Ferdinando Wainman (1576 – 1610) (also spelled Waynman, Wenman, or Weynman) was an English colonist, investor in the

Virginia Company of London The Virginia Company of London (sometimes called "London Company") was a Division (business), division of the Virginia Company with responsibility for British colonization of the Americas, colonizing the east coast of North America between 34th ...

, and politician who served briefly as the

Master of the Ordnance The Master-General of the Ordnance (MGO) was a very senior British military position from 1415 to 2013 (except 1855–1895 and 1939–1958) with some changes to the name, usually held by a serving general. The Master-General of the Ordnance was ...

of the

Colony of Virginia The Colony of Virginia was a British Empire, British colonial settlement in North America from 1606 to 1776. The first effort to create an English settlement in the area was chartered in 1584 and established in 1585; the resulting Roanoke Colo ...

and a member of the

Virginia Governor's Council The Governor's Council, also known as the Privy Council and Council of State, was the upper house of the legislature of the Colony of Virginia (the House of Burgesses being the other house). It also served as an advisory body to the List of colon ...

. He was the first English

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

to be buried in America.

Biography

Wainman was born in 1576 in

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...

, England, youngest son of Thomas Wainman, who served in the

House of Commons of the United Kingdom The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 memb ...

,P.W. Hasler, 'Wenman, Thomas (c.1548-77), of Twyford, Bucks.', in P.W. Hasler (ed.), ''The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1558-1603'' (from Boydell and Brewer 1982)
History of Parliament Online
and his second wife, Jane West. His maternal grandfather was

William West, 1st Baron De La Warr William West, 1st Baron De La Warr ( ) of the second creation ( – 30 December 1595) was the elder son of Sir George West (d.1538), second son of Thomas West, 8th Baron De La Warr, by his third wife, Eleanor Copley, and Elizabeth Morton, wido ...

. He matriculated at a young age at the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

, where he was a student of John Case, a noted philosopher and scholar of the time. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from

Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1263 by nobleman John I de Balliol, it has a claim to be the oldest college in Oxford and the English-speaking world. With a governing body of a master and aro ...

. By 1609, Wainman received a knighthood. On June 9, 1610, Wainman arrived at the Jamestown settlement in the colony of Virginia, accompanying his cousin

Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr ( ; 9 July 1576 – 7 June 1618), was an English nobleman, for whom the bay, the river, and, consequently, a Native American people and U.S. state, all later called "Delaware", were named. A member of the Ho ...

on the two-month journey. Wainman was involved in the political and business affairs of the colony, including as an active investor in the Virginia Company and member of the governor's council of his cousin. Three days after his arrival, he was also appointed master of the ordnance (artillery) and as "General of the Horse," placed in charge of the colony's horse troops and defense.

Death and legacy

Wainman died in July or August 1610 from disease, around age 34. He was interred in the church at Jamestown, becoming the first English knight to be buried in America. Historians have credited Wainman for his contributions to bring fresh supplies which aided the colony following the "

Starving Time The Starving Time at Jamestown in the Colony of Virginia was a period of starvation during the winter of 1609–1610. There were about 500 Jamestown residents at the beginning of the winter; by spring only 61 people remained alive. The colonis ...

." He is the subject of a documentary tiled, ''Unveiling Jamestown’s Lost Knight: The Mystery of Sir Ferdinando Wainman's Grave.''

Discovery of remains

A 2015 archeological excavation sponsored by Jamestown researchers and the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

verified the identify of the remains of Wainman.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wainman, Ferdinando 1576 births 1610 deaths British knights William West, 01 Baron De La Warr Virginia Governor's Council members People from Oxfordshire (before 1974) Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford Knights Bachelor