James White and Kenneth Burke
James White and Kenneth Burke

Friends of Portsmouth Island held their spring membership meeting Saturday, May 16, at the Ocracoke Community Center.

Several dozen people attended. Many were able to trace their ancestry to historic Portsmouth Island families. 

The meeting commenced after a delicious and nutritious brunch provided by various members. After the secretary's and treasurer's reports, James White presented a plaque to Ken Burke in recognition of his contributions to the history of Portsmouth.

Ken Burke discovered Portsmouth in the 1950s, and immediately fell in love with the island, the village, and the people. In 1958 Ken wrote about Portsmouth as his honors thesis for a degree in history from the University of Richmond. It is titled The History of Portsmouth, North Carolina From Its Founding in 1753 to Its Evacuation in the Face of Federal Forces in 1861

As James White explained, this was the first, and continues to be one of the most important documents chronicling the history of this unique island community. Ken Burke's text can be accessed on the web at  http://scholarship.richmond.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1410&context=honors-theses.

After the presentation, Glenn and Brenda White shared stories and photos documenting their time as National Park Service volunteers in Portsmouth Village.

The next Portsmouth Island Homecoming is scheduled for April 30, 2016. Keep in touch at the Friends of Portsmouth Island website.

Thanks to Philip Howard for sharing this report from his Village Craftsmen blog.