Sunday, September 2, 2012

Elizabethan Fact of the Day: Sir Francis Drake and the Potato

Sir Francis Drake by Marcus Gheeraerts,1591. Drake is shown wearing the Drake Jewel, given to him by Queen Elizabeth I in 1586. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain. 
The Drake Jewel, awarded to Sir Francis Drake by Queen Elizabeth I in 1586. The Drake Jewel currently resides in the collection of the Victoria an Albert Museum. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons courtesy Aiwok.

The white potato first arrived in England in 1586, when it was brought over from the America's by Sir Francis Drake. Drake also brought back Guinea Pigs, which Queen Elizabeth I and her courtiers kept as pets. 

For more on Queen Elizabeth and her Guinea Pigs, click HERE.