Captain John Smith

Born in the village of Willoughby in 1580, Captain John Smith is regarded as one one the country’’s most famous explorers.

The son of an ordinary yeoman farmer, Smith had great ambition and courage and rose through the ranks of English society to become the Captain of Cavalry with his own coat of arms – the mark of a ‘gentleman’.

In 1607 Captain John Smith became an important leader of the first permanent settlement in the New World at Jamestown, Virginia.  He ensured his survival by building a relationship with Virginian Indians – one of whom was the legendary Pocahontas, who saved Smith’s live when he was due to be executed by her father.

Did you know?

• Smith was responsible for building the first houses in Jamestown.
• Smith was injured in a gunpowder accident in 1609 and taken back to England.
• When Pocanontas visited England in 1616, Smith wrote to Queen Anne to ask her to welcome Pocahontas as a ‘Princess’ to the court.  The Queen granted this wish and met with Pocahontas, who had married Englishman, John Rolfe.