Sir Walter Raleigh

Sir Walter Raleigh, also spelled Walter Ralegh, was an English courtier, explorer, writer and favourite of Elizabeth I. Knighted in 1585, he promoted English colonisation in North America, sponsored the Roanoke ventures, searched for Guiana and El Dorado, wrote The History of the World in the Tower of London, and was executed under James I in 1618.

Born: 1554 CE
Died: 1618 CE
Role: English courtier, explorer and writer

English courtier, explorer and writer (c. 1554-1618)

1554-1618 CE

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Portrait of Sir Walter Raleigh in Elizabethan dress before maps and ships

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Also known as: Walter Raleigh, Walter Ralegh

Facts

Sir Walter Raleigh timeline facts

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c. 1554: Devon beginnings
1580s: Elizabeths favourite
1595-1596: Guiana and El Dorado
1616-1618: The final voyage and execution

Life Journey

Ambition at the edge of empire

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1 of 8/Devon beginnings

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c. 1554

Devon beginnings

Walter Raleigh was born at Hayes Barton in Devon, probably in 1554, into a Protestant gentry family connected to seafaring, war and Elizabethan expansion.

1569-1581

War in France and Ireland

As a young man, Raleigh fought for the Huguenots in France and later served in Ireland during the brutal suppression of rebellion in Munster.

1580s

Elizabeths favourite

Raleigh rose quickly at Elizabeth I's court, gaining favour, monopolies, offices and a knighthood in 1585.

1584-1590

Virginia and Roanoke

Raleigh sponsored English attempts to explore and colonise the coast of North America, naming Virginia in honour of Elizabeth and backing the Roanoke ventures.

1592

Secret marriage and disgrace

Raleigh's secret marriage to Elizabeth Throckmorton, one of the queen's attendants, angered Elizabeth I and led to imprisonment in the Tower of London.

1595-1596

Guiana and El Dorado

In 1595 Raleigh led an expedition to the Orinoco region, searching for gold and promoting the possibility of an English foothold in Guiana.

1603-1616

Treason charge and the Tower

After Elizabeth died, Raleigh lost protection under James I. Accused of treason in 1603, he was condemned but reprieved and imprisoned in the Tower.

1616-1618

The final voyage and execution

Released but not pardoned, Raleigh led a final expedition to Guiana. After failure and conflict with Spain, James I revived the old sentence and Raleigh was executed on October 29, 1618.

c. 1554

Devon beginnings

Walter Raleigh was born at Hayes Barton in Devon, probably in 1554, into a Protestant gentry family connected to seafaring, war and Elizabethan expansion.

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c. 1554

Devon beginnings

Devon placed Raleigh near the Atlantic world that would shape his imagination. His family ties connected him to Humphrey Gilbert and other promoters of overseas ventures. The Protestant politics of his household also mattered in an age when religion and foreign policy were inseparable. Raleigh grew up in a realm that feared Catholic Spain, looked westward for opportunity and rewarded bold men who could make themselves useful to the crown.