The Quiet Power Behind England’s Rise at Sea

On this day in Tudor history, 7 October 1589, the bells of Deptford tolled for William Hawkins: merchant, sea captain, three-time mayor of Plymouth, and the steadier, quieter elder of the famous Hawkins brothers. Buried at St Nicholas’s, his monument is lost, but his impact isn’t.

In this episode, I trace how Hawkins turned Plymouth into a launchpad for Elizabethan sea power:

• From Brazil voyages with his father to a Plymouth shipowner and civic powerhouse
• Privateering in the Channel during the 1557–58 war and pushing London for reprisals after San Juan de Ulúa
• Building Plymouth’s infrastructure (new water conduit, weighhouse, grain transport) and securing Hawkins’ Quay
• Leading a bold 1582–83 venture via Cape Verde to the Caribbean (Margarita, Puerto Rico)
• Backing, and benefiting from, ventures tied to the 1560s transatlantic slave trade
• Helping marshal seven Plymouth ships against the Spanish Armada in 1588

Not a household name like Drake or John Hawkins, William was the engineer of capacity - the quay-master, quartermaster, and mayor who kept ships, money, and men moving when England needed them most.

Had you heard of this Hawkins before today? Tell me in the comments, and if you enjoy daily Tudor deep dives, please like, subscribe, and ring the bell.

 

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