James Hales (died 1589)

Sir James Hales (died 1589) of The Dungeon in the parish of St. Mary Bredin,[1] Canterbury, Kent, was a soldier who served as treasurer of the 1589 expedition to Portugal, a reprisal for the attack by the Spanish Armada on the English fleet the year before.

He died as the expedition was about to return home to England and was buried at sea by his fully armed body being dropped feet first over the side of his ship.

[15] Following his death Alice married secondly Sir Richard Lee (died 1608), MP for Canterbury and ambassador to Russia, whom Hales described in his two wills as "my good friend" and to whom he made several bequests, including "the card and compass found at Lisbon" , "all that money whatsoever he oweth unto me, so that no part thereof shall ever be demanded", and all his books, pictures and maps.

At the top is shown James Hales (died 1589) as a fully armed figure being lowered feet-first into the water from the side of a ship.

The Latin inscription is as follows:[24] Which may be translated as: "Sacred to the memory and posterity of James Hales, Knight, outstanding in virtues and in civic duties and dear to his country.

Dame Alice, widow of the same James, decorated with the gifts of the highest feminine nature and with piety, who died in the year 1592.