Hatteras Island - History

History

The first British colonists of Roanoke Island (later known as the lost colony) may have relocated to Hatteras Island, then known as Croatoan. Prior to settling on Roanoke Island, the colonists had first settled on Hatteras Island in 1584; and some of them had been living there for two years before a group went on to Roanoke. The first voyage (1584) had been under Arthur Barlowe and Phillip Amadas. The second voyage (1585) had been under Sir Richard Grenville and Ralph Lane. Grenville made his second voyage (1586), to resupply the colonists on Croatoan. A Native American man named Manteo, who was from Croatoan Island, was taken to England and returned before the Roanoke colony was found abandoned. There was a fourth voyage made (1587) under John White —who had also been on prior voyages to the area.

The story of the missing colony began when John White finally returned to Roanoke on a fifth voyage to the colony, a much-delayed re-supply mission arriving in 1590. At that time, the settlement was found abandoned. The only clue to the colonists' whereabouts was the word "Croatoan" found carved into the palasade of the fort. It is logical that the colonists left on Roanoke had gone back to Croatoan, as they had already lived there and had had a strong relationship with the natives, some of whom had visited England.

John White, who made maps showing both Croatoan and Roanoke, wrote in 1590

"I greatly joyed that I had safely found a certain token of their safe being at Croatoan, which is the place where Manteo was born, and the savages of the island our friends."

White had instructed them that if anything happened to them, they should carve a Maltese cross on a tree nearby, indicating that their disappearance had been forced. As there was no cross, White took this to mean they had moved to "Croatoan Island" (now known as Hatteras Island). Upon finding the message of CROATOAN carved on the palisade, White also wrote:

“The next morning it was agreed by the captain and myself, with the master and others to weigh anchor and go for the place at Croatoan where our planters were for that then the wind was good for that place."

However, he was unable to conduct a search, as a massive storm was brewing and his men refused to go any further. The next day, they instead left the area without looking further for the colonists.