Emily Chan
Analyses of the DNA, the skeletons, and the burials revealed that the individuals were Sir Ferdinando Wenman (A.D. 1576 to 1610) and Captain William West (A.D. 1586 to 1610).
The two men both belonged to the influential West family. Thomas West, Third Baron De La Warr, was the Jamestown colony’s first governor.
It was also discovered that they were related unexpectedly through the maternal line. So, the team set out to do more research into the relationship between Wenman and West.
They uncovered evidence of a court case about the inheritance of Captain West’s holdings. After West died, his aunt, caregiver, and beneficiary, Mary Blount, tried to recover the inheritance.
The court records show that Blount indirectly expressed that Captain West was the illegitimate son of Elizabeth, her sister.
Elizabeth was the unmarried daughter of the elder William West, First Baron De La Warr. Blount had raised Captain West on behalf of Elizabeth, who had been unmarried when she became pregnant.
In the 17th century, having a child out of wedlock was very taboo, especially among families of high status. So, the indiscretion was not documented in the genealogical records.
“This study demonstrates the utility of combining genetic, archaeological, and historical approaches to the study of the past,” the researchers concluded.
“Despite the poor DNA preservation of the two individuals, their shared mitochondrial haplogroup helped to guide records-based historical research, ultimately leading to surprising insights into their relationship.”
The details of the study were published in the journal Antiquity.
