John Rolfe James River from Jamestown. They never lived on the land, which spanned thousands of acres, and instead lived for two years on Rolfe's plantation, Varina Farms, across the James River from the new community of Henricus. Their marriage created a climate of peace between the Jamestown colonists and Powhatan's tribes for several years; in 1615, Ralph Hamor wrote that "Since the wedding, we have had friendly commerce and trade not only with Powhatan but also with his subjects round about us." Their son Thomas was born on 30 January 1615. John and Rebecca Rolfe traveled to England on the "Treasurer",
Gravesend Crew for Thames tugboats live in town, with Gravesend watermen often hailing from a family tradition. The Port of London Authority Control Centre (formerly known as "Thames Navigation Service") has its headquarters at Gravesend, providing maritime pilots with radar nowadays playing an important role in shipping navigation up the Thames. There is a variety of retail stores and shops in Gravesend. Gravesend market was first chartered in 1268. As of 2018, is situated in the heart of the town. Gravesend has the world's oldest surviving cast iron pier, built in 1834. It is a unique structure having the first known