Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 1.djvu/28

14 West Indies in 1577, and in 1579 Gilbert sent him to America to explore the way for his colony; he was a pilot in Fenton's voyage in 1582-83, and in the exploring voyage to North Carolina of Amidas and Barlow in 1584: subsequently he went with the colonies of Lane and John White to Roanoke. He was probably one of those who disappeared with the last.

Walker, John, was employed by Sir Humphrey Gilbert to make an exploring voyage in 1580 to America. He visited the Penobscot river and reported to Sir Humphrey the discovery of a silver mine within the river. This induced Gilbert to direct his voyage to Newfoundland in 1583, and probably prompted the plans which he appears to have formed on the return voyage of sending out two new expeditions the following spring.

Raleigh, Sir Walter, son of Walter Raleigh, Esq., of Fardel, near Plymouth, and Katharine Champernoun, daughter of Sir Philip Champernoun, of Modbury, in Devonshire, and widow of Otho Gilbert, Esq., of Compton. He was born at Hayes Barton, in Devonshire, 1552; educated at Oriel College, Oxford, about 1568; served in France five years to assist the French Huguenots, returned to London in 1576; in 1578 went to the Netherlands under Sir John Norris to help the Dutch against the Spaniards; the following year engaged with his brother Sir Humphrey Gilbert in his American schemes and sailed in the Falcon, but the expedition was unfortunate and he soon returned; in 1580 he raised troops and took part in suppressing an insurrection in Ireland and received a grant there from Queen Elizabeth of 12.000 acres; furnished a ship to Sir Humphrey's second colonization expedition in 1583: interested in Adrian Gilbert's patent of the Northwest passage; obtained patent March 25. 1584, for planting a colony in America; sends Amidas and Barlow to America, April 27, 1584, who explored the coast of North Carolina; on their return the Queen named the country Virginia, in honor of herself; member of parliament for Devon, November 23, 1584, to September 14, 1585; his patent of colonization confirmed by parliament in December, 1584; grows in favor of the Queen and is knighted at Greenwich, January 1, 1585. About the same time he received the grant of a monopoly for the selling of wine throughout the kingdom, was made seneschal of the duchies of Cornwall and Exeter and lord warden of the Stannaries; pleased at the success of Amidas and Barlow. Raleigh sent seven ships under Sir Richard Grenville and 200 settlers under Capt. Ralph Lane, who occupied Roanoke Island, in Pamlico Sound, North Carolina, August 17, 1585, but the colonists returned to England the following year in the fleet of Sir Francis Drake; member of parliament for Devon in 1586-87; during this time he was made captain of the Queen's Guard and member of the council of war; May 8, 1587, he sent another colony to Roanoke under Governor John White; in 1588 he was one of the captains of the English fleet who fought the Armada; assigned his interests in America to Thomas Smith and others in 1589, but aided in sending an expedition in 1591 to the relief of the colonists at Roanoke, who were never found; planned a voyage against Panama in 1592; married Elizabeth Throckmorton, and thereby incurred the anger of Queen Elizabeth, who imprisoned him in the tower of London; 1593, member of parliament for St. Michaels; went on a voyage to Guiana in 1595; took a prominent part in the taking of Cadiz in June, 1596; published