Jamestown: DNA Solves Mystery of First English Settlement in America

⏱️ 11 min read                

Try to imagine a secret so explosive it remained hidden for 400 years—until now. In the first colony of America, Jamestown, Virginia, a family scandal unfolds, not from dusty records, but from ancient DNA. What is ancient DNA? Well, it helped unravel a mystery that Jamestown never wanted the world to know. 

Welcome to That's Life, I Swear.  This podcast is about life's happenings in this world that conjure up such words as intriguing, frightening, life-changing, inspiring, and more. I'm Rick Barron your host. 

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Centuries-Old Secret Uncovered in Colonial Jamestown

Recent scientific advancements have shed light on a long-buried family secret from the early days of American colonization. The story unfolds in Jamestown, Virginia, where the first successful British settlement took root in the early 17th century.

In 1610, Thomas West became Jamestown’s first governor of the new colony. He was accompanied by several male relatives, including three of his brothers. However, it's another family member whose story captured the attention of researchers.

A groundbreaking study, published in the journal Antiquity on August 13, 2024; revealed an intriguing discovery. Scientists conducted DNA analysis on two sets of human remains found in unmarked graves within a Jamestown church. The results were surprising: both individuals were related to Governor Thomas West, and they shared a maternal lineage.

Scientists have for the first time identified the four people buried in Jamestown's first church. They are (from left) minister Robert Hunt, Sir Ferdinando Wainman, Captain Gabriel Archer and Captain William West. Courtesy of Smithsonian Magazine

This genetic link led researchers to historical documents that unveiled a carefully guarded family scandal. One of the grave sites revealed the deceased as identified as Captain William West, born out of wedlock to Thomas West's unmarried aunt, Elizabeth. Despite his illegitimate status, William was raised among the privileged West family in England.

The family went to great lengths to conceal this embarrassing truth. They deliberately erased any mention of William's true parentage from their genealogical records. Researchers speculate that persistent rumors about his origins may have influenced William's decision to seek a fresh start in the New World.

Dr. Christine Lee, an anthropology professor at the University of Mississippi who wasn't involved in the study, commented on its significance. She noted that combining genetic data with historical evidence can uncover narratives that were once considered too shameful to acknowledge. "This approach offers valuable insights into how individuals navigated societal norms and restrictions of their time.” It’s not like they had the National Inquirer to spread the gossip.

This discovery not only rewrites a chapter of the West family history but also provides a fascinating glimpse into the complex social dynamics of 17th-century England and its American colonies.

Unraveling Mysteries: Hidden Graves in Early Colonial America

In historic Jamestown, a chance discovery in 2014 set the stage for a captivating journey into America's colonial past. Archaeologists unearthed four unmarked graves within the confines of an early 17th-century Anglican church, a structure that served the colony from approximately 1608 to 1616. This find would soon lead to revelations that challenged our understanding of Jamestown's social hierarchy and family connections.

Two of the four graves immediately stood out. The superior craftsmanship of their coffins hinted at the elevated status of those buried. One burial, in particular, captured the imagination of researchers as it contained the remains of an individual laid to rest with a military sash adorned with spangles and fringed with silver, a clear indicator of importance and rank.

Initial assessments, combining burial details, estimated the ages of the remains, and historical records, pointed to two notable figures: 

1.     Captain William West, a young man in his early twenties, and Sir Ferdinando Wenman, who passed away at 34. 

2.     Both were mentioned in Jamestown's chronicles as relatives of the governor, though the exact nature of Captain West's connection remained ambiguous. 

3.     In contrast, Sir Wenman was clearly identified as the governor's first cousin.

The investigation took an unexpected turn when scientists decided to dive deeper using cutting-edge technology. Kari Bruwelheide, a skeletal biology expert from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History's anthropology department and co-author of the study, explained the pivotal moment:

"We turned to ancient DNA or what is known as aDNA analysis, hoping to fill in some blanks. What we discovered was truly astonishing - it opened up an entirely new avenue of inquiry that we never anticipated."

This advanced genetic analysis not only promised to confirm the identities of the deceased but also held the potential to uncover hidden connections between these early colonists, painting a more detailed picture of life and relationships in early 17th-century Jamestown.

Genetic Ties: Unveiling Colonial Connections Through Ancient DNA

With over four centuries having passed, it had taken its toll on the genetic material recovered from Jamestown's unmarked graves. Despite the DNA's degraded state, scientists managed to extract valuable information, focusing on a specific part of the genome that would prove very important to their investigation.

Dr. Éadaoin Harney, a lecturer in human evolutionary biology at Harvard University and co-author of the study, explained that the team's analysis centered on mitochondrial haplogroups. These genetic markers, passed down exclusively through maternal lines, offered the only conclusive results from the ancient samples.

While the DNA's condition precluded identification of immediate family relationships, it revealed an unexpected link between two of the deceased. Both Sir Ferdinando Wenman and Captain William West shared the mitochondrial haplogroup H10e, suggesting a close connection through their maternal ancestry.

Team sifting through new discoveries from the Jamestown site. Some 2 million artifacts have been found here since 1994. Courtesy of Smithsonian Magazine

This discovery caught the research team off guard. "Initially, we had a different hypothesis,"  Dr. Harney noted. "Given that Captain West bore the surname 'West,' which was also the maiden name of Wenman's mother, we anticipated finding a paternal connection between them."

The genetic evidence, however, pointed in a different direction. It provided the anthropologists with a new lead, prompting them to look deeper into historical records and family genealogies. This unexpected turn demonstrated the power of interdisciplinary research, where genetic science can guide historical inquiry in unforeseen directions.

The Jamestown study highlights how advanced DNA analysis techniques can shed light on centuries-old mysteries, even when working with highly degraded samples. 

Unearthing Colonial Secrets: The Hidden Lineage of Captain West

The groundbreaking discovery in Jamestown shed new light on the complex family dynamics of early American colonists. The revelation came as researchers, guided by unexpected DNA findings, went deeper into historical records, ultimately uncovering a centuries-old family secret.

The genetic analysis, which initially seemed inconclusive due to degraded DNA, provided just enough information to spark a more thorough investigation into Captain West's female relatives. This pursuit led researchers to an overlooked legal document from 1616 - a court case concerning the distribution of West's estate.

In his will, Captain West had given his possessions, including family heirlooms:

1.     To Mary Blount, the aunt of the Jamestown's governor. 

2.     However, the true significance of this document lay in its subtle revelations about West's origins. 

3.     Court records stated that Mary Blount had raised Captain West "on behalf of her unmarried, deceased sister, Elizabeth."

The study's authors noted, "The carefully chosen language and the conspicuous absence of formal recognition of Captain West as Elizabeth's son in official documents strongly suggest the illegitimate nature of his birth."

Bruwelheide, one of the researchers, emphasized the pivotal role of the genetic evidence: "Despite its incompleteness, the ancient DNA provided crucial clues about an unexpected maternal connection. This insight spurred a comprehensive examination of the extended family tree, ultimately leading to the court case and the revelation of Captain West's true parentage."

The investigation confirmed that Captain West, Governor Thomas West, and Ferdinando Wenman were indeed cousins, albeit through a more complex family arrangement than initially presumed.

Michael Lavin, director of collections and conservation at the Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation and a co-author of the study, reflected on the significance of these findings: "This discovery adds a fascinating dimension to our understanding of life in early Jamestown. It reminds us that the settlers who ventured to the New World carried with them not just hopes and ambitions, but also family secrets and personal dramas, much like we do today."

Lavin marveled at the implications of this research, stating, "The fact that we can uncover such intimate details about individuals who lived over four centuries ago is a testament to the remarkable capabilities of modern historical and scientific methodologies."

This revelation not only enriches our understanding of Jamestown's social fabric but also humanizes these historical figures, reminding us of the personal stories that often lie hidden beneath the grand narratives of colonial history. As researchers continue to combine cutting-edge scientific techniques with meticulous historical investigation, we may expect more such fascinating insights into the lives of early American settlers. 

What can we learn from this story? What's the takeaway? 

This groundbreaking study is the first to show that ancient DNA (aDNA) can serve as a tool not only for tracing ancestry but also for uncovering instances of illegitimacy within high-ranking families of the seventeenth century. The findings from the aDNA analysis, combined with thorough genealogical and historical investigations, provided new insights into the connection between Captain William West and Ferdinando Wenman, especially concerning their maternal lineage.

Well, there you go, my friends; that's life, I swear

For further information regarding the material covered in this episode, I invite you to visit my website, which you can find on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, for show notes and the episode transcript.

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