Henry Timberlake (1570 – 1625) was an English merchant and member of theCompany of Merchant Adventurers of London, atrading guild founded in the early 15th century. Born in 1570, Timberlake eventually acquired enough capital to join the guild sometime before 1601. In addition to his business relationships, Timberlake became known for his travels inNorth Africa,Egypt, andJerusalem in 1601, which he recounted and published in 1603. Accounts of his travels proved popular in England and were subsequently reprinted in several editions.
Timberlake later traveled to theEnglish colonies in the Americas, where he purchased land inVirginia andBermuda. He subsequently returned to England, where he died in 1625.
Henry Timberlake was born inEngland in 1570. Timberlake became a merchant, eventually acquiring enough capital to join theCompany of Merchant Adventurers of London, atrading guild, sometime before 1601. He purchased and outfittedmerchant ships for conducting trade with merchants inNorth Africa andEgypt. In 1601, Timberlake sailed into theMediterranean onboard his merchantmenTrojan (also recorded asTroyan), picking up Muslim travelers inAlgiers who were bound forMecca andTunis. Timberlake, along with assistant Waldred, transferred hisLevant Company goods for an overland trip to theRiver Nile, then transferred the goods again to sail downriver toCairo. Finding no luck in his attempts to sell his goods in the city, Timberlake arranged travel for apilgrimage toJerusalem accompanied by anotherEnglishman, John Burrell ofMiddlesbrough.[citation needed]
The journey was considered by many pilgrims to be an exceedingly hazardous one, as travellers were often subject to attacks bybandits along the roads. In addition, Jerusalem was under the rule of theIslamicOttomans, and dominated by Muslims. AMoroccan who had embarked uponTrojan as a passenger in Algiers encountered Timberlake again atMamre, nearHebron, as part of a largeSyrian cavaran. The man promised to help Timberlake during his pilgrimage. When the caravan reached Jerusalem, Timberlake identified himself at theJaffa Gate as aProtestant and an Englishman; he was arrested and accused by the Ottoman authorities of being aspy, who had never heard of England orQueen Elizabeth. The Moroccan companion of Timberlake interceded on his behalf, securing his release after appealing directly to the localPasha. He saved Timberlake's life again when the two men were attacked byBedouins while riding uponcamels they had hired atGaza for their return to Cairo; the Bedouins intended to sell the pair intoslavery. The unnamed Moroccan managed to ward the Bedouin off before the two made good their escape.[citation needed]
Timberlake eventually managed to return to England from the Middle East. After his return, Timberlake wrote a lengthy letter about his adventures to friends inLondon; it was published in 1603 asA True and Strange Discourse on the Travailes of Two English Pilgrims. Highly popular among the English public, it was reprinted in numerous subsequent editions. Timberlake wrote with a vivid narrative style. Among the unusual elements was his account of the friendship with the unnamed Muslim fromFes,Morocco. Timberlake recorded in great detail the man's aid and his role in twice saving the Englisman's life.[citation needed]
Timberlake's account is considered to be a vivid glimpse into the history ofPalestine and the situation of Christians there during the period of Ottoman rule. The local Pasha insisted that Timberlake stay in aFranciscanhospice, as he was indifferent about tensions among Christian groups. Timberlake expressed a grudging respect for theCatholic friars in his account. They washed his feet in a ritual greeting, and while he had feared being forced to participate in a Catholicmass, there was no such effort. Timberlake's positive depictions of Catholics and Muslims were viewed with suspicion by some in England, and an unflatteringcaricature of him was printed in an unauthorised version of his account.[citation needed]
Timberlake's account would prove to be his first and only foray into writing, although he continued his trading activities. He eventually became a member of thejoint-stockVirginia Company, which was founded to establishcolonies in North America. He sailed to the youngVirginia Colony, where he purchased land inSmith's Hundred. Timberlake also sailed to the English colony ofBermuda, where he also purchased land. He leased his properties to aspiring farmers or hired overseers to the land in his name, with the properties being used to cultivate and produce valuablecash crops.[citation needed]
Timberlake returned to England after his brief sojourn in the Americas. After his return, Timberlake died in September 1625, inTitchfield, nearFareham,Hampshire. There he had been closely associated over the years with theEarl of Southampton, who was also a member of the Virginia Company. Wriothesley had started an industrialironworks in Titchfield.
Timberlake was buried in the chancel of the St. Peter's Church in Titchfield, as were Southampton and his eldest son, who had both died of disease in theLow Countries in 1624. Timberlake had married and had a family in England. A grandson, also called Henry Timberlake, later emigrated from England toNewport, Rhode Island.[citation needed]
One of Timberlake's sons, Francis, emigrated to Virginia where he settled (or, he may have traveled there earlier with his father and stayed to administer his properties). He married there and his son,Henry Timberlake, was born in 1730 or 1735 inHanover County, Virginia. He joined the militia and also became known as a cartographer. He is known especially for his work and memoir of hisTimberlake Expedition of 1761–1762 to theOverhill Cherokee, based in present-day Tennessee. He thoroughly documented the Cherokee settlements and elements of their culture.[1]
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