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Sir Richard Hawkins - Privateer
& Explorer (c1562 - 1622) |
Sir Richard Hawkins was an English Privateer
and Explorer. He was born into a prominent Elizabethan
family, his father being the Privateer and slave
trader Sir John Hawkins. He accompanied his
father and Sir Francis Drake on several expeditions
including the defeat of the Spanish Armada.
His record of the expedition he undertook in
1593 was published in 1622.
This page details facts about Sir Richard Hawkins's
life and the events that shaped his history.
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Sir Richard Hawkins the Privateer
& Explorer - Fun Facts for Kids ! |
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Sir Richard Hawkins
Fact 1: |
Richard Hawkins was
born in Devon, England c1562.He was the only son of
Sir John Hawkins
and his first wife Katherine Gonson.
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Sir Richard Hawkins
Fact 2: |
Although not much
is known of his early life, he is believed to have sailed
to the West Indies in 1582 with his uncle, William Hawkins.
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Sir Richard Hawkins
Fact 3: |
In 1585 he was in
command of a ship during Drake’s expedition to attack
the Spanish colonies in the West Indies. He was also
present when Drake collected the unsuccessful colonists
from Roanoke, the settlement established by
Sir Walter
Raleigh.
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Picture
of Sir John Hawkins
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Sir Richard
Hawkins Fact
4: |
In 1588 he
was Captain of the ‘Swallow’ when he fought
against the Spanish Armada along with his father,
Sir John Hawkins, and
Sir
Francis Drake. He also accompanied them
on his father’s failed 1589 expedition to attack
the Spanish treasure ships.
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Sir Richard
Hawkins Fact
5: |
In 1593 Richard
Hawkins purchased a ship that had originally
been built for his father, the ‘Dainty’. He
sailed from Plymouth, in the Dainty, and headed
west.
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Sir Richard
Hawkins Fact
6: |
After arriving
at Brazil, he sailed south and, in February
1594, saw what he named ‘Hawkins Maidenland’.
This is now generally believed to be the Falkland
Islands. He then sailed through the straits
of Magellan and on to Valparaiso, in Chile.
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Picture
of Sir Francis Drake
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Sir Richard Hawkins
Fact 7: |
He plundered the town and burned 4 ships
before heading further north. At the end of June 1594 He’d
reached San Mateo Bay, in Ecuador, where he encountered
a small fleet of Spanish ships. |
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Sir Richard Hawkins
Fact 8: |
The Spanish ships attacked the Dainty
and a battle ensued that lasted for several days. he was
wounded during the fighting and, following the death of
many of his crew, he surrendered. |
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Sir Richard Hawkins
Fact 9: |
Richard Hawkins was imprisoned in Lima,
Peru, until 1597 when he was transferred to Seville in Spain
and then Madrid. |
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Sir Richard Hawkins
Fact 10: |
In 1602 he was released
after the payment of a £3,000 ransom.
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Sir Richard Hawkins
Fact 11: |
In 1603 he was knighted
by King James I of England. Soon after, he became the
Mayor of Devon, Member of Parliament for Plymouth and
Vice Admiral of Devon.
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Sir Richard Hawkins
Fact 12: |
Around the same time
he began writing about his 1593 voyage. The transcript
was published in 1622 under the title 'Observations
in His Voyage into the South Seas, AD 1593'.
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Sir Richard Hawkins
Fact 13: |
In 1608 Hawkins,
while still Vice Admiral of Devon, was arrested and
fined for allowing piracy.
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Picture
of King James I of England
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Sir Richard Hawkins
Fact 14: |
In 1620 Sir Richard Hawkins sailed as
Vice Admiral under Sir Robert Mansell. Their mission was
to suppress the Algerian corsairs in the Mediterranean,
however their efforts made little difference. |
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Sir Richard Hawkins
Fact 15: |
Sir Richard Hawkins died in Slapton,
Devon, England on 17 April 1622. |
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Sir Richard Hawkins
the Privateer & Explorer (c1562 - 1622) Fun Facts
Info for Kids ! |
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