Sunday 13 December 2020

Sir Walter Raleigh | Timeline

Sir Walter Raleigh
(22 January 1552  – 29 October 1618), also spelled Ralegh, was an English landed gentleman, writer, poet, soldier, politician, courtier, spy and explorer. He was a cousin of Sir Richard Grenville and younger half-brother of Sir Humphrey Gilbert. He is also well known for popularising tobacco in England. Raleigh was one of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era. (Intro based on Wikipedia)

January 22, 1552 - Hayes Barton, East Budleigh, Devon - Walter Raleigh is born
October(?) 1(?), 1566 - Oxford - 14-year-old Raleigh is sent to the University of Oxford to study Law
November 1(?), 1568 - La Rochelle, France - 16-year-old Raleigh sails to La Rochelle with Henry Champernown and a small cavalry troop =(START)
November 16, 1568 - Jazeneuil, France - Battle of Jazeneuil, between the Catholic troops of the Duke of Montpensier and the Protestant army of the Prince of Condé
February 6, 1569 - Niort, France - Champernown writes to Sir William Cecil from Niort during the harshest winter in 20 years
March 13, 1569 - Jarnac, SW La Rochelle - Champernown and Raleigh join the Huguenot army at Jarnac. They are defeated and the Prince of Condé killed
March 15(?), 1569 - La Rochelle, France - The huguenots hastily retreat to La Rochelle
April 1(?), 1569 - Devon, England - Champernown and Raleigh return to Devon to raise a larger force
September 20, 1569 - La Rochelle, France - Champernown and Raleigh return to La Rochelle
October 5, 1569 - Niort, France - Champernown reaches Niort too late. Two days earlier, the Huguenot forces under the command of Coligny were virtually destroyed at the Battle of Moncontour
November(?) 1(?), 1569 - Montauban, SW France - Coligny and the young Prince of Navarre (future Henri IV) move south to Montauban
December(?) 1(?), 1569 - Toulouse - The huguenot army rampages through the countryside, burning fields as they go and plunging down towards Toulouse
January(?) 1(?), 1570 - Nîmes, France - Nîmes is sacked
May 28, 1570 - La Rochelle, France - Back in La Rochelle. Henry Champernown dies
August 23, 1572 - Paris - Walsingham hides Huguenots in is house during the St.Bartholomew Day Massacre. He also provides refuge to many englishmen, one of them, was probably young Walter Raleigh
February 17, 1575 - London - Arrives to the Inns of Court, Middle Temple, with a group of west country students
December 17, 1577 - London - Raleigh stands before a Middlesex justice of the peace for "disturbing the peace"
August 15(?), 1578 - River Thames - Sir Humphrey Gilbert and Raleigh set sail from the River Thames. Raleigh commands the 100-ton "Falcon"
August 25, 1578 - Dartmouth - Gilbert and Raleigh reach Dartmouth
October 15, 1578 - Plymouth - Gilbert and Raleigh sail to Plymouth
October 29, 1578 - Plymouth - They attempt to leave Plymouth but are driven back by a storm. Raleigh meets Simão Fernandes, a highly skilled portuguese pilot who had served the Spanish crown in the Caribbean
November 19, 1578 - Plymouth - Gilbert and Raleigh set sail with a fleet of six ships for North America
November 20(?), 1578 - Off Plymouth - One of the ships, the "Hope of Greenaway" begins to leak badly and his forced to return to Plymouth. The fleet is reduced to five
December 15(?), 1578 - Ireland - Gilbert and Raleigh are forced to take refuge in Ireland for repairs and supplies
January(?) 15(?), 1579 - Gran Canaria, Canary Islands - Reaching the Canary Islands, they take 15 tonnes of wine and a quantity of meats. The rest of the voyage is source of speculation
February(?) 1(?), 1579 - Cape Verde Islands - Records place Raleigh at Cape Verde before turning back to England, but....
March(?) 1(?), 1579 - near Salvador, NE Brazil - The "Falcon" was probably the ship that landed 5 englishmen near Salvador, NE of Brazil, who were later captured by the portuguese
May 1(?), 1579 - Plymouth - Raleigh and Fernandes bring the "Falcon" back to Plymouth
May 28, 1579 - Dartmouth - Raleigh and his brother are straightly charged by the Lords of the Privy Council "in her Majesty's name, to remain on land and to surcease proceeding in their enterprize"
June 1(?), 1579 - In the summer of 1579 William Drury, Lord Deputy of Ireland, commissions Gilbert and Raleigh to attack James FitzMaurice Fitzgerald again by sea and land and to intercept a fleet expected to arrive from Spain with aid for the Irish. At this time Gilbert had three vessels under his command: the 250-ton "Anne Ager" (named after his wife), the "Relief", and the 10-ton "Squirrell", a small frigate notable for having completed the voyage to America and back within three months under the command of a captured Portuguese pilot
December 1(?), 1579 - Compelled to decide between Oxford and Elizabeth, Raleigh's choice of Elizabeth is an assertion of independence, but a commitment to a life of dependency on her favour
December 30(?), 1579 - Oxford is released from house arrest
February 5, 1580 - Whitehall, London - Raleigh and a fellow courtier named Sir Thomas Perrott are summoned by the Privy Council to answer for a fight between the two of them in the precincts at Whitehall. They stand before Sir William Cecil (Lord Burghley), the Earls of Leicester, Bedford, Lincoln and Sussex; Sir Henry Sidney; Sir Thomas Bromley, the Lord Chancellor; Thomas Wilson (the Queen's secretary) and Sir Christopher Hatton
March 17, 1580 - Whitehall - Raleigh is ambushed and forced to fight for his life
August 12, 1580 - Dublin, Ireland - Raleigh arrives in Dublin with Lord Deputy Grey de Wilton
August 25, 1580 - Glenmalure, Ireland - Grossly underestimating the rebels, Wilton sends 2,000 men (most of them english recruits) to fight the rebels in the thickly wooded valley of Glenmalure. They are decimated and only a cavalry charge led by Wilton himself prevents that all of them are killed. (Raleigh might have been there)
September 7, 1580 - Dublin, Ireland - Grey de Wilton is sworn as Lord Deputy
November 5, 1580 - Dún an Óir, near Ard na Caithne (Smerwick), Ireland - Raleigh arrives at Smerwick Harbour, Ireland, with a 800-strong army led by Grey de Wilton. A naval force led by Admiral Sir William Wynter arrives at the same time to complete the encirclement of the town
November 7, 1580 - Dún an Óir, near Ard na Caithne (Smerwick) - Siege of Smerwick
November 10, 1580 - Dún an Óir, near Ard na Caithne (Smerwick) - Sebastiano di San Giuseppe, the commander of the garrison of Smerwick, surrenders. Grey de Wilton orders summary executions. 600 spanish, italian and irish soldiers are executed. The bands ordered to carry out the executions were led by Walter Raleigh (which would be brought against him in his trial, 30 years later)
December 17, 1580 - Whitehall, London - Raleigh arrives back at court in Whitehall
February 3, 1581 - Whitehall - Departs for Ireland after giving a deposition for a Chancery lawsuit arising from the failed 1578 voyage
February 25(?), 1581 - Dublin - Raleigh returns to Ireland
March(?) 1(?), 1581 - W. of Cork, Ireland - Raleigh rides to Cork with only 6 men. He is ambushed by John FitzEdmund FitzGerald between Ballinacurra and Midleton. Three of his men are killed
August 26, 1581 - Lismore, NE of Cork, Ireland - Letter to Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, offering his services
December 31, 1581 - Cork, Ireland - Departs Cork with despatches to London
January 1, 1582 - While on his way to London - Burghley writes to Grey in Ireland, telling him of the Queen's enthusiasm for Raleigh's plan to subdue Munster
January 20(?), 1582 - Whitehall, London - Returns to Court. He starts being noticed by Queen Elizabeth
February 1, 1582 - Whitehall - The Duke of Anjou and Alençon set out to the Netherlands, accompanied by Queen Elizabeth, with an entourage of 100 gentlemen, including the Earl of Leicester and Walter Raleigh
February 4, 1582 - Rochester, River Medway - Queen Elizabeth bids farewell to the Duke of Anjou and Alençon and returns to London
February 19, 1582 - Antwerp - The Duke of Anjou and Alençon's entourage arrive in the Netherlands
February 20, 1582 - Antwerp - Most of the english return home with the Earl of Leicester. Raleigh stays in Antwerp at Walsingham's behest
March 18, 1582 - At Antwerp when a basque man attempts to assassinate William of Orange, shooting him in the face. Raleigh races back to England to deliver the news. Letter to Sir Humphrey Gilbert: "Brother, I have sent you a token from Her Majesty, an anchor guided by a Lady as you see, and farther Her Highness willed me to send you word that she wished as great good hap and safety to your ship as if herself were there in person…."
March 23, 1582 - London - Raleigh returns to London and delivers his package to Walsingham (and probably to Queen Elizabeth)
May 1(?), 1582 - Greenwich - Mourning the death of his daughter, Burghley writes to Raleigh from his mansion at Theobalds, asking him to intercede with Elizabeth on behalf of the Earl of Oxford, his son-in-law.
May 4, 1582 - Greenwich - Queen Elizabeth grants Raleigh "the farm of wines" - the exclusive right to license vintners in England - anyone who wished to sell wine had to pay Raleigh an annual fee of £1 for the right to do so
June 1(?), 1582 - near Antwerp - Raleigh returns to the Netherlands and joins Sir John Norris's english regiment outside Antwerp
January(?) 1(?), 1583 - London(?) - Elizabeth offers Raleigh a London home - Durham House
March 15, 1583 - Richmond, London - Letter to Humphrey Gilbert: "Her Highness willed me to send you word that she wished as great good hap and safety to your ship as if herself were there in person, desiring you to have care of yourself … therefore for her sake you must provide for it accordingly."
April 10, 1583 - Letter to Thomas Egerton, the solicitor-general: "It hath pleased her Majesty to bestow the leases of Scotney and Newland, lately granted unto her from All Souls College in Oxford, upon me"
April 18, 1583 - Mortlake, London - While the Court moves to Greenwich, Raleigh invites the Queen to visit John Dee at Mortlake
May(?) 1(?), 1583 - Southampton(?) - Raleigh spends 2,000 marks on a 240-ton ship from Henry Oughtred, a Southampton ship-owner. He baptizes the ship as "Bark Raleigh", and offers it to his brother Sir Humphrey Gilbert for his next voyage to North America
May 27, 1583 - Theobalds, Hertfordshire - The Court moves to Burghley's palace at Theobalds, Hertfordshire
June 11, 1583 - While in Greenwich - Raleigh receives the news that Gilbert had set sail with a fleet of five ships, including his "Bark Raleigh". Nineteen men had deserted before departure and two days into the voyage, the ship would turn back to Plymouth owing to lack of victuals.
September 22, 1583 - While in Greenwich - The "Golden Hind" returns alone to Falmouth, bringing the news of Sir Humphrey Gilbert's failure and disappearance. On the same day, Walsingham writes to the Earl of Leicester: "hear that there is a by-course in hand with Arran and the Colonel wherein Mr Ralegh is used for an instrument. I hope he is too wise to be used in any such indiscreet dealing. Your lordship may do well to give him advice to abstain from such by-courses"
September 30(?), 1583 - Arran, Scotland - Dispatched to Arran, Scotland
March 25, 1584 - Whitehall, London - Queen Elizabeth I grants Raleigh a charter for the colonization of the area of North America. This charter specified that Raleigh needed to establish a colony in North America, or lose his right to colonization. Queen Elizabeth proposes the name "Virginia" for the new country
April 26, 1584 - Durham House, London - A thief named Hugh Pugh "stole a jewel worth eighty pounds, a hat band of pearls worth thirty pounds, and five yards of white silk called damask worth three pounds of the goods and chattels of Walter Rawley esq" from his Durham House
April 27, 1584 - Raleigh dispatches a reconnaissance expedition led by Philip Amadas and Arthur Barlowe to explore the eastern coast of North America
July 4, 1584 - While in Durham House, London - Amadas and Barlowe arrive at Roanoke Island
July 26, 1584 - Raleigh makes an offer for his birthplace House Hayes Barton, in East Budleigh
September 1(?), 1584 - While in Durham House, London - Raleigh's reconnaissance ships return to England, with two native americans from Roanoke
September(?) 10(?), 1584 - Durham House, London - Amadas and Barlowe offer detailed and secretive debriefings at Durham House
November 23, 1584 - Westminster, London - Opening of the Parliament: Raleigh, dressed as an MP is sworn as a member of the House of Commons
December 14, 1584 - Westminster - Introduces a bill to confirm Queen Elizabeth's grant of patent by act of Parliament
January 6, 1585 - Greenwich - Walter Raleigh makes his way to the Court at Greenwich by boat. After theater and a masque in which Elizabeth dances, Walter Raleigh is knighted by the Queen. She also presents him with the 180-ton ship "Tyger", used by Winter in Smerwick Bay (1580), to add to his fleet
February 25(?), 1585 - River Thames - Raleigh's ships sail down the Thames on the way to Plymouth
April 9, 1585 - Plymouth - Raleigh's squadron sails to Virginia under Sir Richard Grenville's command (on board the "Tyger"). One of his captains is Thomas Cavendish, on board the "Elizabeth"
May 1(?), 1585 - Mendoza's spies report that Raleigh and the Earl of Leicester were now in very bad terms
June 21, 1585 - Durham House, London - At Durham House when news arrive of the apparent suicide of the Earl of Northumberland in the Tower of London
July 1(?), 1585 - The Queen rewards him with the Warden of the stannaries - the community of Cornish tin mines which had its own ancient rights and laws expressed through courts and parliaments held on Crockern Tor, high on Dartmoor
September 1(?), 1585 - The Queen rewards Raleigh by appointing him Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall
October 1, 1585 - Falmouth - Grenville and Cavendish return to England
October 18, 1585 - Plymouth - Grenville takes the spanish prize to Plymouth. Raleigh greets them at arrival
November 1(?), 1585 - While in Windsor(?) - The Queen rewards Raleigh by appointing him Vice-Admiral of Devon and Cornwall
June 21, 1586 - While in Windsor(?) - Raleigh is granted 12,000 acres in Country Cork, Ireland
August(?) 1(?), 1586 - While in Windsor(?) - On the way back to England, Raleigh's ships capture Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa, the spanish governor of Patagonia
September(?) 1(?), 1586 - While in Windsor(?) - Raleigh's pinnaces "Serpent" and "Mary Sparke" arrive in Southampton
September 10, 1586 - While in Windsor(?) - Letter from Mendoza to King Philip of Spain: "The whole of the affair that was being planned appears to have been discovered, some of the leaders having confessed. Of the six men who had sworn to kill the queen, only two have escaped, namely, the favourite Ralegh and the brother of Lord Windsor"
September 14, 1586 - While in Windsor - Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa is brought up to London
September 15, 1586 - Windsor - Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa is sent to meet Raleigh at Windsor, to where Queen Elizabeth had retreated
September 19, 1586 - While in Windsor(?) - Four days after his trial, Sir Anthony Babington tries to contact Raleigh, offering him £1,000 to plead his cause before Elizabeth
January 7, 1587 - Raleigh's chosen governor and his 12 assistants are granted their charter as "Governor and Assistants of the City of Raleigh in Virginia"
February 1(?), 1587 - Raleigh's Munster holdings grow to 42,000 acres
February 20, 1587 - Greenwich - While speaking with Queen Elizabeth, secretary Davidson appears. The Queen tells him about a dream she had, where Mary Stuart had been executed, making her so mad that she couldn't account for her actions. (Elizabeth wanted to share the burden of responsability for Mary's death)
April 30(?), 1587 - Queen Elizabeth appoints Walter Raleigh as Captain of her Guard and entrusts him with the defence of Cornwall against Spain's attack
December 21, 1587 - Cornwall - Letter to Queen Elizabeth
July(?) 1(?), 1588 - Isle of Portland, S. of Weymouth - Raleigh organizes the defences of the Isle of Portland against the expected Spanish Armada
July 23, 1588 - Off Portland (Weymouth) - Raleigh joins the fleet
November 19, 1591 - Raleigh marries Elizabeth Throckmorton, one of the Queen's ladies-in-waiting, without the Queen's permission
February 28, 1592 - Lady Raleigh (Elizabeth Throckmorton) leaves the Court
March 5(?), 1592 - Dartmouth - Ready to depart, Raleigh's fleet is held at port with poor weather
May 6, 1592 - Dartmouth - After much delay because of weather, Walter Raleigh sets sail with John Burroughs as vice-admiral and Martin Frobisher. His fleet were 14 or 15 ships of which the "Garland" and the "Foresight" belonged to the Queen. Cumberland had the largest stake in the expedition and helped Raleigh to finance and gather the fleet. The fleet included notables such as William Monson, Robert Crosse, Samuel Purchas, Richard Hawkins, Downton and Christopher Newport. Cumberland provides the "Tiger"(600-tons), his ship 300-ton ship "Sampson" and the "Golden Noble"(160-tons)
May 7, 1592 - Off Dartmouth - Frobisher goes to Raleigh in the pinnace "Disdain" and delivers him the letter from the Queen, ordering his immediate recall to England
May 9, 1592 - Bay of Biscay - Raleigh meets with a ship belonging to Monsieur Gourdon, governor of Calais, on board of which was one Mr.Nevil Davies, an englishman, who had endured a long captivity of 12 years, and had now by good fortune made his escape, and was on his way home. Davies reported that there was little good to be done or expected that year in the West Indies, as the king of Spain had sent express orders to all the ports both of the islands and the main, that no ships were to sail that year, nor any treasure to be shipped to Spain. Yet Raleigh continues his voyage, despite the Queen's orders.
May 11, 1592 - Off Cape Finisterre, NW Spain - The Fleet is scattered by a severe storm. Three ships sink
May 12, 1592 - Off Cape Finisterre, NW Spain - Upon considering the effects of the storm, the contrary winds expected in a raid to Panama that time of the year, and the depleted supplies with the delays, Raleigh decides to sail home, dividing his fleet between Burrough ("Roebuck"), with orders to sail to the Azores to intercept carracks from Mexico and India, and Frobisher ("Garland"), with orders to patrol the coast of Portugal and watch for ships leaving Lisbon
May(?) 20(?), 1592 - Dartmouth - Raleigh returns to England in a smaller ship
June 18(?), 1592 - London - Raleigh returns to London and is arrested for lying to the Queen about his secret marriage to Bess Throckmorton
July 26, 1592 - Violent dispute with Sir George Carew
September 16, 1592 - Dartmouth - Raleigh is released from the Tower due to pressure from John Hawkins, to control the looting of the "Madre de Deus"
September 19, 1592 - Exeter - Letter to Lord Burghley, also in Exeter
September 21, 1592 - Dartmouth - Letter to Lord Burghley: "the City of London is to have £6,000 profit by Her Majesty’s order. Then they are to have Her Majesty’s allowance of £2,000 upon all and £4,000 profit as well out of our principal. By that means we are to lose £4,000 of money disbursed…. The Earl of Cumberland is allowed £36,000 and his account came but to £19,000, so he has £ 17,000 profit, who adventured for himself, and we that served the Queen and assisted her service [fitting out her ships] have not our own again. Besides I gave my ship’s sails and cables to furnish the carrack and bring her home or else she [would] have perished…. I was the cause that all this came to the Queen and that the King of Spain spent £300,000 [in] the last year. And I lost in the last year in the voyage of my Lord Thomas Howard, £1,600, besides the interest of £11,000 which I have paid ever since this voyage
began"
December 13, 1592 - Durham House, London - Letter to the Lords of the Council on the affairs of an italian merchant named Corsini
January(?) 1(?), 1593 - Shelborne, Dorsetshire - Raleigh settles at Sherborne, Dorsetshire (until departing for Trinidad in February 1595)
January 1(?), 1594 - Sherborne, E. of Yeovil, Dorsetshire(?) - Raleigh is formally granted permission to export staves to Madeira, the Canaries, Bordeaux and La Rochelle
Sir Walter Raleigh, 1595
February 6, 1595 - Plymouth -
 Raleigh sets sail towards the Azores with 4 small ships and 150 men, to take on fresh supplies before crossing the Atlantic
February 9, 1595 - Cape Ortegal, Galicia, Spain - Raleigh reaches Cape Ortegal
February 12(?), 1595 - Berlengas Islands, Coast of Portugal - Sailing past the "Burlings"
February(?) 17, 1595 - Fuerteventura, Canary Islands - The fleet takes on fresh supplies
March(?) 1(?), 1595 - Off Tenerife, Canary Islands - Captures a spanish ship and its cargo is emptied, of which a large amount of firearms is taken
March(?) 2(?), 1595 - Near the Canary Islands - Captures a flemish ship and its cargo of 20 hogsheads of spanish wine
March 22, 1595 - Island of Trinidad - Raleigh arrives at Trinidad
April 2(?), 1595 - La Brea, SW Trinidad and Tobago - While sailing across the Gulf of Paria, Raleigh smells tar and puts into shore at La Brea. The Caribs led Raleigh to a pitch lake (the largest of the world's three natural asphalt lakes) and he realized that the substance was ideal for caulking his ships. He took several barrels with him, and has since been credited with "discovering" the lake
April 4, 1595 - Port of Spain | San José de Oruña (Saint Joseph, Trinidad and Tobago) - Raleigh disembarks a hundred soldiers and seizes the small stockade at Port of Spain, overwhelming the small garrison before pushing inland with the intent to capture San José de Oruña
April 15, 1595 - Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago - Raleigh sets sail from his base in the "Gallego" which was cut down for river travel, with 100 men along with two wherries
April 27, 1595 - near present Guayana City, Venezuela - The spanish follow Raleigh in canoes and surprise them. However, the spanish suffer casualties and decide to flee
April 28, 1595 - near present Guayana City, Venezuela - Raleigh encounters the Warao and Pemon people and establishes peaceful relations with them, showing that he was an enemy of the spanish, who the indigenous amerindians detested
May(?) 1(?), 1595 - River Caroni, S. of present Guayana City - Raleigh continues up the Caroni River, taking with him the son of the local chieftain, Topiawari, and leaving two english in the village
May(?) 6(?), 1595 - Angel Falls, Venezuela - Raleigh reaches Angel Falls, discribing it as "higher than any church spire", and sees Mount Roraima at a distance
June(?) 1(?), 1595 - San José de Oruña (Saint Joseph, Trinidad and Tobago) - Raleigh returns to Trinidad and Tobago, via Topiawari's village
June(?) 6(?), 1595 - Margarita Island, NE of Venezuela - Land on Margarita Island and plunders for supplies
June(?) 8(?), 1595 - Cumaná, NE of Venezuela - Raleigh leaves de Berrío ashore after he is unable to get a ransom
June(?) 20(?), 1595 - Riohacha, Colombia - Raleigh descends upon Riohacha, which he sacks and plunders
July 13, 1595 - Cape San Antonio, western tip of Cuba - Raleigh meets up with Preston and Somers and is told of their remarkable exploits in capturing Caracas, La Guaira and Coro. Contrary winds force them to abandon the idea of seeking the colony of Roanoke
July 14(?), 1595 - Cape San Antonio, western tip of Cuba(?) - The english captains abandon the idea of sailing to the Colony of Roanoke due to contrary winds and decide to return to England
August 30(?), 1595 - England - Raleigh, Preston and Somers arrive in England
October 9, 1595 - Durham House, London - Dinner with John Dee
March 15, 1596 - London - "Discovery of Guyana" is published
May 3, 1596 - Gravesend - Complains about how hard it was to get hold of men to serve her Majesty
May 26, 1596 - Plymouth - Arrives in Plymouth
June 13, 1596 - Plymouth - A powerful fleet of 150 english and dutch ships, with 7360 soldiers and 6772 sailors under the command of Admiral Charles Howard (of Effingham) sails from Plymouth. Other commanders were the Earl of Essex, Lord Thomas Howard, Sir Walter Raleigh, the Earl of Cumberland and Sir Francis Vere. Another 20 dutch ships with 2,000 men on board joins the force under the command of Admiral Jacob van Duvenvoorde. Raleigh commands the "Warspite"
June 29, 1596 - Off Lagos, Portugal - The anglo-dutch fleet is spotted off Lagos, southern Portugal. Spanish messengers set out to warn Cadiz
June 30, 1596 - Cadiz, Spain - The powerful english fleet arrives at Cadiz. Raleigh and Essex begin a seafight with 4 spanish heavy galleons - 4 of the 12 "Apostles" - The "San Felipe", "San Barnabé", "San Mateo" and "San Tomas", the first two of them had boarded the "Revenge" in 1591
July 2, 1596 - Cadiz - After 32 ships are sunk, the english take the city and plunder it
July 7, 1596 - Cadiz - Letter to Lord Burghley, expressing his hope that the Queen would "Take my labors and endeavors in good part"
July 14, 1596 - Cadiz - The powerful english fleet departs from Cadiz
July 25, 1596 - Faro, Portugal - On its return trip to England, the fleet disembarks at Faro, Portugal, and burns it
August 8, 1596 - Plymouth - Raleigh, Howard of Effingham and Thomas Howard return to England
April 18, 1597 - Essex House, London - Raleigh, the Earl of Essex and Lord Burghley dine together at Essex House
June 1, 1597 - Chatham - Essex and Walter Raleigh go to Chatham, where Lord Burghley presents Raleigh to the Queen, who receives him very graciously again and gives him full authority to execute his place as Captain of the Guard. Raleigh was back in Court after 5 years
June 15(?), 1597 - Plymouth(?) - Essex, Sir Thomas Howard and Walter Raleigh depart to destroy the spanish fleet at Ferrol, occupy the Azores and intercept the spanish treasure fleet from the Americas. The Dutch are commanded by Duivenvoorde
June 20(?), 1597 - Sandwich - The fleet sails to Weymouth to take more troops aboard
July 10, 1597 - Weymouth - Essex, Sir Thomas Howard and Walter Raleigh set sail to destroy the spanish fleet at Ferrol, to occupy the Azores and to intercept the spanish treasure fleet from the Americas. The Dutch are commanded by Jacob van Duvenvoorde. They encounter heavy winds that make the squadrons break away from one another. Raleigh presses on to Finisterre
July 14, 1597 - Finisterre (France, Galicia?) - A gale almost sinks Raleigh's ships
July 18, 1597 - Plymouth - Raleigh is forced to sail fast to Plymouth with his ships damaged by the weather
August 17, 1597 - Plymouth - All the squadrons set sail together for Ferrol
August 23, 1597 - Off Cape Ortegal, near Corunna, NW Spain - The fleet is caught by another storm and is badly mauled. With the wind making an attack on Ferrol impossible, the separated squadrons decide to converge on the Azores to intercept the Plate Fleet
September 15, 1597 - Off Flores Island, Azores - Raleigh arrives off Flores Island and rejoins the Earl of Essex (who had arrived 10 days earlier)
September 16(?), 1597 - Off Flores Island, Azores - A council of war is assembled. It is decided that the fleet should spread out and cover the central group of the Azores by squadrons: Mountjoy and Blount to the east, off St.Michael Island, Thomas Howard and Vere watching the powerfully fortified island of Terceira in the North, Raleigh and Essex cruising off fortified Fayal on the west, with the dutch south of Fayal
September 28, 1597 - Horta Bay, Faial Island, Azores - Raleigh anchors at Horta Bay, waiting for Essex
October 1, 1597 - Horta Bay, Faial Island - After waiting for 4 days, running low on water and supplies, Raleigh's forces disembark near Horta to take on fresh water. They are received by gunfire from the entrenched residents, who sink two English ships. Nevertheless, 260 men disembark and advance over Horta after defeating the opposition. Although Raleigh gives orders to his soldiers that there should be no looting, it isn't possible to control them, which leas to acts of vandalism, indiscriminate theft of houses and the desecration of churches. Four of them are burnt to the ground after all valuables are stolen
October 4, 1597 - Horta Bay, Faial Island - The Earl of Essex arrives at Horta Bay and begins landing troops. He strongly criticizes Walter Raleigh's initiative of not waiting for his ships as agreed, accusing him of indiscipline, disobedience and excessive ambition for his personal glory, which causes major disruptions to the command line and makes the first objectives of the expedition unfeasable
October 5, 1597 - Horta Bay, Faial Island - With Faial in ashes, it could no longer be the permanent base that the english were looking for and they sail for Graciosa Island
October 17, 1597 - Off Faial Island, Azores - While cruising off Faial Island, Raleigh catches sight of an old Portuguese ship accompanied by a caravel. He tries to intercept it but the Portuguese manage to run it aground and save themselves, setting it on fire. Raleigh captures the caravel, but because it is also so old, he sets it on fire, setting sail for St.Michael Island to rejoin Essex and Thomas Howard
November(?) 1(?), 1597 - Plymouth(?) - Returns to England
January(?) 1(?), 1598 - Sherborne, Dorsetshire - Recess at Sherborne
February 9, 1598 - Westminster, London - Parliament session
July 1(?), 1600 - Ostende, Flanders - Accompanies Lord Cobham to Flanders
September 1(?), 1600 - Weymouth - Raleigh is made Governor of Jersey
October 1(?), 1600 - Jersey - Arrives in Jersey
July 14, 1601 - Raleigh finds that he had once again not been made a Privy Councillor, despite Essex's removal
September 7, 1601 - Crosby House, London - Letter to Sir Robert Cecil
Raleigh and his son, 1602
January(?) 1(?), 1602 - Raleigh sends two ships and a pinnace under Captain Samuel Mace to renew trade with North America
July 8(?), 1602 - Weymouth - Raleigh meets captains Bartholomew Gosnold, Bartholomew
Gilbert and John Brereton, at their arrival from an expedition to New England
May 31, 1603 - Durham House, London - Raleigh is given notice to leave Durham House
July 19, 1603 - Tower of London - Raleigh is charged with treason for his involvement in the Main Plot agains James I, and imprisoned in the Tower of London
September 20, 1604 - Tower of London - Raleigh has a stroke or paralysis. A doctor visits him and diagnoses "palsy"
March 1(?), 1606 - While in the Tower of London - A doctor recommends that Raleigh be moved to a "little room which he hath built in the garden adjoining to his still house (Laboratory)"
March 19, 1616 - Tower of London - Raleigh is "enlarged out of the Tower, and to go his journey to Guiana, but remains unpardoned until his return"
March 27, 1616 - Woolwich - Phineas Pett receives 500 pounds from Sir Walter Raleigh to build a 500-tons ship
December 1(?), 1616 - Woolwich - The "Destiny", Raleigh's new ship, is finished and launched
March 19, 1617 - Leigh-on-Sea, Essex - Letter from Leigh-on-Sea, while he was sorting out supplies and trying to get the "Thunder" away to join the rest of his fleet, waiting at the Isle of Wight
June 12, 1617 - Plymouth - Raleigh departs with 7 ships and 3 pinnaces for his second voyage to "Guyana"
June 25, 1617 - South of Ireland - Raleigh runs into storms south of Ireland and looses a pinnace, before seeking a safe harbour
August 19, 1617 - Cork, Ireland - Raleigh finally sets sail from Ireland
September 6, 1617 - Lanzerote, Canary Islands - Raleigh reaches the Canary Islands
September 10(?), 1617 - La Gomera, Canary Islands - Sails to La Gomera, where they are offered "oranges, lemons, quinces and pomegranates" from a countess of "an english race"
September 21, 1617 - La Gomera - Raleigh sails from La Gomera
September 24, 1617 - On the way to Cape Verde - On September 24th, 50 men were ill
September 26, 1617 - On the way to Cape Verde - Two days later, the number of sick men was 60
September 29, 1617 - Off Brava Island, Cape Verde - The surgeon, the sail-maker and one of the quartermasters die. On the same night, another pinnace sinks with all men asleep
November 1, 1617 - Atlantic Ocean (10 days from Venezuela) - Raleigh falls ill and is confined to bed
November 11, 1617 - Oyapok River, Brazil-French Guiana border - Raleigh reaches the mouth of the Oyapok River, after a difficult voyage in continuous rain and storms
November 14, 1617 - Mouth of Cayenne River, Cayenne, French Guiana - Letter to Bess Throckmorton: "To tell you that I might be here King of the Indians were a vanity: but my name hath still lived among them. Here they feed me with fresh meat, and all that the country yields; all offer to obey me." He also tells writes her with "a weak hand, for I have suffered the most violent calenture, for fifteen days, that ever man did, and lived: but God that gave me a strong heart in all my adversities, hath also now strengthened it in the hell-fire of heat."
December 10, 1617 - Mouth of Orinoco River - Raleigh sends Lawrence Kemys with 400 men (including his son Wat) up the Orinoco River in five small draft boats with supplies for a month
December 17, 1617 - Point Icacos, SW tip of Trinidad - Diary: "we came to anchor at Puncto Gallo, where we stayed, taking water, fish, and some Armadillos, refreshing our men with palmetto, Guiavas, piniorellas, and other fruit of the country, till the last of December. In sailing by the south coast of Trinidad I saw in one day, to wit, the 16th of December, 15 rainbows and 2 wind gales, and one of the rainbows brought both ends together at the stern of the ship, making a perfect circle, which I never saw before, nor any man in my ship had seen the like"
December 31, 1617 - Point Icacos - Raleigh weighs anchor and sails to Port of Spain
January 1(?), 1618 - While sailing to Port of Spain - Lawrence Kemys leads an attack on the Spanish outpost of San Thome de Guayana on the Orinoco River, against Raleigh's orders, and in violation of peace treaties signed by the King, James I, with Spain. Raleigh's son Wat was killed during the attack. A condition of Raleigh's release from the Tower of London in 1616 to undertake his mission to Guiana in search of gold deposits and the legendary city of El Dorado had been that he not attack or harass Spanish colonies or shipping. As Raleigh had been under a suspended death sentence for treason since 1603, the fact that men under his command had violated this order meant that James I would have had little option but to enforce this earlier sentence.
January 19, 1618 - Off Port of Spain, Trinidad - Diary: "we sent up Sir J. Feme’s ship to the Spanish port, to try if they would trade for tobacco and other things; but when her boat was near the shore, while they on the land were in parley with Captain Giles, who had charge of the boat, the Spaniards gave them a volley of some 20 muskets at 40 paces distant, and yet hurt never a man. As our boat put off, they called our men thieves and traitors, with all manner of opprobrious speeches"
January 31, 1618 - Mouth of Orinoco River, Venezuela - Returns to the Mouth of Orinoco River to meet the return party
March 2, 1618 - Mouth of Orinoco River - Kemys rejoins Raleigh, who is informed of the incident at San Thome and his son's death
March 25(?), 1618 - Mouth of Orinoco River - The remaining ships desert Raleigh and he decides to take the "Destiny" back to England
June 21, 1618 - Plymouth, England - The "Destiny" arrives at Plymouth
July 20(?), 1618 - Ashburton, Devon - Lewis Stuckley finds Raleigh at Ashburton with orders to arrest him and take him to London
July 25, 1618 - Plymouth - Passing by Plymouth on the way to London
July 27, 1618 - Salisbury, England - Stuckley and Raleigh reach Salisbury
August 1, 1618 - Salisbury - Stuckley and Raleigh continue to London
August 7, 1618 - London - Stuckley and Raleigh arrive in London
August 9, 1618 - River Thames, London - Raleigh attempts to escape but is arrested again at Greenwich and sent to the Tower of London
October 29, 1618 - Old Palace Yard, Palace of Westminster - Sir Walter Raleigh is beheaded in the Old Palace Yard at the Palace of Westminster, aged 65 =(END)

March 15, 2021 - Work in progress. Due to unavoidable work commitments, I will finish this small Elizabethan project" in the next few days, together with the timeline of Martin Frobisher

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