The Story of the Ark and the Dove

The Ark and the Dove set sail from England in late November, 1633. Just a few days after the voyage began, a storm forced the Dove to turn back and seek refuge off the southwest coast of England. The Ark, unable to make contact with the Dove and assuming she had been lost, continued its course.

The two ships were reunited in Barbados in January of 1634 where they continued on to Point Comfort in the Virginia colony. There they secured corn and other supplies before heading northward to the Potomac River.

On March 25, a Catholic mass was celebrated on St. Clement's Island, led by Father Andrew White. Within a few days, the Englishmen began a permanent settlement in a shared Indian village south of St. Clement's Island and named it St. Mary's.

At the end of May, the Ark returned to England leaving the Dove behind to provide transportation for goods to be traded up and down the Atlantic seacoast. The following year the Dove headed back to England but she never arrived and was presumed lost at sea.

Throughout the 17th century, ships continued to travel to and from the Maryland colony. Maritime trade and transportation touched almost every aspect of life just as automotive transportation does in our society today. Ships and water travel played many roles in colonial society including trade, transportation, and communication.