Sir John Hawkins | Timeline

Admiral Sir John Hawkins (also spelled as Hawkyns) (1532 – 12 November 1595) was an English naval commander and administrator, merchant, navigator, shipbuilder, privateer and slave trader. He was considered the first English trader to profit from the Triangle Trade, based on selling supplies to colonies ill-supplied by their home countries, and their demand for African slaves in the Spanish colonies of Santo Domingo and Venezuela in the late 16th century. He styled himself "Captain General" as the General of both his own flotilla of ships and those of the English Royal Navy and to distinguish himself from those Admirals that served only in the administrative sense and were not military in nature. His death and that of his cousin and mentoree, Sir Francis Drake, heralded the decline of the Royal Navy for decades before its recovery and eventual dominance again helped by the propaganda of the Navy's glory days under his leadership. (Intro from Wikipedia)

January(?) 1(?), 1532 - Plymouth - John Hawkins is born

October 1, 1562 - Plymouth - John Hawkins sets sail for the Caribbean with three ships, the "Solomon" (120-tons), the "Swallow" (100-tons) and the bark "Jonas" (40-tons) =(START)

October 14(?), 1562 - Tenerife, Canary Islands - The english anchor at Tenerife to bring a pilot aboard

October 29(?), 1562 - Coast of Sierra Leone - Through honest or questionable ways, Hawkins obtains from 300 to 900 slaves of Portuguese ships

April 1(?), 1563 - Isabela, NW of Puerto Rico - John Hawking seeks regions with less surveillance for trade

April 8(?), 1563 - Puerto Plata, Hispaniola - John Hawking seeks regions with less surveillance for trade

April 12(?), 1563 - Montecristi, Hispaniola - John Hawking seeks regions with less surveillance for trade

June 1(?), 1563 - Tenerife, Canary Islands - Hawkins passes by Tenerife on his way to England

September 1, 1563 - Plymouth - John Hawkins returns to England

October 18, 1564 - Plymouth - Hawkins departs for another slave-trade voyage with 4 ships: 700-ton "Jesus of Lubeck", 140-ton "Solomon", 50-ton "Tiger" and the 30-ton pinnace "Swallow"

October(?), 25(?), 1564 - Ferrol, NW Spain - At Ferrol, Hawkins receives his orders

November 7, 1564 - Tenerife, Canary Islands - With the less friendly spaniards, the english manage to outfit the ships with difficulty

November 16(?), 1564 - Tenerife, Canary Islands - Hawkins anchors at Tenerife to consult the pilot Pedro de Ponte

November 29, 1564 - Cape Verde Islands - The english stop at Cape Verde to load the ships with slaves. Others would be loaded later at Sierra Leone

December 25, 1564 - After Christmas prayers, Hawkins buys two caravel loads of slaves from a group of portuguese traders

January 27, 1565 - Sierra Leone - Hawkins attacks a City hoping to capture prisoners.

January 29, 1565 - Sierra Leone - Hawkins sets sail to the Antilles with 400 slaves in the hold

March 9, 1565 - Dominica - Hawkins reaches the Antilles and loads his ships with fresh water at Dominica

March 16, 1565 - Isla Margarita, Venezuela - Trade is denied to him at Margarita Island

April 3, 1565 - Borburata (E. of Puerto Cabello, Venezuela) - After being denied trade, Hawkins arrives at Borburata

April 18, 1565 - Borburata (E. of Puerto Cabello, Venezuela) - After a proof of strenght, Hawkins finally trades with the island's habitants

May 5, 1565 - Borburata (E. of Puerto Cabello, Venezuela) - Hawkins sets sail to Curaçao

May 7, 1565 - Curaçao - The english load their ships with all sorts of provisions

May 16, 1565 - Aruba - Hawkins sails by Aruba

May 19, 1565 - Ríohacha, Colombia - Hawkins uses the same tactic used at Borburata

May 31, 1565 - Ríohacha, Colombia - John Hawkins sets sail to back to England

June 5(?), 1565 - South coast of Jamaica - For lack of knowledge of the currents, they begin to diverge to the west

July 11(?), 1565 - Cape San Antonio, western tip of Cuba - Hawkins sails around Cap San Antonio

July 15, 1565 - Fort Caroline (Jacksonville, Florida) - Hawkins visits Ribaut's huguenot settlement

July 20, 1565 - Fort Caroline (Jacksonville) - Hawkins makes the first report on how the indians smoke tobacco

July 28, 1565 - Fort Caroline (Jacksonville) - Hawkins weighs anchor and sets sail to England

August(?) 23(?), 1565 - Newfoundland Banks, SE Newfoundland, Canada - In the banks of Newfoundland, the english provision their barrels with codfish 

September 20, 1565 - Padstow, Cornwall - Hawkins returns to England

October 20, 1565 - London - John Hawkins visits the Court after his return from North America

November 9, 1566 - Plymouth - Four of Hawkins's ships - The "Paul", the "Solomon", the "Pascoe" and the "Swallow", sail under the command of Captain John Lovell. One of the sailors aboard the "Swallow" is Hawkins's second cousin Francis Drake

October 2, 1567 - Plymouth - John Hawkins sails to the Antilles with 6 ships: 700-ton "Jesus of Lubeck", 300-ton "Minion", 150-ton "William and John", 50-ton bark "Judith", 32-ton "Angel" and the 30-ton pinnace "Swallow". Francis Drake sails with the expedition

Jesus of Lübeck

October 6, 1567 - 40 miles from Cape Finisterre, NW Spain - Hawkins and Drake face a huge storm. The fleet is scattered

October 10, 1567 - 40 miles from Cape Finisterre - After three days, the weather improves. Only the small "Angel" is in sight of the leaky "Jesus of Lubeck"

October 23, 1567 - Tenerife, Canary Islands - Hawkins arrives at Tenerife and finds the "Judith" at anchor

October 30, 1567 - Southern side of Santa Cruz de Tenerife Island - After repairing the "Jesus of Lubeck", Hawkins sails to the friendlier southern side of the island, where he had contacts. There he learns that his missing ships were all safe on the Island of La Gomera, west of Tenerife

November 2, 1567 - La Gomera Island - All the ships are reunited. Their combined companies hold a great celebration and receive gifts from the Spanish Governor and the people of the town of San Sebastian

November 15(?), 1567 - Cape Verde Islands - Hawkins plunders some portuguese ships for african slaves

November 25(?), 1567 - Cape Roxo (Senegal-Guinea-Bissau border) - Hawkins captures the slaves aboard six other portuguese ships

November 30(?), 1567 - Coast of Guinea - Hawkins crosses path with french pirates who had taken a portuguese ship. He seizes the ship and gives it to Francis Drake, his first command

December 5(?), 1567 - Cacheu River (Guinea-Bissau) - Drake leads an expedition up the Cacheu River. He attacks some portuguese ships, loosing four men, but captures no slaves

January 1(?), 1568 - "Island of Conga", Sierra Leone - Hawkins attacks a fortified town on the island of Conga, off the coast of Sierra Leone. With the help of the indigenous Sapi people, he captures another 250 slaves and hands over the town to the Sapi

February(?) 1(?), 1568 - Elmina, Ghana - Hawkins and Drake reach Elmina (portuguese: São Jorge da Mina = St.George of the Mine)

February 3, 1568 - Elmina, Ghana - Hawkins and Drake sail for the Antilles with 500 slaves aboard

March 27, 1568 - Dominica - Hawkins and Drake reach Dominica and replenish their ships with fresh water

April 2, 1568 - Isla Margarita, Venezuela - Hawkins and Drake trade peacefully during eight days

April 14, 1568 - Borburata (E. of Puerto Cabello, Venezuela) - After trading at Burburata, the english careen their ships. Drake receives the command of the "Judith"

June 1, 1568 - Borburata (E. of Puerto Cabello, Venezuela) - Hawkins sails to Ríohacha

June 9, 1568 - Ríohacha, Colombia - Hawkins joins Drake at Ríohacha

June 15, 1568 - Inland Ríohacha - Inland expedition, where treasures are captured

July 10, 1568 - Santa Marta - Hawkins and Drake reach Santa Marta and disguised trade is done

July 16, 1568 - Cartagena, Colombia - Hawkins and Drake arrive in Cartagena

July 24, 1568 - Cartagena, Colombia - Hawkins and Drake depart from Cartagena. Stormy Sea

September 11, 1568 - Alacranes Reef, N of Mérida-Yucatán - A violent storm west of Cuba / Island of Pinos takes the english to the Gulf of Mexico

September 15, 1568 - San Juan de Ulúa, Vera Cruz - Hawkins and Drake arrive off San Juan de Ulúa. They occupy the island on the next day

September 23, 1568 - San Juan de Ulúa, Vera Cruz - Spanish surprise attack. Hawkins and Drake escape with many casualties

October 8, 1568 - Tampico, Mexico - Hawkins escapes to the north and is forced to leave 114 men behind

October 16, 1568 - Tampico, Mexico - After replenishing his ships with fresh water, Hawkins sets sail to Europe. 114 men volunteer to stay behind.

December 31, 1568 - Pontevedra, NW Spain - Hawkins reaches the Spanish Coast before the New Year

January 20, 1569 - Pontevedra - Hawkins brings more crewmen aboard from another english ship and sets sail to England

January 25, 1569 - Mount's Bay, W of Cornwall - Hawkins returns to England

January 27, 1569 - Plymouth - Hawkins anchors at Plymouth

April 1(?), 1571 - London - Sends a letter to Phillip II of Spain pretending to be his subject against Elizabeth I (Ridolfi Plot)

May((?) 1(?), 1571 - London - Hawkins enters the Parliament as MP for Plymouth, as a reward for his role in foiling the plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I

October 11, 1573 - The Strand, Central London - Hawkins is stabbed by a fanatic who confuses him with Sir Christopher Hatton

November 12, 1573 - The Strand, Central London - Peter Burchett, the agressor, is hanged and his hand is cut off and nailed over his head.

January 1, 1578 - London - Appointed Treasurer of the Navy
June 17, 1581 - Mortlake, London - John Dee is visited by John Hawkins (although Dee describes Hawkins as "young Hawkins", he also writes that he had been with Francis Drake, so we concluded he means the father (John) and not the son (Richard), although John Hawkins was only 5 years older than John Dee)

August(?) 1(?), 1586 - Southampton - Sets sail for the coast of Portugal and the Azores with 17 ships to wait for the spanish silver fleet. The plan was to join other english ships near Terceira Island, Azores

August 10(?), 1586 - Coast of Portugal - Hawkins cruises off the Portuguese coast from August until October to shadow french shipping and to intercept the incoming silver convoys

September 30, 1586 - Off Cape Roca, Portugal (westernmost point of Europe) - Three cargo ships from Pernambuco (Brazil) are taken

December(?) 1(?), 1586 - Southampton(?) - Sir John Hawkins returns to England

White Bear, 1587

December 21, 1587 - Chatham - Goes to Chatham to receive the 1,000-tons ship "White Bear".

February 21, 1588 - Plymouth - Preparations for the Defence of England start in Plymouth.

July 21, 1588 - Scilly Islands, W of Cornwall - Hawkins (in the "Victory") and his squadron at the Scilly Islands region, following the great Spanish Armada

July 25, 1588 - Off the Isle of Wight - Seafight against the Spanish Armada.

July 26, 1588 - E. the of Isle of Wight - John Hawkins and Martin Frobisher are knighted by Admiral Howard, on board his flagship "Ark Royal"

July 29, 1588 - Off Gravelines, France - Battle of Gravelines

May 1(?), 1590 - Plymouth - Hawkins and Frobisher set sail to the Coast of Portugal to wait for the Silver Fleet

May 10(?), 1590 - Coast of Portugal - Hawkins and Frobisher arrive to the area to wait for the Silver Fleet. However, Phillip II of Spain forbids its departure.

October 29, 1590 - Plymouth - Hawkins and Frobisher return to England, empty handed

October 31, 1590 - Plymouth - After his return with "empty hands", Hawkins writes a letter to Lord Burghley

July 8, 1592 - Chatham - In Chatham, organizing and helping at the new Hospital "Sir John Hawkyns"

August 28, 1595 - Plymouth - Drake and John Hawkins set sail to the Antilles once more

September 24, 1595 - Lanzerote, Canary Islands - Drake and Hawkins reach the Canary Islands

September 27, 1595 - WSW Lanzerote - After landing, the english replenish their ships with fresh water

October 27, 1595 - E of Martinique - The Island of Martinique is sighted

October 29, 1595 - Guadalupe - The english replenish their ships with fresh water in Guadalupe because of the presence of hostile indians in Dominica. Drake and Hawkins continue their voyage

November 8, 1595 - Virgin Islands - The english anchor at the Virgin Islands. Hawkins gets sick and Drake takes the command of the expedition

November 11, 1595 - SE of Puerto Rico - As the english reach Puerto Rico, Sir John Hawkins expires, aged 63 =(END)