Samuel Castell

**Samuel Castell** held a revered position as Company Recorder. He traveled from England to Virginia and was placed in Jamestown due to Secretary Farlow’s favor. He became a pawn for both his wife, Jocelyn Castell, to arise in the social ladder, and Sir George Yeardley. Samuel was murdered by Edgar Massinger because he discovered, at Yeardley’s request, Massinger's arrangement with the captain of the Royal Moon to have the Sharrow’s tobacco lost at sea and was also providing the Catholic Count of Gondomar with information about Jamestown in exchange.

## Personality

Samuel was respected for his diligence and admired for his kind and polite manners. However, the most calculating inhabitants of Jamestown, such as Secretary Farlow and Marshal Redwick, underestimated him. Caring and devoted to his work, Samuel still found the time to attend to his wife’s wishes and needs. Unlike his wife, Samuel had a great wish of having children. He admired Jocelyn's strength and passion, although sometimes he did not agree with her schemes for they would weight on his conscience. He truly believed in the building of a new world and a new society.

## Physical Appearance

Samuel was a handsome man with kind eyes. He dressed himself with luxury and fine clothing fit for his social status as an employee of the Virginia Company.

## Throughout *Jamestown*

* Season One
* Season Two

Samuel awaits the arrival of his betrothal, Jocelyn Woodbryg, at the wharf. His maid, Mercy, urges him not to forget his love token and expresses her enthusiasm due to have a mistress. Samuel cordially welcomes Jocelyn to Jamestown and states there is much work to be done in the settlement. Samuel drops Jocelyn off at her new residence. Later that day, Samuel takes Jocelyn to tour the fields and speaks about his wishes of being a father and building a house for them. Jocelyn, however, expresses she has no wish of bare children and seems more concerned about the powerful men around her. He points Edgar Massinger, Marshal Redwick and Secretary Farlow to her. Once they return to town, Jocelyn reveals she dined with Sir George Yeardley several times on the ship and admits the new governor to be fond of Samuel. She insists she would like the governor to be his groomsman for their wedding but Samuel states that he has already given that duty to his long time friend, Christopher Priestley. Jocelyn persists on her request for the new governor to be Samuel’s groomsman but Samuel states he will not cast aside doctor Priestley. Jocelyn pretends to become ill and subsequently drops to the ground, and is taken home where she’s attended by the doctor. Christopher speaks to Samuel about the groomsman deal and suggests that if they play along with Jocelyn’s scheme, she’ll recover in time for the wedding.

That night, Sir George Yeardley pays a visit to Samuel and explains there will be resistance against his rule and, therefore, asks Samuel to spy on the other men for him. The next day, Samuel receives a visit from Secretary Farlow that expresses his concerns towards the new governor’s intentions on Jamestown. He wishes to know everything about Yeardley, including how did he managed to climb the ladder so quickly. Jocelyn and Samuel go for a boat ride and she gives him an idea for tricking both the governor and Farlow. Samuel says it’s not her place to meddle in Company’s businesses, but Jocelyn states she worries about him. She suggests Samuel to provide Farlow with a false tip in order to ruin his credibility among the others. Samuel declines her scheme. Later, Samuel and Jocelyn wed and she tells him that, one day, he will be Governor of Virginia.

Samuel attends to the town’s ledgers and Jocelyn inquires him about it. He confirms the new governor asked him to look into them and inspect certain transactions. When Jocelyn mentions embezzlement in the colony, Samuel reminds her that he never mentioned corruption but eventually lets on that the Virginia Company has been struggling to make a credible profit and, despite their financial difficulties, the last governor, Argall, return to England a wealthy man. The next day, Jocelyn approaches Secretary Farlow and tells him not to underestimate her husband for he has an inquiring mind and is conducting an investigation. At Christopher’s apothecary, Jocelyn complains about Farlow to her husband. Samuel reminds her they should not make enemies of such powerful men. But Jocelyn insists both Farlow and Marshal Redwick are afraid that Samuel will expose them. Christopher Priestley asks for caution and states their positions cannot be openly challenged. After the Marshal has fallen ill due to Jocelyn’s poison, Christopher tells Samuel that Redwick will not accept proper treatment. Both men seem surprised when Jocelyn suggests is best let him die by his own actions. Mercy also fells ill, but accepts Christopher’s treatment. While convalescing, she tells Samuel about the stone Pepper Sharrow gave to her. Later, Pepper asks Samuel about Mercy and he confirms she’s recovering and still has his stone. Christopher and Samuel arrive home when Mercy wakes up. Christopher informs Samuel that Jocelyn remained awake all night feeding Mercy the medicine. Both Christopher and Samuel investigate the cause of the illness and identify the old bathroom as the cause instead of witchcraft as Reverend Whitaker wants to believe.

Indians surround Jamestown and one Pamunkey named Chacrow is taken into town to have his hands cut off. Samuel tries to reason with Sir George Yeardley about the consequences of such action. The governor stops the sentence and demands to know who gave him the musket. Master Massinger blames Silas Sharrow and the man is imprisoned alongside Chacrow. Samuel and Christopher discuss Redwick’s intentions of staring a war against the Indians. Jocelyn states that the man who makes peace shall be rewarded and urges Samuel to speak with the governor about returning the Indian safely to his own people. Samuel talks to governor Yeardley about the option and Redwick isn’t pleased with the idea. Secretary Farlow admits the plan can work on their behalf but states the governor must hand the Indian personally. Once outside, both Redwick and Farlow threaten Samuel and demand him to stop his politicking and to control his wife’s ambitions. He shall remain in Jamestown.

Late at night, Samuel informs Jocelyn he will not accompany the governor to the meeting with the Pamunkey and she’s displeased. The next day, Samuel confronts Jocelyn with whether she spoke with Sir George Yeardley and she admits it. He gets angry at her. At night, Jocelyn seduces him and asks him to take her to see Chacrow in the morning. He eventually agrees. Samuel speaks with Silas Sharrow and guarantees that Master Massinger needs to find proof for his accusations, nodding there is still hope for his release. Jocelyn asks Silas to translate her to Chacrow. Jocelyn urges Silas to tell the Indian that Samuel is responsible for his release. Samuel, alongside Sir George Yeardley, Marshal Redwick, Secretary Farlow and other men, board a ship headed north. Once they arrive at the Pamunkey camp, they are allowed to meet with their chief, Opechancanough. Chacrow translates the King’s words: he’s not happy about the governor’s intentions of expanding and about the English women arrival. Samuel returns to Jamestown and is received by Jocelyn and Mercy.

When Lord De Lar Warr’s grave is robbed, Sir George Yeardley reunites the council and suspects someone is searching for the Portuguese map to the presumed gold mines of Virginia. Samuel explains to Jocelyn and Christopher that De La Warr died at sea while returning to Jamestown as governor and that if such gold was discovered it would immediately become a possession of the Company. The doctor remarks that Secretary Farlow had the man buried with haste. Later, Jocelyn expresses her suspicion that Farlow has obtained the map and wants Samuel to steal but her husband doesn’t seem interested in her plans despite her plea it is his duty as a servant of the governor. That night, Samuel tries to cuddle his wife but she turns away from him. The next morning, Samuel visits Secretary Farlow for he has the records of the new land boundaries for him to inspect. The man was writing a message and desperately tries to hide. Later, Samuel tells his wife about the incident and admits the page was completely blank. Jocelyn suspects Farlow to use artichoke ink, since it is invisible. Meanwhile, Jocelyn banishes Mercy from their house but Samuel manages to smooth things and the servant girl is allowed to return home. Then, Samuel discovers that his wife stole Farlow’s note.

Christopher Priestley diagnosis Sir George Yeardley with kidney stone and a surgery must take place in order to save his life. The doctor performs the operation with Temperance Yeardley and Samuel’s assistance. That night, Jocelyn apologizes to Samuel and promises to be a good wife while she silently cries upon his chest. Completely unaware of Jocelyn’s troubles with Lady Yeardley, Samuel and Christopher find Jocelyn at the tavern. Samuel has been searching for his wife since the night before and Verity Rutter lies that she sent a message with her husband, Meredith Rutter, who is drunk and asleep on the floor. To spare Jocelyn from her husband’s questions, Verity tells Samuel that Jocelyn is pregnant and the man is delighted with the news. Samuel exposes Secretary Farlow, Redwick and Edgar Massinger’s corruption to the governor. He’s astonished that Yeardley will not take charges against them. Later, after her troubles fade away, Jocelyn tells Samuel the pregnancy was a mistake and he seems disappointed and confused.

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Henry Sharrow and Silas Sharrow, after returning from their trades with the Indians, find Samuel's corpse by the river bank and take it back to Jamestown. The townsfolk seem to believe the Indians killed Castell because they pretend to be in peace with the settlement. Later, Meredith Rutter speaks with James Read and confidences to him about seeing Samuel Castell hours before he died. Castell said he was doing the governor’s business. Read counsels Rutter to remain quiet about what he heard because a man can hang for what he knows.

The next day, when Jocelyn Castell is cast out on the streets on Secretary Farlow’s orders, Mercy discovers catholic totems among Samuel’s belongings and tells her mistress about them. Jocelyn hushes her to remain silent about it. Jocelyn tells Christopher Priestley about the religious beads and is afraid that they’ll consider her a Catholic spy. Christopher urges her to tell Yeardley about her finding and that he doesn't believe Samuel was a papist. Later that night, Jocelyn decides to hide the totems inside Samuel’s coffin but is caught by James Read. She informs they belonged to Samuel, and while she never loved him and manipulated him, this is her final act of loyalty towards him. Read, however, advices her not to leave them there for they will be found. Samuel’s funeral takes place the next day and Sir George Yeardley opens the coffin before its burial but finds nothing. After the funeral, Jocelyn shows the catholic items to Yeardley and promises she will help him uncover the Spanish spy if he grants her home back.

Meanwhile, Samuel’s body is haunting Jocelyn Castell to lose her comfort as a widow. The people of Jamestown, however, truly believe he has rise from the grave in order to reveal his true killer. Both Alice Sharrow and Maria offer Jocelyn advice on how to deal with the walking dead man. James Read believes Samuel return due to what happened between him and Jocelyn. Later, Samuel’s decomposing corpse is used in a ritual to reveal who murdered him: if the body bleeds, then it’s the killer. Governor Yeardley suspects it was Edgar Massinger because Samuel discovered his arrangements with the captain of the Royal Moon to extravagate the Sharrow’s tobacco. In front of the townsfolk, Massinger places his hand, twice, in Samuel’s body. The first time, the body does not bleed, the second, Jocelyn places the Catholic totems in his hands and the man becomes so enraged, he starts bleeding from his nose. Massinger eventually confesses he was the one who killed Samuel Castell by slitting his throat and feeding him to the birds. He’s hanged for the crime and as the catholic spy.
## Relationships

* Marriage to Jocelyn Woodbryg
* Christopher
* Mercy
* Governor Yeardley

*Main article:* *Jocelyn and Samuel Castell*

While Samuel wished to have children and built a home, his wife was more concerned about the political advantages of this match.

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They were best companions and confidants. Samuel wanted Christopher Priestley to be his groomsman above all others. Samuel held Christopher’s opinions and views in high regard and usually turn to him for advice. Samuel trusted him with everything, including his political opinions. It was so that his wife, Jocelyn, had no reservations of explaining her plans in front of him.

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Being his sole companion for years in his household, Samuel was very fond of his housekeeper, Mercy. He often spoke on her behalf against Jocelyn’s accusations.

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Samuel was very impressed with Yeardley’s speeches about freedom, prosperity and opportunities for all. He held the governor in high regard until he started to realize he wasn’t the man he thought him to be. Samuel was disappointed when he presented Yeardley with proof of Secretary Farlow and Marshal Redwick’s corruption and he decided to do nothing about it.

## Gallery

 Appearances

 Episode 8 | **Appears**

 Episode 8 | **Mentioned**

## References

1. ↑ Episode 1.01
2. ↑ Episode 1.01
3. ↑ Episode 1.01
4. ↑ Episode 1.02