Raleigh's El Dorado Expedition Portuguese possessions and shipping, and conduct illicit trading. Sir Walter Raleigh had enjoyed several years of high esteem from Queen Elizabeth I, which stemmed in part from his previous exploits at sea which included the famous Capture of the Madre de Deus. Soon after, however, Raleigh suffered a short imprisonment for secretly marrying one of the Queen's ladies-in-waiting, Elizabeth Throckmorton, and bearing her a child. In a bid to restore his influence with the Queen, Raleigh, having promised a "gold-rich empire more lucrative than Peru", had set up an expedition under John Whiddon to find the fabled city of gold
Clare McLaren-Throckmorton her non-executive directorship of the Birmingham Royal Ballet Trust Company. She was a non-executive director of Severn Trent Water, and was also a Trustee Director of some of the company's pension schemes. Furthermore, she was the Chief Executive of Throckmorton Estates, the organisation which controls the Throckmorton family's assets, including the Molland Estate in North Devon. This does not include Coughton Court which is owned by The National Trust although the grounds are managed by Throckmorton Estates. She passed away surrounded by her family 31 October 2017 at the age of 82. Clare McLaren-Throckmorton Elizabeth Clare McLaren-Throckmorton (née d'Abreu; 18