Vessels of the Popham Colony: the Richard of Plimouth and Sir John Popham’S Ship, 1606

Maine’s First Ship Maine’s First Ship: Reconstructing the Winter 2020 Virginia continues to make Special points of interest: • Vessels of the Popham progress amid pandemic colony • Jane Stevens Visitor Center hosts visitors this summer Paul C. and Paul K. • MFS in the news Volunteers kept Maine’s fall, we decided to divide • Rigging updates First Ship moving ahead volunteers who were still are constructing the bul- • Updated website this summer, despite willing to work on the ship warks, and Dana and • “Art of the Virginia” covid-19’s unrelenting into “pods” of two or three Bruce are gathering mate- virtual exhibit ability to present chal- and spread out the work rials to install the engine lenges. Some volunteers across 5 days a week. and its accessory parts. took Virginia projects As a result, the last Outside, Fred is home, while others simply piece of lead keel is being working on the windlass Newsletter produced worked on long-neglected hung by Charlie and Jim A. drum, while Jim P. is cut- courtesy of the house chores. As you can see in ting decorative pieces for Publicity the photos below, the deck the transom. Committee: After closing in Dan Wood has Roger Barry, Lori Benson, April, we re-opened the is finished and Gail, Elise, Allison Hepler boat shed in June two Jeremy, and Reg are now been overseeing the dock days a week with safety caulking and paying the construction. precautions such as hand deck. The caulking is tarred Riggers have been sanitizer, masks, and so- hemp, the same material so productive they are Keel donation from Morton- Kelly Trust. Thanks, Erik cial distancing. that the original builders taking a few weeks off. Jorgensen As numbers of would have used. Orman, You’ll see photos positive covid-19 cases our Oliver Twist, has been of all the progress inside! across Maine rose in the rolling the oakum. DECK — BEFORE (L) AND AFTER (Below) Page 2 Maine’s First Ship: Reconstructing the pinnace Virginia President’s Notes Still an amazing have been enthralled by our endeavor . building of Virginia. Also to me it has been amazing to Even as we are unable work together with so many to come together this different people to bring Vir- year we still have a lot ginia to realization, and to give thanks for at I give thanks to all of MFS, especially to our you. family of friends, staff, board, and volunteers. Stay safe, For me it has been not - Orman only a lesson in ship- building and history, but the meeting of people from around America and the world, who Jane Stevens Visitor Center hosts visitors this summer The Jane Stevens Visitor Center plastic barrier at the desk, a hand in the Bath Freight Shed opened washing station at the door to the in Mid-July for visitors from near boat shed, hand sanitizer by the and far. “We were glad to be check in, separate holders for open five days a week,” said Vol- clean versus used pens, and dispos- unteer and Board member able masks available free of charge. Dorsey Harrison. The Center Dorsey added that “we also imple- remained open until October 11 mented a waiting area on the deck and then twice a week until No- so only one group was touring the vember 9, when the in- facility and boat crease in COVID-19 cas- at a time and es across Maine caused a engaged in en- complete closure for the hanced clean- Winter. Tours are availa- ing.” ble by appointment. Volun- Volunteers trained teer docents Shed: “We met visitors from all for their docent work via Allison Hepler across the country who had Zoom, and made adjust- and Rob Ste- come to Maine for an extended ments to space inside the vens loved stay. We also re-acquainted locals Freight Shed to protect their weekly with the progress on the ship.” volunteers and guests. “tour of duty” These included a physical at the Freight Maine’s First Ship: Reconstructing the pinnace Virginia Page 3 MFS riggers reflect on how rigging differs from ship construction By Jim Nelson tended to. The rigging, howev- er, is done in pretty much the opposite order. For several years now we’ve been working on the details: building the blocks, or pulleys, that are a major part of the rigging, making and attaching the rope “strops” — the rope bands that will hold the blocks in place, each one different and specially made Sails are “bent” or attached, Virginia’s rigging continues apace, for its purpose — measuring and the rigging that will control though I find myself reflecting on and cutting the heavy standing them set in place. Finally, how very different the pro- when the ship emerges from cess of rigging the ship is the boathouse, all this rigging from building it, and how will be set up where it ultimate- that difference makes the ly belongs. With Virginia in the progress that’s been made water, after the shipwrights on rigging much less visible have seen all their efforts come than that of the ship itself. together, it will be time for the A ship is built, liter- rigging to come together as ally, from the ground up: well. From the jumble of sundry the keel is laid, frames are gear it will all turn into the lofty built and put in place, plank- and complex system of spars, ing is fastened on, decks are ropes and sails which will drive put down. The hull is com- our ship before the wind. pleted and then the smaller, finer rigging that will hold the masts I’m pleased to report aspects of the shipwright’s art at- up. The result of our we are well on our way. efforts appears to be just a great jumble of sundry gear. But now as we finish building those components and start to fit them to the spars, all those disparate parts start coming together as a func- tioning system. Page 4 Maine’s First Ship: Reconstructing the pinnace Virginia Vessels of the Popham Colony: The Richard of Plimouth and Sir John Popham’s ship, 1606 By Rob Stevens George Waymouth the previ- and, it appears, killed one crew In 1582, the English with John ous year. The Captain was member. Hawkins and Walter Raleigh were Henry Challons, who had made The crew was taken to active exploiting the Western three previous trips to Spain and imprisoned. Some Hemisphere harassing the Spanish “Virginia.” The Master was escaped, one was murdered by smuggling, slaving, and piracy. Nicholas Hines and the Pilot and one died of the Flux. The The undeclared Anglo- was John Stoneman who had pilot Stoneham was offered Spanish War lasted from 1585 to been to Northern Virginia the great rewards for information 1604 with fighting between Catho- year before with George Way- about ''Virginia'' for which he lics and Protestants in Europe and mouth when the 5 Indians, the refused and escaped. When English piracy in the West Indies. Mawooshon 5, were kidnapped. Stoneham escaped there were Many of the people involved in Whatever the purpose of kid- 17 men still held by the Span- these battles went on to be in- napping the Indians was, they ish. The Spanish used various volved in the exploration and col- were captured before there methods to try to enlist the onization attempts of Newfound- was a Virginia Charter. Sirs Indians. In August 1608 the land, “Virginia”, and Guiana. Popham and Gorges came into Spanish Council of State sen- At the same time Basque, possession of them and it tenced the remaining crew to English, French, Dutch, and Swe- seems planned on using them the galleys. dish fishermen had been coming as intermediaries between the About two months af- to the “Western Ocean” for dec- English and the Indians. ter the Richard sailed, Sir John ades. John Smith writes in 1614 The purpose of the voy- Popham sent a second vessel that by 1600 there were 200 Eu- age was “if any good occasion to meet up with the Richard ropean vessels and 10,000 men were offered, to leave as many and bring more supplies. The and boys involved in the fisheries. men as wee could spare in the Captain was Thomas Hanham The Richard of Plimouth was the Country. Being victualled for 11 and the Master was Martin first vessel sent by Sir John Pop- or 12 months.” The Richard Pring. Nahanada, another one ham, Sir Ferdinando Gorges, and sailed to the Canary Islands of the Indians kidnapped by others of the West Country to 28*40'N, August 31 but the Captain Waymouth the previ- settle the Seconde Colonie in best they could make with con- ous year, was brought back to Northern Virginia. The Richard trary winds was the Antilles at Pemaquid where he would set forth from Plimouth August 14*20'N, mid-October. Head- meet the Popham colonists the 12, 1606, four months before the ing north they rescued Father next year. The second vessel Firste Colonie sailed for what Blasius from the Ile of Domini- arrived in November, and after would become Jamestown. All we ca where upon pain of death he 6 weeks of waiting for the know is she was a “Small ship of taught the Indians how to make Richard and exploring more of the burthen of 55 Tunnes or there sails and rig them in their ca- the coast, it returned to Eng- -about.” My estimate is she would noes. Heading north through land.

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