Good Evening To You, My Gentle Friends,

As to Our Sir Francis Drake's personal life, he married Firstly,Mary Newman, on July 4, 1569. The couple had no children from this marriage. Sadly, Mary (Newman) Drake passed from this life, and was buried on January 25, 1582 or 1583, in Saint Bordeaux . . .

Sir Francis married Secondly, Miss Elizabeth Sydenham, in 1585 . . . His new bride was very different from the wife he had lost two years before. Mary (Newman) Drake had belonged to the society from which Our Sir Francis himself had sprung, frompeople who lived a step ahead of want and insecurity, andwhose world was dominated by their economic betters. Sir Francis's second bride, by contrast, was no simple sailor's wife, but the sophisticated and elegant heiress of one of the wealthiest men in the West Country, a memberof an influential family accustomed to privileged company. The difference between Mary (Newman) Drake and Elizaeth (Sydenham) Drake was the measure of the distance which Sir Francis had travelled . . .

Elizabeth was many years his junior. According to legal proceedings held in Tavistock in 1598, she would have been born about 1562, and was in her early twenties at the time she married. Of her appearance, we perhaps have an indication. Dedicating a poem to her in 1596, Charles Fitsgeffrey called her "the beauteous and viruous Lady Elizabeth", but since dedications were then made by permission and often to solicit favour, and since the poet's patrons wer the Rowse familyy of Halton, Elizabeth's trustees, we may excuse Fitgeffrey if he was merely being gallant. Two portrais, however, would bear him out, although nearly is fully authenticated. They show a regal lady in the full and elaborate dresses then fashionable, slender and trim, with long, sensitive hands, dark hair, and an oval face displaying a firm narrow chin and a petite mouth betokening some humour . . .

Nothing tells us of how Sir Francis and Elizabeth met, but it may have been at Fitzford, in the parish of Tavistock, not far from Buckland. Sir Francis knew the Fitz ffamily, and at one time acted as trustee for another of their properties at Lewisham, and the wife of John Fitz, head of the household, was Mary Sydenham, one of Elizabeth's four aunts. Or perhaps Sir Francis met Elizabeth through the many social occasions that brought the West Country elite together. Certainly, Miss Sydenham was well connected and made a good marriage. Her paternal grandfather had been Sir John Sydenham, Sheriff of Somerset, and his wife, who survived until 1508, was Ursula Brydges, the sister of John, first Lord Chandos. Their extensive brood were significant local figures. The oldest of Elizabeth's five paternal uncles, Sir John Sydenham, inherited the estate of Brympton d'Every. An aunt, also called Elisabeth, married the Sheriff of Devonshire . . .

The father of Sir Francis's bride was Sir George Sydenham, sometime sheriff of Somerset, who had inherited from his father the estate of Combe Sydenham in the same county and had added to it since. In 1561, for example, he had purchased the manor of Sutton Bingham from Sir William Kayleway of Rockborne. He played the local benefactor, providing 15 pounds per year from his properties at Combe Sydenham and nearby Stogumber for the upkeep of six cottages he had donated to poor widows, and was a pillar at the county administration, regularly mustering the local levies at Bridgwater. Sir George's wife, Elizaeth, was of no less distinguished lineage than the Sydenhams. She was the daughter of Sir Christopher Hales, once Attorney-General to King Henry VIII, and he was the Prosecutor of Wolsey, More, Fisher, and Queen Anne Boleyn . . .

As the only child of such a formidable union, Miss Elizabeth Sydenham had a most secure future long before she met Sir Francis Drake. She stood to inherit a battery of family properties, and in time, she did so: the house of Combe Sydenham, the manors of Sutton Bingham and Bossington; tracts of land in Bossington, Selworthy, Lucombe, Porlock, Sutton Bingham, Coker, Wester Colcombe, Combe Sydenham, Stogumber and Monksilver, all varying in size and tenure, some held from the Crown and others from the Dean and Chapter of Bath and Wells; and the patronage of the rectories of Stogumber, Monksilver, Puriton and Woolavington. No ordinary bride, indeed . . .

Undoubtedly, Sir Francis would have liked to bequeath the bulk of his estate to his brother Thomas Drake because that would have preserved it in the hands of the Drake family. The difficulty was that Buckland Abbey and the manors of Samford Spiney, Sherford and Yarcombe had been assigned to Lady Elizabeth Drake by the terms of her marriage settlement, and there was thus a very real danger that on Sir Francis Drake's death they would pass to the Sydenhams. This awkward situation was further complicated by Sir Francis Drake's wish to provide for Sir Francis Drake of Esher and Jonas Bodenham. After the death of Sir Francis Drake of Esher and Jonas Bodenham. After the death of Sir Francis Drake, Lady Drake married Sir William Courtenay of Powderham . . .

After the many hectic years of conflict with Spain, the nation sought peace and tranquility. Sir Francis returned to his Buckaland Abbey and immersed himself in projects such as the fortification of Plymouth and building canals (leats) that brought fresh water from the River Tavy to the port city of Plymouth, England. Sir Francis capitalized on the project by leasing and building grain mills on the new waterways. The years ashore finally got to Sir Francis, and he yearned for adventure again. In 1595, Sir Francis and his mentor, Sir John Hawkins pressed the Queen to help finance an expedition to return to plunder Spanish intrests in the West Indies . . .

On January 28, 1596, sixteen years after Sir Francis was knightted, he began his last journey against the Spanish strongholds of the West Indies. Both Sir Francis and Sir John Hawkins became violently ill with what was believed to be yellow fever . . .

Sir Francis drafted a Last Will and Testament on January 27, 1596, bequeathing his property to his younger brother, Thomas Drake. This Document still exists at Buckland Abbey . . .

By indenture, dated January 27, 1596, Sir Francis conveyed to William Strowde of Newenham co. Devon, esq., and Thomas Drake of Plymouth gent., his brother, the mansion house barton and demesne of Buckaldn Monachorum and Shirlford and all else his estate in co. Devon except the manors of Yearcombe and Samford Spyney, to the use of him the said Sir Francis Drake and the heirs of his body lawfully begotten with contingent reminders in default of such issues to the said Thomas Drake and the heirs of his body lawfully begotten and the right heirs of the said Sir Francis. The said Sir Francis drake of Buckland Monachorum, knt., General of her Majesty's Fleet now in service for the West Indies, made his will dated January 27 38 Eliza (1596) bequeathing to his cousin Francis Drake, son of Richard Drake of Esher co., Surrey esq., Equerry of the queen's sTable the manor of Yearcombe, on condition the said Francis and Richard pay Thoams Drake of Plymouth gen., 2,000 pound within two years of testator's deathp if not paid,, then the said manor to ttestator's said brother Thoams Drake and his heirs for ever. He bequeathed to Jonas Bodenham gent., the manor of Samford Spyney to him and his heirs forever. He appointed his said brother his executor and Charles Manners, Jonas Bodenham, Thomas Webbs, Roger Langesford, George Watkins and William Maynard wre witnesses. The manor of Shirford is held of the queen in chief by service of the twentieth part of a knight's fee and is worth by the year clear 10 pound. The manor of Yearcombe is held of the queen by the service of a sixtieth part of a fee and is worth andc., 20 pound. The manor of Sampford Spyney is held of hte heirs of the late Earl of Devon, service unknown and is worth andc., 3 pounds . . .

The mansion house and premises in Buckland aforesaid held of the Queen in chief by service of a twentieth part of a fee and worth andc., 30 pound. The messuage and premises in Plymouth held of the Mayor and Commonalty of that borough in free sonage and worth andc., 3 pound, 3 messuages and premises un Yearcombe are held of that manor by fealty and are worth andc., 3 pound. Sir Francis Drake died on January 28, 1596, on board his ship "Defiance", off the coast of Porto Bello, Panama. After a short service aboard the "Defiance", his remains were buried at sea in alead casket off the coast of Porto Bello, Panama. Two small ships were brought alongside the burial site and burned as a tribute to England's greatest seafarer . . .

The following extract, taken fronm the codicil to his will, made on board the ship "Defiance" on January 27, 1596, wherein he refers to Richard Drake of Esher, of the Ashe famly, as his cousin, indicated that his paternal grandfather, Edmund Drake, as either a brother or first cousin of "John Darke of Exmouth", who married Margaret, daughter of John Cole, although it is possible, as claimed by some, that he was a son of Gilbert or Robert, brothers of John, no record of whose descendants is in existence.

"Inthe Name of God, Amen. The seaven and twenteth day of Januarie the eigth and thirtieth yere of the Raigne of )ur Soveraigne Ladie Elizabeth by the Grace of God of England, Frannce and Irelande Queene, Defender of the Faith, etc.:

"I, Frauncis Drake, of Buckaldn and Monathorn, in the Countie of Devon, Knight, Generall of Her Majesties Fleete, now inservice for the West Indyes, beinge perfect of minde and memorie (Thankes be therefore unto God), although sicke in bodie, doe make and ordaine my last Will and Testament in manner and form followinge, viz.: First, I commend my soul to Jesus Christ my Savior and Redeemer, in whose righteousness I am made assured of everlastinge felicitie, and my bodie to the earth to be entombed at the discretion of my executor. Item, I give, devise, and bequeath unto my well-beloved Cosen, Frauncis Drake, the sonne of Richard Drake of Eshire, in the Countie of Devon, with all of the rights, members and appurtenances to the same, belongings or in anie wise appertaininge. To have and to hould all and singular the saied Mannor of Yarckomb, with all the rightes, members and appurtenances, unto the same belonging, unto the said Frauncis Drake, Sonne of Richard Drake, his heirs and assignes for ever." . . .

There was an article in "The Journal Gazette", in Logan, Ohio, on December 6, 1906, which printed a Title of "Information from English Courts That Vast Fortune Is About To Be Distributed" . . .

The distribution of the vast estate left by Sir Francis Drake, the bold English freebooter who sailed the Spanish main in the days when every Spanish vessel carreid a cargo representing a fortune in the precious metal from Mexico and Chile to the home country, was sprung on Monday by the Ohio State Journal. A Columbus, Ohio man has supposedly come to the forefront, now that the estate, which is valued at a quarter of a billion dollars, is about to be distributed from the English Court of Chancery, with the statement that he is the only known heir. . .

Logan, Ohio can go the State Journal several better, and say authoritatively that, in the city of Logan, there are a dozen legitimate claimants and direct descendants of the famous pirate from a brother of Sir Francis Drake, as the latter never married and had children. The local claiments to this vast fortune are seventh or eighth in descent from the younger brother of Sir Francis Drake. Mrs. Ellen Saunders, one of the claimants, has in her possession the complete genealogical tree of Drake descent from the younger brother of Sir Francis Drake to the present time. The Logan claimants are descendant from their grandmother whose maiden name was Drake and who was of the old Virginia family by that name who settled in Norfolk, Virginia . . .

The Drake estate seems to have been tied up in the English court of chancery for years, with legal technicalities coming up year after year with momentous regularity. The heirs have spent thousands of dollars in the legal contest . . .

By the will of Sir Francis Drake, hsi estate was left to be held in trust during the lifetime of his two sisteers, then it was to go to his American heirs. The American heirs were the descendants of Sir Francis's brother, Joseph, whose three sons, James, Francis, and one other, came to America to settle. The offspring of these are widely scattered in Norfolk, Virginia . . .

Mr. M. A. Glenn, of 964 East Long Street, declared himself to be proven as a descendant of Sir Francis Drake. He was the only one who even claimed to be an heir in Columbus, Ohio or central Ohio. . . .

Should Mr. Glenn's proven contention that he is a descendant of Sir Francis Drake be true, he declared that his fortune would be fabulous. It supposedly would run into the millions of dollars. Mr. Glenn had two daughters, Mrs. Etta G. Watts, who was a widow in 1906, and Miss Lola Ann Glenn, both of whom lived with their father and mother in Columbus, Ohio, in 1906. Mrs. Watts had one daughter, Miss Lola Watts. These were the only direct descendants . . .

This article was written on December 6, 1906, in Logan, Ohio . . .

The article was copied on February 16, 1999, from Logan, Ohio . . .

It is not known whether any of these claimants ever actually received anything from the estate of their illustrious ancestor, Sir Francis Drake . . .