Ralegh, Sir Walter

Ralegh, Sir Walter (c.1554–1618). Ralegh's spectacular career was broken by the mistrust of James I. Of Devon gentry stock, Ralegh was half-brother of Sir Humphrey Gilbert, with whom in 1578 he shared a short expedition at the expense of the Spaniards. He spent 1580–1 in Ireland and on his return rose rapidly in court favour under the patronage of Leicester. Knighted in 1584 and returned to Parliament, he became warden of the stannaries, captain of the queen's guard, lord-lieutenant of Cornwall, and was granted vast estates in Ireland. His attempts to promote the colonization of Virginia ended in failure, though they introduced tobacco and potatoes into England. He did not take part in the naval action against the Armada in 1588 but was greatly employed in the land operations. But as the star of Essex rose at court, Ralegh's began to wane and he fell into disgrace with the queen after an affair with one of her maids of honour, Elizabeth Throckmorton, despite their subsequent marriage. In 1595 he led an expedition to the Orinoco in search of gold and in 1596 took part in the attack on Cadiz. His prospects were further undermined by the correspondence which Henry Howard, earl of Northampton, established with James VI of Scotland, which succeeded in discrediting Ralegh. As soon as James succeeded in 1603, Ralegh was stripped of all his offices, was tried for treason, condemned to death, and imprisoned in the Tower. Not until 1617 could he obtain release to lead a second Orinoco expedition, which proved a disaster. He brought back no gold and his son was killed. James then had him executed on the original charge. During his long years in the Tower, Ralegh wrote his History of the World, brooding much on time and vicissitudes. It has grand passages and became popular, but Ralegh only reached 130 bc and as a work of history it was old-fashioned before it appeared. John Aubrey included Ralegh in his Brief Lives. Ralegh's ‘graceful presence was no mean recommendation’ to Queen Elizabeth, who liked ‘proper men’. Ralegh was a ‘tall, handsome and bold man, but damnable proud … he spake broad Devonshire to his dying day.’

J. A. Cannon