A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Drake, John
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.