Histories

TWELFTH GENERATION

3848. Captain Francis DRAKE was born in 1615. He was born about 1618 in Devon, England. He died on Sep 24 1687 in Piscataway Twp, Middlesex Co., NJ. He has Ancestral File number 2VFB-MT. 

The first known record of Captain Francis Drake, born in England, and his wife, Mary, is found in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He was a surveyor and served on the Grand Jury in Portsmouth in 1651. He and his wife Mary sold property on Rogers Island, New Hampshire in 1659. Captain Francis Drake was known to be a Baptist, which was a religious belief not accepted by either the Puritans or the Congregational New England Church. This was a direct factor in his move to Piscataway, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, about 1663. He is a patriarch of a tremendous Drake family still located in this area today. He was a Captain in the New Jersey Militia, which he is credited with having founded. This organization, which existed during the period 1673-1684, was known as the Jersey Blues and was the oldest uniformed militia in America. 

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His birthdate has been given as early as circa 1605 and as late as about 1635. He is accepted by most historians and genealogists as the eldest son of Robert of Hampton but since he is not mentioned in Robert's will, this association, although likely, is not proven. Captain Francis Drake lived at Portsmouth, Rockingham County, New Hampshire. It has been suggested by some that he might be a son of Nathaniel because Nathaniel of Portsmouth had a son whose name and birthdate are unknown. However, if Nathaniel and Francis were related at all, it is more probable that they were brothers, as Francis was of an age to be a son of Robert. 

Francis likely was born about 1605 and certainly no later than 1635, the son of Robert; therefore his birth place is County Essex in England and probably at Colchester. He married circa 1649-50, Mary Walker, and they lived at Portsmouth, New Hampshire where their three children were born. 

The Francis Drake family were Baptists, a religion not tolerated in Portsmouth nor in Hampton. The Governor of New Jersey sent a letter to the Baptists living in New Hampshire welcoming them to New Jersey and granting them freedom from religious persecution. The exact date of their migration is not known (probably 1668-69), but Francis, with his wife and three children, went to Piscataway, Middlesex County, New Jersey, as members of a group who wished to rid themselves of religious persecution and bitter disputes over land boundaries. Francis and Mary Drake sold land in Greenland (a part of Portsmouth) on August 5, 1668, signed and acknowledged that day, but not recorded until August 1721, fifty-three years later. When it was recorded, a memorandum was added, signed by Abraham Drake, a possible grand-nephew, that "quiet and peacable posession" was actually given by Francis to John Johnson and Thomas Brackett on September 30, 1668. Perhaps that is the date when Francis Drake's family left Portsmouth for New Jersey. Robert Drake's will offers no explanation, but differences in religious opinion may account for the omission of any legacy to Francis. Son Nathaniel received just half the money given to each of Robert's grandchildren and much less than the legacy given to his brother Abraham. Nathaniel's association with Francis may be the explanation. 

Captain Francis Drake died in Piscataway on September 24, 1687, and his wife Mary on July 29, 1688. 

Children: George, Elizabeth, John Compiled in 1981 by Stanley R. Williams 



In another Drake Family Genealogy, John Drake of County Meath, Ireland, who emigrated to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, about 1647, was the father of Sir Francis Drake.!1640 Emigrated to New Hampshire. 

He was commissioned a Captain of militia of Piscataway Township on July 1675 and was discharged at his own request on May 30 1678.
He was one of the first selectman from Piscataway, a constable, justice of the peace and in 1682 a county judge. He was married to Mary WALKER in 1645 in Hampton, Rockingham Co., NH. He was married to Mary WALKER about 1648 in Portsmouth, NH. He was married to Mary WALKER in 1649. Captain George Drake was a son of Rev. Francis Drake, an early settler of Piscataway, who came from Dover, New Hampshire. A court record evidences the fact that he was a resident of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, June 25, 1661. In June 1666, he was appointed an Ensign of Portsmouth Militia. August 5, 1668, he and his wife Mary, deeded land in Greenland, Portsmouth, to John Johnson and Thomas Brackett and shortly afterwards they removed to Piscataway, New Jersey. 

December 19, 1670, a marriage license was issued to Hugh Dunn of Piscataway, and Elizabeth, daughter of Francis Drake. 

July 15, 1675, he was commissioned Captain of Foot, and in the same year in accordance with the "Concessions of the Proprietors" of February 10, 1664/5, he and his wife Mary, his sons John and George, and the latter's wife Mary received grants to land on the Raritan River (39, 1st. Ser., Vol. XXI, Page 46). In 1678, Captain Francis Drake received another grant by order of the town authorities of Piscataway. He also received a license July 5, 1673, to keep a house of entertainment in the town of New Piscataway. 

Captain George Drake, eldest son of Captain Francis and Mary (Walker) Drake, was a man of considerable prominence in the Colony, serving as a member of the General Assembly 1684-1692. In 1684, he was a member of the Committee to treat with Governor Lawrie, as to the rights of the citizens of Piscataway. He was one of the signers of the Petition to the King, requesting the appointment of a more efficient Governor. 

He was married twice: the name of his first wife referred to in the land grant of 1675, is unknown. 

He married secondly November 14, 1677, Mary Oliver, daughter of William and Mary (Ackerly-Simpkins) Oliver. 

He died in 1710, leaving a will dated November 8, 1709, pr. November 3, 1710, in which he mentions wife Mary; sons, Andrew, Jonathan, David and George; daughters: Elizabeth, Susannah and Hannah, and refers to the ownership of an interest in the Sloop "Dolphin." 
Executrix: Wife Mary. Overseers: Elisha Parker and Adam Hude. 

He makes no mention of daughters, Mary and Deborah, who had doubtless received their shares at the time their marriages. Their births are, however, recorded in the "Town Records of Piscataway." 

Reference: 
"Ancestry of Jeremy Clarke of Rhode Island and Dungan Genealogy" compiled by Alfred Rudulph Justice. 

Posted By Karen Donaho 
Keddk5@aol.com

3849. Mary WALKER  was born in 1625 in Meath, Ireland. She was born about 1625.  She died on Jul 29 1688 in Piscataway, Middlesex Co., NJ. She died on Jul 29 1688 in Piscataway Twp, Middlesex Co., NJ. She has Ancestral File number 2VFB-N1. Children were: 

i. Francis DRAKE Jr./Capt. was born about 1648 in Portsmouth, NH. He was born about 1648 in Hampton, Rockingham Co., NH. He died about 1683 in Piscataway Twp, Middlesex Co., NJ. He died about Nov 1683. He has Ancestral File number 9LFF-V5. 

ii. Captain George DRAKE was born in 1650 in Hampton, Rockingham Co., NH. He died on Nov 8 1709 in Piscataway Twp, Middlesex Co., NJ. He died in 1710 in Piscataway, Middlesex Co., NJ. He has Ancestral File number 2VFB-KH. 

iii. Elizabeth DRAKE was born about 1653 in Hampton, Rockingham Co., NH. She was born about 1654 in Portsmouth, NH. She died in 1711. She died about 1711 in Piscataway Twp, Middlesex Co., NJ. She has Ancestral File number 2VFC-4D. 
1924 iv. Rev. John DRAKE.