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WALTER RALEIGH

Sir Walter Raleigh was an English soldier, explorer and author. He was born in 1552 at Hayes Barton and died in 1618. He saw his first battles at Jarnac in 1569 and Montcontour, fighting as a volunteer. In 1577 a patent of colonization was given to his half-brother, Sir Humphrey Gilbert; but the expedition in which Raleigh took part in 1578 was a failure. In 1580 he helped Lord Grey de Wilton, Irish deputy, in putting down an insurrection. He then saw service in the Netherlands with the French Huguenots under Coligny. During the next few years he sent out expeditions to America, explored the seaboard from Florida to Newfoundland, and christened Virginia, which he endeavoured, though in vain, to plant with colonists. At the same time he attempted to introduce settlers into Ireland. A friend of the poet Spenser, Raleigh represented the influence of the renaissance movement among the Upper classes in Elizabeth I' s reign. His influence at court was often great, and he devoted all his energies to crippling the power of Spain.

In 1592 he prepared an expedition, which sailed under Frobisher, but the same year was himself sent to the Tower as a punishment for a court intrigue. In 1595 he went with Keymis to help to find gold in Guiana. he sailed up the Orinoco, but was unable to establish any permanent settlement. In 1596 he took part in an expedition against Spain under Lord Howard of Effingham and Robert Devereux, second Earl of Essex. Cadiz was attacked and stormed, and a Spanish fleet destroyed. In 1597 Raleigh, Essex, and Sir Thomas Howard equipped another fleet to attack Spain, but little was achieved due to arguments and stormy weather. In 1600 Raleigh was made governor of Jersey in America, and started a trade between Jersey and Newfoundland, and did much to promote the prosperity of the island. James I did not like Raleigh, and deprived him of his office of captain of the guard. Raleigh's advocacy of war with Spain increased James' dislike, and in 1603, being suspected of complicity with Cobham in a plot against the king he was sent to the Tower and tried for high treason. Though condemned to death, he was reprieved.

At length, James' being in great need of money, listened to Villiers who urged him to release Raleigh and allow him to make an expedition to Guiana to look for gold. Accordingly, on March the 16th 1616, Raleigh was allowed to leave the Tower. Though not pardoned, Raleigh was full of hope, and started in April 1617. The expedition was a failure, and Raleigh's son was killed. He arrived at Plymouth on June the 21st 1618 and was executed on October the 29th.
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