15. Raleigh served as the Governor of Jersey in the early 17th century
By 1601 Raleigh was a sitting Member of Parliament representing three different counties, a distinction which for the Elizabethan period he held alone. In addition, beginning in 1600 Sir Walter served as the governor of Jersey, one of the Channel Islands off the coast of France. He used his experience as a soldier and as a naval officer to build defenses for the island which made it all but impermeable to enemy attack, including what is known today as Elizabeth Castle. Elizabeth continued to contact him via messengers and envoys, but continued to deny his presence in her court, encouraged by courtiers who considered the adventurer to be self-serving and potentially dangerous.