Tudor Times is the online repository for all things Tudor and Stewart (1485–1625)

On 28th August 1595, Sir Francis Drake and Sir John Hawkins departed England on what was to prove their final voyage. Whilst the Spanish Armada of 1588 had been defeated, this by no means meant that the power of Spain was overcome, and throughout the 1590s there had been further low-level warfare. One of the tactics employed was the capturing of the Spanish ships, returning from the West Indies, laden with the silver and other precious items found there. This had the added advantage of enriching the Queen (who was desperately short of cash to pay for armies) and the captains themselves. On this particular occasion, they headed for San Juan, in Puerto Rico, but, despite two attempts, failed to capture the port. Both Drake and Hawkins fell ill during the voyage, dying and being buried at sea.

On 27th August 1513, Katharine of Aragon, Regent of England, issued warrants for the confiscation of all lands held by Scots in England. Her husband, Henry VIII, had left Katharine to govern the country as he invaded France, in the hope of emulating his great predecessor, Henry V. France, however, had an ally in Scotland, and, as relationships had broken down between England and Scotland since the death of Henry VII, it was likely that an invasion from the north could be expected.

Whilst the majority of England’s troops and commanders had crossed the channel, the 72- year old Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey (a veteran of Bosworth) had been left behind to defend the home front. As news came that the Scots, under James IV, planned to fulfil their treaty obligations to France, Queen Katharine and Surrey prepared to repel them. Read more on James IV and his campaign here.

On 26th August 1600, Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, was released from the house arrest he had been subject to since the previous September, when he had returned from his post of Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, in complete disobedience to the Queen’s orders. Essex was the grandson of Elizabeth’s cousin, Katherine Carey, Lady Knollys, and was also the step-son of her favourite, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester.

Essex had been highly favoured by the Queen since the death of Leicester, after the Armada, and had shown himself to be both brilliant and foolish, courageous, foolhardy and proud. Essex was also a quarrelsome man, and, as Elizabeth’s powers waned her court became riven by factions, largely led by Essex in opposition to the Queen’s new chief minister, Robert Cecil. Read more about the Essex Rebellion that finally led to disaster here.