DRAKE, FRANCIS (1696–1771), author of `Eboracum,' the son of the Rev. Francis Drake, vicar of Pontefract and prebendary of York, by his second wife, Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of John Dickson of Pontefract, was baptised on 22 Jan. 1695-6. He came of an old Yorkshire family of some position. His great-grandfather, Nathan Drake of Godley, Halifax, had borne arms in the service of Charles I, and is known as the author of the manuscript account of the sieges of Pontefract in 1644 and 1645, which was first partly printed in Boothroyd's history of that borough, and since in its integrity by the Surtees Society. As some compensation for the losses he had incurred for his attachment to the royal cause, his son, Dr. Samuel Drake [q. v.], was presented by Charles II to the vicarage of Pontefract, a preferment held by the family during three generations. How or where Francis was educated is not known; in the preface to 'Eboracum' he laments that his share of what he terms 'school-learning' was small, and that he had to make up by painful study for the lack of early training He was apprenticed at an early age to Mr. Christopher Birbeck, a surgeon in large practice at York. In 1713, while still in his articles, he lost his father, who
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of the rare occurrences (never yet declared to the world) in a third voyage made by him into the West Indies in the years 1572-3, when Nombre de Dios was by him, and 52 others only in his company, surprised; faithfully taken out of the report of Mr. Christopher Ceely, Ellis Hixon and others who were in the same voyage with him, by Philip Nichols, preacher. Reviewed also by Sir Francis Drake himself before his death and much holpen and enlarged by divers notes with his own hand here and there inserted. Set forth by Sir Francis Drake, baronet [his nephew] now living (sm. 4to, 1626). A second edition was published in 1628, and it has lately been reprinted in Arber's English Garner, vol. v. 2. The World Encompassed by Sir Francis Drake, being his next Voyage to that to Nombre de Dios . . . carefully collected out of the notes of Master Francis Fletcher, preacher in this employment and divers others his followers in the same (sm. 4to, 1628). This first edition is exceedingly rare; it was republished in 1635 and in 1653; has been included in various collections; and in 1854 was edited, with much additional matter, for the Hakluyt Society by Mr. W. S. W. Vaux, under whose name it is referred to in the text. 3. A summarie and true discourse of Sir Francis Drake's West Indian Voyage wherein were taken the townes of Saint Iago, Sancto Domingo, Cartagena, and Saint Augustine . . . (sm. 4to, 1589). The first part of this was written by Captain Bigges, a soldier officer; was continued, after his death, probably by Bigges's lieutenant, Master Croftes, and was edited by Thomas Gates, who, in a dedication to the Earl of Essex, says that he was lieutenant of Master Carleill's own company, can well assure the truth of the report, and has recommended the publishing of it. It is now very rare, and has never been textually reprinted, though most of it is given in Hakluyt, iii. 534. 4. Sir Francis Drake's memorable service done against the Spaniards in 1587, written by Robert Leng, gentleman, one of his co-adventurers and fellow-soldiers . . . edited from the original MS. in the British Museum, together with an Appendix of illustrative papers, by Clarence Hopper, for the Camden Society (Camden Miscell. vol. v. 1863) 5. A true coppie of a discourse written by a gentleman employed in the late Voyage of Spain and Portugal (sm. 4to, 1589); reprinted in Hakluyt vol. ii. pt. ii. p. 134 (where it is doubtfully attributed to Colonel Anthonie Winkfield), and in 1870 for private circulation by J. P. Collier. 6. Ephemeris expeditionis Norreysii et Draki in Lusitaniam (Londoni, 1589). 7. Narrationes duæ admodum memorabiles, quarum prima continet diarium expeditionis Francisci Draki equities Angli in Indias occidentales susceptæ anno mdlxxxv. Altera omnium rerum ab eodem Drako et Norreysio in Lusitanica irruptione gestarum fidelem continuationem subjecit (Noribergæ, 1590). 8. Sir Francis Drake his Voyage, 1595, by Thomas Maynarde, together with the Spanish account of Drake’s Attack on Puerto Rico, edited from the original MSS. by W. D. Cooley (Hakluyt Society, 1849). 9. A Libell of Spanish Lies found at the Sack of Cales, discoursing the fight in the West Indies … and of the death of Sir Francis Drake, with an answer briefly confuting the Spanish Lies and a short relation of the fight according to truth. Written by Henrie Savile, Esq., employed captaine in one of her Majesties Shippes [Adventure] in the same service against the Spaniard (4to, 1596); reprinted in Hakluyt, iii. 590. Of these several voyages early accounts are also given in Hakluyt's Principal Navigations; to Nombre de Dios, iii. 525; round the World, iii. 730 (reprinted in Vaux); to Cadiz in 1587, vol. ii. pt. ii. p. 121; West Indies and death, iii. 583. Costa-Rica, Nicaragua y Panama en el siglo xvi, por D. Manuel M. de Peralta (8vo, 1883), contains several original letters from Spanish officials in America at the time of Drake's attack on their possessions in the South Sea, which are here published for the first time, but were first brought to the notice of English readers by Mr. C. R. Markham in his Sea Fathers. La Armada Invencible, por el capitan de navio C. F. Duro (2 vols. 8vo, 1884), is an interesting essay followed by a most valuable collection of original Spanish documents. Lediard's Naval History; Froude's Hist. of England (cabinet edition); Notes and Queries, passim (see Indexes); Western Antiquary, passim (see Indexes); Transacions of the Devonshire Association (Newton-Abbot, 1884), p. 505. See also Sabin's Dict. of Books relating to America.]
