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A John Drake of Budley paid Lay Subsidy tax in 1332, this is the first recorded Drake in the Lower Otter Valley. 

John Drake, who was born about 1390, married Christian Billett the daughter and heiress of John Billett and Alicia (or Alice).  It is recorded that this marriage took place in the early years of the reign of Henry V, (1413-22.) (1).    

Alicia Hampton was the daughter (and heir) of Warren Hampton and Joane (née Brooke).  It was through Alicia’s inheritance from her parents that the estate of Ashe, in the parish of Musbury, came to her husband, John Billett.   

John Drake and Christian had a son, also named John, who was born about 1416 in Otterton according to printed histories.     

After the early death of her husband, Christian Drake married a second time, to Richard Frankchenay.  This couple then in due course inherited the estate of Ashe from her parents.  Christian and Richard had a son and heir, Christopher.  

He had a son Richard, who had a son Simon. The Frankchenay family by descent had retained Ashe to the exclusion of the eldest son and rightful heir, John Drake. (2)  

John Drake is recorded by the Royal College of Heralds as being “of Otterton”.  It is said he was engaged in trade and shipping at Otterton, which had a significant port, Ottermouth, at that time. John married Christiana, daughter and heiress of John Antage of Otterton about 1440. 

In 1444 a case was put before the Court of Henry VI at Westminster concerning the purchase and title deeds of lands in Pynn and Otterton that John Drake had bought from John and Agnes Broun amounting to 2 messuages, 4 ferthings of land and 4 acres of meadow.(3)   The Drake family continued to own the land at Pinn until about 1780.  

John Drake their eldest son and heir was born about 1441 probably in Otterton. Further children are not recorded, but it is quite likely that younger members of this family remained at Otterton. 

This John in due course married   ?  Cruwys, about 1465, the daughter of John Cruwys of Cruwys Morchard (2). The Cruwys family had held this manor since the reign of King John, if not from an earlier period. It is worth pointing out that the extensive Drake family of Cruwys Morchard was well established in that place at the beginning of the church registers, so it is likely that a younger son inherited from his Cruwys relatives and started the line there.

We do not know of all the Drake children but John the eldest son and heir was born about 1466, and probably a Richard (Richard of Otterton is recorded in land deeds dated 1499).  

It was during this time that the ancient Barn of Otterton Barton Farm was built, with the Drake crest of a Wyvern Argent on each gable end of the roof.  John Drake was probably the Steward/Bailiff of Otterton, under the Priory of Syon House, Frogmore, Middlesex, who were the owners of the Manor prior to the dissolution of the Monasteries. 

John, the eldest son, married Agnes Kelway daughter of John Kelway Esq Merchant of Cullompton about 1490, (2) they had both died prior to the Lay Subsidy Roll of 1524. Their children were as follows, 

 i. John born about 1483 and died prior to 1542 he became known as “of Exmouth”  

A successful Merchant who had extensive interests in Shipping and foreign trade. He was called “a man of great estate”.  For some time he had been Bailiff of Littleham and had in 1539 obtained from Edward VI the Manor of Hulham in Exmouth, which had been forfeited to the Crown on the execution of Henry Courtney, Marquis of Exeter. (6) John had also successfully reclaimed the Manor of Ashe from the Frankcheney family by a lawsuit in 1526. (4) 

Just prior to the dissolution of the Monasteries in 1536, he obtained from  The Prioress Eleanor Sydenham, of Polslo Priory, Exeter, the lease of the Rectory of Budley with what was known as “Tithe of Sheaf”, by which the entire Tithe grain of the Polslo Manor (northern East Budleigh) be given to him.  

This act caused much bad feeling with Richard Duke who had just bought the Manor and would have expected the Tithe of Sheaf to be included, it was worth a great deal of money. (4) 

John Drake was assessed for Tax in the Lay Subsidy of 1525 in the parish of Withycombe Raleigh, which includes the manor of Hulham, he paid tax of £133 on his goods/income. No tax was paid at Littleham, which may indicate that his family home at that time was not at Pratshayes but at the Manor House of Hulham.  However the Drake Aisle was added to the parish church of Littleham in the year 1528, indicating that there were very strong family ties to that parish. Notes in the Church at Littleham say the Drake family had owned Pratshayes since the time of King John. 

On the 28th April 1542 a lease from the Chamber was granted to John Drake for 29 years at a rental of 26s 8d of “all that our ferry and passage at Exmouth and our boat called le passage bote with all gear pertaining to the same together with a piece of land next the sea at Exmouth called Prattished measuring 110ft by 80ft” (5), this was Mona Island in the Exeter Road.  

 ii. Robert born about 1486.           

Lay Subsidy Roll 1525 Goods £20 taxed at Otterton.           

He was the Collector of Taxes. A wife is mentioned in a deposition in the Subsidy Roll. It is likely that he moved his family to Waddam, Southleigh after the manor had been purchased by Richard Duke, because of the ensuing bad feeling caused by the Tithes of Budleigh Polslo. 

 iii. Richard born about 1489.  

Lay Subsidy Roll 1525 Goods £28 at Otterton. 

His wife had died during the preceding year, he was granted tax allowance for the heriots he had to pay on her death and for her burial. It is probably the children of this Richard that remained in Otterton and who occur in the first registers.

 iv.Thomas born about 1491. 

Married Ellen Hilleng of Venn Ottery. 

In 1555 Thomas Drake was recorded Bailiff of Harpford Manor for John Arundel’s share (8). 

His descendents remained there for many generations. (2) 

 v. Joan/Agnes born about 1495

          Married William Pole of Colyton abt. 1514

          Their first child is recorded as born in 1515 (7)

Sir William Pole, the Antiquarian, was their Grandson (6) 

All these children started dynasties of their own, marrying into some of the most influential families in England. 

Compiled, written and researched by © Roz Hickman, 1998 

1. Burkes Peerage

2. The Visitations of Devon -College of Heralds

3 Original document, Rolle Estate papers- 96/M  DR0 

4 Drake family files DRO

5 The Book of Exmouth – Robin Bush

6 Sir William Pole – Antiquities of Devon

7 MI Colyton Church

8 Cornwall RO-Ref. AR/2/1304

OT-B-00009 Biography any