© 2005 The Posy Collection.

Jamestown Settler Couple
Counted Cross Stitch Kit

The first settlers to arrive at Jamestown included 104 men and boys, but no women. The first two women, Mistress Forest and Ann Burras, her maid, arrived in October 1608. More women came with the 1609 - 1610 supply ships. A large group also arrived in 1620 to become wives for planters. Women performed duties familiar to them in England, centered around the house. They planted "kitchen" gardens, growing herbs for cooking and medicinal purposes. They also did most of the cooking, sewing, and laundry, and often tended the livestock. The most common work to be done for the men was farming. Military drills also took up much of the men's time. After 1609, every man was required to train daily in the use of the musket and sword.