▁ ▁Rec ogn izing ▁this ▁as ▁a ▁potential ▁shortcut ▁to ▁China , ▁he ▁presented ▁his ▁find ings ▁to ▁King ▁Francis ▁I ▁of ▁France ▁and ▁King ▁Henry ▁VIII ▁of ▁England , ▁neither ▁of ▁whom ▁purs ued ▁the ▁matter . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 5 7 8 , ▁Queen ▁Elizabeth ▁I ▁granted ▁a ▁char ter ▁to ▁Sir ▁Hum ph rey ▁Gilbert ▁to ▁explore ▁and ▁colon ize ▁territ ories ▁un c laimed ▁by ▁Christian ▁kingdom s . ▁ ▁The ▁terms ▁of ▁the ▁char ter ▁were ▁vague , ▁though ▁Gilbert ▁understood ▁it ▁to ▁give ▁him ▁rights ▁to ▁all ▁territory ▁in ▁the ▁New ▁World ▁north ▁of ▁Spanish ▁Florida . ▁ ▁Following ▁Gilbert ' s ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 5 8 3 , ▁the ▁queen ▁divided ▁the ▁char ter ▁between ▁his ▁brother ▁Ad rian ▁Gilbert ▁and ▁his ▁half - bro ther ▁Walter ▁R ale igh . ▁ ▁Ad rian ' s ▁char ter ▁gave ▁him ▁the ▁pat ent ▁on ▁New found land ▁and ▁all ▁points ▁north , ▁where ▁ge ograph ers ▁expected ▁to ▁eventually ▁find ▁a ▁long - s ought ▁North west ▁Pass age ▁to ▁Asia . ▁ ▁R ale igh ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁lands ▁to ▁the ▁south , ▁though ▁much ▁of ▁it ▁was ▁already ▁claimed ▁by ▁Spain . ▁ ▁However , ▁Richard ▁H ak lu yt ▁had ▁by ▁this ▁time ▁taken ▁notice ▁of ▁Ver azz ano ' s ▁" is th mus ", ▁located ▁within ▁R ale igh ' s ▁claim , ▁and ▁was ▁campaign ing ▁for ▁England ▁to ▁capital ize ▁on ▁the ▁opportunity . ▁ ▁R ale