|
|
|
 |
Sir Richard Grenville
English Naval Commander
 After fighting the
Turks in Hungary and helping to suppress an uprising in Munster,
Ireland, Grenville planned a voyage of discovery to the Islands of the
South Pacific. He, like so many other Explorers of his time, was looking
for a Northwest Passage from England to China. Grenville never actually
launched his expedition, but Sir Francis Drake adopted his plan for his
own circumnavigation of the globe in 1577-1580.In 1585, Grenville commanded the seven ships that carried English
colonists to Roanoke Island, North Carolina.In 1591, he sailed as the second in command of a naval force called to
intercept a Spanish treasure fleet off the Azores. Fifty-three Spanish
vessels approached him, but undaunted, he tried to run his ship right
through the Spanish Fleet. For fifteen hours, his crew of around 200 men
fought in hand-to-hand combat with the force of around 5,000 Spanish
sailors. Eventually captured, Grenville later died as a prisoner aboard
a Spanish ship. |
Click on the Piece of Eight to return to the Main Page
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
