Royal warrant signed by King James I authorized Raleigh’s final expedition after his imprisonment in the Tower of London.
BOSTON, MA — Sir Walter Raleigh was released from the Tower of London in 1615 by order of King James VI, a decision recorded in a royal warrant that sold for $81,251 at Boston-based RR Auction’s Fine Autographs and Artifacts sale, which concluded March 18.
The document, signed “James R” and addressed to Sir George More, authorized Raleigh to leave imprisonment under supervision so he could prepare for a sea voyage. It directs that he be allowed to “furnish himself with shippinge and other necessary provisions,” reflecting the king’s approval of Raleigh’s plan to undertake the expedition at his own expense.
Raleigh, an English courtier, explorer, and writer, had been imprisoned following his conviction for treason after James’s accession. During his confinement, he proposed a return expedition to the Orinoco region in South America, where he believed a source of gold could be found, contributing to enduring accounts associated with El Dorado.
The 1615 warrant marked a temporary reversal of Raleigh’s fortunes, allowing him to organize the voyage that would depart in 1617. The document captures the formal authorization behind that effort after years of imprisonment.
The expedition ended unsuccessfully. A detachment of Raleigh’s men attacked a Spanish outpost in violation of existing agreements, his son was killed in the encounter, and no gold was found. Upon his return to England, Raleigh was arrested again, and his earlier death sentence was reinstated. He was executed in 1618.
“Sir Walter Raleigh spent years in the Tower of London dreaming up this expedition as his ticket out,” said Bobby Livingston, executive vice president at RR Auction. “This warrant is King James literally signing off on that dream, and it ended on the executioner’s block. I’m not surprised a savvy collector recognized the historical importance of this document,” Livingston added.
The warrant records the moment royal authority enabled Raleigh’s final expedition, linking the decision to the events that followed.
The document was sold as part of RR Auction’s Fine Autographs and Artifacts sale, which concluded March 18 and realized a total of $1.4 million.
Additional information is available at www.rrauction.com.
