# What happened to the colonists left on Roanoke Island in 1587? · Lost Colony of Roanoke > Six answers have been proposed. The colonists moved about fifty miles west to the Albemarle Sound and Chowan River and settled in dispersed… leads, with… Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/lost-colony-roanoke/questions/QST0CQCC6W858JF/what-happened-to-the-colonists-left-on-roanoke-island-in Publisher: Mysteries Department Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page) Updated: 2026-10-26T11:57:55+00:00 --- **0** # What happened to the colonists left on Roanoke Island in 1587? Asked 26 Oct 2026 by [**apollo** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo)·6 answers·0·0 following **Most likely: the colony split; a small party went to Croatoan to watch for ships and the main body moved inland** Ahead on the evidence, not yet confirmed. It needs two reviews to be accepted. ## Where it stands Six answers have been proposed. The colonists moved about fifty miles west to the Albemarle Sound and Chowan River and settled in dispersed… leads, with evidence 3 for, 1 against: partly supported by its tests. Five are still possible. Of the two narrower questions under it, none is answered yet. ## Why it matters It is the question. White's account gives two destinations, the carved word Croatoan and the plan to move fifty miles inland, and no sign of distress⁠[[1]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CQCBW4G4EQT/the-principal-navigations-voyages-traffiques-and-discoveries). The archaeology offered for each is unpublished and contested⁠[[2]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CQCBY301Q8X/newfound-survivor-camp-may-explain-fate-of-the-famed-lost). ## Answers 6 [**The colonists moved about fifty miles west to the Albemarle Sound and Chowan River and settled in dispersed…** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/lost-colony-roanoke/answers/ANS0CQCC9AC0EJH/the-colonists-moved-about-fifty-miles-west-to-the-albemarle) Partly supported by its tests Evidence: 3 for, 1 against Most likely [**The colonists, or most of them, went to Croatoan (Hatteras Island) and in time merged with the Croatoan…** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/lost-colony-roanoke/answers/ANS0CQCC83A308F/the-colonists-or-most-of-them-went-to-croatoan-hatteras) Partly supported by its tests Evidence: 2 for, 2 against Most likely [**The colony split; a small party went to Croatoan to watch for ships and the main body moved inland.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/lost-colony-roanoke/answers/ANS0CQCCC0A61NB/the-colony-split-a-small-party-went-to-croatoan-to-watch-for) Partly supported by its tests Evidence: 2 for Most likely [**None of these.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/lost-colony-roanoke/answers/ANS0CQCCCQR3MGN/none-of-these) Not tested enough to call either way Evidence: none yet Still possible [**The colonists died on or near Roanoke of hunger, disease or attack, or were lost at sea trying to reach…** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/lost-colony-roanoke/answers/ANS0CQCCB8W6M9R/the-colonists-died-on-or-near-roanoke-of-hunger-disease-or) Not tested enough to call either way Evidence: 1 for, 1 against Still possible [**The main body went north to the Chesapeake Bay, their original destination.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/lost-colony-roanoke/answers/ANS0CQCCAHE3A86/the-main-body-went-north-to-the-chesapeake-bay-their) Not tested enough to call either way Evidence: 1 for, 1 against Still possible [Show 1 more answer] ## History 1. 1904[Hakluyt & White puts forward: the colonists, or most of them, went to Croatoan (Hatteras Island) and in time merged with the Croatoan…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CQCBW4G4EQT/the-principal-navigations-voyages-traffiques-and-discoveries) 1. 1904[Hakluyt & White puts forward: the colony split; a small party went to Croatoan to watch for ships and the main body moved inland.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CQCBW4G4EQT/the-principal-navigations-voyages-traffiques-and-discoveries) 1. 1904[Hakluyt & White: white found CROATOAN carved without the cross of distress and read it as a token of their safe being at…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CQCBW4G4EQT/the-principal-navigations-voyages-traffiques-and-discoveries)For: The colonists, or most of them, went to Croatoan (Hatteras Island) and in time merged with the Croatoan… 1. 1904[Hakluyt & White: the colonists told White in 1587 that they planned to move fifty miles into the mainland.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CQCBW4G4EQT/the-principal-navigations-voyages-traffiques-and-discoveries)For: The colonists moved about fifty miles west to the Albemarle Sound and Chowan River and settled in dispersed… 1. 1904[Hakluyt & White: the colonists said they planned to move fifty miles into the mainland, not to the Chesapeake, which is…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CQCBW4G4EQT/the-principal-navigations-voyages-traffiques-and-discoveries)Against: The main body went north to the Chesapeake Bay, their original destination. 1. 1904[Hakluyt & White: the colony's instructions were to settle on the Chesapeake Bay.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CQCBW4G4EQT/the-principal-navigations-voyages-traffiques-and-discoveries)For: The main body went north to the Chesapeake Bay, their original destination. 1. 2020[Lawler: critics date the Hatteras finds to the mid to late 17th century, possibly trade goods or heirlooms.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CQCBY301Q8X/newfound-survivor-camp-may-explain-fate-of-the-famed-lost)Against: The colonists, or most of them, went to Croatoan (Hatteras Island) and in time merged with the Croatoan… 1. 2020[Lawler: no sealed 16th-century context or structure; ploughed soil; later traders could have left the pottery.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CQCBY301Q8X/newfound-survivor-camp-may-explain-fate-of-the-famed-lost)Against: The colonists moved about fifty miles west to the Albemarle Sound and Chowan River and settled in dispersed… 1. 2025[Crist: hammerscale in a layer whose animal teeth date to the late 1500s, announced in 2025.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CQCBYAT1H00/smoking-gun-evidence-of-lost-colonys-relocation-to-hatteras)For: The colonists, or most of them, went to Croatoan (Hatteras Island) and in time merged with the Croatoan… 1. 2026[First Colony Foundation puts forward: the colonists moved about fifty miles west to the Albemarle Sound and Chowan River and settled in dispersed…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CQCBYTE4G59/the-lost-colony-is-found-how-we-did-it) 1. 2026[First Colony Foundation: a fort symbol lies under a patch on White's map at the west end of Albemarle Sound.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CQCBYTE4G59/the-lost-colony-is-found-how-we-did-it)For: The colonists moved about fifty miles west to the Albemarle Sound and Chowan River and settled in dispersed… 1. 2026[First Colony Foundation: the Foundation describes Sites X and Y as parts of a dispersed farm settlement.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0CQCBYTE4G59/the-lost-colony-is-found-how-we-did-it)For: The colony split; a small party went to Croatoan to watch for ships and the main body moved inland. 1. 26 Oct 2026Asked on this site ## Discussion 0 [Add to the discussion](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/lost-colony-roanoke/questions/QST0CQCC6W858JF/what-happened-to-the-colonists-left-on-roanoke-island-in%23discussion) Help with this question [ **Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out ] [ **Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/lost-colony-roanoke/questions/QST0CQCC6W858JF/what-happened-to-the-colonists-left-on-roanoke-island-in%23add-answer) [ **Add evidence** A result for or against an answer ] [ **Add evidence** A result for or against an answer ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/lost-colony-roanoke/questions/QST0CQCC6W858JF/what-happened-to-the-colonists-left-on-roanoke-island-in%23add-evidence) [ **Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one ] [ **Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/lost-colony-roanoke/questions/QST0CQCC6W858JF/what-happened-to-the-colonists-left-on-roanoke-island-in%23add-question) [ **Add a source** A paper, archive record or image ] [ **Add a source** A paper, archive record or image ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/lost-colony-roanoke/questions/QST0CQCC6W858JF/what-happened-to-the-colonists-left-on-roanoke-island-in%23add-source) Where it fits Lost Colony of Roanoke **What happened to the colonists left on Roanoke Island in 1587?** Key question · you're here [Did the 1587–1589 drought contribute to the colony's fate?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/lost-colony-roanoke/questions/QST0CQCC7VG6WM0/did-the-15871589-drought-contribute-to-the-colonys-fate)Most likely · yes; harvest failure for colonists and neighbours pushed them to move or killed them [What did the carved word CROATOAN tell White?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/lost-colony-roanoke/questions/QST0CQCC7426TA8/what-did-the-carved-word-croatoan-tell-white)Most likely · that some had gone to Croatoan, while others had already moved inland as planned [ Ask a question under this one ]