Born in
England in 1540; was a cousin of
Sir Walter Raleigh.
When a mere youth he served in the imperial army of
Germany against the Turks, and on his return was appointed to a command in
Ireland, and made sheriff of Cork.
In 1571 he had a seat in Parliament and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth.
The colonization schemes of his kinsman commanded his ardent approval, and on April 9, 1585, he sailed from
Plymouth, England, in command of some ships fitted out by
Raleigh, bearing 180 colonists and a full complement of seamen, for the coast of
Virginia.
Ralph Lane, a soldier of experience, accompanied him as governor of the colony.
Thomas Harriott, a distinguished mathematician and astronomer, was with them as historian and naturalist (see
Harriott, Thomas) ; also
Thomas Cavendish, the eminent English navigator, who sailed around the earth.
Grenville was more intent upon plunder and finding gold than planting a colony; the choice of him for commander was unfortunate.
Sailing over the usual long southern route, they did not reach the coast of
Florida until June, and as they went up the coast they encountered a storm off a point of land that nearly wrecked them, and they called it
Cape Fear.
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They finally landed on
Roanoke Island, with
Manteo, whom they had brought back from
England, and who had been created
Lord of
Roanoke.
Grenville sent him to the mainland to announce the arrival of the
English, and
Lane and his principal companions soon followed the dusky peer.
For eight days they explored the country and were hospitably entertained everywhere.
At an Indian village a silver cup was stolen from one of the Englishmen, and was not immediately restored on demand.
Grenville ordered the whole town to be destroyed, with all the standing maize, or Indian corn, around it. This wanton act kindled a flame of hatred in the bosoms of the natives that could not be quenched.
Not observing this, the commander left the colony and returned to
England with his ships.
These all became piratical cruisers on the seas, and entered the harbor of
Plymouth on Sept. 18, laden with plunder from Spanish galleons.
Governor Lane also treated the natives cruelly, and they became greatly exasperated in spite of the soothing influence of
Harriott, their benefactor.
In mortal fear of the Indians, their provisions exhausted, and no ship arriving from
England, they hailed with joy the appearance of
Sir Francis Drake, who, returning from the
West Indies, touched at
Roanoke Island (see
Drake, Sir Francis). They gladly entered his ship and returned to
England.
About three weeks afterwards
Grenville arrived there with three ships, laden with provisions.
Leaving fifteen men on the deserted spot to keep possession of the country,
Grenville again sailed for
England.
He afterwards, as vice-admiral, performed notable exploits against the Spaniards, but finally, in a battle with a large Spanish fleet off the
Azores, in 1591, he was wounded, made prisoner, and soon afterwards died.
