|
|
|
I grew up, as probably did many other children in the
West Country, hearing stories of the heroism and daring exploits of Sir
Francis Drake. On holidays
in Devon, I went to Plymouth Hoe and imagined him continuing to play
bowls before defeating the Spanish Armada, and his sailing out to rob
galleons loaded with silver and gold off the Spanish Main.
These memories were revived when Issue 4 revealed
a marriage on October 9, 1592 between Winifred Stettaforde in Buckland
Monachorum to William Drake. Now
I could claim a relationship, however remote, to my hero! |
|
The
Drake Statue on Plymouth Hoe
A
steel engraving from 1889
The
statue was erected in 1884 |
|
|
|
|
The plaque presented by the people of California
in 1977 to celebrate the four hundredth anniversary of Drake's voyage* |
|
In 1963, when we moved to Berkeley,
California, we were close to the scene of one of Drake’s most famous
exploits, when he claimed the West Coast of America as Nova Albion.
I was excited to learn about and see tangible evidence confirming
his month long stay at Drake’s Estero, an inlet off Drake’s Bay,
north of San Francisco.
|
|
|
|
Map of San Francisco
Bay Area |
|
|
|
Drake's
Estero
supposed
site of repairs on the Golden Hind
©
Roy Hayter |
|
Since then some of the evidence has
been challenged, and the specific location of his landing may never be
known for sure. But the
essentials of his daring circumnavigation, which broke the monopoly of
the Spanish and Portuguese trade in the Pacific, and revenged an earlier
defeat at Vera Cruz represent one of the great human endeavours of
exploration and boldness. |
|
|
|
Full-scale
replica of Drake's Golden Hind
Now
a visitor centre, anchored
in Brixham Harbour since 1963
|
| * The plaque is set just above ground
level at the base of Drake's statue on Plymouth Hoe. It reads:
"Francis Drake sailed from Plymouth on December
13th 1577, to begin the "famous voyage" during which he
traversed the Strait of Magellan and discovered Drake Passage south of
Cape Horn. Drake then sailed the Golden Hind north and in June
1579 landed in California; he took possession of that region for Queen
Elizabeth naming it Nova Albion. He returned to Plymouth September 26th
1580, having circumnavigated the globe. Drake was knighted aboard the Golden
Hind at Deptford in the presence of Queen Elizabeth on April 4,
1581. This plaque was presented August 5 1977 by the State of California
Sir Francis Drake Commission in commemoration of the Quadricentennial of
Drake's voyage around the world." |
Click here to continue
|
