Gosnold, Bartholomew

1572-1607. English explorer who sailed to New England in 1602, arriving at and naming Cape Elizabeth, anchoring in York Harbor, then sailing down the coast. He named Cape Cod, then sailed around to Martha's Vineyard, naming it for his daughter. His party was too weak to plant a colony, so all returned. He obtained the exclusive charter that established the Virginia Company, which was to establish the Jamestown colony, and recruited its leadership. He sailed himself as vice admiral and captain of the second largest ship, Godspeed. He died four months after landing at Jamestown. A skeleton, which may be his, was uncovered in 2002. He is considered to be the prime mover of the settlement.