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Sir Walter Raleigh was one of the important figures of the Elizabethan Age. Historians believe he was born about 1552 at Hayes Barton, Devonshire. He was a gifted courtier and became a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I. He was not only hansome and witty, but one of the Sea Dogs. His privateering was done with his half-brother Sir Humphrey Gilbert. His privateering brought a fortune in Spanish bullion to the Queen. He also organized important expeditions to the New World. “On March 25,1584, Raleigh received a patent from the Queen granting him title to any lands he might discover and claim in the name of the crown (1584). He duispatched an expedition from Plymouth commanded by Phillip Amadas and Arthur Barlowe. They landed off the coast of what is now known as North Carolina and established the Roanoke colony. They brought back two Native Americans named Manteo and Wanchese. As a result of this, Raleigh was knighted by the Queen (1585). When the English returned to Roanoke, the colonists had disappeared without a trace. He angered the Queen by secretly marrying Bessie Throckmorton. The Queen locked both of them in the Tower, but they were released by Christmas. When the English learned of King Philip's plans to invade, Raleigh helped lead an Ebglish attack on the Cadiz to disrupt the Spanish preparations. The success of the expedition helped return Raleigh to Elizabeth's good graces. He led an expedition up the Orinoco River in modern Venezuela to find gold (1595). The expedition failed, but a widely exagerted book he wrote about the expedition proved popular. He fought with the French Huguenots (1596). Raleigh's sucess rested in large measure with the favor of the Queen. King James I had no such sentimental attachment. Raleign was captivated with the Guianas and Orionoco. When he disobeyed the King's instructions on his last expedition, James had him arested. He was found guilty of treason and sentenced to death. Instead the King had his confined in the Tower. The King finally ordered his execution (1618).
Historians believe he was born about 1552 at the Hayes Barton house in East Budleigh, Devonshire.
Mallais has used the Devonshire coast, near Raleigh was born, as a background for his famous poinging (figure 1). His father was Sir Walter Raleigh and the family was an affluent one. His mother was Katherine Champernowne who had five sons in two marriages. Walter was the youngest son. His half brothers (Sir John Gilbert, Sir Humphrey Gilbert, Adrian Gilbert) and full brother Carew Raleigh were also prominent figures in Elizabethan England. They were a staunchy Protestant family. And as a result, was put in danger during the reign of Queen Mary I who tried ro revive the Catholic Church. Raleigh's father one had to hide in a tower to avoid being killed bythe Queen's agents. Raleigh and his brothers thus came to hate Catholicism. He was able to act on those feelings when the Protestant Princess Elizabeth became queen (1558). The family had ties to the new Queen. His mother was a niece of Kat Ashley, Princess Elizabeth's governess and who was responsible for introducing young men at court. [Ronald, p. 249.]
Detail's on Walter's education or sketchy. We do not know where he studied as a child. He registered as an undergraduate at Oriel College, Oxford (1568 or 72). He does not seem to have actually studied there. He registered at the Middle Temple (1575). We are not sure he ever studied at university level.
At his trial he stated that he had never studied law (1603). His writing, however, seems to suggest that he was well educated.
Rleigh in his History of the Worl claims to have fought with the French Huguenots at the battle of Jarnac (1569).
Raleigh first came to the attention of Queen Elizabeth when Raleigh fought against the Munster rebels (1580-81).
Raleigh was a gifted courtier and became a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I. The relationship between Elizabeth and Raleigh has captivated both historians and novdlists alike. He was not only hansome and witty, but one of the Sea Dogs--adding to his alure. He was a great rival of Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex--another favorite of the Queen who was also beheaded for treason. Elizabeth bestowed monopolies and offices on Raleigh. She knighted him (1585). She made him Captain of the Queen’s Guard (1587). This was a prestigious position that also showed how much the Queen trusted him.
His privateering was done with his half-brother Sir Humphrey Gilbert. His privateering brought a fortune in Spanish bullion to the Queen.
Raleigh also organized important expeditions to the New World. Queen Elizabeth granted him a patent granting him title to any lands he might discover and claim in the name of the crown (1584). Of course he named the new colony 'Virginia' in honor of Queen Elizabeth--the Virgin Queen. He dispatched an expedition from Plymouth commanded by Phillip Amadas and Arthur Barlowe. They landed off the coast of what is now known as North Carolina and established the Roanoke colony. The encountered Algonquian-speaking peoples. These were the primary Native americn peoples intially contacted by the English. The English brought back two Native Americans named Manteo and Wanchese. As a result of this achievement, Raleigh was knighted by the Queen (1585). When the English returned to Roanoke, however, the settlers had disappeared without a trace. As part of his involvement with overseas expeditions, he helped introduce both tobacco and potatos to Britain. Permanent settlement would not occur untill more than two decades later and a new nonarch, a little to the north at Jamestown (1609).
He angered the Queen by secretly marrying Bessie Throckmorton. She was a Maid of Honor to the Queen and she viewed the marriage as a double betrayal. The secrecy shows that they both understood how the Queen would react. The Queen was furious when she leaned of the marriage (1582). She locked both of them in the Tower, a rather rocky start to married life. They were released by Christmas. They were banished from court until the Cadiz raid restored him to her good graces (1597). A wonderful comtemporary portrait exists of Sir Walter with his son Walter (figure 1). His eldest son Wat died in one of his expeditions to the Guianas.
Raleigh was fascinated with the legend of El Dorado. He led an expedition up the Orinoco River in modern Venezuela to find gold believed to exist in huge quantities in an imagined El Dorado (1595). Raleigh proved, however, more adept in taking gold from the Spnish than in finding it. The expedition failed, but a widely exagerted book he wrote about the expedition proved popular.
The Spanish Atlantic port of Cadiz was the center of Spanish naval power. Drake's attack on Cadiz (1587) had played a major role in the defeat of the Armada. It was the famed "singeing of the beard" of King Philip II of Spain. Raleign was involved in subsequent attack. The attack yielded mixed results, but Raleigh had fought bravely and had been badly wounded. An ageing Elizabeth met the fleet as it returned to England. Raleigh's bravery helped return him to her good graces.
Raleigh's sucess rested in large measure with the favor of the Queen. King James I had no such sentimental attachment. King James became king after the death of Elizabeth (1603). He immediately moved against Raleigh. He was charged with being a spy for Spain and plotting to assist the Spanish with their invasion of Britain in exchange for a pension. At the trial he ably defended himself, coming off in fact better than James. He was found guilty of treason and sentenced to death. Perhaps because of the trial, King James had him confined in the Tower rather than carrying out the death sentence. Imprionment in the Tower has a terrible forbidding sound to it. Raleigh's imprisonment was not like this. As a nobel man, he was allowed servants. He ate well and was allowed to pursue his interests, both as a writer and amateur scientist. There were visits from notables like Francis Bacon, who seems to have had ulterior motives. Both his wife and family were allowed to live with him in the Tower for a time. One hopeful development was that he was idolized by James's eldest son, Henry the Prince of Wales. Henry even petitioned his father to release Raleigh. He complained, "Sure no king but my father would keep such a bird in a cage". The Prince died unexpectedly (1612). This left Raleigh wothout friends at court.
Raleigh in addition to being a famous courtier and seaman-explorer, was an important author. He was a gifted poet and gets into most of the anthologies of Elizabethan lyrics. He was associated with te poetic group called the 'school of night' which acquired a reputation for atheism, or as close as one could dare to come in the 16th century. Confined to the Tower he had plenty of time to write and more substantial works than poems. Awaiting execution he wrote The History of the World--a very important and incredibly ambitious historical book.
James after 13 years finally released Raleigh from the Tower (1616). He was now 64 years old and had suffered two strokes while in the Tower. He remained convinced that El Dorado existed in the Guianas. James antipathy seems to have been asaged by the possibility of a share of the gold to be found. There was of course no El Drado and the expedition proved a disaster. One of those who died was Raleigh's eldest son Wat. Worse still, as part of the expedition, fighting broke out with the Spanish and there were casualties on both sides. King James had specifically ordered Raleigh that there was to be no fighting with the Spanish. This might have been excused if Raleigh had brought back gold, but this was not the case.
The Spanish Ambassador, the Conde de Gondomar, demanded Raleigh's execution. James remembering Raleigh's performance at his first trial, had no desire to allow a repeat performance and further fuel for anti-royalist sentiment. The King finally ordered his execution (1618). A second trial was avoided by simply using the sentence of the first trial. Raleigh probably could have avoided beheading by remaining in the New World, but he chose to return to England, knowing that with the failure of the expedition that his death sentence would probably be carried out.
Ronald, Susan. The Pirate Queen: Queen Elizabeth I, her Pirate Adventurers, and the Dawn of Empire (Harper Collins Publishers, New York, 2007).
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