Titles
There have been a number of titles granted to family members, both those named Drake and those descended from Drakes. In addition, Drake descendants have inherited non-Drake titles. Through apparent ill-luck, many of the male lines of titled Drakes have become extinct, leaving few titled bearers of the surname.
Titles held by Drakes
Drake Feudal Lordship of Drakerath
Sometime after Drakes came to Ireland from Worcester in
the 13th Century, they acquired the feudal lordship of Drakestown and Drakerath.
Not much is known about this. The last holder seems to have been John
Drake, who died in the mid 15th Century, after whom the senior male line ended in an heiress.
Drake Baronetcy of Buckland
Created in 1622 for Francis Drake, Esq., M. P. from Devon; nephew of the admiral
Extinct 1792 (1810)
Drake Baronetcy of Ashe
Created 31 August 1660 for Sir John Drake, Kt. of Ashe
Extinct 21 Oct 1738. The descent of this title is detailed
here.
Drake Baronetcy of Shardeloes
Created 17 July 1641 for William Drake, Esq., MP for Amersham, Bucks 1640-48 and
1661-69, Lord of the Manor of Amersham, Chirographer to the Court of Common
Pleas. He died unmarried on 28 Aug 1669 when the baronetcy became extinct.
Drake Baronetcy of Prospect
Created 28 May 1782 for Rear Admiral Francis Samuel Drake, Esq. for bravery in
action.
Extinct at his death, s.p., 19 Nov 1789
Fuller-Eliott-Drake Baronetcy of Nutwell Court
Created on 22 Aug 1821 for Thomas Trayton Fuller (Fuller-Eliott-Drake), inheritor
of Buckland Abbey. He assumed the additional names of Eliott and Drake, but d.
s. p.
Drake del Castillo
James
Drake (1736-1838) of Axminster, Devon was a wealthy Cuban merchant. He married
Carlotta Nunez del Castillo. Their son Carlos Drake y Nunez del Castillo became
Conde de Vega Mar. He marred María Virginia de la Cerda Gand y la Rochefoucauld,
and their son Emilio was made Marquess de Cañada Honda. The current
representative is a grandee of Spain.
Titles held by descendants and
relations of Drakes
Barnewall Baronetcy of Crickstown
Matilda, daughter and heiress of the last Drake feudal
Lord of Drakestown and Drakerath, married Sir Christopher Barnewall of Crickstown;
Serjeant-at-Law 1408, Lord Treasurer of Ireland, 1436 and Chief Justice of the
King's Bench, 1446. His descendant Sir Patrick Barnewall was created a baronet
21 Feb 1622/3. The present representative is Sir Reginald Robert Barnewall, 13th
Baronet, of Crickstown Castle, Co Meath.
Baron Trimlestown
Sir Christopher Barnewall's younger son Sir Robert Barnewall was created Baron
Trimlestown 4 March 1461. The present representative is Raymond Charles
Barnewall, the 21st Baron Trimlestown, of Trimlestown, Co Meath.
Baron Heathfield of Gibraltar
Created for Major General Sir George Augustus Eliott, K.B., on 6 July 1787.
He was the husband of Anne Pollexfen Drake. The title was inherited by their
son and became extinct at his death in 1813.
Baron Seaton
John Reginald Upton Colborne, later Eliott-Drake-Colborne, the son and heir of
the Second Lord Seaton, married Elizabeth Beatrice Fuller, of the Drakes of
Buckland, and assumed by Royal License on 16 August the additional names of
Eliott and Drake. He later became Third Lord Seaton by inheritance, but d.s.p.,
being succeeded in the barony by his younger brother.
Kleinwort Baronetcy of Bolnore
Alexander Friedrich Kleinwort joined the Cuban firm founded by James Drake
del Castillo (see above entry) and rose to a leadership position. Eventually
Drake descendants retired from the firm, which had become an international
banking house and was later known as Kleinwort Benson. Alexander
Friedrich's descendants include Sir Alexander Drake Kleinwort, 1st Bt (UK), cr.
29 Nov 1909 and
Sir Richard Drake Kleinwort, 4th Baronet of Bolnore. The use of the name Drake by the
baronets can be considered commemorative.
The Counts de Salis
The current Counts de Salis descend from Sophia, daughter of Admiral Francis
William Drake, brother of Sir Francis Henry Drake, the last Sir Francis Drake
baronet of Buckland Abbey. Sophia married Jerome, Fourth Count de Salis. The
title is of the Holy Roman Empire, created for Peter de Salis in 1748 by Francis
I. Permission to use the title in Great Britain was given by Royal License in
1809, which is in itself a distinction.
The Jacobite Titles
(Detailed here)
The Dukes of Marlborough
The present duke is a Spencer in the male line, and his title descends by a special
remainder through the daughter of John Churchill, created the first duke on 14 Dec
1702. His mother, the wife of the cavalier Sir Winston Churchill, was Elizabeth,
daughter of John Drake of Ashe.
The Earls Spencer
The present earl descends from John Spencer, for whom the title was created on 1 Nov
1765. They share descent with the Spencer-Churchills from the First Duke of
Marlborough, and hence from the Drakes of Ashe.
HRH Prince William of Wales
The heir to the British throne and his brother, Prince Harry, in addition to the
lineage next detailed, descend through
their mother, the late Diana Spencer, from the Spencers and the Churchills. This
descent, should, at length, carry another thread of the Drake bloodline to the throne.
Queen Elizabeth II
Her Majesty is descended from Henry Drake of Reigate, Surrey through her mother.
The line of descent is as follows:
Henry Drake of Reigate,
Surrey m. Mary Lee of Maidstone, Kent
Elizabeth Drake m. James Morley
Mary Morley m. Jeremiah Elwes
Mary Elwes m. William Hale
Catherine Hale m. John Hoskins
Catherine Hoskins m. William Cavendish, 3rd Duke of Devonshire
William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire m. Charlotte Boyle, Baroness Clifford
Lady Dorothy Cavendish m. William Henry Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland
Lord William Charles Cavendish-Bentinck m. Anne Wellesley
(The Rev.) Charles William Cavendish-Bentinck m. Caroline Louisa Burnaby
Nina Cecilia Cavendish-Bentinck m. Claude George Bowes-Lyon,
14th Earl of Strathmore & Kinghorne
Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon m. King George VI
Queen Elizabeth II