Why Was Sailing Ship Called Golden Hind?

The Golden Hind was a galleon captained by Francis Drake during his circumnavigation of the world between 1577 and 1580. Originally known as Pelican, it was renamed in 1578 in honor of Sir Christopher Hatton, whose crest was a golden hind (a female red deer). The squadron consisted of five vessels: the Pelican, Drake’s own ship, and the Elizabeth, commanded by John Winter. Three smaller vessels were the Marigold, Swan, and Benedict.

A replica of the Golden Hind named the Golden Hinde was built for the 400th anniversary of the circumnavigation in 1973. It sailed from Plymouth on her maiden voyage in late 1975, arriving in San Francisco on 8 May 1975 to commemorate Sir Francis Drake’s claim of New Albion in California. Drake sailed the Golden Hind up the west coast of South America, where in November, a group of indigenous peoples attacked a number of mariners. The Golden Hind was later known as the present-day Golden Hinde, an authentic reconstruction built in Devon in 1973.

After sailing over 140,000 miles around the world, the Golden Hind was a lost ship that returned with a vast fortune in her hold. The amount of the treasure is a secret known only to Elizabeth and Drake, as before the official inventory was taken, Elizabeth told Drake to reimburse himself and reward his crew. The Golden Hinde continued north, attacking Spanish ships and ports, often under the cover of darkness.

The Golden Hind, the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe in an epic expedition of plunder and discovery over four years, is now moored in Brixham. A full-size authentic replica of the ship, also called the Golden Hinde, was built by traditional handcraft in Appledore, North Devon, and launched in 1973.