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
Richard Ratcliffe of the two councilors (the other was William Catesby) who are reputed to have told the king that marrying Elizabeth of York would cause rebellions in the north. Ratcliffe was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field, on 22 August 1485. Ratcliffe appears in Shakespeare's play "Richard III" as a minor character who executes Rivers, Grey and Vaughn. In the Andrew Wise 1597 (first) edition, Sir Richard's character appears first as "Sir Richard Ratliffe" (without the 'c') then as plain "Ratcliffe" (with the 'c', but no 'Sir' nor 'Richard') and finally as plain "Ratliffe". Richard Ratcliffe Sir Richard Ratcliffe, KG