Golden Hinde

The Golden Hind was a famous galleon captained by Sir Francis Drake during his epic circumnavigation of the globe between 1577 and 1580. Originally named “Pelican”, Drake renamed the ship mid-voyage in 1578 to honour his patron, Sir Christopher Hatton, whose family crest featured a golden hind (a female red deer). Hatton was one of the principal backers of Drake’s expedition.

Drake’s voyage had the backing of Queen Elizabeth I, who partly sponsored the mission. The official goal was to explore new lands and establish trade routes, but the Queen was keen on another outcome—inflicting as much damage as possible on Spain, England’s main rival at the time. Drake’s role as a privateer (essentially a state-sanctioned pirate) allowed him to capture Spanish ships and treasures, eventually contributing to the start of the Anglo-Spanish War. Before he set sail, the Queen met Drake and reportedly told him, “We would gladly be revenged on the King of Spain for divers injuries that we have received.”

The *Golden Hind* was modelled after the Spanish ship *Victoria*, the first vessel to circumnavigate the world. The Golden Hind was around 120 tons, representing the shift from the carrack to the galleon shipbuilding style. Drake set off in December 1577 with five small ships and a crew of 164, reaching the coast of Brazil by early 1578.

One of the most famous events of the voyage occurred on March 1, 1579, when the *Golden Hind* captured the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de la Concepción off the coast of Ecuador. The haul from this ship was enormous, including 360,000 pesos worth of treasure (the equivalent of nearly £480 million today). The loot included 26 tons of silver, half a ton of gold, porcelain, jewellery, coins, and other riches.

By September 26, 1580, Drake returned to Plymouth with just 56 of his original crew. The Golden Hind was unloaded under guard, and the treasure included precious metals and six tons of cloves from the Spice Islands, which were worth their weight in gold. Queen Elizabeth went aboard the *Golden Hind* after it was docked permanently in Deptford and even arranged for the French ambassador to knight Drake there.

The Queen’s share of the treasure was massive, enough to clear her government’s debt and still leave a sizable fortune. The returns were staggering—£47 for every £1 invested, which equates to a 4,700% profit. After the voyage, the Golden Hind was displayed publicly at Deptford, becoming the first “museum ship.” It remained there for decades until it eventually rotted away around 1650 after Queen Elizabeth’s death.

A few relics of the ship survive. Some of its timbers were used to make the famous Drake Chair, now housed in the Bodleian Library at Oxford. A table known as “the cupboard” at Middle Temple Hall in London is also said to have been crafted from the ship’s wood. Though the ship itself is long gone, its legacy lives on through these artefacts and the incredible tale of its journey.