Walter Raleigh

Sir
Walter Raleigh
Sir Walter Raleigh
	Portrait of Raleigh, 1588
Government offices
1584–1603	Lord Warden of the Stannaries
1585–1603	Vice-Admiral of Devon
1587–1603	Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall
1586–1592; 1597–1603	Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard
1598–1603	Custos Rotulorum of Dorset
1600–1603	Governor of Jersey
Parliamentary offices
1584–1585; 1586–1587	Member of Parliament for Devonshire
1597–1598	Member of Parliament for Dorset
1601	Member of Parliament for Cornwall
Personal details
Born	c. 22 January 1552 (or 1554); East Budleigh, Devon, England
Died	29 October 1618 (aged approximately 66); London, England
Cause of death	Execution by beheading
Spouse	Elizabeth Throckmorton
Children	Damerei; Walter "Wat"; Carew
Alma mater	Oriel College, Oxford
Signature
Military service
Battles/wars	Desmond Rebellions; French Wars of Religion; Spanish Armada
	Writing career
Notable works	The Lie; What is Our Life; The Discovery of Guiana; The Historie of the World; The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd;

Sir Walter Raleigh^[a] (/ˈrɔːli, ˈræli, ˈrɑːli/; c. 1552 – 29 October 1618) was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer. One of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era, he played a leading part in English colonisation of North America, suppressed rebellion in Ireland, helped defend England against the Spanish Armada and held political positions under Elizabeth I.

Raleigh was born to a landed gentry family of Protestant faith in Devon, the son of Walter Raleigh and Catherine Champernowne. He was the younger half-brother of Sir Humphrey Gilbert and a cousin of Sir Richard Grenville. Little is known of his early life, though in his late teens he spent some time in France taking part in the religious civil wars. In his 20s he took part in the suppression of rebellion in the colonisation of Ireland; he also participated in the siege of Smerwick. Later, he became a landlord of property in Ireland and mayor of Youghal in east Munster, where his house still stands in Myrtle Grove.^[2] He rose rapidly in the favour of Queen Elizabeth I and was knighted in 1585. He was granted a royal patent to explore Virginia, paving the way for future English settlements. In 1591, he secretly married Elizabeth Throckmorton, one of the Queen's ladies-in-waiting, without the Queen's permission, for which he and his wife were sent to the Tower of London. After his release, they retired to his estate at Sherborne, Dorset.

In 1594, Raleigh heard of a "City of Gold" in South America and sailed to find it, publishing an exaggerated account of his experiences in a book that contributed to the legend of "El Dorado". After Queen Elizabeth died in 1603, Raleigh was again imprisoned in the Tower, this time for being involved in the Main Plot against King James I, who was not favourably disposed towards him. In 1616, he was released to lead a second expedition in search of El Dorado. During the expedition, men led by his top commander ransacked a Spanish outpost, in violation of both the terms of his pardon and the 1604 peace treaty with Spain. Raleigh returned to England and, to appease the Spanish, he was arrested and executed in 1618.

^ Wolfe 2018.
^ "The Church and Town of Sir Walter Raleigh". United Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross. 21 May 2021. Archived from the original on 19 October 2021. Retrieved 15 June 2021.

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[FOOTNOTEWolfe2018-1] Wolfe 2018.

[3] "The Church and Town of Sir Walter Raleigh". United Diocese of Cork, Cloyne and Ross. 21 May 2021. Archived from the original on 19 October 2021. Retrieved 15 June 2021.

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