Richard Hawkins

Richard Hawkins (circa 1560-1622), English naval hero, the only son of Sir John Hawkins, born in Plymouth. He served as a captain during the expedition of Sir Francis Drake to the West Indies in 1585 and commanded the royal ship Swallow during the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. In 1593 he began a voyage around the world with the intention of preying on the Spanish colonies in South America. After plundering the town of Valparaíso, Chile, he was captured by two Spanish ships and was imprisoned, first in Lima, Peru, and then, in 1597, in Spain. He was ransomed in 1602 and returned to England, where he was knighted in 1603. In 1604 he was elected to Parliament, and in the same year he became vice admiral of Devonshire.