The Mystery of John White Trivia Quiz

Answer: London

The church of St. Augustine in London has a record of christening a "John White" on February 22, 1539, though whether this is our John White is not entirely certain. He was a known member of the parish of St. Martin, Ludgate, in London later in his life.

He is thought to have received at least some of his training as an illustrator in London, as art experts have pointed out characteristics of his work that seem inspired by the art styles of the sixteenth century.

Answer: A daughter who lived to adulthood, a son who died in infancy.

Their elder child, a son named Thomas, was born first in 1567, but died in infancy. Their daughter, Eleanor, was born in 1568. She would later marry Ananias Dare in 1583 and the couple would later move to Roanoke Island.

Answer: Baffin Island

The 1577 expedition traveled to both Baffin Island and Greenland as part of a search for a Northwest Passage, under the command of Martin Frobisher, between Europe and the Pacific as well as precious metals. John White, who was traveling on the ship "Aid", created some illustrations of the peoples and lands encountered on the trip. White's illustrations brought him to the attention of Sir Walter Raleigh, who had ambitions for an English presence in the Americas.

Answer: Mapmaker

The expedition, led by Sir Ralph Lane, was unsuccessful and the colonists returned to England in 1586. While his work as an artist may be well known, he work as a mapmaker was also important. A manuscript map of the Outer Banks of North Carolina showed the location of various Native American group villages as well as dangerous shoals surrounding the islands.

Answer: Watercolors

White used watercolors at a time when it was more common for painters to use oil-based paints. His paintings were quite popular in sixteenth century Europe, particularly after 1590 when engravings of the paintings by Theodore de Bry were published under the title "America".

The remaining original White paintings are held by the British museum, which in 2007 held an exhibition of about 70 of his paintings under the title "A New World: England's First View of America." On a personal note, I have prints of two of his paintings--one of a crab and one of a turtle--hanging in my living room. (They were purchased when I visited the historic site of Roanoke Island in 2006).

Answer: Governor

Many such colonial enterprises of the English in the sixteenth and seventeenth century would appoint a member of the nobility or gentry as the leader. John White, who was probably a commoner, was an unusual choice, although he was a member of the previous (1585) colony.

His time as governor, however, was largely unsuccessful, as he spent much of it in dispute with Simon Fernandes, captain of the main vessel assigned to Roanoke. It has been suggested that his later return to England was due to the wishes of the colonists, rather than himself.

Answer: Granddaughter

Virginia (born 1587) was the daughter of Eleanor (born 1567), daughter of John White, and her husband Ananias Dare (born c. 1560), a tiler and bricklayer. Though there is no known portrait of her from life, her image would appear on the 1938 US commemorative half dollar issued for the 350th anniversary of the Roanoke colony.

A male infant was also born to the English settlers at Roanoke but little is known about him, either.

Answer: Two years

Even in the sixteenth century, a sea voyage from North Carolina to England and back should have been a matter of months, not over two and a half years. Shortly after his arrival, Queen Elizabeth issued a decree closing England to the departure of ships. (The next year - 1588 - saw the famed Spanish Armada.) When the decree was lifted, White's first attempt to sail back to Roanoke was stopped by French pirates.

A second attempt would be more successful, but he would not return to Roanoke until the spring of 1590.

Answer: Croatan

In addition to the tree that bore the word "Croatan", another had "Cro" carved into it. Both referred to nearby Croatan Island (perhaps modern Hatteras Island) and a nearby group of Native Americans. The Roanoke site itself was long-deserted with some buildings disassembled and others severely damaged. White's personal possessions had been hidden and buried but looted at some point by person or persons unknown. Forced to admit that he could not find the colonists (including his daughter and granddaughter), White was forced to return to England in the fall of 1590.

Answer: Ireland

At various times, White lived both in Plymouth and on Sir Walter Raleigh's estates in Ireland. While there, he was known to make maps of the estate for Raleigh's tenants. While reflecting on the "unfortunate events" that had occurred to him at Roanoke, he held out hope for the survival of Eleanor and Virginia, though he never saw either again.

The most likely year for John White's death is 1593.