Mariner and colonist. His family name appears to have originally been Sicklemore, and why he chose to call himself Ratcliffe remains a riddle. He was captain of the 'Discovery', one of three ships that sailed to found the Jamestown Settlement in Virginia, and later became the second president of the colony. He was killed by the Pamunkey native Americans when he was going to trade with them in 1609.
Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk
This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
John Ratcliffe
This voyage took place 16 years before the Mayflower. The memorial has a his...
Role on the lost expedition: Officer on SS Terror. See John Franklin.
Portuguese nobleman who sailed around the Cape of Good Hope, the southern tip of Africa, in 1488, the first European known to do so since ancient times.
Role on the lost expedition: Officer on SS Terror. See John Franklin.
Naval officer and arctic explorer. Born Bath. The Canadian Encyclopedia says "He contributed much to the eventual discovery of the Northwest Passage and the North Pole." Lieut-Governor of Greenw...
Role on the lost expedition: Able seaman on SS Erebus. See John Franklin.
