The Golden Hind
Sir Francis Drake, a famed English explorer, privateer and politician, was the first English-born citizen to circumnavigate the globe. During his tenure as a seafarer, he was a staff member on a number of ships. His vessels are described below.
Drakes early ships
Drake started his life on the water at around age 13. He was hired as a crew member on a merchant vessel that travelled from the mouth of the Thames to various coastal ports on the south side of England. The ship was primarily used to transport bark to these cities. At about the age of 23, Drake became second in command on John Hawkins’ fleet of ships. It was not an uneventful trip: Hawkins, Drake and the crew almost lost some ships to the Portuguese, but instead was able to plunder slaves, ivory, wax and silver.
His association with John Hawkins continued, and in 1567, the two of them sailed to Africa on a pirating mission. They were able to invade Portuguese settlements along the coast of Africa. Their attacks were successful and grew their fleet. Because Hawkins’ crew was thinly spread across the group of ships, Drake was assigned to lead the Gracio Dei, a slave ship, to the Caribbean. There, Drake tried to sell the slaves to the Spaniards, but when they refused to buy them, the fleet of ships attacked them. Drake eventually left for England having sold 110 slaves.
The Golden Hind and Its Sister Ships
In late 1577, Drake was assigned the task of circumnavigating the world by Queen Elizabeth. His fleet initially included five ships led by The Pelican, which carried much of the equipment needed to sail the long trip. It was approximately 100 tons and was built sturdy. The other ships on the mission included The Marigold, which was led by John Thomas; The Swan, which was led by John Chester; The Elizabeth, which was led by John Winter; and The Christopher, which was led by John Moone. After a failed start, the five ships returned to the English mainland. They tried again and sailed to Morocco, where they captured the ship Santa Maria. It was renamed Mary and Thomas Doughty took control of it.
Upon arrival to the southern coast of Brazil, the crew was weary from the voyage and John Doughty led a mutiny. He was immediately arrested and tried, which led to his execution. Nevertheless, the fleet had been under great stress and Drake was forced to leave the Mary, Christopher and Swan behind. The three remaining ships traveled through the Straits of Magellan. Bad weather on the west coast of South America forced The Pelican – renamed The Golden Hind – to make the rest of the journey alone. The Golden Hind’s crew was able to plunder Spanish gold and start a small English colony in the present-day state of California before navigating the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The Golden Hind returned to England with vast riches, and Drake was honored with knighthood in 1581.
