Merchant Adventurers: The Voyage of Discovery that Transformed Tudor England by James Evans
| Merchant Adventurers: The Voyage of Discovery that Transformed Tudor England by James Evans | |
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| Category: History | |
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Reviewer: John Van der Kiste
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| Summary: A vivid account of a previously little-chronicled expedition which set sail in 1553 from London to Asia, set within the framework of the early years of 16th-century exploration and Tudor England. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 383 | Date: October 2014 |
| Publisher: Phoenix | |
| ISBN: 9781780221021 | |
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We tend to associate the golden age of global navigation and exploration with the Elizabethan age and such luminaries as Drake, Raleigh and Hawkins. This book does us all a service in reminding us of the original pioneers, whom they overshadowed and who seem less well-remembered these days.
The saga really begins at the turn of the sixteenth century with Johann and Sebastian Cabot, the Venetian father and son who spent a certain amount of time in England, the latter being English by birth. England had lagged behind other European territories in world exploration, but as the opening chapters relate, the Cabots were mainly responsible for helping to build the island nation’s reputation as a major maritime power. Sebastian, who was really the first great English (well, partly English) explorer, laid the foundations with his early explorations to the new world and his skills as a cartographer at Greenwich in the service of King Henry VIII, as well as several years spent in Venice and Seville. All this was to come to fruition with a far more ambitious voyage to find a north-east passage to the Asian continent. By the time he returned to England in 1548, England had begun to learn much from advances in scientific knowledge with regard to astronomy and mathematics as well as cartography. This led to the foundation of the Muscovy Company of Merchant Adventurers, a joint stock enterprise backed by private shareholders and supported by King Edward VI during his brief reign.
This is where the real thrust of the book comes in – the expedition which set sail from London in 1553. The success of this small fleet of three ships would depend largely on the expertise of two men, Sir Hugh Willoughby, a gentleman soldier possessed of leadership skills although he had no nautical experience, and Richard Chancellor, a naval scientist. Their aim was to look for the north-east passage to China, driven by the new Tudor spirit of enterprise and discovery.
To reveal exactly what happened to each in a review of this nature would probably be akin to a spoiler. All I can tell you is that some had better fortune than others. Undertaking a journey of discovery into the great unknown was a hazardous business, and those who ventured forth were always aware of the risks, knowing that they might not return. The luckier crew, having been blown north-east by a severe storm, arrived in the White Sea, and were personally invited by Tsar Ivan IV (‘the Terrible’) to Moscow, a 600-mile journey through snow- and ice-covered terrain, where they were lavishly entertained at court.
Entertaining though the story of the maritime expedition is, I personally found this part of the narrative, concerning the first Englishmen to visit the Asiatic country, the most fascinating of all with its vivid portrait of a territory previously unknown to the western world. The visitors themselves were duly impressed, discovering a city which was seemingly even larger than London, and where most of the houses were built of wood although the palace and indeed the hospitality of the Tsar were both the last word in medieval luxury. As a result, the Englishmen found a good market for their wool, while the Russian ruler was able to open sea trading routes with England and Europe.
Although the book is primarily about one of the first great (and, we might argue, somewhat neglected) voyages of discovery, the author covers several more important facets of Tudor history. It was a time of great advances in modern science, capitalism and commerce as well, and these are all part of the story. Also examined are connections with the court of England which the pioneers had left behind them, particularly in the close family connection between Willoughby and Lady Jane Grey, the hapless nine-day Queen and surely one of the most innocent victims of Queen Mary’s reign of religious terror. A flavour of the turbulent state of England, bitterly divided during the reign of the Catholic monarch, also helps to bring the chronicle vividly to life.
This is a fascinating story well told. Evans has for me a least lifted the cover from what had previously been a poorly-documented yet vital part of the story of Tudor England, or perhaps we might say, the place of Tudor England in the wider world.
For more on the world of medieval exploration, may we also recommend The Fourth Part of the World: The Epic Story of History's Greatest Map by Toby Lester.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Merchant Adventurers: The Voyage of Discovery that Transformed Tudor England by James Evans at Amazon.com.
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