Selected Biographies

Drake, Arthur Wogan – Born: Great Wratting, Suffolk in 1870.  Parents: Reverend John Drake (Clerk in Holy Orders) and Ellen Louisa [née Todd].  Family Connections: Brother to Francis Richard Drake [b1862], William Utten Drake [b1872], Charles Frederick Drake [b1874], Margaret Drake [b1875], Robert Edward Drake [b1878] and Hugh Basil Drake [b1879]; also, brother-in-law of Edith Drake [née Morten] [b1883].  Home: The Rectory, Great Wratting, Suffolk (1871), Lancing College, Brighton, Sussex (1881), The Chestnuts, Hall Street, Long Melford (1911) and [1916], Royal Beacon Hotel, Exmouth, Devon [1956].  Occupation: Solicitor (1911) and [1916].  Married: Annie W. Todd in 1924.  Service Record: Arthur was a Sergeant in the Long Melford Volunteer Training Corps in 1915 and was invited to sit on the Long Melford Recruiting Sub-Committee in December of that year.  In July 1916 he sat briefly as the second military representative on the Melford Military Service Tribunal.  May 1917 saw Drake granted a temporary commission as a Lieutenant with 5^th Volunteer Battalion, The Suffolk Regiment.  The following June he volunteered to join one of the newly formed special service companies, set up to release men from the Home Forces for deployment in France.  His new posting was to N^o. 9 Suffolk Volunteer Company, charged with guarding strategic points along the Suffolk coast from its base at Bawdsey Manor on the mouth of the river Deben.  In 1922 he is recorded as one of the 14 vice-presidents of the Long Melford Ex-Service Men’s Club.  Died: Exmouth, Devon 19.10.1956.[1]

Drake, Charles Frederick – Born: Great Wratting, Suffolk in 1874.  Parents: Reverend John Drake (Clerk in Holy Orders) and Ellen Louisa [née Todd].  Family Connections: Brother to Francis Richard Drake [b1862], Arthur Wogan Drake [b1870], William Utten Drake [b1872], Margaret Drake [b1875], Robert Edward Drake [b1878] and Hugh Basil Drake [b1879]; also, brother-in-law of Edith Drake [née Morten] [b1883].  Home: The Rectory, Great Wratting, Suffolk (1881), Lancing College, Lancing, Sussex (1891), Hartsfield, Purley, Coulsdon, Surrey (1901), 39 Vincent Square, Westminster, London (1911), Hill Farm, Boxford, Suffolk [1923].  Occupation: Solicitor (1901), Flour Merchant’s Manager (1911).  Married: Dorothy Maud Dyer in 1897.  Service Record: No military record found.  Death: Hill Farm, Boxford, Suffolk on 26.2.1923.[2]

Drake, Mrs Edith [née Morten] – Born: Surbiton, Surrey on 28.12.1883.  Parents: Frederick Morten (Miller and Flour Merchant) and Fanny Willows [née Graves].  Family Connections: Sister-in-law of Francis Richard Drake [b1862], Arthur Wogan Drake [b1870], William Utten Drake [b1872], Charles Frederick Drake [b1874], Margaret Drake [b1875] and Robert Edward Drake [b1878].  Home: Warberry House, South Bank, Surbiton, Surrey (1891), Westerlea, Whytecliffe Road, Purley, Surrey (1901), The Chestnuts, Hall St, Long Melford [1916], The Beacon, Cliff Road, Hythe, Kent [1937], Seaview Hotel, Seabrook, Hythe (1939), Brockhurst Residential Home, Brockhill Road, Hythe [1964].  Married: Hugh Basil Drake in 1904.  Service Record: Up to 1915 Mrs Drake served as a Nurse in the Voluntary Aid Detachment in Sudbury, Suffolk, then from February 1915 to July 1916 as a volunteer with the British Red Cross Society and Nurse at the Red Cross Hospital in Belle Vue House, Sudbury, transferring to Suffolk Hospital at Ampton Hall near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk through to July 1918.  She also acted as an enumerator during the National Registration in 1915.  In the 1930s Edith took flying lessons, gaining her Aviator’s Certificate in August 1937.  Died: Hythe, Kent on 22.12.1963.[3]

Drake, Francis Richard [obe] – Born: St Pancras, London on 31.12.1862.  Parents: Reverend John Drake (Clerk in Holy Orders) and Ellen Louisa [née Todd].  Family Connections: Brother to Arthur Wogan Drake [b1870], William Utten Drake [b1872], Charles Frederick Drake [b1874], Margaret Drake [b1875], Robert Edward Drake [b1878] and Hugh Basil Drake [b1879]; also, brother-in-law of Edith Drake [née Morten] [b1883].  Home: The Rectory, Great Wratting, Suffolk (1871), Woolwich Arsenal, Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, London (1881), Cambridge Barracks, Portsea Island, Portsmouth, Hants (1891), Pine Lodge, Moorend Park Rd, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire [1935].  Occupation: Gentleman Cadet (1881), Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery (1891), Officer in the Royal Garrison Artillery (1901), Retired Major Royal Artillery (1911).  Married: Mary Caroline Festing in 1891.  Service Record: Recalled to the Colours as a Major with the Royal Garrison Artillery in 1915, promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel and granted the award of Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1919.  Death: Cheltenham, Gloucestershire on 22.7.1935.[4]

Drake, Hugh Basil [mrcs, lrcp] – Born: Great Wratting, Suffolk on 25.8.1879.  Parents: Reverend John Drake (Clerk in Holy Orders) and Ellen Louisa [née Todd].  Family Connections: Brother to Francis Richard Drake [b1862], Arthur Wogan Drake [b1870], William Utten Drake [b1872], Charles Frederick Drake [b1874], Margaret Drake [b1875] and Robert Edward Drake [b1878].  Home: The Rectory, Great Wratting, Suffolk (1881), 4 Belvedere Belmont, Hove, Sussex (1891), Hartsfield, Purley, Coulsdon, Surrey (1901), 9 Albert Lane, Hythe, Kent (1939), 19 Grimston Gardens, Folkstone, Kent [1964].  Occupation: Medical Student (1901), Officer in the Indian Medical Service [1904 to 1922].  Married: Edith Morten in 1904 [see above for her service details].  Service Record: Basil was promoted to Lieutenant with the Indian Medical Service in Punjab, northern India in 1904, to Captain in 1907, and to Major on 30.7.1915.  Drake retired from the Service in June 1922 and is recorded as one of the 14 vice-presidents of the Long Melford Ex-Service Men’s Club in the same year.  Died: Folkstone, Kent on 29.4.1964.[5]

Drake, Miss Margaret – Born: Great Wratting, Suffolk on 12.12.1875.  Parents: Reverend John Drake (Clerk in Holy Orders) and Ellen Louisa [née Todd].  Family Connections: Sister to Francis Richard Drake [b1862], Arthur Wogan Drake [b1870], William Utten Drake [b1873], Charles Frederick Drake [b1874], Robert Edward Drake [b1878] and Hugh Basil Drake [b1879]; also, sister-in-law of Edith Drake [née Morten] [b1883].  Home: The Rectory, Great Wratting, Suffolk (1881 and 1891), Hartsfield, Purley, Coulsdon, Surrey (1901), The Chestnuts, Hall St, Long Melford (1911) to [1916], The Ferns, The Green, Long Melford (1939).  Service Record: Margaret served as a Nurse with the Voluntary Aid Detachment at the Red Cross Hospital in Belle Vue House, Sudbury from February 1916 to December 1917.  She was also a volunteer with the British Red Cross Society and a member of the Red Cross Working Party in Long Melford from January 1916 to October 1918.[6]

Drake, Robert Edward – Born: Great Wratting, Suffolk on 4.1.1878.  Parents: Reverend John Drake (Clerk in Holy Orders) and Ellen Louisa [née Todd].  Family Connections: Brother to Francis Richard Drake [b1862], Arthur Wogan Drake [b1870], William Utten Drake [b1872], Charles Frederick Drake [b1874], Margaret Drake [b1875] and Hugh Basil Drake [b1879]; also, brother-in-law of Edith Drake [née Morten] [b1883].  Home: The Rectory, Great Wratting, Suffolk (1881), Lancing College, Brighton, Sussex (1891), The Chestnuts, Hall Street, Long Melford (1901).  Occupation: Soldier [1898 to 1914].  Service Record: Robert served from 1898 to 1900 as a Lieutenant with 3^rd [Militia] Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. In 1900 he joined 1^st Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment guarding Boer prisoners of war at Trichinopoly in southern India.  By 1912 he had been promoted to Captain and the following year appointed Adjutant.  On 13.8.1914 he was posted to France as part of 9^th Brigade, 3^rd Division, seeing action at the Battle of Mons on 23.8.1914 and the rear-guard action at Le Cateau three days later.  During the Battle of the Marne on 8.9.1914, together with men from ‘C’ and ‘D’ Company, Drake worked his way through woods to the west of Bézu and crept to within 150 yards of the enemy guns, before rushing forward and killing or wounding all the German gun crews.  When Drake and his party broke cover they were spotted by gunners of 65^th [Howitzer] Battery, Royal Artillery, who mistook them for the enemy and opened fire.  This burst of “friendly fire” cost the Lincolns the loss of thirty-three men either killed or wounded.  Died: Captain Drake died of wounds later the same day and is buried in Bézu-Le-Guéry Communal Cemetery, Aisne, France, and commemorated on a memorial plaque in St Marys Church, Great Wratting in Suffolk, the Lancing College Roll of Honour, and the Long Melford War Memorial.[7]

Drake, William Utten – Born: Great Wratting, Suffolk in 1872.  Parents: Reverend John Drake (Clerk in Holy Orders) and Ellen Louisa [née Todd].  Family Connections: Brother to Francis Richard Drake [b1862], Arthur Wogan Drake [b1870], Charles Frederick Drake [b1874], Margaret Drake [b1875], Robert Edward Drake [b1878] and Hugh Basil Drake [b1879]; also, brother-in-law of Edith Drake [née Morten] [b1883].  Home: The Rectory, Great Wratting, Suffolk (1881 and 1891), Imperial Hotel, Exmouth, Devon [1960].  Occupation: Soldier (1891).  Service Record: William is recorded as a Second Lieutenant serving with 3^rd [Militia] Battalion, Suffolk Regiment in 1891.  It is not known if he saw service during the First World War as no extant record has been found.  Died: Exmouth, Devon on 20.7.1960.[8]

Notes – [1] Occupation and address taken from Kelly’s Directory Suffolk 1916.  For Training Corps article see Suffolk and Essex Free Press 10.3.1915, and for Tribunal position see Suffolk and Essex Free Press 12.7.1916.  Long Melford Parish Council Minute Book [Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk Record Office ref: EG501/1/3].  For notification of his commission see the Supplement to the London Gazette 17.7.1917, p.7207.  For a background of 5^th Volunteer Battalion and special duties see Murphy, Lieutenant-Colonel C. C. R. The History of the Suffolk Regiment 1914-1927 [London: Hutchinson and Co, 1928], p.369-70.  Date of death from the National Probate Calendar.  [2] Date of death from the National Probate Calendar.  [3] Date of birth taken from Baptism Register 28.6.1883, Christchurch, Surbiton, Surrey.  See also her Red Cross Record Card and Royal Aviators’ Certificate, 20.8.1937.  Date of death taken from the National Probate Calendar.  [4] Date of birth from Baptism Register 28.1.1862, St Marks Church, Regents Park, London.  See also The Official Army List [TNA].  For confirmation of rank and notification of the OBE see London Gazette 1.1.1919, p.93 and 21.1.1919, p.1080.  Date of death from the National Probate Calendar.  [5] Date of birth from the Roll of the Indian Medical Service.  For notification of military ranks see London Gazette for: 8.7.1904, p.4345; 19.4.1907, p.2650; and 22.2.1916, p.1960.  For notification of his retirement see The Indian Medical Gazette October 1922, p.400.  Date of death from the National Probate Calendar.  [6] Date of birth from the 1939 Register for Long Melford.  See her British Red Cross Record Card.  [7] Date of birth from Bond of Sacrifice: Officers Died In The Great War 1914-1916, Vol.I, p.117.  Regimental record suggests Drake died on 9.9.1914.  For details of the action see Major General C.R. Simpson C.B. [ed.] The History of the Lincolnshire Regiment 1914-1918 [London: The Medici Society, 1931] p.31.  He is recorded in de Ruvigny’s Roll of Honour 1914-18, Vol.II, p.105.  Also see his Commonwealth War Graves Commission record and Service Medal and Award Rolls Index Cards 1914-1922 [WO 372] records date of death as 8.9.1914.  [8] For notification of death see the London Gazette 16.9.1960, p.6390.