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Sir Humphrey Gilbert - Privateer
& Explorer (c1539 - 1583) |
Sir Humphrey Gilbert was a Privateer, explorer
and soldier during the Elizabethan era. His
broader family included other well known people
of the time, including Sir Walter Raleigh and
Sir Richard Grenville. His exploits in Ireland
earned him a knighthood, and he made several
voyages to North America to expand the Crown’s
territories.
This page details facts about Sir Humphrey Gilbert's
life and the events that shaped his history.
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Sir Humphrey Gilbert the Privateer
- Fun Facts for Kids ! |
Sir Humphrey Gilbert
Fact 1: |
Humphrey Gilbert was born in Compton,
Devonshire, England. He was the fifth son of Otho Gilbert
and Catherine Champernowne. His half-brothers were Carew
Raleigh and Sir Walter Raleigh, his cousin was Sir Richard
Grenville. |
Sir Humphrey Gilbert
Fact 2: |
Educated in Eton
and Oxford, Humphrey Gilbert studied navigation and
war, and learned to speak French and Spanish. In 1563
Humphrey Gilbert was injured while serving under the
Earl of Warwick at Le Havre, Normandy.
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Sir Humphrey Gilbert
Fact 3: |
In 1566 Humphrey Gilbert wrote
a thesis on the search for the North West Passage. This
document, ‘A discourse of a discouerie for a new passage
to Cataia’ helped inspire
Sir Martin
Frobisher to search for the
North West Passage. The Thesis was published in 1576.
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Sir Humphrey Gilbert
Fact 4: |
Humphrey Gilbert
served under Sir Henry Sidney in Ireland from 1567 to
1570. During this period he mercilessly quelled a revolt
and, in 1570, was knighted by Sidney, on behalf of Queen
Elizabeth I, for his actions. Later that year he returned
to England and married Anne Aucher.
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Picture
of Sir Martin Frobisher
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Sir Humphrey Gilbert
Fact 5: |
In 1571 Sir Humphrey Gilbert was elected
to parliament as the representative for Plymouth, however
in 1572 he led 1500 men in an unsuccessful effort to assist
the Netherlands in their revolt against Spain. |
Sir Humphrey Gilbert
Fact 6: |
Sir Humphrey Gilbert was one of the investors
who financed Martin Frobisher’s expeditions to search for
the North West Passage (1576 -78). |
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Sir Humphrey
Gilbert Fact
7: |
In 1578 Queen
Elizabeth I granted a patent, to Sir Humphrey
Gilbert, to establish new colonies in America
and prey on Spanish ships. In November 1578
he set sail with a small fleet of seven ships,
which included the ‘Falcon’ commanded by
Sir
Walter Raleigh. The fleet was badly equipped
and ill-disciplined which led to the failure
of the expedition. |
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Sir Humphrey
Gilbert Fact
8: |
Sir Humphrey
Gilbert was commissioned, in the summer of 1579,
to help suppress a rebellion led by the Irishman
James (Fitzmaurice) Fitzgerald and intercept
a Spanish fleet heading for Ireland. Gilbert’s
fleet was forced to seek shelter from heavy
seas and the Spanish slipped past him.
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Picture
of Queen Elizabeth I |
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Sir Humphrey
Gilbert Fact
9: |
By 1583 Sir
Humphrey Gilbert wanted to return to America
with a view to claiming land for the British
Crown. He sailed from Plymouth on 11 June 1583
with a small fleet of 5 ships and headed across
the ocean. |
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Sir Humphrey
Gilbert
Fact 10: |
One of the
ships, commanded by Sir Walter Raleigh, was
forced to turn back through a lack of provisions,
however the rest of the fleet arrived at St.
John’s in Newfoundland on 3 August 1583. Sir
Humphrey Gilbert claimed the land for the British
Crown on 5 August 1583. |
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Sir Humphrey
Gilbert
Fact 11: |
Sir Humphrey
Gilbert made no attempt to establish a colony,
and within 2 weeks had begun his return journey.
On 29 August the largest ship of the fleet,
the ‘Delight’, was lost with most of its crew
after running aground. |
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Picture of Sir Walter Raleigh
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Sir Humphrey Gilbert
Fact 12: |
Sir Humphrey Gilbert was aboard the ‘Squirrel’
when, on 9 September 1583, they encountered storms near
the Azores. Later that night Sir Humphrey Gilbert was drowned
when the ‘Squirrel’ was lost with all hands. |
Sir Humphrey Gilbert
the Privateer (c1539 - 1583) Fun Facts Info for
Kids ! |
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