English author writes first biography of Eastern Shore settler

The Henry Bagwell Story is the first biography of an important early settler of the Eastern Shore of Virginia, by a first-time British author.

The book began as a personal genealogy quest by Margaret A. Rice, who set out to explore her Elizabethan-era merchant ancestors in Devon.

Ten years later, the first-time author has crafted a biography that assembles what is known about the historically important but currently obscure figure of Henry Bagwell, who shipped out for the Virginia colony in 1609 on what was known as the "Third Supply" fleet.

After surviving a disastrous shipwreck on the reefs of Bermuda, Bagwell and virtually all of the original company were able to rebuild smaller vessels and reach Jamestown. He would live another half-century, settling in Accomack Plantation on what is now the Eastern Shore of Virginia and becoming a tobacco inspector, court clerk and member of the House of  Burgesses.


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