John Ratcliffe (governor) entire body with mussel shells and tossed the pieces into the flame as he watched. They skinned his face last and finally burned him at stake. This story was documented in an eyewitness account that is included in "The Jamestown Adventure: Accounts of the Virginia Colony, 1605–1614 (Real Voices, Real History)", edited by Ed Southern. In Disney's "Pocahontas" (1995), Ratcliffe was portrayed as a greedy and ruthlessly ambitious man, and the film's main antagonist. His character believes that the Powhatan tribe is very barbaric in nature and have hidden gold near the outskirts of Virginia, and he wants to battle
John Ratcliffe (governor) John Ratcliffe (governor) John Ratcliffe (1549 – December 1609) was captain of the "Discovery", one of three ships that sailed from England on 19 December 1606 to Virginia to found a colony, arriving 26 April 1607. He later became the second president of the colony which later became Jamestown. He was killed by the Pamunkey Native Americans when he was going to trade with them in 1609. Ratcliffe was born in Lancashire. Many people say he used the alias John Sicklemore, but this was never confirmed. He served as a seaman before going to Virginia, and he may be the