The Lost Colonists: Their Fortune and Probable Fate

by David Beers Quinn

This book discusses the composition of the Lost Colony of 1587, the conditions on Roanoke Island, and the activities of the English colonists after landing there. The author speculates about what happened to the colonists between 1587 and 1590 and offers his conclusion to their fate.

Genres: History, American History, Nonfiction

80 pages, Paperback

First published June 21, 1984

About the author

David Beers Quinn was an Irish historian who wrote extensively on the voyages of discovery and colonisation of America. Born in Dublin, Ireland, he graduated from Queen's University, Belfast in 1931. He then completed a PhD on the early Tudor administration in Ireland at King's College London. He subsequently spent five years as lecturer at University College, Southampton (now Southampton University). Returning Belfast in 1939 he taught Irish history.

Reviews

[Jacqueline Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this a very good and informative book. It gave insight into the probability that may have happened to the lost colonist. In the end, it’s really up to the reader to decide what they think may have happened. We may never know their fate. However, they were very brave to try to start a colony in a new world that they knew nothing about. The Indians could be friendly or hostile. I enjoyed the book and I also enjoyed seeing the national park in the Outer Banks. I want to think that the colonist moved on and assimilated with the Croatian Indians.

[Melissa Loucks · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have never read anything about the Lost Colonists before but this book was bought for me as a gift. I was kind of excited to learn about something new. I was disappointed in this book. I thought it would talk more about what they thought happened to them.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This concise telling of the legend of the Lost Colony gives just enough detail to make for a nice summary and, though other reviewers disagree, it seems pretty clear to me that the author leans toward the theory that the colonists were slaughtered by Powhatan.

[Vintagebooklvr · Rating 2 out of 5]

**1/2. Interesting but there is so much supposition (repeatedly said as such) it is hard to feel that the writer is correction in his assumptions, though he doesn't make any outrageous claims.

[Lauri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Introduction - not particularly deep, but a good overview

[Willow Redd · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, I thought this book was going to provide more insight into what may have become of the Lost Colonists. Really, it is just a history of the founding of the colony, John White leaving, some hard speculation of what may have become (and by some, I mean one chapter), John White's return and lack of real search for his colonists (including his own daughter and grandchild), and then speculation on what became of the Chesapeake Bay colony (which, while made up of members of the original Roanoke group, didn't really seem to fit the point of this book).

There was much of the history that I was completely unaware of, knowing only the glossy version taught in school. For example, John Smith, who was originally sent to search for surviving colonists (never knew that), was corrupt and was apparently told directly by Powhatan that he had killed surviving colonists living with an Indian tribe he also slaughtered to help cement his rule. Smith never revealed this information so he could be part of Powhatan's inner circle and gain Pocahontas' hand.

Definitely worth reading if you are interested in the history of North America and early British colonialism, but not what I hoped it would be.


Read through it twice because it gave me ideas for a story and I wanted to verify a few things.

[Jonathan]

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