Section of John White's 'Virgenia Pars' map. Click on the image to see a larger view in a new window. The original is part of a collection held by the British Museum. The contrast of this digital image has been enhanced by Coastal Carolina Indian Center to improve the map's legibility.

Editor’s note: As news trickled in late last week and over the weekend regarding the latest discovery beneath the patches on the John White ‘Virgenia Pars’ map, I immediately knew I wanted to speak to Scott Dawson, the most knowledgeable expert on the so-called ‘Lost Colony’ that I know. And let me be very clear — to say Mr. Dawson is the most knowledgeable person I know on the subject is not a claim I make lightly. I have been involved in researching early coastal Carolina history for nearly two decades. I have done research with, and for, more than one ‘group’ promoting itself as focused on the ‘Lost Colony’, and have become disenchanted with the recurrent theme in such groups of having agenda-driven theories that are weakly supported by cobbled-together, cherry-picked pieces of data, attempting to prove a desired historical interpretation, rather than allowing the data to all come in and then forming hypotheses from said data.

In my observations over these last many years, it appears much of the historical hullabaloo relating to the Lost Colony is more about drumming up publicity and headlines, followed by more ‘research dollars.’

Scott Dawson, on the other hand, is a Hatteras island native who, himself, is a descendant of the very Croatoan Indians who figure so prominently into the Lost Colony history. For him, research into the subjects of both indigenous history, as well as Indian-Colonial relations in early North Carolina is a labor of love. He knows the history of Hatteras, Roanoke and the surrounding areas with a level of familiarity and detail that I’ve not found elsewhere. His ability to recall the most minute details of even the lesser-known historical sources is truly impressive. He advocates strongly for investigating and teaching Coastal Carolina Indian history, and has expressed how troubled he is that there appears to be little interest in academia in researching the First People of our coast — unless, of course, the research can somehow be linked to the English settlers of the ‘Lost Colony.’ — S.W.

New Mystery Fort… Lost Colony?

by Scott Dawson

The new discovery on John White’s 1585 map is exciting, but the connection between it and the 1587 ‘lost’ colony is not supported in the primary sources.  The fort is far more likely to be connected with the 1585 voyage, and was possibly never even built.

In archaeology, everything is about context, and in history, the same thing is true.

In the current media, a lot of hype has been made about a cherry-picked phrase from one of John White’s writings stating a possibility of the colony moving “50 miles into the main” from Roanoke Island.

I would like to take this opportunity to explain the context, and then to dispute the recent claims of the press regarding the 1587 colony.

A Modern-Day Example

I am going to start you out with an analogy — one that you can ponder before I present the historical facts from the primary sources.

Imagine you are married with kids.

Your spouse and children are going to meet you at a restaurant that evening for dinner.

You cannot ride with them because you are coming from work to meet them.  Before you left for work earlier that morning, there was some talk of going to Café 12 in Avon.

You have to come home to change clothes first before meeting them for dinner, so you ask your spouse to leave a note of what restaurant they decide on, and you will meet them there.

You come home from work to change clothes and find a note that says, “We’re going to the Shipwreck Grill in Buxton.”

What do you do?

Will you head on over to the Shipwreck Grill, or the Café 12?

The answer is obvious. You’d go to the Shipwreck Grill. It would make no sense to go to one place when your family has left you a note that they’ve gone to another place.

Café 12 has the same context as the now over-hyped phrase “50 miles in to the main” (or Bertie County).  Shipwreck Grill represents Croatoan, or modern day Hatteras Island from Buxton to Hatteras Village.~

I am now going to present to you what is being ignored, and has been ignored for far too long — the actual FACTS and CLUES surrounding the ‘lost’ colony. [Continue reading…]