Francis Drake
There is plenty of time to win this game, and to thrash the Spaniards too.
Francis Drake
Sir Francis Drake was born in 1540 Tavistock, Devon. At about the age of 13 Francis took to the sea on a cargo barque, becoming master of the ship at the age of twenty. He also took part in the first English slave-trading expeditions.
Once, Spanish forces violated a truce agreed on a few days before — nearly costing Drake his life. From then on, he devoted his life to working against the Spanish Empire. The Spanish considered him an outlaw pirate, but to England he was a sailor, explorer and a hero.
The most celebrated of Drake’s Caribbean adventures is his capture of the Spanish Silver Train in 1573. He made off with a fortune in gold, but had to leave behind another fortune in silver, because it was too heavy to carry back to England.
- The Golden Hinde
In 1577, Drake was commissioned by Queen Elizabeth to undertake an expedition against the Spanish along the Pacific coast of the Americas. He set sail from Plymouth, England with five ships and over 150 men.
Drake made it to the Pacific, however, violent storms destroyed his ships, and caused one of them to return to England. Drake pushed onward in his lone flagship, named the Golden Hinde.
In 1579 Drake found an excellent port. He landed there, stayed for some time keeping friendly relations with the natives. Drake named the port New Albion (New England) and claimed it for England. Afterwards Francis Drake sailed across the Pacific, and reached a group of islands (Indonesia). In 1580 (after 3 years) the Golden Hinde came back to England with Drake and 59 crew remaining aboard, along with a rich cargo of spices and captured Spanish treasures. Hailed as the first Englishman to circumnavigate the Earth, Drake was knighted by Queen Elizabeth aboard the Golden Hinde, and became the Mayor of Plymouth and a Member of Parliament.
- Spanish Armada
In 1585 war broke out between Spain and England. Francis Drake was vice admiral in command of the English fleet when it overcame the Spanish Armada that was attempting to invade England in 1588. One of the most famous incidents involving Drake was when the Spanish flagship, the Rosario, collided with another ship. It has lost its mast and became separated from the rest of the Spanish fleet. Drake captured it, even though he had been given the job of tracking the Armada with his stern lantern alight to guide all the other English ships following him. The prize of the Rosario must have been too difficult to resist. The ship was taken without a single shot being fired, still with the royal money chest on board.
- Elizabeth I
English losses stood at 50-100 dead and 400 wounded, and none of their ships had been sunk. The victory was acclaimed by the English as one of their greatest. In England the boost to national pride lasted for years, and Elizabeth’s legend persisted and grew long after her death. However, after the victory, typhus, dysentery and hunger killed many sailors. They also were discharged without a pay.
In 1596, Francis Drake died of dysentery. He was buried at sea in a lead coffin near Portobelo in Panama. In the last years he was out of the favour because he was failing to win battles and capture more ships. Francis Drake was an experienced and daring seafarer. His sail around the world, battles with the Spanish Armada ensured that he would be one of the best remembered figures of Tudor England.
Drake's Drum
Drake’s Drum’ is said to be the very drum that was used on his ships to beat the men to action quarters prior to engagements. Somehow it found its way back to Plymouth where it is said to mysteriously beat itself during the times of peril. There have been several occasions when the drum was said to have sounded, both of the world wars included. It has also been noted that during the Blitz, when the drum was removed from Plymouth due to damage of the abbey that housed it, the town was then razed in the air raids that followed. The drum was returned and the city was not raided for the duration of the war. Today the famous drum can be seen at Drake’s former home of Buckland Abbey.
