Samuel Gardner Drake (October 11, 1798 – June 14, 1875) was an American

antiquarian An antiquarian or antiquary () is an fan (person), aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artifact (archaeology), artifac ...

, author and historian.

Biography

Drake was born in

Pittsfield, New Hampshire Pittsfield is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,075 at the 2020 census. The main village in town, where 1,570 people resided at the 2020 census, is defined as the Pittsfield census-designated place (C ...

. His father, Simeon Drake, was initially a

farmer A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term usually applies to people who do some combination of raising field crops, orchards, vineyards, poultry, or other livestock. A farmer mig ...

like his four brothers, but sold his homestead in 1805 to open a store in neighboring Northwood. His mother, Love Muchmore Drake (''

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

'' Tucke), was the daughter of a

minister Minister may refer to: * Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric ** Minister (Catholic Church) * Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department) ** Minister without portfolio, a member of government w ...

. Drake was named Samuel after his mother's eldest brother, Samuel J. Tucke, and the middle name Gardner derives from Samuel J. Tucke's wife's maiden name. Drake was educated in the common schools, and from 1818 to 1825 taught in a district school. He was fond of literary pursuits, and in 1828 he went to

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, where he established an antiquarian bookstore — the first of its kind in the United States — and devoted himself to the study of early

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

history. He continued to do business as a bookseller and publisher during his life, and the most noted writers of his day availed themselves of the store of information that he had collected. He was one of the founders (1847) of the

New England Historic Genealogical Society The New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) is the oldest and largest genealogical society in the United States, founded in 1845. NEHGS provides family history services through its staff, original scholarship, website,London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. Drake died of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...

in Boston on June 14, 1875, aged 76.

Works

*''Indian Biography'' (1832) *''The Book of the Indians'' (1833) *''The Old Indian Chronicle'' (1836) *''Indian Captivities'' (1839) *''Genealogical and Biographical Account of the Family of Drake in America'' (1845) *''Biography and History of the Indians of North America'' (1849) *''The History and Antiquities of Boston'' (1856) *''The Aboriginal Races of North America'' (1859) *''Result of Some Researches Among the British Archives for Information Relative to the Founders of New England'' (1860) *''A Brief Memoir of Sir Walter Ralegh'' (1862) *''Annals of Witchcraft in New England'' (1869) *''A Particular History of the Five Years French and Indian War'' (1870) *''Early History of Georgia, Embracing the Embassy of Sir Alexander Cuming to the Country of the Cherokees, in the Year 1730'' (1872) He edited: *Thomas Church, ''The History of King Philip's War'' (1825) *

Increase Mather Increase Mather (; June 21, 1639 Old Style – August 23, 1723 Old Style) was a New England Puritan clergyman in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and president of Harvard College for twenty years (1681–1701). He was influential in the administrati ...

, ''The History of King Philip's War'' (1862) *

, ''Early History of New England'' (1864) * William Hubbard, ''The History of the Indian Wars in New England'' (1865)

Notes

References

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Drake, Samuel Gardner 1798 births 1875 deaths American antiquarians Writers from Boston Deaths from pneumonia in Massachusetts People from Pittsfield, New Hampshire 19th century in Boston Historians from Massachusetts

Biography

Works

See also

Notes

References

External links