Sir Francis Drake, 3rd Baronet (1642–1718), of Buckland Abbey in the parish of Buckland Monachorum and of Meavy, both in Devon, England, was elected seven times as a Member of Parliament for Tavistock in Devon, in 1673, 1679, 1681, 1689, 1690, 1696 and 1698.

Origins

He was baptised on 1 May 1642, at Buckland Monachorum, the eldest surviving son and heir of Thomas Drake (born 1620), a major in the cavalry of the Parliamentarian forces during the Civil War, the second son of Sir Francis Drake, 1st Baronet (1588-1637) (nephew of Admiral Sir

Francis Drake Sir Francis Drake ( – 28 January 1596) was an English explorer, sea captain, privateer, slave trader, naval officer, and politician. Drake is best known for his circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition, from 1577 to 1580 (t ...

(1546-1596)) and younger brother of

Sir Francis Drake, 2nd Baronet Sir Francis Drake, 2nd Baronet (25 September 1617 – 6 January 1662) of Buckland Abbey, Devon was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1646 and 1662. He was a Colonel of the Horse, fighting in the Pa ...

(1617-1661). His mother was Susan Crimes, a daughter of William Crymes, of Buckland Crymes and a sister of Elisha Crymes MP.

Career

He succeeded to the baronetcy on the death of his uncle

on 6 June 1661.George Edward Cokayne ''Complete Baronetage, Volume 1'' 1900
/ref> He matriculated at Exeter College, Oxford on 3 June 1663, aged 16 and was awarded MA on 28 September 1663.'Alumni Oxonienses, 1500-1714: Disbrowe-Dyve', Alumni Oxonienses 1500-1714 (1891), pp. 406-439. Date accessed: 23 June 2012
/ref> In 1673 he was elected a Member of Parliament for Tavistock in Devon, in a by-election to the Cavalier Parliament. He was re-elected for Tavistock in 1679, 1681, 1689, 1690, 1696 and 1698.History of Parliament Online - Drake, Sir Francis, 3rd Bt.
/ref> He purchased the manor of Meavy in Devon, and resided at the manor house west of St Peter's Church, in which survives the "Drake Aisle" or manorial chapel. The external stonework is inscribed with the date "1705" and the "Drake star" from his coat of arms.

Marriages and children

Drake married three times, with children only from his third wife: *Firstly on 6 February 1665, at

Bere Ferrers Bere Ferrers, sometimes called ''Beerferris'', is a village and civil parish on the Bere peninsula in West Devon in the English county of Devon. It is located to the north of Plymouth, on the west bank of the River Tavy. It has a railway stat ...

in Devon, to Dorothy Bampfylde (d.1679), a daughter of

Sir John Bampfylde, 1st Baronet Sir John Bampfylde, 1st Baronet (c. 1610 – April 1650) of Poltimore and North Molton and Tamerton Foliot, all in Devon, was an English lawyer and politician. He was one of Devonshire's Parliamentarian leaders during the Civil War. Origins ...

of Poltimore House in Devon, by his wife Gertrude Copleston, daughter of Amyas Copleston of

Warleigh Bathford (pronounced with the emphasis on the second syllable) is a village and civil parish east of Bath, England. The parish, which includes Warleigh, has a population of 1,759 and extends over . History The ancient charter ''Codex Diplomat ...

in the parish of Tamerton Foliot, near Bere Ferrers. She died childless and was buried at Buckland on 30 January 1679. *Secondly, by licence dated 21 October 1680, he married Anne Boone (d.1685), daughter of Thomas Boone of

Mount Boone Mount Boone was an historic estate in the parish of Townstal, near Dartmouth in Devon. History In about 1630 the estate, the elevated position of which dominates the town of Dartmouth, was purchased by Thomas Boone, a Newfoundland merchant and M ...

, Devon, a Member of Parliament for Dartmouth in Devon. She died childless and was buried on 22 December 1685 at Buckland. *Thirdly, by licence dated 17 February 1690, he married Elizabeth Pollexfen (d.1717) (buried on 25 March 1717, at Meavy), a daughter and eventual co-heiress of Sir Henry Pollexfen, of Nutwell Court in Devon, Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, by whom he had seven sons and one daughter, including: ** Sir Francis Drake, 4th Baronet (1694-1740), of Buckland Abbey and Nutwell, eldest son and heir.

Death

He died at the age of about 75 at Meavy where he was buried on 15 January 1718.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Drake, Francis 1642 births 1718 deaths Alumni of Exeter College, Oxford Baronets in the Baronetage of England Members of the Parliament of England for Tavistock English MPs 1661–1679 English MPs 1679 English MPs 1680–1681 English MPs 1681 English MPs 1689–1690 English MPs 1690–1695 English MPs 1695–1698 English MPs 1698–1700 Place of birth missing