d under the tutelage of Reverend Alexander Whitaker who
instructed her in the Christian faith. Eventually she was baptized, and,
in April 1614, in the church at Jamestown, married John Rolfe.

This was a reflection of the religious concern that existed in Virginia.
One of the ministers, Alexander Whitaker reported: That: "Sir Thomas
Dale (with whom I am) is a man of great knowledge in divinity, and of a
good conscience in all his doings: both which bee rare in a martiall
man. Every Sabbath day wee preach in the forenoone, and chatechize in
the afternoone. Every Saturday at night I exercise in Sir Thomas Dales
house. Our Church affaires bee consulted on by the minister, and foure
of the most religious men. Once every moneth wee have a communion, and
once a yeer a solemn fast."

TOBACCO

It was John Rolfe who pioneered in the cultivation of the plant that was
to be Virginia's economic salvation, tobacco. In the first years of the
settlement every effort had been made to find products in the New World
that would assure financial success for the settlers and the Company.
Pitch, tar, timber, sassafras, cedar, and other natural products were
sent in the returning ships. Attempts to produce glass on a paying scale
proved futile, as did early efforts to make silk, using the native
mulberry trees growing in abundance. The glass furnaces fell into
disuse, and rats ate the silkworms. Even the native tobacco plant
(_Nicotiana rustica_), found growing wild, was, as William Strachey
reported, "... not of the best kind ... [but was] poore and weake, and
of a biting tast ..." and initially held little promise.

It was about 1610-11 that seed was imported into Virginia from the
island of Trinidad very probably at the hand of John Rolfe, an ardent
smoker, who was credited by Ralph Hamor as the pioneer English colonist
in regularly growing tobacco for export. Hence he can be called the
father of the American tobacco industry. In its initial stage, too,
there was encouragement from the experienced Captain George Yeardley.

Following the process of selection and crossing which had proved so
successful for the Spanish cultivators in the West Indies, the initial
efforts were rewarding. The new plant (_Nicotiana tabacum_) proved
easily naturalized and adaptable to the Virginia soil.

The initial success led to an experimental shipment of tobacco from
Virginia in 1613. This was of pleasing taste and was well received in
some quarters. S