News

Discovery replica sails into Westenhanger on 402nd anniversary

A replica of 'Discovery', one of the three ships that established the first permanent English speaking colony in America, was formally presented to Westenhanger Castle today (19 December).

The ship was given into the custody of the castle by the Jamestown UK Foundation, a charity which was set up to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown in the UK during 2007.

Westenhanger Castle was the home of Sir Thomas Smythe, who commissioned the construction of Discovery for the East India Company in 1600. Sir Thomas then transferred ownership of the pinnace to the Virginia Company of London after receiving a Royal Charter to set sail for Virginia in 1606. The three ships left London on 19 December 1606 and arrived in Chesapeake Bay on 13 May 1607.

The handover event also marked the culmination of the UK's commemorations of America's 400th anniversary.

Attending the ceremony were many members of the Jamestown UK Foundation Committee and notaries from both sides of the Atlantic. Also presented to the castle was a unique 'Pocahontas' mermaid sculpture designed by Georgia Mason and originally given to the people of Kent by the City of Norfolk, Virginia.

Both Discovery and the Pocahontas sculpture will be on display to visitors during 2009 alongside a fantastic exhibition charting the Virginia voyage and the castle's links with Sir Thomas Smythe and the London Company of Virginia.