Sir Francis Drake (1542 - †1596)

Sir Francis Drake was born in 1542 in Tavistock in the Devonshire in a Protestant family of 12 children. He is the son of a farmer and preacher. First he was a navigator of a small merchant ship in the 1550's and an officer on West Africa slave ships. Then he was chosen by Queen Elisabeth in 1577 for an expedition around the world : he sailed in a ship called the Golden Hind and he was the first to pass from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast of South Africa.

This map shows the routes of the Francis Drake's three major expeditions.

Francis Drake was appointed Vice Admiral of the navy that destroyed the spanish Armada. In 1579 he stopped near the present-day San Francisco to repair the Golden Hind. He claimed the land for England which is called New Albion then in 1580 he returned to England. He is famous as a seaman, explorer and a pirate, raiding the Spanish and helping to defeat the Spanish Armada and also for being a great sailor and a fearless warrior.

Francis Drake's ship, the « Golden Hind »

In 1585, Sir Francis Drake married Elizabeth Sydenpham. He died in 1596 of a tropical disease referred to "the bloody flux" which was probably Yellow Fever.

Some important dates :

1585: Drake travelled to Brazil accompanied by his nephew Richard Hawkins 1586: He visited Sir Walter Raleigh's colony headed by Ralph Lane, finding disheartened colonists and hostile Indians 1587: He attacked and destroyed the Spanish Fleet at Cadiz - referred to as 'Singeing Philip of Spain's beard' 1588: Spanish Armada of 132 ships sails for England. England's navy consists of 34 ships and 163 armed merchant vessels 1595: Sir Francis Drake embarks on his last voyage to the Caribbean with Sir John Hawkins and he was sent to attack Spanish settlements in the West Indies but he also died on the journey home.