Sir Walter Raleigh (22 January 1552 – 29 October 1618) was an English landed gentleman, writer, poet, soldier, politician, courtier, spy and explorer. He rose rapidly in the favour of Queen Elizabeth I and was knighted in 1585. 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. In 1616, he was released to lead a second expedition in search of El Dorado, in violation of both the terms of his pardon and the 1604 peace treaty with Spain. He was arrested and executed in 1618.
About Walter Raleigh in brief
Sir Walter Raleigh (22 January 1552 – 29 October 1618) 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 born to a Protestant family in Devon, the son of Walter Raleigh and Catherine Champernowne. 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. He rose rapidly in the favour of Queen Elizabeth I and was knighted in 1585. 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\”. In 1616, he was released to lead a second expedition in search of El Dorado, in violation of both the terms of his pardon and the 1604 peace treaty with Spain. He returned to England and was arrested and executed in 1618. Raleigh’s family was highly Protestant in religious orientation and had a number of near escapes during the reign of Roman Catholic Queen Mary I of England. As a result, Raleigh developed a hatred of Roman Catholicism during his childhood, and was quick to express it after Protestant Queen Elizabeth II came to the throne in 1558. His family is generally assumed to have been a junior branch of the de Raleigh family, 11th century lords of the manor of Raleigh, Pilton in North Devon, although the two branches are known to have borne entirely dissimilar coats of arms, adopted at the start of the age of heraldry.
Raleigh’s maternal uncle was Sir Arthur Cham pernowne, a Member of Parliament, Sheriff of Devon and Admiral Of the West. Raleigh junior’s immediate family included his full brother Carew Raleigh, and half- brothers John Gilbert, Humphrey Gilbertson and Adrian Gilbert. His maternal aunt was Kat Ashley, governess of QueenElizabeth I, who introduced Raleigh and his brothers to the court. His father had to hide in a tower to avoid execution, and his half-sister Elizabeth was more moderate than her half sister, Mary Elizabeth, her sister-in-law was her half-nephew Sir Edmund Carew. Raleigh married Elizabeth Throckmorton 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, and lived in a house at Fardel Manor, in South Devon. His life is uncertain between 1569 and 1603, but he left a year later without a degree in History of the World. He had previously been admitted to the Middle Temple, having previously been a member of Lyon’s Inn, one of the members of the Inns of Chancery, Lyon.
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