SPELMAN, Henry, colonist, born in England about 1600: died in Virginia in 1622. He was a son of Sir Henry Spelman, the antiquary, and came to Virginia in 1609. About 1614 he was one of a party under Captain Ratcliff, a councillor for Jamestown, who had gone in some small vessels in search of food for the colony. Deceived by the treachery of Powhatan, Ratcliff and his party were slain, two only escaping. Henry, who was saved by Pocahontas, lived several years among the Indians, when he was rescued from Jopassus, the brother of Powhatan, by another party that had sailed up the Potomac for corn. Having acquired the Indian language during his captivity, he was of great use to his countrymen as interpreter till he was killed by the savages in 1622. He left in manuscript a "Relation of Virginia." It was first owned by Dawson Turner, and bought by Lilly, the book-seller, in whose hands it remained ten years. Henry Stevens then bought it for James F. Hunnewell, of Charlestown, Massachusetts, who had a small edition printed privately (London, 1872).