Person:Robert Crosse (5)

Note: His body was interred in Molsham Hall, suggesting that the CROSSes and MOUSONS were related.
Occupation: A career naval officer, Captain of ships commanded by both Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raliegh The Seven Seas?
Note: In 1578, Robert's sister Elizabeth married Thomas Sydenham. His nephew's daughter Elizabeth married Sir Francis Drake. Seven years later, Robert is hired as Captain by Sir Francis Drake in his 1585 expedition against the Spanish in the West Indies.
Event: Sir Robert was sick and staying in Gavebridge. Illness 1600 Gavebridge, England
Event: Sir Robert CROSSE foiled a coup to remove Queen Elizabeth I from power. Misc 1601 London, England
Note: Robert Devereaux, Earl of Essex, had been the Queen's favorite until his secret marriage to the young widow of Philip Sidney. His endeavor to enter politics was quelled when Elizabeth conferred power on Sir Robert Cecil. Essex was made Lord Lieutenant of Ireland at his ownrequest and sent there to quell a rebellion. He returned having failed completely. He attempted a coup but it failed and he was arrested. On 12 Feb 1601, Captain Lee asked for the help of Sir Henry Neville and Sir Robert CROSSE in a plot to force Elizabeth to sign Devereaux's release that evening. Neville and CROSSE reported the matter to Cecil.Lee was found lurking near the Queen's quarters and was arrested. Elizabeth executed both Lee and Devereaux.
Event: Owned a servant named Hugh Moore whom he "accepted" from his friend Sir Robert Cecil.
Slaveowner 1597 London, England
Event: Court JUL 1587 England
Note: CROSSE testified at the trial of Captain William Borough who was accused of deserting his fleet at the Battle of Cadiz.
Event: Knighted 27 JUN 1596 London, England
Note: Acting on behalf of the Queen, CROSSE was knighted by the Earl of Essex for his role in the capture of the city of Cadiz, Spain alongwith many Spanish galley and ships. He had served as
Vice-Admiral to Sir Walter Raleigh squadron (one of four participating an the attack). Event: Captain CROSSE served under both Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raliegh Military des BET 1572 AND 1592 The Seven Seas?

WEB: Peter's House of Blood http://www.familyorigins.com/users/b/l/o/Peter-E-Blood/FAMO4-0001/index.htm
Sir Captain Robert CROSSE was born about 1552 in Charlinch, Somersetshire, England?. He served as a Captain CROSSE served under both Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raliegh between 1572 and 1592 in The Seven Seas?.
He appeared in court in Jul 1587 in England. CROSSE testified at the trial of Captain William Borough who was accused of deserting his fleet at the Battle of Cadiz. He died in 1611 in Charlinch, Somersetshire, England. He was buried on 11 Aug 1611. His body was interred in Molsham Hall, suggesting that the CROSSes and MOUSONS were related.
He was a career naval officer, Captain of ships commanded by both Sir Francis Drake abd Sir Walter Raliegh in The Seven Seas?. In 1578, Robert's sister Elizabeth married Thomas Sydenham. His nephew's daughter Elizabeth married Sir Francis Drake. Seven years later, Robert is hired as Captain by Sir Francis Drake in his 1585 expedition against the Spanish in the West Indies.
He married to Olyve TURNER on 10 Jun 1576 in Saint Michael, London, England. Children were: John CROSS.
He married to Unknown about 1605.
SOURCE: Harold Z. Cross. Descendants of Sir Robert Crosse. By author,August 2000.

Unless specifically stated otherwise, the source of the following is Cross (374):
1572-1573: CROSSE was one of Queen Elizabeth's 500 Berwick soldiers dispatched of to take Edinburgh Castle. A bombardment of the castle began on May 21 and continued for six days until the 160 men inside surrendered. According to on-line historical sources, the "Lang siege" was the most destructive episode in the history of Edinburgh Castle. Sir William Kirkcaldy of Grange, a supporter of Mary Queen of Scots, refused to surrender the castle to the Regent Morton. Morton sought assistance from England and received heavy guns from Berwick. Sir William Kirkcaldy of Grange defended Edinburgh Castle until his surrender in May 1573. He was executed; hung for treason.
1574: Wounded in battle.
1585-1586: CROSS was a Captain aboard Sir Francis Drake's fleet of 29ships and 2300 infantry. They left Plymouth, England 14 Sep 1585. On1 Oct 1585, Voice Admiral Martin Frobisher entered into negotiations with the Spanish commander of the Bayona Islands to During this time, he held two Spaniards hostage; likewise he sent two two of his own men, Captain CROSSE and Captain Sampson to Bayona as hostages. After 5 days of negotiations, an agreement was reached to end English-Spanish hostilities in the West Indies and Captains CROSSE and Sampson were released. On 31 Dec 1585, Drake attacked Santo Domingo and captured the city the next day. A month later, Drake captured Cartagena and a booty of treasure and provisions. Some time in April, Drake attacked the Spanish fort at San Augustine in Florida, picked up some English colonials who had given up on the idea of a settlement on Roanoke island, andreturned to England in June 1586.
1587: Served as one of 8 Captains under Sir Francis Drake who commanded 21 ships including four of the Queen's ships. Each captain commanded his own ship and was assigned a lieutenant, and ensign, two sergeants and four corporals. On 19 Apr 1587, In a surprise attack of the Spanish fleet at Cadiz, Spain, Drake destroyed 24 Spanish ships, many large. Drake soon sailed to Cape St. Vincent in the West Indies and captured the castle there that effectively prevented a planned invasion of England by the Spanish Armada. Drake then sailed to the Azores and, despite his fleet being separated by storm, captured a Portuguese ship valued at Ð140,000. The fleet returned 7 Jul 1587.
1588: Captain CROSSE served as rear admiral of Sir Francis Drake's ships in the historic Battle of Gravelines in the English Channel where the English won a decisive battle against the larger Spanish Armada. Drake's fleet engaged the Spaniards at dawn on 29 Jul 1588 in a close cannon battle that raged until the afternoon. CROSSE commanded the Queen's ship "The Hope," which was one of the few ships to sink a Spanish vessel with its cannons (the 272-man 24-cannon La Maria Juan). Most ofthe Armada were caught in a storm and blown into the North Sea. In the end, English looses were minor but 1500 Spanish were killed or drowned and another 800 were wounded.
1589: As Provost Marshall for of Sir Francis Drake, CROSSE was in charge of provisioning the 15 supply ships that supported the attack on Lisbon by Drake's 180 ships and their 20,000 men. Drake lost 10,000 mento disease and failed to defeat Lisbon causing Queen Elizabeth to scale back the undeclared war with Spain to privateering of Spanish shipping, but the strategy yielded many rewards.
1592: Sir Walter Raleigh was commissioned to lead 16 ships on a expedition to raid Spanish ships in the West Indies. Captain CROSSE commanded the ship "Foresight," and was to serve as Raleigh's Vice-admiral and Captain John Borough's General of land forces. Before departing, however, Queen Elizabeth learned that five large Portuguese carracks (treasure ships) had left the West Indies for Lisbon. Elizabeth wanted the carracks captured and replaced Raleigh with Sir Martin Frobisher despite Raleigh's doubt that his crew would follow someone else. Frobisher split Raleigh's fleet in two and ordered the smaller squadron to St. Vincent and the larger (including the ships of Captain CROSSE and Boroughs) to the Azores to lie in wait, but CROSSE and Borough refused to serve Frobisher and set out on their own. Frobisher, left with only two or three ships, returned to England empty handed. The English engaged with the carrack Santa Croce, but it escaped. They later engaged the Madre de Dios, one of the largest carracks in the Portuguese fleet, but all but one were forced to disengage to avoid sinking, haven taken critical shots. Only one English ship remained to "capture" the 1600-ton Madre de Dios: the 300-ton Foresight, commanded by Captain CROSSE. To prevent the Madre de Dios from escaping like the Santa Croce, CROSSE ordered the Foresight be lashed to the side of the huge carrack. This rendered the Foresight helpless but slowed the escape of the Madre de Dios. CROSSE ordered his crew board the Madre de Dios. They were unable to capture the carrack alone, but within two hours came the Samson and Tiger and the crew of these two ships joined the melee. After another hour of bloody battle, the English captured the Madrede Dios. Unfortunately, some time after returning to England, CROSSE found himself arrested. Some of his men were seen selling plundered goods. Queen Elizabeth wanted the ship immediately inventoried to ensureher customary 1/3 share of the spoils. She seized all of the returning ships and ordered Sir Walter Raleigh to oversee the inventory (she had to first release him from prison where he was locked for secretly marrying Elizabeth's maid of honor). For illegally plundering the spoils of the Queen's ship. Whether CROSSE was convicted is not clear but Elizabeth took a share larger than her customary third. CROSSE was able to keep enough diamonds, pearls, and rubies to make it worth while.
1595: CROSSE was forced to return the Queen's ship to Plymouth aftera unsuccessful expedition to the West Indies where he suffered for lack of provisions and sickness among the crew. In a letter to Sir Robert Cecil, he expresses deep remorse for failing her majesty and concern that his reputation might be judged by only his latest mission. Reasons for remorse proved to be short lived.
1596: In June, a naval force of four squadrons attacked Cadiz, Spain under command of the Earl of Essex (in charge of 10,000-man land forces) and Lord Thomas Howard (commander of the forces at sea). It included a squadron serving of Sir Walter Raleigh's. Captain CROSS served asVice-Admiral to Rear Admiral Raleigh and commanded the Queen's galleon Swiftsure. Each squadron included about four of the Queen's ships, two or three London Men-of-wars, plus victuallers and transports. It was a stunning defeat of King Phillip as the English engaged and ultimately defeated or captured a fleet of 20 galleys and nearly 60 ships, sent in land forces, and captured the city of Cadiz which was sacked within six days. Robert CROSSE was knighted for his efforts.
1597: CROSSE was Captain of the Queen's ship Vanguard. During this year CROSSE did not participate in any expeditions but stayed close to home and protected the Channel.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} fecross@sonetcom.com. Family Records: Fred Cross.
2. ↑ Peggy Haynie <phaynie@sonetcom.com>. Web Site: The Millirons and Haynie Families(http:/www.tribalpages.com/tribes/phaynie).

   16 SEP 2002