Sir Walter Ralegh 1554-1618

The famous event of the cloak is believed to have occurred at Greenwich Palace. Soon after his return from Ireland, Ralegh, dressed very flamboyantly as usual, was walking with the Queen and other courtiers. When they came to a muddy puddle Ralegh spread out his plush velvet cloak so that the Queen would not have to step in the dirt. Whether it was true or not, Ralegh was rewarded 'with many suits', the lease of Durham House on the Strand and many other privileges.

Ralegh was the son of a Devonshire squire but his family, particularly on his mother's side, had some important connections. One of these was Humphrey Gilbert, an explorer and adventurer. He accompanied Ralegh on his first trip to the West Indies on a mission to attack Spanish ships laden with gold. Ralegh's family were fervent Protestants and believed that Catholic Spain was England's greatest enemy. Ralegh was ambitious and knew that to gain the notice of the Queen he had to prove himself as a soldier and explorer. For this reason he also went to Ireland (where his family had some land) and quelled a rebellion there. These exploits and his prowess as a poet enabled him to join the inner circle at Court.

Walter Ralegh is given the credit for introducing both tobacco and potatoes to Britain, although both of these were already known from Spanish explorers. Ralegh was convinced that tobacco was a good cure for coughs and often smoked a pipe.

When Ralegh's cousin Humphrey Gilbert died on an expedition to Newfoundland, Ralegh continued his explorations in North America with the aim of finding and mining gold and increasing trade. In 1585 Ralegh took a party of colonists to found a settlement on the east coast of North America. They landed in North Carolina, which Ralegh named 'Virginia' in honour of Elizabeth, the Virgin Queen.