Family and Education

bap. 25 Sept. 1617, 1st s. of Sir Francis Drake, 1st Bt.^†, of Buckland Abbey by 2nd w. Joan, da. of Sir William Strode^† of Newnham, Plympton St. Mary, Devon. educ. I. Temple 1633; travelled abroad (Italy) 1638-40. m. 18 Jan. 1641 (with £2,500), Dorothy, da. of John Pym^† of Brymore, Som., s.p. suc. fa. 11 Mar. 1637.

Offices Held

Col. of ft. (parliamentary) 1642-4; commr. for assessment, Devon 1643-9, 1657, Aug. 1660-d., sequestrations 1643, sheriff 1645-6, j.p. 1647-57, Mar. 1660- d., commr. for militia 1648, Mar. 1660.

Biography

Drake’s great-uncle, the famous admiral, sat in three Elizabethan Parliaments. By upbringing and family connexions Drake was unsympathetic to the Court, and his marriage to Pym’s daughter brought him even closer to the leaders of the parliamentary Opposition to Charles I. On the outbreak of the Civil War he joined the parliamentary army and became colonel of the Plymouth regiment, but was forced to sue out a pardon in 1644. Elected as recruiter for Bere Alston, where he owned some of the burgages, he abstained from sitting after Pride’s Purge. He played no active part in politics during the Interregnum, but signed the Exeter declaration for a free Parliament on 11 Jan. 1660.2

In April 1660, Drake stood again for Bere Alston, but the double return was decided in favour of George Howard. However, he had been returned for Newport, where as former lord of the manor of Werrington he retained a property interest. He was totally inactive in the Convention, though Lord Wharton listed him as a friend. Drake was re-elected for Newport in 1661, but his health was failing, and apart from an application for leave in June he left no trace on the records of the Cavalier Parliament. He died on 6 Jan. 1662, and was buried at Buckland, leaving his estates to his nephew, Sir Francis Drake, 3rd Bt.

Ref Volumes: 1660-1690

Authors: M. W. Helms / Gillian Hampson

Notes

This article is based on E. F. Eliott-Drake, Fam. and Heirs of Drake.

• 1. Abstained after Pride’s Purge 6 Dec. 1648, readmitted 21 Feb. 1660.
• 2. W. H. Black, Docquets of Letters Patent, 156; Devon RO, 346M/T1-20.