Henry Fleete and Fleet’s Island

Henry Fleete was born about 1602 in Kent, England, and moved to Jamestown, Virginia, in 1621. During a trading expedition he was seized by the Anacostan Indians and held for five years. He learned their language and after his release in 1627 became a negotiator for the Virginia and Maryland colonies. Fleete helped establish Maryland in 1634 and served in its General Assembly from 1635 to 1638, and in the Virginia House of Burgesses from 1652 to 1661. He established the boundaries of Lancaster County when it was created in 1651. In May 1661, Fleete died and was buried at his home on Fleet’s Island.

Virginia · United States