The Rich Papers: Letters from Bermuda 1615-1646; Eyewitness Accounts Sent by the Early Colonists to Sir Nathaniel Rich

Ian K. Steele was Professor in the Department of History, University of Western Ontario, London.

These papers have long been familiar to those who write Bermuda’s early history, and the Bermuda National Trust has served these people best by purchasing the papers when they came up for auction in 1970. This rather charmingly amateurish edition of the papers will be of assistance to those deciphering the originals for themselves, but its main value is for those interested in early Stuart English colonization.

Early Bermuda is revealed as a fascinating case study in the struggle of motive and personality, of fortune and misfortune, that was colonization. Comparisons with early Virginia, Massachusetts, and Barbados are obvious, and the connections between England’s new world colonies are evident throughout the letters.

While the power and potential of the documents cannot be obscured, the editorial conventions and footnoting are below the standards customary for local historical societies today. Plates include many modern imaginings of early scenes. Identifications and biographies suggest inadequate research.

Nonetheless, this volume is a significant help to those who teach and write about early colonization. Although the commentary cannot always be trusted, the material itself is so valuable that its availability must be welcomed.