Sir Francis Wyatt ( 1588 – 1644 ) was an English nobleman , knight , politician , and government official . He was the first English royal governor of Virginia . He sailed for America on August 1 , 1621 on board the '' George '' . He became governor shortly after his arrival in October , taking with him the first written constitution for an English colony . Also sailing with him on this voyage was his second cousin Henry Fleete Sr. , who helped found colonies in both Virginia and Maryland . In 1622 he rallied the defense of Jamestown which was attacked by Native Americans , during which the lives of some 400 settlers were lost and he then oversaw the contraction of the colony from scattered outposts into a defensive core
attacked by Native Americans
Indian massacre of 1622
Francis Wyatt