He served alongside Arthur Barlowe in the 1584 exploratory voyage to the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Leaving on 27 April 1584, he captained the Bark Ralegh with Simon Fernandes as his master and pilot on the voyage.

[1] Fernandes is best known for his controversial decision to maroon the colonists of the infamous "Lost Colony" on Roanoke Island in 1587.

The voyage of 1584 determined Roanoke Island as the location for the future colonies under the leadership of Sir Walter Raleigh.

[3] When he returned to England to report their findings, the Queen named the country after herself, Virginia.