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Around 1554 Walter Raleigh was born in Devon.
Around 1564 Walter Raleigh (age 10) spent his childhood at Hayes Barton East Budleigh Budleigh Salterton, Devon.
In 1572 Walter Raleigh (age 18) educated at Oriel College, Oxford University.
In 1575 Walter Raleigh (age 21) educated at Middle Temple.
In November 1580 Edward Denny (age 33) led a company at Smerwick, County Kerry during the Siege of Smerwick. Walter Raleigh (age 26) was present at Smerwick. Arthur Grey 14th Baron Grey of Wilton (age 44) laid siege to the Smerwick garrison at Smerwick, County Kerry during the Siege of Smerwick.
The Papal commander parleyed and was bribed, and the defenders surrendered within a few days. The officers were spared, but the other ranks were then summarily executed on the orders of the English commander, Arthur Grey 14th Baron Grey of Wilton.
In 1585 Unknown Painter. Portrait of Walter Raleigh (age 31).
In 1588 Unknown Painter. Portrait of Walter Raleigh (age 34).
In 1591 Walter Raleigh (age 37) and Elizabeth Throckmorton (age 25) were married in secret she probably being pregnant with their first child. When Queen Eizabeth (age 57) found out they had married without permission she placed them underhouse arrest then sent them to Tower of London [Map].
In 1591 Nicholas Hilliard (age 44) painted a portrait of Walter Raleigh (age 37).
In 1592 Thomas Smythe (age 34) obtained settlement rights to the Virginia colony from Walter Raleigh (age 38).
In August 1592 Walter Raleigh (age 38) was released from the Tower of London [Map].
On 13th June 1596 Robert Devereux 2nd Earl Essex (age 30) departed from Plymouth, Devon [Map] with a fleet of 150 English and Dutch ships divided into four squads with 6,360 private soldiers, 1,000 English volunteers, and 6,772 sailors.
Charles Howard 1st Earl Nottingham (age 60) was admiral in command. Robert Devereux 2nd Earl Essex commanded the land forces. Edward Conway 1st Viscount Conway (age 32) commanded a foot Regiment.
Thomas Howard 1st Earl Suffolk (age 34), Walter Raleigh (age 42), Francis de Vere (age 35) each commanded a squadron.
Anthony Ashley 1st Baronet (age 35) represented Queen Elizabeth (age 62).
Toby Caulfeild 1st Baron Caulfeild (age 30) was present.
In 1598 William Segar (age 44). Portrait of Walter Raleigh (age 44).
Brief Lives: Charles Danvers 1568 1601. [711]Sir Charles Danvers (age 33) was beheaded on Tower-hill [Map] with Robert, earle of Essex (age 35), February the 6th, 1600[712]. I find in the register of the Tower chapell [Map] only the sepulture of Robert, earl of Essex, that yeare; wherfore I am induced to beleeve that his body was carryed to Dantesey[CX] in Wilts to lye with his ancestors. Vide Stowe's Chronicle, where is a full account of his and the earle's deportment at their death on the scaffold.
With all their faylings, Wilts cannot shew two such[713] brothers.
His familiar acquaintance were...[714], earl of Oxon (age 50); Sir Francis (age 40) and Sir Horace Vere (age 36); Sir Walter Ralegh (age 47), etc.-the heroes of those times.
Quaere my lady viscountesse Purbec and also the lord Norris for an account of the behaviour and advice of Sir Charles Danvers in the businesse of the earl of Essex, which advice had the earle followed he had saved his life.
[715]Of Sir Charles Danvers, from my lady viscountesse Purbec:-Sir Charles Danvers advised the earle of Essex, either to treat with the queen-hostages..., whom Sir Ferdinando Gorges (age 36) did let goe; or to make his way through the gate at Essex house, and then to hast away to Highgate, and so to Northumberland (the earl of Northumberland maried his mother's (age 51) sister), and from thence to the king of Scots, and there they might make their peace; if not, the queen was old and could not live long. But the earle followed not his advice, and so they both lost their heads on Tower-hill.
Note.
Note 711. MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 25v.
Note 712. i.e. 1600/1.
Note 713. Dupl. with 'shew the like two brothers,' scil. as Sir Charles Danvers and his brother Henry, earl of Danby.
Note 714. Edward Vere, seventeenth earl of Oxford.
[CX] In MS. Aubr. 3, fol. 46, Aubrey writes, in reference to burials at Dantesey, 'quaere, if Sir Charles Danvers that was beheaded?-He was buryed in the Tower chapell.' Aubrey's description of the burial-place of the Danvers family (MS. Aubr. 3, fol. 46), with the inscriptions, is printed in J. E. Jackson's Aubrey's Wiltshire Collections, pp. 223-225; the pedigree of Danvers is there given at p. 216.
Calendar of the Carew Manuscripts. The 19th of February [1601] the Earl [of Essex] was arraigned (together with Southampton) in Westminster Hall before 25 peers, the Lord Treasurer (age 66) [Buckhurst] sitting as Lord Steward. At the bar the Earl laboured to extenuate his ftiult, by denying that ever he meant any harm to her Majesty's person, and by pretending that he took arms principally to save himself from my Lord Cobham (age 37) and Sir Walter Ralegh (age 48), who (he gave out) should have murdered him in his house on Saturday night. He pretended also an intention he had to have removed me with some others from the Queen, as one who would sell the kingdom of England to the Infant of Spain, with such other hyperbolical inventions. But before he went out of the Hall, when he saw himself condemned, and found that Sir John Davys (age 40), Sir Ferdinando Gorges (age 37), Sir Charles Davers, and Sir Christopher Blunt had confessed all the conferences that were held at Drury House, by his directions, for the surprising of the Queen and the Tower, which argued a premeditated treason (which he laboured to have had it prove only a sudden putting himself into strength, and flying into the city for fear of being committed over night when the Lords sent for him, which upon my faith to you, to whom I will not lie, was only to have reproved him for his unlawful assemblies, and to have wislied him to leave the city and retire into the country), he then break out to divers gentlemen in these words, that his confederates wlio now had accused him had been principal inciters of him, and not he of them, even ever since August last, to work his access to the Queen with force.
On 19th July 1603 Walter Raleigh (age 49) arrested for his part in the Main and Bye Plots.
On 17th November 1603 Walter Raleigh (age 49) was tried by Henry Montagu 1st Earl Manchester (age 40) at Great Hall, Winchester Castle.
In 1605 [his son] Carew Raleigh was born to Walter Raleigh (age 51) and [his wife] Elizabeth Throckmorton (age 39) in the Tower of London [Map].
Diary of Anne Clifford. 18th May 1616. Upon the 18th being Saturday in the morning my Lord (age 27) and I having much talk about these businesses, we agreed that Mr Marsh should go presently down to my Mother and that by him I should write a letter to persuade her to give over her jointure presently to my Lord and that he would give her yearly as much as it was worth.
This day my Lord went from Knole to London.1
Note 1. N.B—my Lord was at London when my mother died but he went to Lewes before he heard of her death.
Upon the 20th went my Child to W. Horsley with Mary Neville and Mr Bathurst from London. Mary Hicken was with her, for still she lain in bed with Lady Margaret.
Upon the 24th being Friday between the hours of 6 and 9 at night died my dear Mother at Broome [Map] in the same chamber where my Father was born, 13 years and 2 months after the death of Queen Elizabeth and 10 years and 7 months after the death of my Father, I being 26 years old and 5 months and the Child 2 years old wanting a month.
At this great meeting at Lewes my Lord Compton (Note: afterwards 1st Earl of Northampton), my Lord Merdaunt (Note: married Lord Compton's sister), Tom Neville, John Herbert and all that Crew with Wat. Raleigh (age 62), Jack Laurie, and a multitude of such company were there.
There was much Bull Baiting, Bowling, Cards and Dice, with suchlike sports to entertain the time.
Letters of John Chamberlain Volume 2 252. 252. To Sir Dudley Carleton (age 43). [S. P. Dom., Jac. I, lxxxix, 21.] London, November 14, 1616.
My very goode Lord: Beeing last night at Master Secretaries (age 53) I understoode that Dieston was to be dispatcht this day towards you, who must not come empty though I wrote so lately. There supped divers of your goode frends, Sir Walter Raleigh (age 62), Sir Henry Savile, Sir Maurice Barklay, Sir ... Seymor, Sir Harry Nevill, Sir Robert Killegree with I know not how many Ladies and gentlewomen of that race and alliance. The absence of the court geves Master Secretarie leave and leysure to entertain his frends as Sir Henry Savile was there likewise the night before: the King went to Tiballs on Monday and so towards Roiston and Newmarket. The Quene continues at Somerset House till his return. The Lord Cooke (age 64) is now quite of the hookes, and order geven to send him a supersedeas from executing his place. The common speach is that fowre Ps have overthrown and put him down, that is Pride, Prohibitions, Premunire, and Prerogative. Sir Henry Montague is generally nominated to the place, by reason that the citie is written unto to choose Sir Harry Yelverton (age 50) for theyre Recorder which is terminus diminutinus [diminutive term] to his office of sollicitor, but yet must be accepted to serve turns. Yet perhaps yt may be that yf yt come to light in time that the late Recorder (age 53)1 hath maried his maide1 (as is bruited) and geven her such earnest as cannot be long concealed, yt may hinder his preferment.
Note 1. Henry Montagu, future Earl of Mancheser, married three times. His second wife Anne Wincot died in November 1614 so at the time of the letter he was a widower. He next married in 1620 to Margaret Crouch Countess Manchester (age 11).
In 1617 Walter Raleigh (age 63) was pardoned and granted permission to conduct a second expedition to Venezuela in search of El Dorado. During the expedition, a detachment of Raleigh's men under the command of his long-time friend Lawrence Kemys attacked the Spanish outpost of Santo Tomé de Guayana on the Orinoco river, in violation of peace treaties with Spain and against Raleigh's orders. A condition of Raleigh's pardon was avoidance of any hostility against Spanish colonies or shipping. In the initial attack on the settlement, Raleigh's son, Walter, was fatally shot. Kemys informed Raleigh of his son's death and begged for forgiveness, but did not receive it, and at once committed suicide. On Raleigh's return to England, an outraged Count Gondomar, the Spanish ambassador, demanded that Raleigh's death sentence be reinstated by King James, who had little choice but to do so. Raleigh was brought to London from Plymouth by Sir Lewis Stukley, where he passed up numerous opportunities to make an effective escape.
Letters of the Court of James I 1618. [13th August 1618]. Sir Walter Raleigh (age 64) went to the Tower on Monday, having attempted the night before to make an escape and get over sea. But he was presently bewrayed, or, in a sort, betrayed, by Sir Lewis Stukeley, who had the charge of him, and brought him back by certain boats, that waited for him at Woolwich. Sir Lewis did nourish him in the humour, with promise to assist and accompany him; but it was a foul pas de clerc for an old cozener to be so cozened and overtaken.
Note 1. His mind, as we have said, was a little disordered, so that it was easy for such a consummate rascal as Stukeley to deceive. From the expression "old cozener," the feeling of the courtiers towards this distinguished man is sufficiently indicated. The fact is, Raleigh was a living reproach to the effeminate coxcombs who clustered round their effeminate king, and they readily shared in his prejudices against the favourite of his predecessor.
Letters of the Court of James I 1618. [20th August 1618]. It is generally thought, that Sir Walter Raleigh (age 64) shall pay this new reckoning upon the old score1; the rather for that it is believed, the pitiful plight he is in with boyls and botches was done by art; as likewise a counterfeiting awhile to be distracted, if all be true that is reported from good hands but yet he hath made a long apology for himself; and his friends excuse him all they may; wherein, though the world be not satisfied, yet Sir Lewis Stukeley is generally decried.
Note 1. This means that he was to be condemned for the crime for which he had suffered his previous long imprisonment and confiscation. He had gained his liberty, with the king's consent, obtained by means of a heavy bribe.
Letters of the Court of James I 1618. [5th October 1618]. If you have not yet seen Sir Walter Raleigh's (age 64) Apology, if you please to send me word, I will procure you a copy.
Letters of the Court of James I 1618. 5th October 1618. London. Reverend Thomas Lorkin to Thomas Puckering 1st Baronet (age 26).
This day, news arrived of my Lord de la War's death, in his voyage to Virginia. This day was fatal to my Lord Clifton (age 48), who, at his lodgings in Holborn, stabbed and murdered himself. The last week, the French agent [Le Clerc] was interdicted the court, for being appeached by a companion of his, already in prison for the same crime, to have projected and offered means of Sir Walter Raleigh's (age 64) escape; and, though he protested against it, and sought to justify himself by writing, yet served it not his turn; for in the same terms he remains still, and hath (as I hear) written the news thereof to the king his master, petitioning either for a revocation or a reintegration, by his means, into his former condition.
Letters of the Court of James I 1618. [20th October 1618]. Upon Friday next, Sir Thomas Lake (age 51) is like to come to hearing; and the common voice hath already given a very heavy sentence against him. I have herewith sent you a copy of Sir Walter Raleigh's (age 64) Apology, which you may please to peruse at your own commodity, and afterwards return it hither to me, because it is another man's, and I shall at better leisure write out a fair one for you.
On 29th October 1618 Walter Raleigh (age 64) was beheaded at Old Palace Yard, Westminster Palace. He was buried in St Margaret's Church, Westminster [Map].
There are numerous quotes attributed to Raleigh at his execution although none quote an original source. Many quote his last words as being "What dost thou fear? Strike, man, strike!"
Raleigh's head was embalmed and presented to his wife [[his wife] Elizabeth Throckmorton (age 53)]. His body was to be buried in the local church in Beddington, Surrey, the home of Lady Raleigh, but was finally laid to rest in St Margaret's Church, Westminster [Map], where his tomb is located.
Letters of the Court of James I 1618. 31st October 1618. London. John Chamberlain (age 65), Esq., to Sir Dudley Carleton (age 45).
I remember, that in my last letter, I said that Sir Walter Raleigh (age 64) was not secure. But now he is past all peradventure; for, upon Thursday morning [29th October 1618], he was be-headed, in the old Palace at Westminster, 'twixt the Parliament House and the church. On Wednesday, he was brought from the Tower to the King's Bench bar, as they say, the manner is when a man lives above a year and a day after he is condemned; and there demanded what he could say for himself, why the sentence pronounced against him at Winchester should not be put in execution. The sum of his answer was, that the king had employed him in his service, and given him a commission, wherein he styled him "his loyal subject;" and withal given him potestatem vitæ et mortis; which did amount to a pardon. For in all reason he must be master of his own life, that hath power over other men's. The judges replied, that there is no pardon for treason by implication. Wherefore, he must find a better plea, or undergo the sentence. Thus he spoke of his trial at Winchester, and avowed that all, or the far greater part of those that were present, did acquit him in their consciences; and that the king's gracious forbearing him so long, and, but for this late accident, longer would have done, even to a hundred years, if nature could have drawn out his life so long, did show that his majesty approved his innocence. But, in conclusion, he was willed to prepare himself, and so was delivered to the sheriffs of London, and conveyed to the Gatehouse, where he spent the rest of that day in writing letters to the king, and others, and in prayer with the Dean of Westminster, who came the next morning at five o'clock, and ministered to him the communion; and, when he had broken his fast, about eight o'clock, came to the scaffold, where he found the Earls of Arundel, Oxford, Northampton, the Lord of Doncaster, and divers others. He made a speech of more than half an hour, wherein he cleared himself of having any intelligence with France, which had been objected to him, more than to save his life, and hide himself from the king's indignation. Then, that he never said any ill intent words towards his majesty, not so much as in thought. That he had no other pretence, nor end in his last voyage, than the enriching of the king, the realm, himself, and his followers. That he never had any undutiful speech concerning his majesty with the runagate French physician, nor ever offered to Sir Lewis Stukely £ 10,000 to go with him into France, nor told him that the Lord Arran had given him advice to be gone; and that he and the Lord of Doncaster would maintain him in France, of which points he had been accused by them. And, though he protested not only to forgive them, but to pray God to forgive them, yet he thought fit to give men warning of such persons. To all this, and much more, he took God, so often, and so solemnly to witness, that he was believed of all that heard him.
Around 1647 [his former wife] Elizabeth Throckmorton (age 81) died.
John Evelyn's Diary. 17th August 1653. I went to visit Mr. Hyldiard, at his house at Horsley (formerly the great Sir Walter Raleigh's, where met me Mr. Oughtred, the famous mathematician; he showed me a box, or golden case, of divers rich and aromatic balsams, which a chemist, a scholar of his, had sent him out of Germany.
John Evelyn's Diary. 10th August 1658. I dined at [his son] Mr. Carew Raleigh's (age 53), at Horsley, son to the famous Sir Walter.
John Evelyn's Diary. 20th September 1662. I presented a petition to his Majesty (age 32) about my own concerns, and afterward accompanied him to Monsieur Febure his chemist (and who had formerly been my master in Paris), to see his accurate preparation for the composing Sir Walter Raleigh's rare cordial: he made a learned discourse before his Majesty in French on each ingredient.