Lost English Colony of Roanoke - and the Lumbee Indians with Grey Eyes! (13.7.2025)

Queen Elizabeth I granted a Charter to Sir Walter Raleigh for around 118 eminent English citizens - possibly known to her personally - to travel by ship to the Americas and establish a colony in her name at Chesapeake Bay,. The colonists, which included individuals named John Wyles and Brian Wyles (reportedly from "London") - were instead landed on nearby Roanoke Island (previously used as an English military outpost abandoned in 1586 due to continuous Indian attack) - situated in what is today North Carolina. A third possible "Wyles" amongst the colonists was "William Willes" - which could be a variant of this surname. They were among the approximately 120 settlers (including two returning Native American Indians originally brought back to England after previous attempts at establishing colonies in the Americas) who arrived on Roanoke Island in 1587 (with two English children subsequently being born in the colony - raising the number of ethnic English people to 120 - as the Indians returned to their tribes). The fate of these colonists, including the Wyles people, remains a mystery, as they disappeared sometime between 1587 and 1590. The above article suggests that these English people eventually mixed with an Indian tribe - teaching them the English language - and passing on certain English genetic characteristics which are still evident today. 

Names of the 1587 English Roanoke Colony:

1. John White[a]
2. Roger Baily
3. Ananias Dare
4. Christopher Cooper
5. Thomas Stevens
6. John Sampson
7. Dyonis Harvie
8. Roger Prat
9. George How[b]
10. Simon Fernandes[a]
11. Nicholas Johnson
12. Thomas Warner
13. Anthony Cage
14. John Jones
15. William Willes
16. John Brooke
17. Cutbert White
18. John Bright
19. Clement Tayler
20. William Sole
21. John Cotsmur
22. Humfrey Newton
23. Thomas Colman
24. Thomas Gramme
25. Marke Bennet
26. John Gibbes
27. John Stilman
28. Robert Wilkinson
29. John Tydway
30. Ambrose Viccars
31. Edmond English
32. Thomas Topan
33. Henry Berry
34. Richard Berry
35. John Spendlove
36. John Hemmington
37. Thomas Butler
38. Edward Powell
39. John Burden
40. James Hynde
41. Thomas Ellis
42. William Browne
43. Michael Myllet
44. Thomas Smith[c]
45. Richard Kemme
46. Thomas Harris[d]
47. Richard Taverner
48. John Earnest
49. Henry Johnson
50. John Starte
51. Richard Darige
52. William Lucas
53. Arnold Archard
54. John Wright
55. William Dutton
56. Mauris Allen
57. William Waters
58. Richard Arthur
59. John Chapman
60. William Clement
61. Robert Little
62. Hugh Tayler
63. Richard Wildye
64. Lewes Wotton
65. Michael Bishop
66. Henry Browne
67. Henry Rufoote
68. Richard Tomkins
69. Henry Dorrell
70. Charles Florrie
71. Henry Mylton
72. Henry Paine
73. Thomas Harris[d]
74. William Nichols
75. Thomas Phevens
76. John Borden
77. Thomas Scot
78. Peter Little
79. John Wyles
80. Brian Wyles
81. George Martyn
82. Hugh Pattenson
83. Martin Sutton
84. John Farre
85. John Bridger
86. Griffen Jones
87. Richard Shabedge
88. James Lasie
89. John Cheven
90. Thomas Hewet
91. William Berde
92. John Morris

Women

1. Eleanor Dare (93)
2. Margery Harvie (94)
3. Agnes Wood (95)
4. Wenefrid Powell (96)
5. Joyce Archard (97)
6. Jane Jones (98)
7. Elizabeth Glane (99)
8. Jane Pierce (100)
9. Audry Tappan (101)
10. Alis Chapman (102)
11. Emme Merrimoth (103)
12. Colman (104)
13. Margaret Lawrence (105)
14. Joan Warren (106)
15. Jane Mannering (107)
16. Rose Payne (108)
17. Elizabeth Viccars (109)

Children

1. John Sampson (110)
2. Robert Ellis (111)
3. Ambrose Viccars (112)
4. Thomas Archard (113)
5. Thomas Humfrey (114)
6. Thomas Smart (115)
7. George How (116)
8. John Prat (117)
9. William Wythers (118)

Returned Native American Indians

1. Manteo (119)
2. Towaye (120)

Children Born at the Colony

1. Virginia Dare (121)
2. Harvie (122)