3678 x 4966 px | 31,1 x 42 cm | 12,3 x 16,6 inches | 300dpi
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Sir Humphrey Gilbert (c. 1539 – 9 September 1583) was an English, murderer, adventurer, explorer, member of parliament, and soldier from Devon, who served the crown during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England. . He put the heads of Irish people on stakes around his camps to show the supremacy of the crown during his successful Irish campaigns. One of the pioneers of English colonization, he also claimed what is thought to be the first English property in North America. He was a half-brother (through his mother) of Sir Walter Raleigh. On 9 September, the frigate Squirrel was nearly overwhelmed but recovered. Despite the persuasions of others, who wished him to take to one of the larger vessels, Gilbert stayed put and was observed sitting in the stern of his little frigate, reading a book. When the Golden Hind came within hailing distance, the crew heard him cry out repeatedly, "We are as near to Heaven by sea as by land!" as he lifted his palm to the skies to illustrate his point. At midnight the frigate's lights were extinguished, and the watch on the Golden Hind cried out that, "the Generall was cast away". The Squirrel had gone down with all hands. It is thought Gilbert's reading material was the Utopia of Sir Thomas More, which contains the following passage: "He that hathe no grave is covered with the skye: and, the way to heaven out of all places is of like length and distance."