The First Mail Order Brides, Jamestown

It was in the solitude of her bedchamber that she had hatched a plan of escape, at least as far away as her sister’s in London. She thought how easy it was when her brother thought she felt better about the marriage and wanted to go shopping in London. Reproduced from Jamestown Brides by Susan Hilliard

He was so happy to see her mood change that he hadn’t seen through her plan and sent her off with enough coins to bring back outfits to clothe an army. Instead of buying gowns though, she had purchased very little other than some books, drawing pads, charcoals, ink, and writing booklets.

Anna did enjoy seeing her sister, nieces and nephews, but she never explained why she was sent to London. The subject was too painful for her to talk about and she was afraid her sister would agree with her brother, since she had married at sixteen.

Anna felt like her prayers had been answered, when while she was walking through the main street of London window-shopping, she saw the advertisement posted on the window of the Virginia Company of London. It read:

NEEDED!

Brides for Jamestown, VA

Ships sailing on 13 June 1619 - Opportunity of a Lifetime! Travel at no expense to you! Wanted beautiful, young, strong, healthy women to marry wealthy tobacco farmers in Jamestown, Virginia. The young women will travel as mail-order-brides to Virginia at no cost to them.

Each bride will be allowed time to choose her own husband from the settlers in the New World and in exchange your new husband will pay all costs for your ship passage with 120 lbs of tobacco each.

If interested please come inside our office and sign up for ship passage. Space is limited and time is running out so please apply as soon as possible. and here is rest