Sir Francis Henry Drake, 4th Baronet (1694–1740) of

Buckland Abbey Buckland Abbey is a Grade I listed 700-year-old house in Buckland Monachorum, near Yelverton, Devon, Yelverton, Devon, England, noted for its connection with Sir Richard Grenville the Younger and Sir Francis Drake. It is owned by the National ...

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

was a British landowner and politician who sat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

from 1715 to 1740. Buckland Abbey tower

Early life

Drake was the eldest surviving son of Sir Francis Drake, 3rd Baronet and his third wife. Elizabeth Pollexfen, daughter of Sir Henry Pollexfen of Nutwell Court, Devon, and was baptized on 2 March 1694.George Edward Cokayne ''Complete Baronetage, Volume 1'' 1900
/ref> He was educated privately. Drake's father died in January 1718 and he succeeded to the

baronetcy A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

and the heavily encumbered estate. He made a financially advantageous marriage to Anne Heathcote, daughter of Samuel Heathcote merchant of Clapton House, Hackney, Middlesex on 29 September 1720 and was able to pay off the debts with his wife's money. She was the sister of

Sir William Heathcote, 1st Baronet Sir William Heathcote, 1st Baronet (15 March 1693 – 10 May 1751), of Hursley, Hampshire, was a British merchant and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1722 and 1741. Heathcote was the second son of Samuel Heathcote, Esq., of Ha ...

. He succeeded his uncle Henry Pollexfen to the estate of Nutwell Court in 1732.

Career

At the 1715 general election Drake was returned as Member of Parliament for

Tavistock Tavistock ( ) is an ancient stannary and market town and civil parish in the West Devon district, in the county of Devon, England. It is situated on the River Tavy, from which its name derives. At the 2011 census, the three electoral wards (N ...

jointly on his own and the Bedford interest. He was returned unopposed at Tavistock in

1722 Events January–March * January 27 – Daniel Defoe's novel '' Moll Flanders'' is published anonymously in London. * February 10 – The Battle of Cape Lopez begins off of the coast of West Africa (and present-day Gabon), ...

and

1727 Events January–March * January 1 – (December 21, 1726 O.S.) Spain's ambassador to Great Britain demands that the British return Gibraltar after accusing Britain of violating the terms of the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht. Britain ...

. He was also returned in 1727 for Bere Alston where the family controlled one seat, but chose to sit for Tavistock. The new Duke of Bedford did not support him at Tavistock at the 1734 general election and he was defeated. However, he was returned for Bere Alston again and took his seat there until his death.

Death and legacy

Drake died of pleuritic fever at his lodgings at Covent Garden on 26 January 1740. Lady Ann Drake was buried at Hackney on 5 November 1768. They had three sons * Sir Francis Henry Drake, 5th Baronet who succeeded to the baronetcy * Francis William Drake, who married his first cousin, Sir William Heathcote's daughter, Elizabeth in 1763. * Sir Francis Samuel Drake, 1st Baronet who became a baronet in his own right They also had two daughters

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Drake, Sir Francis Henry, 4th Baronet 1694 births 1740 deaths British MPs 1715–1722 British MPs 1722–1727 British MPs 1727–1734 British MPs 1734–1741 Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Bere Alston Baronets in the Baronetage of England Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Tavistock