Edward Wingfield
He was elected President of the Jamestown council on 14 May 1607, but was deposed on 10 September 1607 on petty charges and sent back to London in 1608.
Edward Maria Wingfield (1550–1631) was a soldier, Member of Parliament (1593), and English colonist in America. He was the son of Thomas Maria Wingfield, and the grandson of Richard Wingfield. Captain John Smith wrote that from 1602 to 1603 Wingfield was one of the early and prime movers and organisers in 'showing great charge and industry' in getting the Virginia Venture moving: he was one of the four incorporators for the London Virginia Company in the Virginia Charter of 1606 and one of its biggest financial backers. He recruited (with his cousin, Captain Bartholomew Gosnold) about forty of the 104 would-be colonists, and was one of the shareholders to sail. In the first election in the New World, he was elected by his peers as the President of the governing council for one year beginning 13 May 1607, of what became the first successful, English-speaking colony in the New World at Jamestown, Virginia.
Quick Facts
- Took office
- 1607
- Succeeded
- John Ratcliffe
- Born
- 1550
- Birthplace
- Stonely, Huntingdonshire, England
- Died
- 1631 (aged 81)
- Place of death
- Kimbolton, Cambridgeshire, England
- Known for
- "A Discourse of Virginia"
Lore & Background
After four months as President, on 10 September, because 'he ever held the men to working, watching, and warding', and because of lack of food, death from disease, and attack by the 'naturals' (during the worst famine and drought for 800 years), Wingfield was made a scapegoat and was deposed on petty charges. On the return of the Supply Boat on 10 April 1608, Wingfield was sent back to London to answer the charge of being an atheist, and one suspected of having Spanish sympathies. Smith's prime biographer, Philip L. Barbour, however, wrote of the 'superlative pettiness of the charges... none of the accusations amounting to anything.' Wingfield cleared his reputation, was named in the Second Virginia Charter, 1609, and was active in the Virginia Company until 1620, when he was 70 years old. He died in England in 1631, ten weeks before fellow Jamestown settler John Smith, and was buried on 13 April at St Andrew's Parish Church, Kimbolton.
Reader's Guide
Wingfield's early life included soldiering in the Netherlands alongside his brother, Captain Thomas Maria Wingfield, for at least four years, fighting as a foot company commander (commander of 100 pike-wielding soldiers) for the Dutch Republic against Spanish invaders, including in 1586 at the Battle of Zutphen. In the first half of 1588 he was taken prisoner together with Sir Ferdinando Gorges at or near Bergen-op-Zoom, and was held in Spanish captivity with him, first at Ghent and then at Lille until on 5 September 1588 when ransoms were demanded. He and Gorges were released no earlier than June 1589 as part of a prisoner exchange. In the 1590s, Captain Wingfield was garrisoned at Drogheda, Ireland – where commanders reported for pay, rations and munitions to the Clerk of the Cheque & Muster-Master, Colonel Sir Ralph Lane, the former Deputy Governor of Sir Walter Ralegh's ill-fated 1584–86 Roanoke Colony. In 1593, Wingfield was a member of parliament for Chippenham, Wiltshire, one of five Wingfield family MPs – a seat obtained for him by his neighbour, Anthony Mildmay of Apethorpe, probably encouraged by Wingfield's cousin, Sir Robert Cecil.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Edward Wingfield?
Edward Maria Wingfield was an English soldier and colonist who played a major role in organizing the Virginia Venture. He served as a Member of Parliament before becoming one of the earliest leaders in the New World settlement.
What were his contributions to the colonization effort?
As a key financier, he helped secure the 1606 Charter for the London Virginia Company and recruited settlers with his cousin. His organizational work from 1602 to 1603 was critical in moving the colonization project forward.
Why was he removed from his presidency?
Wingfield was deposed from his presidency in September 1607 due to petty charges brought against him by other council members. He returned to England the following year, ending his direct involvement in the settlement.
When did Edward Wingfield die?
Historical records indicate that Edward Maria Wingfield passed away in 1631 at the age of eighty-one. His legacy remains tied to the founding era of the Virginia colony.
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