The Drake Letters – WHD Timeline
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William Henry Drake Timeline
| 29 September 1812: | Born at Coimbra, Portugal, near Lisbon, where his father, DCG John Drake, was serving with the Duke of Wellington’s Peninsula Army. |
| 12 June 1816: | Birth of sister, Caroline Drake, Bloomsbury, London, England. |
| 30 April 1818: | Birth of sister, Charlotte Augusta Drake, Bloomsbury, London, England. |
| 17 January 1819: | Birth of sister, Maria Harriet (Molly) Drake, England. |
| 25 February 1828: | Appointed to the Customs in Barbados, where his father, DCG John Drake, was also serving. |
| 13 July 1831: | Appointed Treasury Clerk in the Commissariat and posted to Western Australia. |
| 12 August 1831: | Left London from Gravesend to join the Egyptian for the Swan River Colony (Perth, Western Australia). 16 August 1831: Egyptian sailed from Deal. 28 December 1831: Arrived Perth. |
| 23 September 1833: | Married Louisa Purkis, Perth, Western Australia. |
| 15 September 1834: | Birth of son, John Drake, Perth, Western Australia. |
| 18 October 1834: | Elected Director of the Perth School. |
| November 1834: | Accompanied Capt. Daniell, 21st Fusiliers, to protect settlers at the Murray River. |
| 16 April 1835: | Promoted to Deputy Assistant Commissary-General. |
| 26 January 1836: | Marriage of sister, Caroline Drake, to Dr. Bernard Manning Browne, Exmouth, Devon, England. |
| 8 February 1836: | Per Sally Ann, Capt. Howe, to Augusta and King George’s Sound. |
| 24 February 1836: | Per Sally Ann, arr. Perth from King George’s Sound, Augusta, and the Vasse. |
| 18 July 1836: | Birth of daughter, Louisa Maria Drake, Perth, Western Australia. |
| May 1837: | Elected a member of the Agricultural Society. |
| 2 September 1837: | Posted to King George’s Sound. |
| 27 September 1837: | Per Government schooner Champion, Lieut. Bull, R.N., for King George’s Sound. |
| 6 November 1837: | Birth of nephew, Charles William Browne, son of Caroline Browne, Chudleigh, Devonshire, England. |
| 10 March 1838: | Birth of daughter, Charlotte Augusta Dring Drake, King George’s Sound, Western Australia. |
| 22 May 1838: | Marriage of brother, John Minshull Drake, to Caroline Grimes, Devon, England. |
| 13 April 1839: | Appointed Magistrate for Western Australia. |
| 15 September 1839: | Per Fox, Captain Davies, from King George’s Sound. |
| 5 November 1839: | Charge of the Commissariat Department and Colonial Treasury of Western Australia transferred to Drake from ACG John Lewis. [The Perth Gazette and Western Australian Journal (WA), Saturday 9 November 1839, p. 178.] |
| 19 August 1840: | Birth of nephew, Alfred Edwin Drake, son of John Minshull Drake, Delhi, Bengal, India. |
| 1841: | Birth of niece, Emily Charlotte Browne, daughter of Caroline Browne, Chudleigh, Devonshire, England. |
| 4 May 1841: | Suicide of former ACG John Lewis. |
| 7 August 1841: | Death of nephew, Alfred Edwin Drake, son of John Minshull Drake, Delhi, Bengal, India. |
| 20 August 1841: | Birth of niece, Alice Drake, daughter of John Minshull Drake, Delhi, Bengal, India. |
| 21 August 1841: | Appointed Justice of the Peace for Western Australia. |
| 8 January 1842: | Elected to the Perth Town Trust. |
| 12 January 1843: | Appointed by the Governor to the General Road Trust. |
| March 1843: | Birth of niece, Maria Caroline Browne, daughter of Caroline Browne, Chudleigh, Devonshire, England. |
| 21 April 1843: | Birth of niece, Lucy Drake, daughter of John Minshull Drake, Barrackpore, Bengal, India. |
| 1 June 1843: | Birth of daughter, Laura Mary Drake, Perth, Western Australia. |
| 16 June 1844: | Birth of nephew, Reginald Drake, son of John Minshull Drake, Berhampore, Bengal, India. |
| 1 October 1844: | Marriage of sister, Maria Harriet (Molly) Drake, to Edward Marshall White, Jersey. |
| December 1844: | Elected a Brother of Masonic Lodge No. 712, Perth. |
| 4 January 1845: | Per Champion, Lieut. Helpman, R.N., for Albany. |
|
20 January 1845: |
Per Champion, Lieut. F. Helpman, R.N., from King George’s Sound. |
| 28 February 1845: | Birth of daughter, Emily Caroline Drake, Perth, Western Australia. |
| 25 October 1845: | Acted as a Steward at the York Race Meeting. |
| 16 December 1845: | Promoted to Assistant Commissary-General. |
| 25 April 1846: | Birth of nephew Dennys Drake, son of John Minshull Drake, Lucknow, West Bengal, India. |
| 29 October 1846: | Acted as a Steward at the York Race Meeting. |
| c. April 1847: | Birth and death of nephew, Perry/Percy Drake, son of John Minshull Drake, Bengal, India. |
| June 1847: | Acted as a Steward at the Perth Races. |
| 29 July 1847: | Son, John Drake (aged 13), departed per Champion, Lt. Helpman, R.N. for Angier Point, Singapore, and Glasgow, probably to attend school in Scotland. (As far as I am aware, he never lived with his family again.) |
| 1 February 1848: | ACG Darling replaced Drake in charge of the Commissariat in Western Australia. |
| March 1848: | Acted as a Steward at the Perth Races. |
| March 1848: | Transferred to Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania). |
| 1 April 1848: | Birth of stillborn son to brother, John Minshull Drake, Landour, Bengal, India. |
| 4 April 1848: | Death of sister-in-law, Caroline Drake, wife of John Minshull Drake, Landour, Bengal, India. |
| 7 May 1848: | Left Perth per Arpenteur, Croft, en route to South Australia (and Van Diemen’s Land). 23 May 1848: Arr. Adelaide. |
| 18 June 1848: | Left Port Phillip (Melbourne) per Schooner Sisters, Capt. Gedge, bound for Hobart. 21 June 1848: Arrived in Hobart. |
| 13 January 1850: | Per Wellington, Crosby, for London, from Hobart. |
| 21 March 1850: | Marriage of brother, John Minshull Drake, to Margaret McLean Dring (née Todd), Lahore, West Bengal, India. |
| May 1850: | Posted to St. Helena for temporary duty while en route to Nova Scotia. (Brig. Jackson has suggested that Drake went to St. Helena, but I have found no evidence of him doing so.) |
| 5 July 1850: | Attended a levee held by Queen Victoria at St. James’s Palace. |
| 1 May 1851: | Birth of niece, Emlyn Augusta Drake, daughter of John Minshull Drake, Lahore, West Bengal, India. |
| 17 August 1853: | Arr. Nova Scotia, per Fairy Queen. |
| 28 October 1853: | Death of daughter, Emily Caroline Drake, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. |
| 29 March 1854: | Left Boston per the Arabian. |
| 20 May 1854: | By train from S.W. Railway Station to Southampton. 21 May 1854: Orinoco, Capt. A. Wilson, dep. Southampton. 26 May 1854: Arr. Gibraltar. 27 May 1854: Dep. Gibraltar. 1 June 1854: Arr./dep. Malta. 4 June 1854: Arr. Piræus. |
| 1 July 1854: | Birth of niece, Caroline White, daughter of Maria Harriet (Molly) White, Bloomsbury, London, England. (William Henry Drake’s goddaughter.) |
| 22 July 1854: | Steamer Nil dep. Piræus. 25 July 1854: Arr. Constantinople. |
| 25 July 1854: | Joined the Army in the Crimea (General Orders). |
| 29 July 1854: | Steamer Tonning dep. Constantinople. 31 July 1854: Arr. Varna. |
| 4 September 1854: | Steamer Hope, Capt. Bowen, dep. Varna. 26 September 1854: Arr. Balaklava. |
| 23 September 1854: | Birth of niece, Edith Maria Drake, daughter of John Minshull Drake, Muan Meer, Bengal, India. |
| 22 December 1854: | Treasury minute, regarding the transfer of the Commissariat Department from Treasury to the War Department. |
| 1 January 1855: | Received accelerated promotion to Deputy Commissary-General. |
| 30 March 1855: | Gave evidence to the McNeill/Tulloch enquiry, relative to the supply of rations of food and forage for the men and horses of the British army in the Crimea. |
| 2 May 1855: | Put in charge of expedition to Kertch by CG Filder. |
| 4 May 1855: | Hope dep. Balaklava for Kertch. 5 May 1855: Expedition ordered to return to Balaklava. 6 May 1855: Arr. Balaklava. |
| 18 May 1855: | Louisa Drake and Louisa Maria Drake join Drake in Balaklava. |
| 21 May 1855: | Expedition reorganised for Kertch. |
| 23 May 1855: | Hope dep. Balaklava. 24 May 1855: Arr. Kertch. |
| 13 June 1855: | Left Kertch. 14 June 1855: Arr. Balaklava. |
| 28 June 1855: | Lord Raglan dies (according to Drake’s Journal.) |
| 18 July 1855: | CG William Filder’s Medical Board hearing. |
| 26 July 1855: | Filder leaves the Crimea, per Lion. |
| 27 July 1855: | General Order directing Drake to take charge of Commissariat in the Crimea, pending Sir George Maclean’s arrival. |
| 1 August 1855: | ACG Morse relieves Drake of charge of the depot at Balaklava, who takes charge of local Commissariat duties irrespective of the depot (General Orders). |
| 27 July 1855: | Takes charge of the Commissariat Department, until the arrival of CG Sir George Maclean from Constantinople (General Orders). |
| 14 September 1855: | Appointed member of the Mixed Commission, under General Adolphe Niel, on the distribution of booty and trophies. |
| 23 October 1855: | Oneida dep. Balaklava. 25 October 1855: Dep. Eupatoria. 26 October 1855: Arr. Balaklava. |
| 5 December 1855: | Steamer Cormorant, Capt. Byrne, dep. Balaklava. 8 December 1855: Arr. Sizopolis. 12 December 1855: Dep. Sizopolis. 13 December 1855: Arr. Baltzik. 15 December 1855: Dep. Baltzik. 17 December 1855: Arr. Balaklava. |
| 4 February 1856: | Nominated Companion of the Bath. |
| 19 March 1856: | Takes on duties in the Crimea of CG Sir George Maclean, on leave to England (General Orders). |
| 27 April 1856: | Assumes Commissariat charge of the Turkish Contingent (General Orders). |
| 2 May 1856: | Peninsula dep. Balaklava. 3 May 1856: Arr. Kertch. |
| 19 June 1856: | Lady Eglington, Capt. Dunn, dep. Kertch. 22 June 1856: Arr. Constantinople. |
| 21 July 1856: | French Steamer Alexandre dep. Constantinople. 29 July 1856: Arr. Marseilles. |
| 2 August 1856: | Order of the Legion of Honor (France). |
| 8 August 1856: | Steamer Queen of the French dep. Calais, arr. Dover. |
| 11 August 1856: | Order of St. Maurice and St. Lazarus (Sardinia). |
| 16 October 1856: | Attended Duke of Cambridge’s levee. |
| 31 October 1856: | Reported to CG George Adams for duty in London. |
| 26 February 1857: | Attended a levee held by Prince Albert, on his nomination to the Order of the Bath. |
| 14 & 16 May 1857: | Attended William Howard Russell’s lecture on the Crimean War. |
| 13 August 1857: | Marriage of son, John Drake, to Matilda Elizabeth Ormiston, Sydney, New South Wales. |
| 23 September 1857: | Marriage of daughter, Charlotte Augusta Dring Drake, to Charles Henry Marshall, London, England. |
| 18 December 1857: | Named for Gibraltar. |
| 30 January 1858 | Went, with Sir George Maclean, to Queen Victoria’s drawing room on the occasion of the wedding of Victoria, Princess Royal, and Prince Frederick William of Prussia. |
| 2 March 1858: | Order of the Medjidie, 4th Class (Turkey). |
| 17 March 1858: | Attended a levee held by Queen Victoria, with ACG Edward Barrington de Fonblanque. |
| 24 March 1858: | Ordered to Gibraltar. |
| 5 April 1858: | Received Orders to take charge at Gibraltar. |
| 12 April 1858: | Attended Duke of Cambridge’s levee. |
| 24 April 1858: | Posted to Gibraltar as Deputy Commissary-General |
| 27 April 1858: | Tagus, Capt. Weekes, dep. Southampton. 2 May 1858: Arr. Lisbon. 3 May 1858: Dep. Lisbon. 4 May 1858: Arr. Cadiz, Gibraltar. |
| 5 May 1858: | In General Orders to take Charge of Gibraltar office. |
| 23 February 1859: | Birth of granddaughter, Charlotte Louisa (Louie) Marshall, daughter of Charlotte Augusta Dring Marshall, Allora, Queensland. |
| 8 March 1859: | Birth of grandson, John Henry Marshall Drake, son of John Drake, Sydney, New South Wales. |
| 21 June 1859: | Promoted to Commissary-General and ordered to Cape of Good Hope. |
| 25 July 1859: | Transferred charge of Gibraltar station to DCG Frederick Stanley Carpenter. |
| 31 July 1859: | Dep. Gibraltar per Ripon. 6 August 1859: Arr. Southampton. |
| 5 September 1859: | Dep. Southampton, per Athens. 6 September 1859: Arr. Plymouth. 14 October 1859: Arr. Cape of Good Hope. |
| 22 October 1859: | Dep. Cape Town, per Waldensian. 25 October 1859: Arr. Port Elizabeth. 30 October 1859: Arr. Grahamstown. |
| 1 November 1859: | Assumed Charge of Cape Station. |
| 13 September 1860: | Birth of niece, Maria Augusta White, daughter of Maria Harriet (Molly) White, Brighton, Sussex, England. |
| 14 November 1860: | Birth of granddaughter, Amy Marshall, daughter of Charlotte Augusta Dring Marshall, St. John’s Wood, London, England. |
| 11 January 1861: | Birth of grandson, William Adams Drake, son of John Drake, Sydney, New South Wales. |
| 7 July 1861: | Death of brother, John Minshull Drake, Dinapore, Bengal, India. |
| 9 April 1862: | Birth of grandson, Thornton Marshall, son of Charlotte Augusta Dring Marshall, St. John’s Wood, London, England. |
| 1 August 1862: | Birth of granddaughter, Louisa Fanny (Lottie) Drake, daughter of John Drake, Sydney, New South Wales. |
| 20 October 1862: | Death of wife, Louisa Drake, Grahamstown, South Africa. |
| 1 September 1863: | Married Elizabeth Lucy Wood, Grahamstown, South Africa. |
| 28 October 1863: | To Port Elizabeth. |
| 4 December 1863: | Dane, Capt. Ladd, dep. Algoa Bay. 8 December 1863: Arr. Table Bay. |
| 14 December 1863: | Ordered to New Zealand. |
| 24 December 1863: | Dane, Capt. Baynton, dep. Table Bay. 28 December 1863: Arr. Algoa Bay. 29 December 1863: Arr. Grahamstown. |
| 20 March 1864: | Birth of grandson, Hawtrey Charles Marshall, son of Charlotte Augusta Dring Marshall, Henley, Oxfordshire, England. |
| 1 January 1864: | CG William James Tyrone Power promoted to Commissary-General-in-Chief, despite being Drake’s junior. |
| 2 February 1864: | To Port Elizabeth. 6 February 1864: Norman, Capt. Davie, dep. Port Elizabeth. 10 February 1864: Arr. Table Bay, Cape Town. |
| 5 May 1864: | Lady Bowen, Capt. H. Barnett, dep. Table Bay, Cape Town. 27 June 1864: Arr. Melbourne. |
| 29 June 1864: | Arrived in Sydney, per Lady Bowen, Henry Barnett, en route for Auckland. |
| 17 July 1864: | Steamer Prince Alfred, Capt. Ponsonby, dep. Sydney. 23 July 1864: Arr. Auckland. |
| 10 August 1864: | Birth of granddaughter, Laura Maud Drake, daughter of John Drake, Sydney, New South Wales. |
| 22 August 1864: | Ordered to return to U.K. |
| 3 September 1864: | Birth of Drake’s daughter, Ella Wood Drake, Auckland, New Zealand, the first child of his second family. |
| 25 October 1864: | Steamer Hero dep. Auckland. 2 Novemer 1864: Arr. Melbourne. |
| 9 November 1864: | Lincolnshire, Capt. H. H. Skinner, 1050 tons, dep. Melbourne. 30 January 1865: Arr. Gravesend, London. |
| 1 February 1866: | Reports his arrival to CG in Chief, William James Tyrone Power. |
| 7 March 1865: | Placed on Half Pay. |
| 25 August 1865: | Marriage of daughter, Laura Mary Drake, to Dr. James Good, London, England. |
| 30 May 1866: | Birth of grandson, Percy Ormiston Drake, son of John Drake, Sydney, New South Wales. |
| 3 July 1866: | Birth of son, Henry George Drake, Isle of Wight. |
| 27 November 1866: | Gave evidence before the Strathnairn committee, enquiring into the administration of the transport and supply departments of the Army. |
| 9 April 1867: | From Half Pay, posted to Dublin as Commissary-General in charge of Commissariat in Ireland. |
| 29 May 1867: | Birth of granddaughter, Ethel Louisa Good, daughter of Laura Mary Good, India. |
| 24 June 1867: | Death of father, John Drake, 27 Park Village East, Regent’s Park, London. |
| 30 March 1868: | Birth of grandson, Bertram Marshall, son of Charlotte Augusta Dring Marshall. |
| 5 July 1868: | Birth of granddaughter, Constance Zara Drake, daughter of John Drake, Sydney, New South Wales. |
| 1 October 1868: | Appointed Comptroller of Army Expenditure in Ireland, Army Control Department. |
| 31 October 1868: | Birth of daughter, Lucy Beatrice Drake, Dublin, Ireland. |
| 27 March 1869: | Birth of granddaughter, Laucy Maud Desborough Good, daughter of Laura Mary Good, Meerut, Bengal, India. |
| 10 April 1869: | Death of granddaughter, Constance Zara Drake, daughter of John Drake, Sydney, New South Wales. |
| 11 October 1869: | Posted to War Office in new appointment as Controller, Northern district, with relative rank of Major-General. |
| 1 March 1870: | Birth of grandson Alfred Robert Drake, son of John Drake, Sydney, New South Wales. |
| 20 May 1871: | Appointed Knight Commander of the Bath. |
| 5 September 1871: | Appointed Director of Supplies and Transport, to replace Sir William James Tyrone Power, K.C.B. |
| 3 November 1871: | Birth of son: William Henry Drake, London, England. |
| September 1873: | Birth of grandson, Francis Stafford Good, son of Laura Mary Good, India. |
| 18 October 1873: | Marriage of daughter, Louisa Maria Drake, to William Henry Lathbury, Sydney, New South Wales. |
| 10 August 1874: | Death of son-in-law, Charles Henry Marshall, husband of Charlotte Augusta Dring Marshall, Lewisham, London, England. |
| 29 November 1874: | Birth of grandson, Charles Lathbury, son of Louisa Maria Lathbury, Sydney, New South Wales. |
| 2 December 1874: | Birth of grandson, Charles Henry Marshall, son of Charlotte Augusta Dring Marshall, Sydenham, Kent, England. |
| 17 December 1874: | Death of grandson, Charles Lathbury, son of Louisa Maria Lathbury, Sydney, New South Wales. |
| 16 January 1876: | Birth of daughter, Kate Alice (Kitty) Drake, Kensington, London, England. |
| 13 February 1876: | Death of mother, Maria Drake (née Story), 3 Park Village East, Regent’s Park, London, England. |
| 6 May 1876: | Birth of grandson, Charles James Lathbury, son of Louisa Maria Lathbury, Dunedin, New Zealand. |
| 15 May 1876: | Birth of granddaughter Charlotte Ada (Lottie) Drake, daughter of John Drake, Sydney, New South Wales. |
| 16 May 1876: | Death of daughter, Louisa Maria Lathbury, Dunedin, New Zealand. |
| 5 November 1876: | Death of grandson, Charles James Lathbury, son of late daughter, Louisa Maria Lathbury, Sydney, New South Wales. |
| 12 August 1877: | Birth of granddaughter, Kathleen Charlotte Wellesley Good, daughter of Laura Mary Good, India. |
| 18 August 1877: | Death of son, John Drake, Sydney, New South Wales. |
| December 1877: | Retired. |
| 14 February 1878: | Death of daughter-in-law, Matilda Elizabeth Drake, wife of late son, John Drake, Sydney, New South Wales. |
| 28 January 1882: | Died at his residence at 10 Clanricarde Gardens, Bayswater, London. |
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