Francis Drake Timeline

(1567 – January 28, 1596)

Sir Francis Drake (c. 1540–1596) was an English sea captain, privateer, naval officer, and explorer who became the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe. A hero to the English but branded a pirate by Spain, Drake played a pivotal role in the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 and helped establish England's dominance at sea during the Elizabethan era. More Less

Go to: Timeline | Event List | Key Facts | Directory

Early Life

Birth of Francis Drake (Estimated c. 1540–1544)

1540

Francis Drake's birth date is estimated from contemporary sources. Some texts suggest he was born around 1544, while portraits suggest a birth year of c. 1539 or 1540. He was the eldest of twelve sons of Edmund Drake, a Protestant farmer, and his wife, Mary Mylwaye.

Image source: Francis Drake

Drake family flees Devon to Kent

1549

Due to religious persecution during the Prayer Book Rebellion in 1549, the Drake family fled from Devon to Kent.

Hawkins begins slave voyages from Sierra Leone

1562

In 1562, John Hawkins sailed to the coast of Sierra Leone, seized Portuguese slave ships, and sold the Africans in the Spanish Indies. The trade was highly profitable and dominated by Portugal and Spain.

Drake serves on Hawkins' slaving voyages

1562 - 1569

There is anecdotal evidence supporting Drake serving as a common seaman on the first two of four slaving voyages made by Hawkins' ships between 1562 and 1569, and good evidence of his presence on the last two.

Drake joins Hawkins' last joint voyage

1567 - 1569

In 1567, Drake accompanied Hawkins on their next and last joint voyage, which lasted until 1569 and marked his last association with slaving.

Drake marries Mary Newman

Jul 4, 1569

Francis Drake married Mary Newman at St Budeaux church near Plymouth on 4 July 1569.

Drake purchases Buckland Abbey

1580

In 1580, Drake purchased Buckland Abbey, a large manor house near Yelverton, Devon, via intermediaries from Sir Richard Grenville. He lived there for fifteen years until his final voyage, and it remained in his family until 1946.

Death of Mary Newman

Jan 24, 1583

Mary Newman, Drake's first wife, died about 24 January 1583.

Drake marries Elizabeth Sydenham

1585

In 1585, Drake married Elizabeth Sydenham, born around 1562, the only child of Sir George Sydenham of Combe Sydenham, the High Sheriff of Somerset.

Voyages and Exploration

First independent privateering mission along the Spanish Main

1572

In 1572, Drake set sail on his first independent mission, privateering along the Spanish Main. He left Plymouth on 24 May with 73 men aboard Pascha and Swan to capture Nombre de Dios.

First raid at Nombre de Dios

Jul 1572

Drake's first raid of his independent expedition was late in July 1572, as part of his campaign against Spanish possessions along the Main.

First Englishmen to see the Pacific Ocean

Feb 11, 1573

On 11 February 1573, during his Panama expedition, Drake and his lieutenant John Oxenham climbed a high tree in the central mountains of the Isthmus of Panama, becoming the first Englishmen to see the Pacific Ocean.

Capture of the Spanish Silver Train

Apr 1, 1573

Drake's capture of the Spanish Silver Train at Nombre de Dios on 1 April 1573 made him rich and famous. By the second week of August 1573, he had returned to Plymouth, declaring 'Our voyage is made.'

Circumnavigation voyage sets out from Plymouth

Dec 13, 1577

Drake's circumnavigation began on 13 December 1577. Elizabeth likely invested in the voyage but never issued him a formal commission. An earlier departure on 15 November was foiled by bad weather.

Drake reaches latitude 55°S along Chilean coast

1578

Like navigators before him, Drake probably reached a latitude of 55°S along the Chilean coast. The first report of his discovery of an open channel south of Tierra del Fuego was written after 1618.

Trial and execution of Thomas Doughty

Jun 3, 1578 - Jul 2, 1578

During the circumnavigation, Drake quarrelled with co-commander Thomas Doughty. On 3 June 1578 he accused Doughty of witchcraft and charged him with mutiny and treason in a shipboard trial; Doughty was beheaded on 2 July 1578.

Drake enters the Pacific through the Strait of Magellan

Sep 1578

A few weeks into September 1578, Drake reached the Pacific, but violent storms destroyed the Marigold in the strait and caused the Elizabeth to return to England, leaving only the Pelican.

Landfall at South Cove, Cape Arago, Oregon

Jun 5, 1579

On 5 June 1579, Drake's ship briefly made first landfall at what is now South Cove, Cape Arago, just south of Coos Bay, Oregon, then sailed southward along the largely unexplored western coast of North America.

Golden Hind rounds the Cape of Good Hope

Jul 22, 1580

On the return leg of his circumnavigation, Drake made multiple stops toward the tip of Africa, eventually rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and reached Sierra Leone by 22 July 1580.

Golden Hind returns to Plymouth, completing circumnavigation

Sep 26, 1580

On 26 September 1580, Golden Hind sailed into Plymouth with Drake and 59 remaining crew aboard, carrying spices and captured Spanish treasure. Drake was hailed as the first Englishman to circumnavigate the Earth, and his was the second such voyage with at least one ship intact, after Elcano's in 1520.

Military and Political Career

Drake present at Rathlin Island massacre

1575

Drake was present at the 1575 Rathlin Island massacre in Ireland, acting on a plan authored by Sir Richard Grenville, whose royal patent had been rescinded after Elizabeth I learned of his intentions against the Spanish.

Drake becomes MP for Camelford

Jan 16, 1581

Drake first became a member of parliament for the last session of the 4th Parliament of Elizabeth I, on 16 January 1581, for Camelford. On 17 February 1581 he was granted leave of absence for necessary business in the Queen's service.

Drake knighted aboard Golden Hind

Apr 4, 1581

Queen Elizabeth awarded Drake a knighthood aboard Golden Hind in Deptford on 4 April 1581, the dubbing performed by French diplomat Monsieur de Marchaumont. She also bestowed upon him the Drake Jewel, a rare surviving sixteenth-century jewel conserved at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Drake becomes Mayor of Plymouth

Sep 1581

In September 1581, Drake became the Mayor of Plymouth, adding civic leadership to his growing naval and political career.

Drake becomes MP for Bossiney

1584

Drake became a member of parliament again in 1584 for Bossiney, on the forming of the 5th Parliament of Elizabeth I.

Anglo-Spanish War begins

1585

Drake's circumnavigation inaugurated an era of conflict with Spain. War broke out between England and Spain in 1585 after the signing of the Treaty of Nonsuch.

Image source: Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604)

Expedition to the Caribbean and attack on San Agustín

Sep 1585 - Jun 6, 1586

An expedition left Plymouth in September 1585 with Drake commanding twenty-one ships and 1,800 soldiers under Christopher Carleill. During the return leg, on 6 June 1586, he attacked the wooden Spanish fort at San Agustín in Spanish Florida and burnt the town to the ground.

Drake serves as vice admiral against the Spanish Armada

1588

Having started as a simple seaman, in 1588 Drake was second-in-command of the English fleet that fought against and repulsed the Spanish Armada, serving as vice admiral.

Image source: Spanish Armada

Drake serves as vice admiral against the Spanish Armada

Spanish Armada sails against England

May 1588 - Jul 29, 1588

The Spanish Armada set sail for England in May 1588 and arrived on the English coast on 29 July near Cornwall, as a precursor to invasion.

English counter-armada attacks Spain

1589

In 1589, the year after the failure of the Spanish Armada, the English sent their own armada to attack Spain. Despite never being publicly admonished on charges relating to it, Drake fell out of favour and did not receive command of another naval expedition until 1595.

Image source: English Armada

Drake becomes MP for Plymouth

1593

In 1593, Drake became a member of parliament for Plymouth, the third constituency he represented during his political career.

Failed campaigns at Las Palmas and San Juan

1595

In 1595, Drake failed to conquer the port of Las Palmas and, following a disastrous campaign against Spanish America, unsuccessfully attacked San Juan de Puerto Rico, losing the Battle of San Juan.

Image source: Battle of San Juan (1595)

Legacy

Death of Francis Drake off Portobelo

Jan 28, 1596

A few weeks after his failed assault on Panama, Drake died on 28 January 1596 (aged about 56) of dysentery while anchored off the coast of Portobelo, where some Spanish treasure ships had sought shelter.

Victorian hero-worship of Drake

1898

Julian Corbett's biography Drake and the Tudor Navy (1898) identified Drake as the single most important figure in the founding and triumph of the British navy, exemplifying Victorian-era hero worship.

Sir Francis Drake TV series airs

1961 - 1962

Drake was the subject of a television series, Sir Francis Drake, which aired from 1961 to 1962.

Image source: Sir Francis Drake (TV series)

Key Facts

In 1577, Queen Elizabeth I commissioned Drake for an expedition against the Spanish along the Pacific coast of the Americas.
Between 1577 and 1580, Drake became the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe aboard his ship, the Golden Hind.
In 1581, Queen Elizabeth I knighted Drake aboard the Golden Hind in recognition of his achievements.
In 1588, Drake served as vice admiral of the English fleet that defeated the Spanish Armada, a turning point in Anglo-Spanish relations.
Drake died of dysentery on January 28, 1596, off the coast of Portobelo, Panama, during his final expedition against Spanish holdings in the Caribbean.

Source

This Francis Drake timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

We work hard to keep these timelines accurate, but mistakes do get through. If you spot one, email us at [email protected] and we'll fix it for future visitors.

Create a timeline like this one for free

Generate yours with AI, or build it from scratch.

Try It for Free