304
DRAKE.
he proceeded to the Mediterranean. On 17 Aug. in the latter year Lieut. Draffen became attached to the Minorca 18, Capt. Ralph Randolph Wormeley, with whom he served until removed, 24 Dec. 1812, to the Trident 64, Capt. Rich. Budd Vincent, flag-ship in succession, at Malta, of Rear-Admirals John Laugharne and Chas. Vinicombe Penrose. He was eventually placed on half-pay in May, 1816; and has not since been afloat.
Lieut. Draffen is married, and has a son, Wm. Pitt Draffen, Second-Lieutenant R.M. (1845), who was lately serving on board the Excellent.
DRAKE. (Lieut., 1821. f-p., 15; h-p., 25.)
James Roper Drake entered the Navy, 23 April, 1807, as Ordinary, on board the St. Albans 64, Capt. Fras. Wm. Austen, lying at Spithead; but removing as Midshipman, in the following June, to the Theseus 74, continued to serve in that ship, under the successive command, on the Home station, of Capts. John Poo Beresford and Wm. Prowse, a great part of the time as Master’s Mate, until 1814. When with Capt. Beresford, he witnessed Lord Gambler’s destruction of the French shipping in Aix Roads, in April, 1809. On afterwards joining the Pomone 38, Capts. Philip Carteret and John Rich. Lumley, we find him in company with the Endymion at the capture of the American ship President, 15 Jan. 1815. Between Sept. in the latter year, and Oct. 1818, Mr. Drake was employed at Portsmouth, chiefly as Admiralty Midshipman, on board the Leander 50, Capts. Wm. Skipsey and Edw. Chetham, Rivoli 74, Capts. Chas. Ogle and Aiskew Paffard Hollis, Salisbury 50, Capt. John Wilson, and Raleigh 18, Capt. Wm. Augustus Baumgardt. He then joined the Coast Blockade service, as Admiralty Midshipman of the Severn 40, Capt. Wm. M‘Culloch; and since his promotion, which took place 19 July, 1821, has been on half-pay.
DRAKE. (Captain, 1835. f-p., 26; h-p., 17.)
John Drake, born 21 Dec. 1788, is son of the Rev. Wm. Drake, vicar of Oadby, co. Leicester, and curate of Stoke Goldington, co. Bucks.
This officer entered the Navy, 13 July, 1804, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Defiance 74, Capts. Philip Chas. Durham and Hon. Henry Hotham, in which ship he continued to serve, as Midshipman and Master’s Mate, until Aug. 1810. He took part, during that period, in Sir Robt. Calder’s action, and in the battle of Trafalgar, 22 July and 21 Oct. 1805; was also present at Sir Robt. Stopford’s destruction, with a loss to the Defiance of 2 men killed and 25 wounded, of three French frigates under the batteries of Sable d’Olonne, 24 Feb. 1809; and, on the night of 31 Dec. following, commanded one of four boats at the cutting out of a timber-ship of 400 tons, secured to the wall of a fortress at Belleisle. After much co-operation, likewise, with the patriots on the north coast of Spain, Mr. Drake accompanied Capt. Hotham, in Aug. 1810, into the Northumberland 74; as a Lieutenant of which ship (commission dated 1 Aug. 1811) he subsequently assisted, in company with the Growler gun-brig, at the gallant destruction, 22 May, 1812, at the entrance of L’Orient, of the French 40-gun frigates L’Arienne and L’Andromaque, and 16-gun brig Mamelouck; whose united fire, conjointly with that of a destructive battery, killed 5 of the Northumberland’s people, and wounded 28. Mr. Drake, whose next appointment was, 2 Feb. 1813, to the Indus 74, Capt. Wm. Hall Gage, returned home firom the Mediterranean in Sept. 1814. He afterwards joined, as First-Lieutenant – in Jan. 1820, and Feb. 1822, the Wye 26, and Ranger 28, both commanded by Capt. Peter Fisher, on the Home, Newfoundland, and Mediterranean stations – and, 8 Dec. 1825, the Albion 74, Capt. John Acworth Ommanney. Being rewarded for his services in the latter ship at the battle of Navarin, by a Commander’s commission dated 22 Oct. 1827, Capt. Drake, who continued in the Albion until Feb. 1828, was subsequently appointed to the Second-Captaincy, 18 Sept. 1829, of the Ganges 84, Capts. John Hayes, Edw. Stirling Dickson, and Geo. Burdett, and, 26 March, 1832, of the Britannia 120, Capt. Peter Rainier, flag-ship for some time of Sir Pulteney Malcolm, both on the Mediterranean station. He ultimately assumed Post-rank, 21 March, 1835; and was next employed as Captain, from 2 Sept. 1837, to May, 1840, of the Donegal 78, and Britannia 120, successive flag-ships, off Lisbon and in the Mediterranean, of his former Commander, Sir J. A. Ommanney. Since the last-mentioned date he has not been ailoat.
Capt. Drake is a Magistrate for Cambridge. He married, in 1815, Elizabeth, daughter of the Rev. Robt. Style, rector of Mereworth, and vicar of Wateringbury, co. Kent, grand-daughter of Sir Thos. Style, Bart., of Wateringbury Place, and niece of Lieut.-General Wm. Style. He has issue a son and daughter. Agents – Messrs. Ommanney.
DRAKE. (Retired Commander, 1840. f-p., 13; h-p., 35.)
Robert Hacche Drake, a member of the ancient family of Drake, of Ashe, is related to the present Rev. Zachary Hammett Drake, of Springfield, near Barnstaple, co. Devon, son-in-law of Vice-Admiral Sir Sam. Pym, K.C.B.
This officer entered the Navy, 23 June, 1799, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Venture 8, Lieut-Commanders Dan. Burdwood and Robt. Jump, stationed in the Channel and off Gibraltar. Having attained the rating of Midshipman nearly two years previously, he removed, 1 Feb. 1803, to the Dragon 74, Capts. John Aylmer and Edw. Griffith; under the former of whom he witnessed the capture, 18 June following, of La Colombe national corvette of 16 guns. In 1805 he became Master’s Mate of the Prince George 98, Capt. Geo. Losack; and on being next appointed Sub-Lieutenant, 9 April, 1806, of the Flamer gun-brig, Lieut.-Commander W. Dick, continued to serve in that vessel until promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, 15 Aug. 1806. Between Jan. 1807, and Oct. 1813, Mr. Drake was employed, chiefly on the Home station, on board the Vulture, Capt. Joseph Pearce, St. George 98, Capt. Thos. Bertie, Hero 74, Capt. Jas. Newman Newman, Nassau 64, Capt. Robt. Campbell, Namur 74, flag-ship of Sir John Wells, Pompée 74, Capt. Sir Jas. Athol Wood, and Barham 74, Capt. John Wm. Spranger. During that period he attended, in the Vulture, the expedition to Copenhagen in Aug. 1807; and when returning home from St. Helena in escort of an East India convoy, volunteered the command of one of four boats, and assisted at the capture, 6 Sept. 1809, after a chase of two hours, of Le Jean Bart French lugger privateer, of 4 guns and 25 men.[1] Commander Drake, who has not been employed since the peace, accepted the rank he now holds 21 April, 1840.
DRAKE. (Lieutenant, 1828. f-p., 18; h-p., 19.)
Spencer Drake was born, 28 Feb. 1796, at Norwich, co. Norfolk. He had an only brother in the service, who was lost while in charge of a prize belonging to H.M. brig Sarpedon.
This officer entered the Navy, 4 April, 1810, as a Supernumerary, on board L’Aimable 32, Capt. Lord Geo. Stuart; and after a brief attachment to the Crescent 38, Capt. John Quilliam, joined the Edinburgh 74, commanded, among other Captains, by Hon. Geo. Heneage Lawrence Dundas. While in that ship, in 1813-14, he successively witnessed, as Midshipman, the capture of Port d’Anzo, the unsuccessful attack on Leghorn, the reduction of the fortress of Santa Maria and of the enemy’s other forts and defences in the Gulf of Spezia, and the fall of Genoa. Between Dec. 1814, and Sept. 1818, we find him serving, with an interval of 15 months, in the Termagant 20, Capt. Chas. Shaw, and Confiance 18, Capt. Alex. Montgomerie, on the East India and Channel stations. He then, having passed his examination two years pre-
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1809, p. 1439.
