Captain Henry Spelman | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1595 |
| Died | 1623 (aged 27–28) Near the Anacostia River, Virginia Colony |
| Other names | Henry Spellman |
| Occupation(s) | Adventurer, Powhatan interpreter, soldier |
| Notable work | "Relation of Virginia" (1613) |
Henry Spelman (1595–1623) was an English adventurer, soldier, and author, the son of Erasmus Spelman and nephew to Sir Henry Spelman of Congham (1562–1641). The younger Henry Spelman was born in 1595 and left his home in Norfolk, England at age 14 to sail to Virginia Colony aboard the ship Unity, as a part of the Third Supply to the Jamestown Colony in 1609. He is remembered for being an early interpreter for the people of Jamestown as well as writing the Relation of Virginia, documenting the first permanent English colonial settlement in North America at Jamestown, Virginia, and particularly the lifestyles of the Native Americans of the Powhatan Confederacy led by Chief Powhatan.