Nathaniel Butler Introduced the Potato to America and Chronicled the Conditions He Saw in Jamestown, Virginia
From Privateer to Governor of Bermuda
Nathaniel Butler (also Boteler) was born in England around 1577 and died sometime after 1639. He began his career as a privateer (legal pirate) in the service of the Earl of Warwick.
As his career progressed, Nathaniel was assigned to Bermuda as a colonial administrator responsible for building up the colony and its institutions. He was instrumental in removing many of the pirates and other “lawless elements” in the area. He also oversaw the construction of many new buildings, including the State House in St. George, which is the oldest surviving English settlement in the New World.
In recognition of his successes, the Somers Isles Company, which held the royal charter for the colony at that time, appointed Nathaniel the third Governor of Bermuda. He served from 1619 to 1622.
During his time as Governor, Nathaniel used guns salvaged from shipwrecks to arm island forts and was credited with helping develop the Bermuda Rig, which is a mast configuration popular with smaller ships. He also authored a work titled History of the Bermudas: by Captain Nathaniel Butler, Governor, Providing Details of the Political and Practical Difficulties of the Islands’ First Settlements,1609-1622.
Contributions in America
n 1621, Nathaniel did something that forever changed the American way of life: He introduced the potato to America when he sent a shipment of them to Governor Francis Wyatt in The Colony of Virginia. So, the next time you have french fries or mashed potatoes, thank Captain Nathaniel Butler!
Following his governorship, Nathaniel made his way to Jamestown, Virginia. After a brief stay, he chronicled his findings in a report titled “The Unmasked Face of Our Colony in Virginia as it was in the Winter of the Year 1622,” which detailed the misery and mismanagement he saw there. When he returned to England, the report was widely circulated and galvanized both critics and supporters of the colony.
Boteler’s Dialogues
In 1625, Nathaniel resumed his naval career as part of the Cadiz expedition, which pitted English and Dutch naval forces against Spain in the Spanish city of Cadiz. In 1627, he participated in the siege of St. Martin’s, an English attempt to capture the French city of Saint-Martin-de-Re.
As a ship captain, Nathaniel wrote briefs to the head of the Board of Admiralty about life and operations at sea. Collectively known as “Boteler’s Dialogues,” these briefs covered virtually every aspect of how to administer, maintain, and fight ships at sea. It also outlined the duties of officers and crew members; arrangements for provisions and pay; and the use of weapons and equipment.
Governor and Admiral of the Providence Island Company
In 1638, Nathaniel became Governor and Admiral of the Providence Island Company located on Providence Island (present-day Colombia) and along the Mosquito Coast (present-day Nicaragua and Honduras).
As part of his duties, he was given command of a small fleet of privateers and tasked with raiding Spanish merchant ships carrying gold and silver from the New World for the benefit of the crown. In 1639, he successfully captured a Spanish warship at the harbor of Trujillo and was paid 16,000 pesos in ransom.
Captain Nathaniel Butler disappeared sometime after 1639 with no known date or place of death.
Primary Sources:
- Nathaniel Butler. (n.d.). Colonial Sense.
- Previous Governors Of Bermuda | Government Of Bermuda. (n.d.).
- Virginia Company Of London – Encyclopedia Virginia. (1551, January 1). Virginia Company of London – Encyclopedia Virginia.
- Osgood, H. L. (n.d.). The American Colonies In the Seventeenth Century. Google Books.
- Boteler’s Dialogues – The Navy Records Society. (n.d.). Boteler’s Dialogues – The Navy Records Society.
- Boteler, N. (n.d.). Six Dialogues About Sea-services Between an High-admiral And a Captain At Sea.
