Well the letter says he set off...it doesnt say he made it. Note also that the king lifted and injunction against him - he might have agreed to set off on the basis that the injunction was lifted, and then scarpered off!
Exactly, I wondered if due to the hour I was missing something. The article fails to tell us:
1. if he left,
2. if he made it to North America,
3. if he returned to England.