An American Pilgram

In the late 16th and early 17th centuries, several European countries were in fierce competition for settlements in the New World. Jamestown, Virginia is widely regarded as the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States of America, established in May, 1607. The location of the settlement was primarily determined for its defensible positions along the James River at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, and was named for the current English monarch, King James I. The area was swampy and infested with mosquitoes and disease and the settlers soon found that tidal cycles made the river water undrinkable. There were little opportunities for hunting or farming. Despite leadership from John Smith, Robert Hunt and others, the colony was destined for failure until one of the colonists, John Rolfe successfully introduced a breed of tobacco that was profitably exported in 1612.

Changes to the Virginia Company in 1619, who sponsored the new colony from London, brought increased investments that allowed further development of Jamestown. One of the developments was the establishment of the House of Burgesses, the first representative legislative body in the New World, and one of the first seeds of democracy in America. One year later, Thomas Lassiter (also recorded as Leister) arrived in Jamestown aboard the vessel Abigail at the age of 33 with his wife Lillie and son William. His brother, Edward would arrive in America in the same year, however at Plymouth, Massachusetts. Thomas is listed as one of 1,033 persons living in Virginia in 1624 and one of 224 in Jamestown. It is likely he was one of the first 1,000 Europeans to survive after arriving permanently in the New World.

The Lassiter family would stay in the Jamestown/Nanesmond area for four generations before moving to North Carolina where they would stay for another four generations. It would be Hardy Lassiter who would move to Tennessee and his son, Cannon who would live in Arkansas in the mid 1800’s. Cannon’s son, and Allan’s grandfather, Leander Lee Lasater would join the church in 1907 and located to the Salt Lake Valley.