island. Though far from trusting entirely in his hosts, Barlowe wrote that he and his companions 'were entertained with all love, and kindness and with as much bounties after their manner, as they could possibly devise'.

What Barlowe saw on Roanoke Island impressed him. The Indians were pure of heart, he wrote, and friendly. 'Wee found the people most gentle, loving, and faithful, void of all guile, and treason, and such as lived after the manner of the golden age. The earth', he wrote, brought forth for the Indians 'all things in aboundance, as in the first creation, without toile or labour'. Roanoke, or the surrounding islands, Barlowe reported, would provide the ideal location for a future English settlement.

Full Article Here:

http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~jmack/algonqin/oberg1.htm