White, John (1540’s?-1600’s?), was the governor of a short-lived English colony established on Roanoke Island, in what is now the Outer Banks of North Carolina , in 1587. White was also an accomplished artist whose paintings of Roanoke made a valuable contribution to the historical record. The colony—later known as the Lost Colony —was mysteriously abandoned after White returned, temporarily, to England. White spent several years searching for the colonists, among them his daughter Ellinor (or Eleanor) White Dare and a granddaughter, Virginia Dare . Virginia Dare was the first child of English parents to be born in England’s American Colonies .
Little is known of White’s life outside of his expeditions to North America. Many historians believe he was born in Cornwall, southwestern England, in the 1540’s. White was probably educated as an illustrator. He may have joined explorer Martin Frobisher’s expedition to Canada’s Baffin Island in 1577. In 1585, White traveled to what is now Puerto Rico and eastern North Carolina as part of England’s first attempt to colonize Roanoke Island. The colony, sponsored in part by the English soldier and explorer Sir Walter Raleigh , failed within a year. During his time at the colony, White painted a number of watercolors depicting the indigenous (native) peoples of the area. He also painted native plants and animals and produced maps of the Outer Banks region. Engravings based on White’s paintings appeared in Thomas Harriot ’s book A Briefe and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia, beginning with the 1590 edition.
In 1587, Raleigh appointed White governor of a second colony on Roanoke Island. White raised money for the effort and recruited settlers. Following the arrival of 117 colonists in July, White put them to work salvaging the buildings of the 1585 settlement. In August 1587, soon after White’s daughter gave birth to Virginia Dare, White returned to England to collect supplies for the colony. War between England and Spain delayed White’s efforts to return. When he finally landed again on Roanoke Island in August 1590, the colony had been deserted. White undertook a number of unsuccessful efforts to locate the missing colonists. He later settled in Ireland—possibly on an estate owned by Raleigh. Some historians believe he died there about 1606.
