THE V O Y A G E S A N D W O R K S OF J OH N D AV IS THE NAVIGATOR. Edited, with an Introduction and Notes, BY ALBERT HASTINGS MARKHAM, CAPTAIN R.N., F.R.G.S., AUTHOR OF “ A WHALING CRUISE IN BAFFIN’S BAY ”, “ THE GREAT FROZEN SEA ”, AND “ NORTHWARD HO ! ” “And Davis three times forth that for the north-west made, Still striving by that course t’enrich the English trade; And as he well deserved, to his eternal fame, There, by a mighty sea, immortalized his name.” D RAYTON’S Polyolbion. LONDON: PRINTED FOR THE HAKLUYT SOCIETY. MDCCCLXXX [ F A CSI M I L E ] INTRODUCTION Markham, Albert Hastings. Introduction to The Voyages and Works of John Davis, the Navigator. The Hakluyt Society, No. LIX, London, 1880: i– lxxxiv. AMONG the distinguished English seamen of the six- teenth century, John Davis of Sandridge stands out conspicuously as the one who, more than any other, united the qualities of a daring adventurer with those of a skilful pilot an d a scientific navigator. Several were his equals in steady perseverance and desperate gallantry. Som e, such as Richard Haw- kins and William Baffin, resembled him in their devotion to the scientific branches of his noble profession. But as a seaman c ombining scientific knowledge and skilled pilotage with the qualities of a fearless and determined explorer, John Davis stands foremost among the navigators of the great Q u een . He had ot her q u alit ies w hic h are n eeded to complete the character of a perfect sea captain. H e k n e w h o w t o w i n t h e l o v e o f t h e m e n w h o served him, and the undoubting confidence of those who gave him their trust. He was as genial and c o n s i d e r a t e , a s h e w a s c o n s c i e n t i o u s a n d h o n e s t . This is high praise, but the perusal of all that is known of his career will show that it is deserved. Voyage after voyage did Mr. Sanderson and other merchants entrust D avis with their wealth ; and such men as John Jane left their homes and occupa- ii I N TRO DUCTI O N tions, and went on long and perilous voyages, for the love of Master Davis, and “for his sake”. Westcote, according to Prince, tells us that John Davis was born at Sandridge, 1in the parish of Stoke Gabriel. But there is no rec ord of his baptism in the parish registers of Stoke Gabriel, which begin with the 30th year of Hen ry VIII. Westcote was, however, a contemporary. He describes Sandridge a s “ a h e a l t h y , p l e a s a n t s e a t . I t i s l i f t e d u p o n a s m a l l h il l o n t h e e a s t s i d e o f t h e r i v e r D a r t , w h ic h c o m p a s s e t h n e a r t h r e e p a r t s t h e r e o f o n i t s w a y t o D a r t m ou t h, from w hic h it s t a n d s b y w a t e r n o t t w o m i l e s , b y l a n d n e a r f o u r ” . B u t o f t h e p ar e n t a ge o f D a v i s w e a r e t o l d n o t h i n g . W e m a y a s s u m e t h a t h i s c h i l d h o o d w a s p a s s e d o n t h e b an ks o f t h e D a r t , a n d t h a t h e w e n t t o s e a a s a b o y , a n d t h u s r e c e i v e d a thorough nautical education. The words of Chaucer are, therefore, applicable to our hero : — “ A s c h i p m a n w a s h e , w o n y i n g f e r b y w e s t e , F o r o u g h t I w o o t h e w a s o f D e r t e m o u t h . " I t i s q u i t e c e r t ai n t h a t , i n a f t e r l i f e , D a v i s h e l d p r o p e r t y at S a n d r i d ge . H e a l w ay s s i g n e d h i m s e l f of Sandridge, and in a letter written to Mr. Sander- son, on his return from his second voyage in 1586, he writes:—“Surely it shall cost all my hope of welfare, and my portion of Sandridge, but I will, by God's mercy, see an end of these businesses.” This may be regarded as proving, beyond a doubt, that Davis shared in the ownership of Sandridge. In the 1 “ H e r e w a s b o r n t h a t e x c e l l e n t p i l o t a n d s k i l f u l n a v i g a t o r , a n d f o r t u n a t e d i s c o v e r e r o f u n k n o w n c o u n t r i e s , M r . J o h n D a v i s .” INTRODUCTION iii charter granted by Queen Elizabeth, Adrian Gilbert is also named as of Sandridge Westcote and Prince tell us that, after 19 Edward III, Sandridge became the inheritance of the ancient and honourable family of the Pomeroys, 1 and when Westcote wrote, in 1630, it still remained in that honourable name. 2 Thus we have three families re- siding at or owning Sandridge at the same time—the Pomeroys, the Gilberts, and the Davises. The pro- bable explan at ion is, t hat Sandridge was a property on w hic h t w o or t hree hou ses had been bu ilt by t he Pom eroys, an d r e n t ed or sold to t he fam ilies of D avis an d of Adrian Gilbert. 3 On the 29th of September 1582 John Davis was married to Mistress Faith Fulford, 4 said, by Prince, to have been a daughter of Sir John Fulford of Fu l- ford, High Sheriff of D evon in 1535, by t he L ady 1 I n t h e t i m e o f H e n r y I I , o n e S t e p h e n d e S a n d r i d g e h e l d t h r e e p a r t s o f a k n i g h t ' s f e e t h e r e , o f t h e B i s h o p o f E x e t e r . H i s d e - s c e n d a n t s h e l d S a n d r i d g e f o r a p e r i o d o f 2 0 0 y e a r s . N e x t c a m e P o m e r o y , p r o b a b l y a y o u n g e r s o n o f P o m e r o y o f B e r r y C a s t l e , i n 1 9 E d . I I I . 2 S i r H e n r y P o m e r o y o f B e r r y C a s t l e , h a v i n g n o c h i l d r e n , s e t t l e d h i s l a n d s o n h i s n e p h e w - i n - l a w , S i r T h o m a s P o m e r o y o f S a n d r i d g e . T h i s S i r T h o m a s h a d m a r r i e d J o a n , d a u g h t e r o f S i r T h o m a s C h u d l e i g h , b y J o a n P o m e r o y , s is te r o f S i r H e n r y o f B e r r y C a s t l e .