Sir John Hawkins

By Francesc

a

1532-1595

Family and early

years John Hawkins was the second son of Joan Trelawny (his

mother) and William Hawkins (his father.) He had a brother called Sir Riccio and a second cousin Sir Francis Drake who was also a famous explorer in the Tudor times.

His father (William Hawkins) was a sea captain and ship owner.

He was born in 1532 which was 1 year before Queen Elizabeth I.

In his early years he was well educated. He was educated in mathematics and was quite good at it.

Before he was twenty he had killed a man (in a tavern fight) named White. However, he was given a royal pardon as it is thought to have been self-defence.

Voyages On his first voyage ,1562-1563, he set sail with three

ships and aimed to get to the Caribbean.He went there to do trade but eventually it turned into slavery ; after that most of his voyages were to do slavery.

On his Second voyage ,1564-1565, he partnered up with Elizabeth I and she lent him a seven hundred ton ship.

He took that ship as well as three other smaller ships with him on the voyages.Once he had arrived and had traded his slaves he started journeying to sell the slaves. He took hundreds of slaves and 400 african people survived.

His third voyage began in 1567-1569 and he journeyed to Africa to get more slaves from traders. He managed to get around 400 african slaves across the Atlantic to sell.

What did he do that changed the Tudor

times? John Hawkins brought tobacco to Britain and everybody liked it as they didn’t know how bad it is for your body.Without him maybe nobody would smoke.

He started slavery for the British not knowing that it was bad, although, nobody thought it was bad until much later.

He also brought potatoes to Britain.

John Hawkins was one of the people who discovered parts of the Americas. However, he was the first from Britain.

He founded a hospital for sick and old sailors, and in 1594 he founded a second hospital. He also made sure that all of the sailors that worked for him were looked after properly and that they were paid enough money.

Death Sir John Hawkins

and his second cousin both fell ill at sea at the same time.

They both died when they were out at sea.

He died in 1595 and his second cousin died just after him.

His coat of arms