Figure 1.--Sir Walter Raleigh was one of the important figures of the Elizabethan Age. He became a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I. He was not only hansome and witty, but one of the Sea Dogs. His privateering brought a fortune in Sanish bullion to the Queen. He also organized important expeditions to the New World. Here we see 'The Boyhood of Raleigh' painted by Sir John Everett Millais in 1870. The original is in the Tate Gallery. We are not sure which boy is Raleigh, but assume it is the boy in green.

Here we see 'The Boyhood of Raleigh' painted by Sir John Everett Millais in 1870. The background is the Devonshire coast, near where Sir Walter Raleigh was born. The old sailor was a professional model, but the boys were Millais son's. The elder, in green, on the left is Everett, the younger son George is on the right. Sadly George died of typhoid fever in 1878. He was 13 years old when the 'Boyhood' was painted. Everett was age 14. The costumes are presumably Millais perception of Elizabethan dress. I am not sure how accurate the depiction is. They came from an affluent family so you would assume they woud have been dressed well. What Millais has captured is the spirit of awe and adventured that captivated English boys at the dawn of the Royal Navy. Wether they would have been dressed this well, we think is an open question. Millais was one of the important figures of 19th century British art who fell out of favor with 20th century art critics absorbed with abstract depictions. Raleigh was one of the great figures of the Elizabethan age.

The Painting

Here we see 'The Boyhood of Raleigh' painted by Sir John Everett Millais in 1870. The background is the Devonshire coast, near where Sir Walter Raleigh was born. The old sailor was a professional model, but the boys were Millais son's. The elder, in green, on the left is Everett, the younger son George is on the right. Sadly George died of typhoid fever in 1878. He was 13 years old when the 'Boyhood' was painted. Everett was age 14. The costumes are presumably Millais perception of Elizabethan dress. I am not sure how accurate the depiction is. They came from an affluent family so you would assume they woud have been dressed well. Wether they would have been dressed this well, we think is an open question. The original is in the Tate Gallery. We are not sure which boy is Raleigh, but assume it is the boy in green. A reader writes, "The more I look at this picture I get the impression that Raleigh is the boy in Green too. Another reason is that you see the boy in green first than look at the other boy. The boy in green is all agog with tales of the sea." Millais of coutse painting in the 19th century can only guess at the scene. Wee are unsure about the clothing details. We do not know enough about the 16th century to reasonably assess the clothing depictions. What Millais has captured is the spirit of awe and adventured that captivated English boys at the dawn of the Royal Navy.

Sir John Everett Millais

Sir John Everett Millais was an English portrait and historical painter who worked in the second half of the 19th Century. Millais was born in Southhampton in 1829. Millais' family came from the Channel Islands, hence the French name. He was not of recent French descent. We have very little informatiin about his boyhood. He was popular in his day, but is today not well known outside art cirrcles. He has been criticized by art experts for "sickly sweet portraits of children". His reputation as an artist is currently undergoing a re-evaluation. While few today would be able to identify his paintings, his work "Bubbles" is noe of the best known artistic works ever painted. It also played an important part in the history of advertising.

Sir Walter Raleigh

Sir Walter Raleigh was one of the important figures of the Elizabethan Age. Historians believe he was born about 1552 at Hayes Barton, Devonshire. He was a gifted courtier and became a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I. He was not only hansome and witty, but one of the Sea Dogs. His privateering was done with his half-brother Sir Humphrey Gilbert. His privateering brought a fortune in Spanish bullion to the Queen. He also organized important expeditions to the New World. “On March 25,1584, Raleigh received a patent from the Queen granting him title to any lands he might discover and claim in the name of the crown (1584). He duispatched an expedition from Plymouth commanded by Phillip Amadas and Arthur Barlowe. They landed off the coast of what is now known as North Carolina and established the Roanoke colony. They brought back two Native Americans named Manteo and Wanchese. As a result of this, Raleigh was knighted by the Queen (1585). When the English returned to Roanoke, the colonists had disappeared without a trace. He angered the Queen by secretly marrying Bessie Throckmorton. The Queen locked both of them in the Tower, but they were released by Christmas. When the English learned of King Philip's plans to invade, Raleigh helped lead an Ebglish attack on the Cadiz to disrupt the Spanish preparations. The success of the expedition helped return Raleigh to Elizabeth's good graces. He led an expedition up the Orinoco River in modern Venezuela to find gold (1595). The expedition failed, but a widely exagerted book he wrote about the expedition proved popular. He fought with the French Huguenots (1596). Raleigh's sucess rested in large measure with the favor of the Queen. King James I had no such sentimental attachment.

Royal Navy

King Henry VIII is often credited as the founder of the Royal Navy. Queen Elizabeth's support for privateers, however, played a major role in establishing English naval power. For the next four centuries has played a central role in modern history. It is no exageration to say that Royal Navy was the critical force in the creation of the modern world. The Royal Navy is common seen as an instrument of British colonialism and the suppression of many Asian and african peoples. This is certainly true. It is also true that the Royal Navy helped establish the modern world trading system. It broke up the closed international system established by Spain and Portugal and replaced it with a much more open system. The Royal Navy impact on the modern world is extensive and pervasive. The Royal Navy chartered sea lanes around the world. There are few ports and sea coasts that have not been touched in some way by the Royal Navy. The Royal Navy played an important role in the Indistrial Revolution. It helped to defeat series of opponents for the most part countries goverened by authoritarian or dictatorial rulers (Philip II, Louis XIV, Napoleon, Kaiser Wilhelm II, and Hitler). Thus the Royal Navy played a key role in establishing parlimentary democracies in the modern world. It was the Royal Navy that ended the slave trade. Although the Royal Navy played a major role in the Revolutionary war, it is also true that for much of the early history, the Royal Navy provided a shield from European interference behind which the American Republic developed. The prestige of the Royal Navy by the 19th century was such that the uniform of the British enlisted sailor became a standard outfit not only for British boys, but also for boys throughout Europe and North America.

Created: 3:12 AM 4/20/2008
Last updated: 8:07 PM 4/20/2008