John Josias Drake (1687 - abt. 1779)

Born 11 Dec 1687 in Brooklyn, Kings County, Province of New York

Ancestors

Husband of Martha (Oldfield) Drake — married 24 Feb 1720 in Queens County, New York

Descendants

Died about 28 Feb 1779 at about age 91 in Goshen, Orange, New York, United States

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Biography

John was born in 1687. John Drake passed away in 1779, Goshen, Orange, New York, United States.

Lane reports that John first married Magdalena Brouwer (his cousin) in 1718, according to the Nova Caesarea Chapter, listing their children all born in Long Island as:

1. Josiah, or Joseph, b. Jan 8, 1721. Is probably the one who died in the Town of Goshen NY Aug 12, 1807, aged 87 years. His will on file in Goshen Liber D., p. 27, made Feb 12 1807, proved Aug 15 1807, in which he mentioned his dau.s Caty Smith, Cozia Arnold, Betsey Winings; and grandchildren Joseph Drake Smith; John Drake Sloat and Daniel Drake Winings; and great-granddaughter Amelia Elmore.^[1]

2. John Drake, b. Sep 14, 1722 Long Island, New York; m. Christina Kermer Aug 13, 1749, and had issue. He was deceased before his father made his will in 1779 which mentioned his heirs but without giving their names. Whether he is the John who m. Ruhamah Ayres is not definitely known.^[1]

3. Martha (m. Jackson), b. Jule 15, 1723 (according to bible records) or 1732 (according to cemetery records), d. Aug 10, 1819 and buried in Florida, N.Y. She m. Alexander Jackson (b. May 18, 1728, d. Mar 2, 1818. His will mentioned wife Martha and children Abel, James, Esther, Julia Davis, Mary widow of James Higbee. He is said to have additional children not mentioned in his will: Martha wife of Samuel Conkling; Eleanor wife of Robt Humphrey; 1 dau m. a Poppen; another dau. m. a Totten.^[2]

4. Phoebe Drake, b. Dec 29, 1725. Not mentioned in John Drake's will. She is said to have m. Uriah Fuller. ^[1]

5. Esther (m. Krap or Knap), b. Aug 1727, d. 1831; some descendants claim that she was born in 1741. She md. Nov 29, 1759 James Knapp (b.May 15, 1736 and killed July 22, 1779 in the Battle of Minisink. Son of William and Margaret Knapp of Goshen). He left 9 children: Mary who m. Stephen Crane; Nelly; John; Daniel; Aaron; Sally; Nathaniel; James Jr; and Stephen who settled in Homer, N.Y.^[1]

6. Eleanor, b. Nov 1729. Not mentioned in father's will, 1779.^[1]

7. William, one of whose sons was named David Grasset Drake, which indicates that his mother was probably Martha Oldfield (her mother's maiden name was Grasset, also spelled Grofset). William was b. Nov 9, 1730. Said to have lived in Warwick N.Y. and m. Catherine Biers. And yet in the Daines family Bible of Chester, there is an old record giving these dates for a WILLIAM DRAKE, who may have been the son of John Drake of Goshen. This William was b. Nov 22, 1727, d. April 15, 1808 and m. Abigail (Dec. 2 1732-Sept 12 1785). The Daines Bible gives a birthdate that does not agree with the Detroit Bible of 1730. ^[1]

8. Jacob Drake, b.Sept 5, 1732. Not mentioned in father's will. ^[3]

9. Samuel Drake, b. Dec. 1733, m. Jan 19, 1752 Sarah Handy of Amwell, NJ, and had issue. Samuel was a Captain in the Revolutionary War. He and Sarah Handy had several children, including Hannah Drake, b. Nov 15 1769, m. Richard Brodhead (b. Jul 31, 1772), and lived in Stroudsburg PA. Hannah died July 31, 1832.

10. Benjamin Drake, b. Nov 3, 1734; m. April 11, 1757 Sarah Smith and had children: Joseph, Patty (or Martha), Abigail, Polly, Benj, Jr, and Zephaniah. He m. 2nd abt 1775 Abigail Knapp and had children: William, Samuel, John, Hannah, Daniel, Jonathan, Peggy, Sarah, Theresa, Annus and James Drake.^[3]

11. Mary (or Polly), b. July 4, 1735 (some descendants claim she was b. 1736), d. 1836. M. July 1759 Joseph Holly (b.1733, d. before 1790). Their children were Hannah, m. 1777 Jabez Knapp; Esther; Mary m. 1782 Wm Knapp; John Holly; Martham. Caleb Knapp; Elinor m.Moses Sawyer; Zaphaniah Holly; Betsey m. Bradner; Jesse and Samuel Holly. ^[3]

12. Zephaniah Drake, b. Jan 12, 1737, d. before March 1835 Warwick. M. before 1761 Ann Knapp. Their children: John; Joseph; Nathan and Daniel Drake. Their descendants lived in Port Jervis, N.Y. ^[3]

This John Drake appears to be the same one who married Martha Oldfield before 1741. Its was at this time that Martha's father Joseph died, and Martha was an heir to his estate. (Berthoed Fernow Calendar of Wills, N.Y., p.290). Although the date of death of Magdalena Drake, it appears that she may have died and that John married Martha before the birth of his daughter Martha in 1723 or 1732, as Martha is not a name that appears in previous generations of the Brouwer family.^[4]

Most of whom are named in the will of John Drake of Goshen Prect., Orange Co., New York, dated 6 February 1779 and proved 28 January 1780; in his will John mentions his wife's name as "Martha".^[5]

A very conclusive fact of evidence that leaves no question as to the identity of John's wife is given by an old bible record of the Daines family of Chester, New York, which states that William Drake was the son of John Drake and identifies one of the sons of William as David Grasset Drake. An excellent unpublished account of the family of John Drake and Martha Oldfield and some of their descendants can be found in Drakes of Orange Co., New York, and Related Families, by Imogene H. Lane (Family History Library microfilm No. 0872801, item #4 on the film).^[5]

The following is quoted from p.120 of Berthoed Fernow Calendar of Wills, N.Y., Colonial Dames of N.Y., 1896:

1779, Febry. 6 1780 Jany. 28: DRAKE, John, of Goshen Prect., Orange Co., Yeoman. Wife Martha, sons Benjamin, Joseph, Samuel, William and Zephaniah, heirs of son John, daughters Martha Jackson, Mary Holly and Esther Knap, granddaughters Martha and Mary, das. of Joseph Holly. Home, farm land in Queens and Kings counties, inherited from grandfather Adam Brewer; personal estate. Executors Captain Colvil Bradner and son Joseph. Witnesses Daniel Vail of Goshen, weaver, Isaac Smith and W. Thompson. ^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5} Lane, p. 8
2. ↑ Lane, p.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} Lane, p.9
4. ↑ Lane, supplemental information
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Most Frequent Errors and Incorrect or Unproven Lines of Descent from Anneke Jans: Magdalena Brouwer was not the wife of John Drake; http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ghosthunter/Anneke/page6.htm
6. ↑ Lane, supplemental material

• Lane, Imogene. Drakes of Orange Co., New York and Related Families. [private history]. https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B8P8SDh4F1WuYjBkOWE5ODItOWU3MS00MmM4LTgzODYtYzczNzM4YTA0MjZk/edit

Acknowledgements

• This person was created on 14 September 2010 through the import of 124-DeCoursey.ged.
• Thank you to Mary Wahl for creating Drake-2820 on 1 Sep 13.