Empire (9th of 90) -- 1590: Disaster at Roanoke

The first English child to be born in America was baptised, Virginia in August 1587. She would survive her birth, but not the hostile surroundings of that first settlement at Roanoke. The settlement had been sold to investors as a new Eden. Elizabeth had given her blessing. A new town would be called Ralegh. There would be a governor, John White, baby Virginia's grandfather. This was to be true colonisation because for the first time in any expedition, families were included at the start. But remember this was 1587, the year before the Armada. The whole of England waited for what it feared would be a Spanish invasion. Roanoke was starving and White was sent back for supplies. But in England he found there was no priority to use valuable ships to re-supply a colony. When the Spanish were defeated, the two nations remained at war. Governor White could not persuade Ralegh to launch a rescue expedition. It was not until August 1590 that White arrived again off the coast of Roanoke. The colonists, including his granddaughter, had disappeared. It is said that an Indian chief later admitted to their massacre, but we really do not know what happened. However, we do know that the story of the early settlements in America was one of tragedy and few riches. "This Sceptred Isle: Empire" is a narrative history of the British Empire from Ireland in the 12th century to the independence of India in the 20th, told in 90 programmes written by historian Christopher Lee and narrated by actor Juliet Stevenson. (You will be able to listen again online to up to five most recent episodes of "Empire".)