(1692 - 1728) of Shardeloes, Bucks, o. s. of Montague Drake MP; St John's Oxf. 1706; MP 1713 - 28; m. 1719 Isabella Marshall.
1710 - 12 Padua (18 Dec. 1710), Venice (26 Dec.), Rome (by 6 Apr. - 1 Sep. 1711 - ), Venice (29 Apr. - 12 May 1712), Florence, Rome (Jun.)
Drake's guardians asked the Lord Chancellor for a travel allowance of at least £;800, in addition to his annual income of £;1800. He travelled with George Waddell and his passport covered Italy, Germany, Holland and France.1 Their Italian itinerary was unusual in that they twice passed from Venice to Rome. They were in Padua with William Osbaldeston on 18 December 17102 and the three were in Venice for the Carnival in the new year.3 Drake and Waddell were in Rome at least from 6 April to 1 September 1711, when John Bellings noticed them.4 They are next recorded returning to Venice, 'Mr Drake and another gentleman', at the end of April 1712, when they met Charles Baldwyn and Burrell Massingberd.5 They left Venice in May, Drake then taking letters from Rosalba Carriera to Felice Ramelli in Rome (her letter dated 12 May 1712), and to John Molesworth in Florence (Molesworth's reply dated 6 August).6 They were in Rome by June, Waddell delivering a letter from Massingberd to William Kent (acknowledged on 25 June 1712).7 Drake saw the Ceremony of the Saints in Rome with William Kent, who wrote that 'ye church being all luminated & finely adorn'd wth large Madaglions containing ye Miracles o' the saints. I belive Mr Drake had anough for he soon left'.7
1. G. Eland ed., Shardeloes Papers, 74 - 5. 2. Brown 1380. 3. SP 99/58, f.298 (Cole, 26 Dec. 1710). 4. Waters jnl. MSS (27 Jul. - 1 Sep. 1711). 5. Baldwyn Letters, 376. 6. Sani 1985, 205, 211. 7. Kent letters MSS (25 Jun. 1712).