<P> The Plymouth Company was permitted to establish settlements between the 38th and 45th parallels, roughly between the upper reaches of the Chesapeake Bay and the current U.S. - Canada border . On 13 August 1607, the Plymouth Company established the Popham Colony along the Kennebec River in present - day Maine . However, it was abandoned after about a year and the Plymouth Company became inactive . A successor company eventually established a permanent settlement in 1620 when the Pilgrims arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts aboard the Mayflower . </P> <P> By the terms of the charter, the London Company was permitted to establish a colony of 100 miles square between the 34th and 41st parallels, approximately between Cape Fear and Long Island Sound . It also owned a large portion of Atlantic Ocean and inland Canada . </P> <P> On 14 May 1607, the London Company established the Jamestown Settlement about 40 miles inland along the James River, a major tributary of the Chesapeake Bay in present - day Virginia . In 1620, George Calvert asked King James I for a charter for English Catholics to add the territory of the Plymouth Company . Also in 1609, a much larger Third Supply mission was organized . A new purpose - built ship named the Sea Venture was rushed into service without the customary sea trials . She became flagship of a fleet of nine ships, with most of the leaders, food, and supplies aboard . Notable persons aboard the Sea Venture included fleet Admiral George Somers, Vice-Admiral Christopher Newport, the new governor for the Virginia Colony Sir Thomas Gates, future author William Strachey, and businessman John Rolfe with his pregnant wife . </P> <P> The Third Supply convoy encountered a hurricane which lasted three days and separated the ships from one another . The Sea Venture was leaking through its new caulking, and Admiral Somers had it driven aground on a reef to avoid sinking, saving 150 men and women and several dogs, but destroying their ship . The uninhabited archipelago was officially named "The Somers Isles" after Admiral Somers, though it was known as Bermuda . The survivors built two smaller vessels from salvaged parts of the Sea Venture which they named Deliverance and Patience . Ten months later, they continued on to Jamestown, arriving at Jamestown on 23 May 1610 but leaving several men behind on the archipelago to establish possession of it . At Jamestown, they found that over 85% of the 500 colonists had perished during what became known as the "Starving Time". The Sea Venture passengers had anticipated finding a thriving colony at Jamestown and had brought little food or supplies with them . The colonists at Jamestown were saved only by the timely arrival three weeks later of a supply mission headed by Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, better known as "Lord Delaware". </P>

The virginia company founded jamestown for this reason