Born in Suffolk, England 1571, graduated Cambridge University and studied law at Middle Temple, London. He was a friend of Richard Hakluyt and sailed with Walter Raleigh. Between them, they convinced Gosnold of the importance of North America.

He was an experience mariner and was deputed to lead a voyage of discovery to New England in 1602.

May 14, 1602 arrived Cape Neddick, latitude 43, by way of the Azores. Met by Indians, the chief of whom wore britches and waist coat of black serge, sailing in a basque shallop, with mast, sail and iron anchor. He also had a copper kettle.

Gosnold sailed south to the cape which which he named Cape Cod. Huge schools of fish cod, mackerel, herring. He observed that the land was full of goodly woods and the coast free from danger.

Continued south to many fair islands – could these be Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard and Block?

What is now Monaway, appears to have been smaller – sand bars with breaks. He called the Northern end of those sand bars, Point Care and the Southern end, Gilberts Point. In the middle was a rocky place with shrubs/ trees, presumably, which he called Slut’s Bush.

Shoals to the East along the shore line, south of Point Care. What is now called the Pollock Rip was called Tucker’s Terror. What is now Monaway Point did not exist in 1602 – all shoals.

Point Care was the same headland that Capt Smith called Isle Nauset.

Gosnold’s narrator Archer’s description of the island, that Gosnold named Martha’s Vineyard, was much smaller than the Martha’s Vineyard of today. If Gosnold sailed south and east from Point Care to avoid the shoals (Tucker’s Terror) he could have sailed east of Nantucket. In which case, Archer’s island could have been Block Island. Archer’s description better fits Block. He also wrote  that they sailed northwest from the island to Cuttyhunk. Cuttyhunk is an easy sail northwest from Block Island.

Cuttyhunk had trees of cedar and beech. All kinds of berries, an incredible amount of grape vines.

Gosnold named the Elizabeth Islands on the Eastern shore of Buzzard’s Bay.

Gosnold returned to England and became a prime mover in the establishment of the Virginia Company. He led a fleet of ships carrying settlers to Jamestown and died there in 1607.