Frobisher, Drake, and Hawkins, some of the great names of England's maritime history lived during the reign of the first Queen Elizabeth. Martin Frobisher came to Scarborough long before he gained great fame as the commander of one of the largest and most effective ships that fought the Spanish Armada. This Yorkshireman was 27 years of age when he rode into the town in September 1565. At London, during the previous Easter he had bought the ship "Matthew", 100 tons, from one John Baxter, who is said to have been a gentleman and Bailiff of Scarborough. The vessel was renamed the Mayflower.
She left the Tyne in December with 36 aboard,intending a voyage to Guinea.They reached the Humber, during a severe storm and were driven northwards with masts and sails ruined. They had to beach her at Scarborough on Christmas Day. The brothers Martin and John Frobisher stayed for some months trying to raisefresh funds. An Admiralty bailiff arrested the shipfor debt, but they raised a loan of £50.T he shipreturned to Newcastle to load a cargo of coal. At Scarborough they took on victuals, including three tons of biscuit, a hogshead of beef and quantities of butter, cheese and bread. Becalmed in Bridlington Roads for a day and a half, John Frobisher went ashore to visit Barmston Hall, taking on a sheep and capons. The Frobishers were suspected of piracy in the Thames, the next year.
