Christopher newport biography

In nearly forty years of Sea Voyages, Captain Christopher Newport played an important role in the evolution of England from an isolated island society to a major sea power with expanding overseas colonies, which ultimately became the British Empire. During seventeen years of successful privateering in the Caribbean, he and other English privateers enriched the English monarchy and provided financial support for the future English colonization of North America. Newport was the most important leader in the initial establishment of the Virginia Colony at Jamestown, the first permanent English-speaking colony in North America. For the first five difficult years, he kept the struggling colony alive by resupplying the colonists, bringing new colonists to Jamestown, and supervising the building of the settlement's initial palisade, storehouse, church, and dock. With his leadership skills, knowledge of navigation, seamanship experience, and ability to negotiate with the Indians, he r

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Early Years and Privateering

Newport was christened at Harwich, a prominent port town on the east cost of England, on December 29, His father, also named Christopher Newport, was a shipmaster; the maiden name of his mother, Jane, is unknown.

At about age nineteen, Newport sailed from Harwich for Brazil on November 3, , aboard the merchant vessel Minion of London. He jumped ship with some other crewmen at Baya (Bahia), Brazil, in after a quarrel erupted with the ship&#;s mästare, Stephen Hare. Newport may have returned to England by , when his name appeared on a list of shipmasters in Harwich. He married Katherine Proctor there on October 19,

The next year, , marked the beginning of a long, undeclared war between England and Spain that eventually concluded in During the intervening years, in accordance with international practice, England and Spain commissioned private seafarers to prey on each other&#;s shipping. Essentially licensed pirates, the privateers of both sides varie

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About Captain Christopher Newport
(ca. -- )¹

One might ask who Captain Christopher Newport was, and desire an explanation of his role in the story of Jamestown. For those having some small knowledge of the establishment of the first permanent English colony on the shores of the New World, Newport is a name not unknown. But was he of any other importance? And of what importance was he? One historian describes him as "one of the greatest of England's sea-captains, his services both before and after his connection with the Virginia enterprise being highly honorable."²

Born about , Christopher Newport rose to an extremely distinguished position, being one of six masters of the royal navy. Entering sea service at an early age, he quickly became a capable mariner. Sailing for South America in , he left ship in Brazil for unknown reasons eventually returning to England. Records attest to his sailing as a privateer in West Indian waters. Records of three of four voya