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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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John Cabot
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(c.1450–c.1499)
Italian explorer who in 1497 sailed west with a crew of 18 in the Matthew on behalf of the English king, Henry VII. Like *Columbus (who had crossed the Atlantic five years earlier for Spain), he was hoping to establish a new trade route to the orient; and he believed the place where he landed (probably Newfoundland) to be the coast of north China. On his return to England he received a reward of £10 from Henry, and an annual pension of £20; his landfall later proved useful in Britain's claim to Canada. Cabot sailed again with a larger expedition in 1498, and contemporary accounts differ as to whether he died at sea or returned to England. His son Sebastian (c.1476–1557) followed a similar career, serving at different times both Spain and England.
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