Last updated: December 12, 2025
Person
Eleanor Dare
The Lost Colony, Roanoke Island Historic Association
Quick Facts
Significance:
Mother of Virginia Dare
Date of Birth:
Circa 1568
Most well-known as the mother of England’s first child born in the New World, Eleanor Dare is remembered not because of anything she achieved, but rather who she was related to. As the daughter of Governor John White and mother of Virginia Dare, the recognition Eleanor gets often comes from those around her. However, public perception and the Lost Colony symphonic drama have given Eleanor Dare more of a voice than history ever did and turned her into an undeserved icon in her own right. If not for her relatives, unknown fate, and dramatic recreation, Eleanor Dare would have faded into forgotten history.
Born to John White and Thomasyn Cooper around 1568, Eleanor White was one of two children. Her brother, Thomas, died young, leaving her as an only child. Her childhood remains relatively unknown. In 1583, she married Ananias Dare. Some sources say the Dare’s had two children before they departed for the New World in 1587, but there is not enough evidence to be conclusive. There is also speculation as to whether Eleanor is the mother of these children or if Ananias had another wife before Eleanor.
In 1587, Eleanor and Ananias joined 115 others planning to travel to the Chesapeake Bay and start a colony focused on agriculture. They were to be led by Governor John White, Eleanor’s father. The colonists left on April 26, 1587, aboard three ships piloted by privateers. They were led by pilot Simon Fernandes who had made the voyage twice before. The voyage itself was harrowing, with illness and storms causing problems. On top of these hardships, Eleanor was also roughly five months pregnant at the beginning of the voyage. The plan was to sail to Roanoke Island, pick up fifteen men and supplies left there, and then sail north to the Chesapeake Bay.
Upon their arrival on July 22, things went from bad to worse. The men were gone, along with the supplies, and Simon Fernandes would take them no further north. Whatever his motivation was is still unknown, but both Eleanor Dare and Marjorie Harvey were heavily pregnant and mere weeks away from birth. The desire to not have women giving birth aboard his boats may have been a contributing factor. Once put ashore, the colonists took over what was left of the 1585 military colony and made the best of it. With the subsequent attack and murder of George Howe and the English’s response killing friendly Croatoan people instead of Howe’s attackers, things were not going well.
Amid this turmoil, Eleanor gave birth to her daughter, Virginia Dare on August 18, 1587. Nine days after her birth, John White returned to England, leaving not only the colonists, but his daughter, granddaughter and son-in-law behind. After his departure, the fate of Eleanor Dare is unknown. However, The Lost Colony symphonic drama has made her into a much larger part of the story and given her more credit than she deserves in the story of the ill-fated colony. Dare’s true role in the story of the Lost Colony is much more of a footnote in the history books than a starring role, but her connections made her larger than life in the modern eye.