William Vaughan (writer) facts for kids
Sir William Vaughan (born around 1575, died August 1641) was a writer from Wales. He wrote books in both English and Latin. He was known for trying to start new settlements, or "colonies," in a place called Newfoundland. His efforts had some good parts and some difficult parts.
Growing Up and Learning
William Vaughan was born at a place called Golden Grove in Carmarthenshire, Wales. His father was Walter Vaughan. William came from an old and important family in Wales. He was also the brother of John Vaughan, 1st Earl of Carbery and Henry Vaughan. Henry was a well-known leader for the King's side during the English Civil War.
William went to Jesus College, Oxford University. He started there in 1592 and earned his first degree in 1595. He got a master's degree in 1597. He then traveled to countries like France and Italy. He also visited Vienna, where he earned a law degree. He returned to Oxford in 1605.
Adventures in Newfoundland
In 1616, William Vaughan bought a large piece of land in Newfoundland. This land was on the southern part of the Avalon Peninsula. In 1617, he sent people from Wales to start a colony there. He named this new settlement Cambriol.
However, the first group of settlers faced many problems. They did not have enough supplies and lacked an experienced leader. Their shelters were just small shacks, which made the winter very hard. The colony eventually did not succeed. In 1618, Vaughan sent a second group of settlers. He put Richard Whitbourne in charge, making him the leader for life.
By 1619, Vaughan gave away some of his land to Henry Cary, 1st Viscount Falkland. His brother also convinced him to give some land to George Calvert. Calvert then started his own settlement called the Colony of Avalon in that area. Vaughan kept the southern part of his land. This area included a place called Trepassey.
Vaughan tried two more times to start a colony in Trepassey, but these attempts also failed. After Whitbourne returned to England, Vaughan visited his colony in 1622. He went back to England in 1625. He had two books ready to be published.
William Vaughan visited Cambriol again, but the very cold winters stopped his plans for the colony to do well. In 1628, he decided to focus his efforts on a different colony in Virginia. He passed away at his home in Carmarthenshire in August 1641. He asked to be buried simply in the churchyard of Llangendeirne. His exact grave location is not known. However, a special memorial tablet was placed for him in Llangyndeyrn church in 1987.
His Writings
William Vaughan wrote several books. His most important work was The Golden Grove, published in 1600. He used the pen name "Orpheus Junior" for this book. It was like a guide to good behavior, politics, and literature. In it, he strongly criticized the way people acted at the time. He even said that plays were foolish and wrong.
Another interesting book he wrote was The Golden Fleece... transported from Cambriol Colchis, by Orpheus Junior (1626). This book was a long and imaginative story. It talked about "mistakes in religion, the problems and decline of the kingdom." It also suggested ways to get rich and improve trade by colonizing Newfoundland. After returning from Newfoundland, he published two more books about faith: The Church from the Time of our Saviour to 1640 and The Soules Exercise.
