# susan constant



## frank elliott

1994, a friend and I went on a grand tour of south and eastern USA and the tour started in Dallas Texas and on a coach travelled to so many places along the Gulf of Mexico coast and round into Georgia and up through the Carolinas and into Virginia heading for Washington for the flight home.One night we stayed at Williamsburg on the Cheseapeake Bay and next morning were taken to see the historic settlement of Jamestown. It is this that I really want to talk about here.I was intrigued,it is so well kept and shown as near to the original as possible even the museum keepers dressed in 15th century garb. In 1607,King James 1st time a group of London merchants were commissioned by the Crown to gather up a number of people and go West to the Americas and seek gold and find a short way to the Orient.149 people took up the challenge and three sailing ships were chartered,they were the 'Godspeed' a tiny two masted thing no bigger then a present day lifeboat,the 'Discovery' a three masted ship and still not very big and then the much bigger 'Susan Constant' owned by a Gravesend shipowner named Constant.The three ships set sail and it took 19 weeks to see land,the Godspeed was so slow and they had to keep together.Of the 149 souls only 104 survived to enter Chesepeake Bay and make safe landfall.They had a torrid time and all was not well with health and provisions.They named where they settled Jamestown and it eventually became the first settlement to take root as it did after a number of years.1585 Walter Raleigh had an unsuccessful settlement in Virginia.The Discovery was sent back to England.Some years later one of the settlers married an Indian girl and that was the story of Pocohontas
the Indian girl who died on the ship in the Thames taking her back to her own people. However, Susan Constant owned by a London company and that company thereafter always had a ship so named and in the 1800's the company moved to South Wales to enter the lucritave export of coal trade to become Constants of Cardiff and in 1972 owned three ships of about 6000 tons each.The 3 ships were the 'Lottinge' ,'Lyminge' and 'Susan Constant' and about 1979 the
company went out of business as shipowners. We went on then to visit Arlington,Mount Vernon and a grand time in Washington which included a tour within the WhiteHouse and then flew home on a brand new Boeing 777 on her delivery flight Searh for www.Jamestown Settlement and follow the links some of which show the replica of Susan Constant


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## PatriciaAnnT

Frank, so glad to hear that you enjoyed your tour of Jamestown and Historic Williamsburg. They have done a marvelous job of restoring and preserving that national treasure. And what a wonderful way to finish your holiday......a flt. back on a new 777.


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## ben27

good day frank Elliott.m.12aug.2013,04:57.re:susan constant.thank you for posting a very interesting piece of American history,it sounds like you had a great holiday,have a good day,regards ben27


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