Gravesend was granted, allowing the men of the town to operate boats between London and the town; these became known as the "Long Ferry". It became the preferred form of passage, because of the perils of road travel (see below). On Gravesend's river front are the remains of a Tudor fort built by command of King Henry VIII in 1543. On 21 March 1617, John Rolfe and Rebecca (aka Princess Pocahontas) with their two-year-old son, Thomas, boarded a ship in London bound for the Commonwealth of Virginia; the ship had only sailed as far as Gravesend before Rebecca fell fatally ill,
Richard of Gravesend 1265 to 1267. Richard died on 18 December 1279 at Stow Park. Richard was the uncle of Richard of Gravesend, who was Archdeacon of Northampton. Richard of Gravesend Richard of Gravesend (or Richard de Gravesend; died 18 December 1279) was a medieval Bishop of Lincoln. Richard was a native of Gravesend in Kent. He was treasurer of the diocese of Hereford about 1238. By 16 June 1250 he was Archdeacon of Oxford in the diocese of Lincoln. Before August 1254 he was holding the office of Dean of Lincoln. Richard was elected to the see of Lincoln on 21 or