Sir Walter Raleigh

Sir Walter Raleigh is known both as an explorer and as a scholar. He advocated the colonisation of American and brought back the potato and tobacco.

Born around 1554 into an affluent family Raleigh attended Oriel College, Oxford and started a career in law going to the Middle Bar. He would have perhaps continued if it wasn’t for the Revolt of the Spanish Netherlands which led Raleigh to fight for the Huguenots against the Spanish in 1569. In the 1570s he continued fighting the Spanish by attacking their shipping, and also fought against the Munster rebels in 1580 and 1581.

Raleigh advocated colonisation of America and between the years of 1584 and 1589 sent several unsuccessful expeditions over. Perhaps most famous of these is the attempt on Roanoke Island off the coast of modern North Carolina, which was then part of Virginia in honour of the Queen.

It was in his role in Munster that he came to the attention of Queen Elizabeth I, and become a frequent visitors to the Royal court becoming a favourite of the Queen for his charm and wit. Elizabeth gave Raleigh monopolies and offices, and in 1585 knighted him. His position in the eyes of Elizabeth is best shown by the position she gave him as Captain of the Queen’s Guard.

Raleigh however suffered a fall from grace due to his marriage to a Maid of Honour to the Queen, Elizabeth Throckmorton. Elizabeth had expected consultation and did not receive this. She therefore imprisoned Raleigh and he was also ostracised from the court until 1597.

Raleigh set sail on a number of voyages trying to find the Spanish legend of El Dorado, a mythical city of great wealth. While obviously failing to find this, he was able to explore around four hundred miles of the River Orinoco in modern Venezuela. In 1596 he attacked the Spanish port of Cadiz which although a military failure showed his loyalty to the Queen.

Upon the death of Elizabeth, Raleigh was in danger as she had protected him from the Spanish. James I feared a Spanish attack due to Raleigh’s activities so arrested him on 17th July 1603. He was charged with attempting with the Spanish to put Arabella Stuart on the throne instead of James. The evidence was so weak that despite an initial sentence of death he was reprieved and instead imprisoned in the Tower of London.

Raleigh spent his time writing and conducting experiments, writing a History of the World in 1614. Despite being a prisoner he led a good lifestyle with his family. He was released in 1616 in order to lead a visit to Guiana searching for Gold. The Duke of Buckingham, James’ favourite, had convinced him to release Raleigh in order to increase crown revenue through treasure. Raleigh was order not to attack the Spanish, however he did attack their territory of San Thomé, and despite this returned without any treasure. In order to appease the Spanish James reimprisoned Raleigh and executed him on October 29th 1618, carrying out the sentence set in 1603.