Francis Robinson Drake Biography from History of Rockingham County, New Hampshire
From: Patricia Cooper - pcooper@peaknet.net

Surname: DRAKE
Source:  History of Rockingham County, New Hampshire and Representative Citizens
          by Charles A. Hazlett, Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co., Chicago, Ill., 1915

Page 1206

     FRANCIS ROBINSON DRAKE was born at North Hampton, N. H.,
November 5, 1849, only son of Nathaniel and Anne Trefethen (Seavey)
Drake. His father was born and died on the farm at North Hampton, N. 
H.,which had been in the Drake family in an unbroken line of ownership 
since it was granted by the Colonial Government. Mrs. Nathaniel Drake 
was born in Rye. N. H., but in her very early life her father moved to 
Greenland, where he purchased a farm and remained there the remainder 
of his life. Mr. and Mrs. Nathaniel Drake also had one daughter, Clara 
Bryant, who in December, 1875, married Oliver S. French of the same 
town, but later on moved to Boston, Mass. Mr. and Mrs. Oliver S. French 
had two children ; J. Russell French of Brookline, Mass., and later of 
North Hampton, N. H.and Anne Lemira, who married Herbert Coolidge 
Davidson of Boston, Mass.

Page 1207

  Francis Robinson Drake was educated in the common schools and at
the New Hampton Academy; In early life he evinced an interest and took
an active part in the religious and general welfare of his native town. 
He was a prominent member of the Congregational church, was elected 
deacon when a young man and for twenty-six years was superintendent of 
its sunday school. He was at different times secretary and president of 
the" Rockingham Sunday School Association. During nine years he was 
chairman of the North Hampton school board. He introduced many 
improvements, including the system of graded schools. He was a frequent 
speaker at public meetings. For years he was a member of the Republican 
State Committee.
   Few men in this part of the state and county were better known in the 
bussness and religious world. In his own and adjoining towns he was 
almost constantly employed in the settelment of estates and in 
bussiness requiring tact, experience and practical judgment.
  He was one of the directors of the Piscataqua Savings Bank of Ports-
mouth, N. H., and was connected with the real estate interests of the 
Boston & Maine Railroad. Apart from his private business as a bond and 
mortgage broker, which required semi-yearly trips to Ohio, Chicago and 
Kansas City, he managed his stock farm at North Hampton. Mr. Drake died 
May 18, 1902, after a brief illness at his home in North Hampton, where 
he held the love and esteem of all his town's people, and mourned by 
all who knew him.
  Mr.Drake was of the ninth generation in male line of direct descent
from Robert Drake, of Devon, England, who came to America about 1638,
settling first in Exeter, N. H., and afterward in Hampton, of which 
North Hampton was then a part.
  Robert's son, Abraham, was granted, in about 1670, a large tract of 
land from the Colonial Government in the northern part of the town, 
designated in the old chronicles as 'North Division." There eight 
generations of Drakes, down to and including the subject of this 
sketch, have owned and occupied this farm in an unbroken line. The 
title deeds extend back over a period of two hundred and fifty years.
  Francis R. Drake was fourth in direct descent from "Lieutenant-
Colonel Abraham Drake. Lieut. Col.Abraham, who was born in 1715, went 
to reside on the farm at "North Division," where he built what was then 
termed a "mansion." He was one of the first to take up arms in defense 
of the colonial liberties. He had previously served as captain in the 
French and Indian war. On receiving news of the battle of Lexington he 
hastened south with his regiment and was stationed at Winter Hill, near 
Boston, after the evacuation he returned to North Hampton. When 
intelligence reached him of the progress of General Burgoyne, he 
marched again with his regiment to intercept him and was present at 
General Burgoyne's surrender. While at Winter Hill he was introduced to 
General George Washington and afterward attended several councils 
called by him to decide on important bussiness. Col. Drake died 
suddenly in his field of apoplexy, August I, 1781, aged; 66 years.
Lieut. Col. Drake was twice married. His first wife was Abigail Weare,
daughter of Judge Nathaniel Weare and sister of Hon. Mesheck Weare,
first president, or governor, of New Hampshire. She died October 2, 
1740. Weare Drake, son of Lieut. Col. and Abigail (Weare) Drake, was 
born December 17, 1739. He lived in a house near his Father's 
homestead, which, on September 28, 1771, he sold to his half brother, 
Abraham Drake, Jr., together with all the land he owned at North 
Hampton. (This is the house and farm now owned by Clifford S. Drake.) 
After the sale of this property.

Page 1208

he moved, with his family to land granted to his father, in Effingham, 
N. H.,and from him most of the Drakes in the northern part of the state 
descended. Lieut. Col. Abraham Drake married for his second wife 
Abigail Dearborn, whose great grandfather, Godfrey Dearborn; came from 
Exeter, England, in 1639, and settled in Exeter, N. H. From this 
second marriage the subject of our sketch descended. Four of this Drake 
family served in the Revolutionary war. Lieut. Col. Abraham Drake and 
his three sons Weare Drake, Cornet Abraham Drake, and Jonathan Drake. 
The latter accompanied his father in most of his revolutionary 
expeditions, and was with him at the surrender of Burgoyne.
  Francis Robinson Drake was a descendant of Lieut. Col. Drake's son,
Cornet Abraham Drake's son Francis' son Nathaniel. Francis Robinson 
Drake married Miss Climena S. Hodsdon September 4, 1875, daughter of 
Col. Joseph and Dorcas (Gowell) Hodsdon of Ossipee, N. H. Her parents 
were of English and Scotch origin, they were both born at Berwick, 
Maine. Col. Hodsdon was prominent in Carroll County in business and 
political matters, was a liberal supporter of the Congregational church 
where he lived and active in its management. He represented his town 
several times in the state legislature and was one of the 
original promoters of the prohibition law. 
   In politics he was a republican. He went to Ossipee in 1838, where he 
started in the leather business, which business he followed during his 
active life. Mr. and Mrs. Drake had two children, Clifford Sumner and 
Nima Hodsdon. Clifford S. was born at North Hampton, N. H., August 19, 
1876, married December 31, 1901, at Boston" Mass. Miss Delania T. 
Ayres, daughter of Rev. and Mrs. Milan C. Ayres. Mr.Ayres was for many 
years editor in chief of the Boston Daily Advertiser. 
  To Mr, and Mrs. Drake were born: Francis Robert, October 18, 1902;
Milan Nathaniel, September 21, 1904; Leonard Ayres, April 8, 1907.
  Nima Hodsdon was born April 12, 1881, at North Hampton, N. H. She
received her education in the public schools of the town, and at the 
Girl's Latin School in Boston, from which school she graduated in 1900 
as president of her class. In 1901 she entered Smith College and was of 
the class of 1904. She married Rev. Arthur Yale Casselman, of Reading. 
Penn., July 26, 1905. Mr. and Mrs. Casselman, of Reading have one 
daughter, Louise Climena, born January 12, 1908. Clifford S. was 
educated in the public schools of North Hampton and at the "Putman 
School" of Newburyport, Mass. He also took a full business course at 
Bryant and Stratton's Commercial College in Boston, Mass. After 
finishing this business course he was employed by the Kennedy estate of 
Roxbury, Mass., in management of "the Warren" and their other large 
real estate holdings. 
  In 1898 he started in the real estate business for himself with 
office at 142 Warren Street, Roxbury, Mass., where he did a successful 
business, handling most of the new apartment houses in Roxbury. In 1902 
his father, Francis R. Drake died and he returned to North Hampton, N. 
H., to have the care of the large farm and carry on his father's 
business in conjunction with his own business in Boston. For ten years. 
Mr. Drake remained at North Hampton at the ancestral house and did much 
to beautify the surroundings of the homestead which had sheltered seven 
generations of the Drake family.
  Mr. Drake was married the second time April 19, 1911, to Miss Ruth M.
Jones, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Elisha W. Jones of Winstead, Conn. They
have one daughter Ruth Elizabeth, born June II, 1912. In 1913 Mr. Drake 
again took up his winter residence in Boston. He

Page 1209

has a real estate office at 16 State Street. He is a trustee in several 
Boston real estate trusts, besides continuing his bond and mortgage 
business in New Hampshire. He still owns the ancesttal home at North 
Hampton and returns with his family each year to live there during the 
summer months. He holds citizenship in his native town, which town 
claims his interest in its general and religious welfare.

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