Sir Walter Raleigh is known to most for a number of trite reasons including popularising tobacco in England, being a favourite of Queen Elizabeth I and laying his cloak over a puddle for the Queen. Perhaps more importantly/recently he was immortalised by the Beatles in “I’m so tired” with the lines “And curse Sir Walter Raleigh He was such a stupid git”.
sir Walter Raleigh
He lived from circa 1554 – 29 October 1618. He was an English landed gentleman, writer, poet, soldier, politician, courtier, spy, and explorer. More accomplished than was good for him perhaps. He was cousin to Sir Richard Grenville (the son of Sir Roger Grenville who was captain of the Mary Rose when it sank in Portsmouth Harbour in 1545 and himself a great seaman). He was knighted in 1585 and was sent to the Tower in June 1592 for getting one of the Queen’s ladies in waiting pregnant (although he did marry her) and was released a short time later. He went looking for the fabled city of gold in South America, adding significantly to the legend of Eldorado. He was in and out of favour with the Queen but it was not until after her death that he really had problems.
Raleigh was arrested on 19 July 1603, charged with treason for his involvement in the Main Plot against Elizabeth’s successor, James I, and imprisoned in the Tower of London. His trial began on 17 November in the converted Great Hall of Winchester Castle with Sir John Popham presiding. Raleigh conducted his own defence. The chief evidence against him was the signed and sworn confession of his friend Henry Brooke, 11th Baron Cobham. Raleigh repeatedly requested that Cobham be called to testify arguing that the evidence against him was “hearsay”, but the court refused to allow Cobham to testify and be cross-examined. He was found guilty and Sir John signed the death warrant, but King James spared his life.
He remained imprisoned in the Tower until 1616. While there, he wrote a great deal including the first volume of The Historie of the World (first edition published 1614) about the ancient history of Greece and Rome. His son, Carew, was conceived and born (1604) while Raleigh was imprisoned in the Tower. That was a long time to be kept on death row.