| Title | Tiger |
| Source | Dr. Pascal Brioist, Professor at University of Tours. Lecture notes and images from April 2, 2009. |
| Origin | "A brief and True Reort of the Newfoundland of Virginia" by Thomas Harriot |
Tiger/Tyger (fl. 1584-1588): ; ; The Tiger was the flagship or “admiral” of the little fleet of the 1585 Roanoke Voyage under Sir Richard Grenville. Much of our present knowledge of this expedition comes from a journal (“the Tiger journal”) written by an anonymous member of the Tiger’s company which was subsequently printed by Richard Hakluyt. Due to this we know a great deal more about the Tiger than about any of the other vessels involved in the voyage. One of Queen Elizabeth’s own ships, the use of the Tiger was granted to Raleigh by the Queen specifically for this venture, though it is unclear whether as a loaned gift, or whether its use was paid for by Raleigh, or, as Quinn thinks most likely, as a risked business investment (or “adventure”) on which she hoped and expected a profitable return. ; Classed as a ‘great ship,’ she is described as a galleass of, according to varying accounts, either 160 or 200 tons, fitted on the Thames and armed with a battery of thirteen guns (six demi-culverins, six sakers, and one minion) arranged in two tiers, and accompanied by an attached pinnace. Sir Richard Grenville (general and captain of the expedition), Simon Fernandez (master of the ship and chief pilot of the fleet), Philip Amadas (admiral of Virginia and second in command of the naval side of things) and Ralph Lane (lieutenant of the expedition) all sailed on the Tiger along with 160 men (of the total 600 men embarking on the voyage), about half of whom were sailors and half soldiers.; The Tiger led the seven-vessel-strong expedition’s departure from Plymouth on the ninth of April, 1585. However, within days a storm in the Bay of Portugal had separated the Tiger from the rest of the fleet, as well as sinking her pinnace, and she was forced to make her way alone to the West Indies from there, reaching the Canaries by 14 April and, after the lengthy passage across the sea, reaching Dominica on 7 May, pressing on past St. Croix (along the Southern coast of Puerto Rico) and landing briefly on the Island of Cotesa on 10 May. After this, on 12 May (Quinn’s decided date, although the various primary source accounts seem to differ somewhat), the Tiger anchored in Musquetal Bay (AKA: Las Boquillas and Tallaboa), Puerto Rico for an extended stay so that the crew might build a new pinnace to attach to the ship, a necessary delay as the pinnace was indispensible for its utility in exploring the shallow inlets around Roanoke Island, as well as for capturing prizes. A rather elaborate fort-camp was made, and construction on the pinnace was begun on 13 May. Following this, the Spanish appeared on 16 May, much to the displeasure of the English, who feared an attack, and Cavendish arrived in the Elizabeth on 19 May, shortly before the completion of the pinnace’s construction on 23 May and the subsequent departure. Just after her departure, the Tiger lay in ambuscade in Mona Harbor and captured a brace of Spanish frigates all in one night and without a struggle, one small, the other large and carrying a valuable cargo of cloth, thus adding two vessels to the expedition’s fleet. Between 23 and 28 May the Tiger anchored along St. German, stealing salt from the salt mounds and nearly getting several men killed by the Spaniards before setting out on 29 May for the North Coast of Hispaniola. At this point the little fleet was five ships strong, including as it did, the Tiger, her pinnace, the Elizabeth, and the two captured Spanish frigates. On 1 June the Tiger and co. anchored at Isabella, trading with the Spanish, and set sail to the Northwest on 7 June, subsequently making appearances at the Caicos Islands and the Bahamas on 9 June, Guanima on 12 June, Ciguateo (Great Abaco) on 15-16 June, and finally sighting the American main on 20 June. On 23 June the Tiger had a bit of a perilous time navigating the shoals off of Cape Fear, and on 26 June, upon reached Wococan (present day Portsmouth Island), she stayed out to sea while the rest of the fleet briefly ran aground on a shallow sand bar while attempting to enter the harbor. Fortunately all the vessels soon safely floated off, but luck was not to hold. On 29 June the Tiger attempted to enter the harbor, but, evidently due to the negligence of Simon Ferdinando, was run aground at the Wococan Inlet, stuck for two hours and suffering a great deal of damage before she eventually broke loose and was able to be beached. Unfortunately, her damage had included a great deal of leakage into her hold, damaging or destroying the vast majority of the expedition’s provisions and foodstuffs.; Sometime between 8 and 11 July the fleet was finally reunited. The text is unclear on this point but it seems likely that the Roebuck, the Lion, the Dorothy, and the second pinnace had reached the outer banks before the Tiger. In early July, while exploration and such was occurring, the sorely damaged Tiger was caulked and refloated in Wococan before finally, in 21 July it was able to sail North to Hatarask, entering the harbor on 27 July where, on 29 July, Grangino, the brother of Wingina, and Manteo boarded the Tiger to interact and trade with the English.; The Tiger departed the Roanoke Island area on 25 August, actually leaving for England on 31 August (possibly roving and searching for more privateering captures in the time between). However, that same day she came across the Santa Maria, a richly laden 300 or 400 ton Spanish merchant flagship, which was captured after a brief fracas. The Tiger and Santa Maria made their way back towards England together from 31 August to 10 September, at which point they were separated by a storm, after which the Tiger was again forced to make its way alone, reaching Falmouth, England on 6 October. The damage sustained by the Tiger at Wococan necessitated its being consequently subjected to major repairs in England, meaning that it was unable to take the lead on the subsequent Roanoke Voyages. However, it appears that the Tiger, again in Raleigh’s employ and commanded by Grenville, may have been conscripted and used in the naval efforts against the Spanish armada in 1588.;
Works Cited: ; The Roanoke Voyages, 1584-1590: Volumes I-II, ed. David Beers Quinn (London: Hakluyt Society, 1955), 11, 23-6, 62, 120-1, 140-1, 158-62, 164, 166-70, 174-83, 187-9, 191-3, 199, 201-2, 212, 216, 218-19, 222, 228, 230-1, 236, 275, 344, 380, 383-4, 403-4, 465, 475, 554, 557, 728, 731, 733, 736, 742, 786, 868.;