Edward Maria Wingfield

Born into a political and military family, Wingfield performed various functions before he entered the world of business.

As a founding member of the Virginia Company of London, Wingfield was the only member who went to Jamestown to oversee his investment, and therefore was appointed the first president of the Council of Virginia. Although he was credited for setting up the colony, his presidency was short-lived and unsuccessful due to his mismanagement that led to food shortages and the deaths of many colonists.

Therefore, Wingfield was deposed as president and sent back to England, although he retained an active role in the company’s affairs. In England he wrote his Discourse on Virginia, which contains valuable description of the colony’s origins.