Family of Captain William Amados HAWKINS and Joan Towne TRELAWNEY

Husband: Captain William Amados HAWKINS

Wife: Joan Towne TRELAWNEY

Child 1: Admiral Sir John HAWKINS

	Admiral Sir John HAWKINS, 1576, age 44

Child 2: William Amadas HAWKINS

Note on Husband: Captain William Amados HAWKINS

From the late 1520s, the rise of Plymouth was the work of the remarkable Hawkins family, initially by 'Old Master' William Hawkins, much esteemed by King Henry VIII, who had married a Cornishwoman, Joan Trelawney.

William and Joan were married in 1529. Joan was the only child and heiress of Roger Trelawney, son of John Trelawney and grandson of Sir John Trelawney and Candida Blanche Pownd.

William was a sea Captain and owner of considerable property in Plymouth. He began his career as a merchant, trading with La Rochelle, Bordeaux, Portugal and Spain. He exported tin and cloth and imported Rochelle salt, Bordeaux wine, sugar, pepper, olive oil and soap from Spain and Portugal. He also dealt in Newfoundland fish.

In 1527-28 he and others manned the bulwarks (structures used as a defense against attack) to defend the Argosy (their fleet of merchant ships) against the French.

He became discontented with ordinary voyages to Europe, and in 1528 made the first of his three voyages to Guinea, West Africa and Brazil with his ship the 200 ton Paul of Plymouth. His ships were all equipped, manned and victualled (supplied with food) from Plymouth.

Hawkins had Spanish connections and was allowed to trade in the Americas, Hispaniola and Mexico under the Spanish flag as early as 1526, even serving the Spanish government under Charles V. He also traded with the Portuguese colony of Brazil where Thomas Cromwell was involved in the trade in Brazilwood (from which a red dye for cloth was extracted), sailing there three times, calling at Guinea on his way. In 1530 he traded with Africa near the Sestos river in Upper Guinea for ivory and Melegueta pepper called "Grains of Paradise". On one trip he brought back a native King from Brazil to see Henry VIII, however the native King died en route back to Brazil.

He made his third voyage in 1532, and on his return was chosen to be Mayor of Plymouth, 1532-33. He was again Mayor in 1538-39. In 1539 he was elected "Burgess" or Member of Parliament.

In 1544 he purchased the Manor of Sutton Valletort for 1,000 Marks, which remained in the family until 1637/8. He was designated as the Lord of the Manor of Valletort. "He was a man of his time, a rough, hard hitting, coarse tongued time."

Over his lifetime he held the titles of:

Treasurer to the Corporation of Plymouth 1524-5

Collector of the Subsidy for Devon

Naval Officer of King Henry VIII

Mayor of Plymouth in 1532-33 and 1538-39

Elected Burgess - Member of Parliament in 1539

Lord of the Manor of Valletort

Note on Wife: Joan Towne TRELAWNEY

Joan's ancestry can be traced back to King Henry II of England and King Louis VI of France.