William Adams | Timeline

William Adams (24 September 1564 – 16 May 1620), known in Japanese as Miura Anjin (三浦按針: "the pilot of Miura"), was an English navigator who, in 1600, was the first of his nation to reach Japan during a five-ship expedition for the Dutch East India Company. Of the few survivors of the only ship that reached Japan, Adams and his second mate Jan Joosten were not allowed to leave the country while Jacob Quaeckernaeck and Melchior van Santvoort were to go back to the Dutch Republic to invite them to trade. Adams and Joosten settled in Japan and became two of the first ever (and very few) Western samurai. (Intro from Wikipedia)

September 24, 1564 - Gillingham, Kent - William Adams is born

January(?) 1(?), 1576 - Limehouse - 12-year-old William Adams becomes apprentice to shipyard owner Nicholas Diggins

February 21, 1588 - Plymouth - Adams serves under Sir Francis Drake in preparation to face the spanish armada, as master of the resupply ship "Richarde Dyffylde" =(START)

July 21, 1588 - Eddystone Rocks, off Plymouth - Drake's squadron engages the spanish in combat

July 23, 1588 - Off Portland (Weymouth) - Another battle between the english and the spanish

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

June 27, 1598 - Goeree, Netherlands - Jacques Mahu departs to the Pacific with 5 ships, intended to find a trade route to the Spice Islands and to incite the local population rise against the spanish. Simon de Cordes as vice-admiral and englishman William Adams as pilot-major. The ships are: the "Hoop" (500-tons, Jacques Mahu), "Liefde" (300-tons, Simon de Cordes), "Geloof" (320-tons, Gerrit van Beuningen), "Trouwe" (220-tons, Jurriaan van Boekhout) and "Blijde Boodschap"(150-tons, Sebald de Weert) =(changeflag)
July 15, 1598 - The Downs - Mahu continues voyage after being forced to anchor at the Downs due to contrary winds
August 10, 1598 - Cape St.Vincent, SW Tip of Portugal - At Cape St.Vincent, spanish ships are sighted
August 19, 1598 - Coast of Morocco - After heading south, the coast of Morocco is sighted

The 5 ships at Brava Island, 1598

August 31, 1598 - Santiago Island, Cape Verde - Arrival at Cape Verde
September 1, 1598 - Maio Island, Cape Verde - Mahu anchors at Maio Island
September 3, 1598 - Praia, Santiago Island - Mahu lands soldiers to attack the portuguese Fort
September 11, 1598 - Brava Island, Cape Verde - Lured by a sail behind Fogo Island, Mahu arrives at Brava Island
September 15, 1598 - Brava Island - Many crewmembers of the "Hoop" catch fever at the Island, including Admiral Jacques Mahu
September 23, 1598 - Brava Island(?) - Admiral Jacques Mahu dies of the fever. Simon de Cordes takes command. Sebald de Weert takes command of the "Geloof", Dirck Gerritszoon Pomp takes command of the "Blijde Boodschap"
September 29, 1598 - Brava Island(?) - Simon de Cordes sets sail for the next planned stop: Annobon Islands
November 3, 1598 - Coast of Congo - Arrival to the Coast of Congo, looking for the Annobon Islands, with much scurvy aboard
November 9, 1598 - Coast of (Equatorial) Guinea - Simon de Cordes arrives to the Coast of (Equatorial) Guinea
December 8, 1598 - Cape Lopo Gonçalves (Cape Lopez, Gabon) - Prolonged stay to take care of Simon de Cordes, who was taken ill, and the crew's scurvy
December 16, 1598 - Annobon Islands - The five ships anchor at Annobon
January 2, 1599 - Annobon Islands - Being too late to cross the Cape of Good Hope that time of the year, De Cordes departs to the Strait of Magellan, after skirmishes with portuguese soldiers

The 5 ships at Annobon, 1598-99

January 22, 1599 - Off Ascension Island, South Atlantic - Ascension Island is sighted on the way to the Strait of Magellan
January 31, 1599 - Off Abrolhos Archipelago, S. Coast of Bahia, Brazil - De Cordes sails past the Abrolhos Archipelago
March 10, 1599 - Off River Plate - Sailing to the Strait of Magellan
April 3, 1599 - Puerto de San Julián (Port St.Julian), Santa Cruz, Argentina - De Cordes anchors at Puerto de San Julián, Santa Cruz
April 6, 1599 - Entrance of the Strait of Magellan - Arrival to the Strait of Magellan, supplying themselves with up to 1,400 penguins
April 8, 1599 - Strait of Magellan - De Cordes sails past the second strait inside Magellan Strait
May 7, 1599 - Isla Carlos III (Green Bay) - The dutch are attacked by extremely tall indians. Both the dutch and the indians take a few casualties
August 23, 1599 - Strait of Magellan - De Cordes leaves his patagonian anchorage towards the Pacific with his 5 ships. As they approach the high seas of the Pacific, the fleet is scattered in the mist
September 3, 1599 - Strait of Magellan Mouth, Pacific Ocean - De Cordes reaches the Pacific Ocean
September 7, 1599 - Pacific Ocean - The fleet runs into more trouble as it is caught in a torrential storm - De Cordes sails to the agreed rendezvous of Santa Maria Island with the "Hoop" and the "Liefde". The "Geloof", the "Trouwe" and "Blijde Boodschap" loose contact with the other 2 ships
November 4, 1599 - Santa Maria Island, Chile - The "Hoop" and the "Liefde" anchor at Santa Maria Island
November 6, 1599 - Chonos Archipelago, Chile - Chonos Archipelago, Chile - De Cordes reaches the Chonos Archipelago with the "Hoop" and the "Liefde"
November 7, 1599 - Lavapié Point, Chonos Archipelago - Simon de Cordes goes ashore and is killed by natives along with other 22 crewmen. Adams changes ship to the "Liefde" with her new captain, Jacob Quaeckernaeck
November 27, 1599 - Coast of Chile - After the death of Vice-Admiral Simon de Cordes, The "Hoop" and the "Liefde" steer to the Central Pacific Ocean
April 19, 1600 - Usuki, Bungo Channel, Japan - The "Liefde" arrives in Japan with 24 survivors aboard

Tokugawa Ieyasu

May 12, 1600 - Osaka - Adams, the healthiest survivor, is taken to Tokugawa
January(?) 1(?), 1604 - Ito, Japan - Adams builds a 80-tons ship for Tokugawa
January(?) 1(?), 1605 - Ito - Adams builds a 120-tons ship for Tokugawa
January(?) 1(?), 1608 - Edo(?) - Adams contacts the Governor of the Philippines and manages to get commercial contracts
July 5, 1609 - Hirado Island, NW Nagasaki - Receives letter from Van Sandvoort, who had anchored off Hirado on July 1st
August 16, 1609 - Shizuoka - Adams and Van Sandvoort go visiting Tokugawa together
August 24, 1609 - Shizuoka(?) - Adams helps Jacques Specx obtaining extensive traiding rights from the Shogun
September 19, 1609 - Hirado Island, NW Nagasaki - The Daimyo visits Hirado, and Adams meets him with Jacques Specx
August 22, 1611 - Hirado Island - Letter "to my unknown friends and countrymen"
January(?) 1(?), 1613 - Edo - Adams has resale rights to products on Spanish ships
September 1(?), 1613 - Shizuoka - Adams takes Captain Saris to visit Tokugawa
October 1(?), 1613 - Edo - Adams and Saris visit Hidetada, the new Shogun, who offers samurai armor to King Charles I
October 9, 1613 - Hirado - The english return to Hirado
November 24, 1613 - Hirado - Denied his departure to England, Adams accepts a job at the english factory (trading post) =(originalflag)
December 1, 1613 - Hirado - Letter to the East India Company
November 28, 1614 - Hirado - Adams departs intending to go to Siam
December 27, 1614 - Okinawa - In hurricane season, Adams has to stop in Okinawa for repairs
May 1, 1615 - Okinawa - Adams departs to Hirado
June 1, 1615 - Hirado - Returns to Hirado
December 6, 1615 - Hirado - Adams departs again with intention of going to Siam
January 10, 1616 - Chao Phraya river, Siam (Thailand) - Adams sails into the Chao Phraya River and continues to Bangkok
June 5, 1616 - Siam (Thailand) - Adams departs to Japan
July 22, 1616 - Kawachi (today part of Kumamoto) - Adams returns to Japan from Siam
July 24, 1616 - Hirado - Adams goes to Hirado to deliver siamese gifts to the Shogun
January 1, 1617 - Hirado - Adams departs to Nagasaki
March 19, 1617 - Kawachi (today part of Kumamoto) - Adams departs to Conchinchina (Southern third of Vietnam)
April 20, 1617 - Quangnam River (Da Nang, vietnam) - Adams sails up the river to the city
July 1, 1617 - Quangnam River (Da Nang, vietnam) - Adams begins his journey back
August 2, 1617 - Goto Islands, SW Japan - Adams reaches the Goto Islands
August 9, 1617 - Hirado - Adams returns to Hirado
March 11, 1618 - Fukuda, Nagasaki - Adams departs for a last time to Conchinchina and Tonkin (north of Vietnam)
April(?) 10(?), 1618 - Ryukyu Islands - In the midst of a storm, it becomes impossible to repair the junks and Adams decides to return
May 1, 1618 - Hirado - Adams returns to Hirado, prevented by bad weather from reaching Conchinchina
May 16, 1620 - Hirado, Kyushu, Japan - William Adams dies, aged 55 =(END)

Bibliography
KERR, Robert - "A general history and collection of voyages and travels, arranged in systematic order: forming a complete history of the origin and progress of navigation, discovery, and commerce, by sea and land, from the earliest ages to the present time.
MONTEIRO, Saturnino - "Batalhas e Combates da Marinha Portuguesa, vol.4"