Thomas Dale in present-day Northampton County near Cape Charles. Governor Dale sailed back to England in the spring of 1616 aboard the "Treasurer". Accompanying him on what was considered an investor-relations journey were John Rolfe, his wife Rebecca (Pocahontas) and their one-year-old son, Thomas Rolfe. Samuel Argall commanded that ship. Queen Anne and others were reportedly charmed by Rebecca, and investment in the Virginia Company was enhanced. However, soon after leaving London, as John Rolfe and his wife sailed down the Thames River, Rebecca became very ill and died on 21 March 1617 before returning to Virginia. Although Dale and Pocahontas were
Gravesend Blockhouse Gravesend Blockhouse Gravesend Blockhouse was an artillery fortification constructed as part of Henry VIII's Device plan of 1539, in response to fears of an imminent invasion of England by France and the Holy Roman Empire. It was built at Gravesend in Kent along a strategic point along the River Thames and was operational by 1540. A two-storey, D-shaped building built from brick and stone, it had a circular bastion overlooking the river and gun platforms extending out to the east and west. It functioned in conjunction with Tilbury Fort on the other side of the river, and was repaired in