RALEIGH, SIR WALTER

RALEIGH, SIR WALTER
   courtier, soldier, and man of letters, born near Budleigh, in E. Devon, of ancient family; entered as student at Oxford, but at 17 joined a small volunteer force in aid of the Protestants in France; in 1580 distinguished himself in suppressing a rebellion in Ireland; was in 1582 introduced at court, fascinated the heart of the Queen by his handsome presence and his gallant bearing, and received no end of favours at her hand; joined his half-brother, Sir Humphrey Gilbert, in an expedition to North America, founded a colony, which he called Virginia in honour of the queen, and brought home with him the potato and the tobacco plants, till then unknown in this country; rendered distinguished services in the destruction of the Armada; visited and explored Guiana, and brought back tidings of its wealth in gold and precious things; fell into disfavour with the queen, but regained her esteem; under King James he became suspected of disloyalty, and was committed to the Tower, where he remained 12 years, and wrote his "History of the World"; on his release, but without a pardon, he set out to the Orinoco in quest of gold-mines there, but returned heart-broken and to be sentenced to die; he met his fate with calm courage, and was beheaded in the Old Palace Yard; of the executioner's axe he smilingly remarked, "A sharp medicine, but an infallible cure" (1552-1618).

The Nuttall Encyclopaedia. . 1907.

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  • Raleigh,Sir Walter — Raleigh or Ra·legh (rôʹlē, räʹ ), Sir Walter. 1552? 1618. English courtier, navigator, colonizer, and writer. A favorite of Elizabeth I, he campaigned in Ireland and Cádiz, explored Guiana, colonized Virginia, and introduced tobacco and the… …   Universalium

  • Raleigh, Sir Walter — born 1554?, Hayes Barton, near Budleigh Salterton, Devon, Eng. died Oct. 29, 1618, London English adventurer and favourite of Elizabeth I. He joined his half brother Humphrey Gilbert on a piratical expedition against the Spanish (1578) then… …   Universalium

  • RALEIGH, Sir Walter — (c. 1552 1618) The consummate courtier, Sir Walter Raleigh was the epitome of the Renais­sance man, being a skilled poet, an overseas explorer, a military adventurer, and an effective parliamentarian. After devoting his early years to military… …   Renaissance and Reformation 1500-1620: A Biographical Dictionary

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  • Raleigh, Sir Walter — (1552? 1618)    Explorer, statesman, admiral, historian, and poet, s. of Walter R., of Fardel, Devonshire, was b. at Hayes Barton in that county. In 1568 he was sent to Oxf., where he greatly distinguished himself. In the next year he began his… …   Short biographical dictionary of English literature

  • Raleigh, Sir Walter — (¿1554?, Hayes Barton, cerca de Budleigh Salterton, Devon, Inglaterra–29 oct. 1618, Londres). Aventurero inglés y favorito de Isabel I. Se unió a su medio hermano Humphrey Gilbert en una expedición de piratería contra los españoles (1578) y luego …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Sir Walter Raleigh (essay) — Sir Walter Raleigh is an essay by Henry David Thoreau that has been reconstructed from notes he wrote for an 1843 lecture and drafts of an article he was preparing for The Dial .It was first published in 1950, in a collection of Thoreau’s… …   Wikipedia

  • Ralegh (Raleigh), Sir Walter — (1552 1618)    The military and naval commander and adventurer was born near Budleigh Salterton, South Devon. In 1569 he fought on the Huguenot side in the Wars of Religion in France and was later at Oriel College, Oxford (1572), and at the… …   British and Irish poets

  • Sir Walter Ralegh — noun English courtier (a favorite of Elizabeth I) who tried to colonize Virginia; introduced potatoes and tobacco to England (1552 1618) • Syn: ↑Raleigh, ↑Walter Raleigh, ↑Sir Walter Raleigh, ↑Ralegh, ↑Walter Ralegh • Instance Hypernyms:… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Sir Walter Raleigh — (* 1552 oder 1554 in Hayes Barton, Devonshire; † 29. Oktober 1618 in London) war ein englischer Seefahrer, Entdecker und Schriftsteller sowie Günstling der englischen Königin Elizabeth I. Sein Nachname findet sich auch in den Schreibweisen Rawley …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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