John Rolfe progressive development at Henricus. The first harvest of four barrels of tobacco leaf was exported from Virginia to England in March 1614. Soon afterwards, Rolfe and others were exporting vast quantities of the new cash crop. New plantations began growing along the James River, where export shipments could use wharfs along the river. Rolfe married Pocahontas, daughter of the local Native American leader Powhatan, on 5 April 1614. A year earlier, Alexander Whitaker had converted Pocahontas to Christianity and renamed her "Rebecca" when she had her baptism. Richard Buck officiated their wedding. Powhatan gave the newlyweds property just across the
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