The Elizabethan Sea-Dogs

Posted by Joseph Allen McCullough May 6, 2007

One day, when I was around ten years old, my father announced that the two of us were going to see the Golden Hind, the sailing ship of the pirate Sir Francis Drake. Actually the ship was a reproduction that was touring the world in order to better understand the mechanics of 16th century sailing, but this hardly mattered to me.

That day is so long ago now that I can only remember a few impressions: the welling excitement as we drove three hours to the coast, the sight of the ship resting in the water, the horrendously cramped confines where men slept on top of stacks of Spanish gold, and most importantly, the time spent with my Dad.

For years afterward, a poster of the Golden Hind hung upon my wall, and ever since I’ve taken an interest in the man who captained her.

Sir Francis Drake was a pirate, few would really argue that he wasn’t, and yet, the term is not the best. These days, the common vision of a pirate is an outlaw who roamed the sea, plundering whoever he came across and answering to no law or higher power. This was not true of Sir Francis Drake.

Sir Francis Drake certainly roamed the seas looking for plunder, but he was choosey about who he took it from. The Spanish were his main target, and in many ways his actions were more part of an undeclared war than general piracy. Also, Drake was foremost a servant of the Queen. When she called upon him to fight for her, he always came, even sailing against the mighty Spanish Armada.

There is a term that is more fitting for Sir Francis Drake, “Elizabethan Sea-Dog.” This group, which included Sir Francis Drake, John Hawkins, Sir Walter Raleigh and others, was a group of men who mixed the aspects of Pirates, Explorers, Naval Commanders, Slavers, Businessmen, and Adventurers. They weren’t always a noble lot, but to lump them in with Pirates such as Black Beard would be to do them a disservice.

If you’d like to know more about Sir Francis Drake or his friend and contemporary Sea-Dog, John Hawkins, please check out my articles…