WILLIAM DRAKE 1553-1616

Drakes Of Colchester, Essexshire
From "Drake in England" p. 88: "William Drake was presented for default of residence on 6 April 1592 and fined on inhabited houses in the manor Court of Abell in Halstead 30 December 1600. Earlier on 1 February 1579, he was named as witness to the apprenticeship of tobias son of Richard Ebbes of Sandy in Befordshire a woollen draper, to Thomas Wilkinson, linen draper. Although traces of Puritan influence can be seen in the introduction of Old Testament names for children in some of the branches of the family, William Drake and his wife are the first to be identified with theextreme Puritans who rejected the established Church of England. In the records of the Archdeacon of Colchester's Court we find them being fined for not attending the parish Church in 1611 and later, in 1615, he was presented by the Churchwardens of Elmstead 'for not coming orderly to Church on the Sabbath Daye' and was duly fined 12d. on 28 June 1615. He was buried at Elmstead on 3 November 1616."
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William Drake Biography
William Drake was born in 1550 in White Notley, England, and died on November 3, 1616, in Elmstead, England.
The eldest son of William and Joan Drake, William was born about 1550, probably at White Notley. It would have been expected that he would have succeeded to his father's lands, but this was not the case and instead his younger brother John remained at White Notley. Court records from May 21, 1589, indicate that John Drake was lame or cripple. In view of the fact that his brother John was lame and had also married a local girl, it is likely that William let him take up their father's property. Apparently William moved to Halstead where, on October 12, 1478, he had married Joan Merrylls (also Merrells, Merrels). Sometime between 1584 and 1592, the family left Halstead and moved to Elmstead. The reason for this move was probably economic. William was a husbandman or farmer.
William Drake and his wife were extreme Puritans who rejected the established Church of England. In the records of the Archdeacon of Colchester's Court we find them being fined for not attending the parish Church in 1611, and again in 1615 he was presented by the Churchwardens of Elmstead "for not coming orderly to Church on the Sabbath Daye" and was duly fined 12d. on June 28, 1615. He was buried at Elmstead on November 3, 1616. His wife, Joan, died at the beginning of the next year and was buried on March 30, 1617, at Elmstead. Her will, dated March 16, 1617, was proved later the same year in the Commissary Court of the Bishop of London.
William and Joan had 10 children: Robert, Isabel, Thomas, Jushua, Joseph, Joan, Thomas, Alice, Ellen, Elizabeth.
He was married to Joan MERRYLLS on October 12 1578.
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William Drake - A brief History
The eldest son of William and Joan Drake, William was born probably at White Notley about 1550. It would have been expected that he would have succeeded to his father's lands, but this was not the case. Instead, his younger brother John remained at White Notley. Court records from 21 May 1589 indicate that John Drake was lame or cripple. In view of this fact that and had also married a local girl, it is likely that William let him take up their father's property.
Apparently William moved to Halstead where, on 12 October 1478, he married Joan Merrylls (also Merrells, Merrels). William and Joan had nine known children:Robert, Isabel, Joshua, Joseph, Joan, Thomas, Alice, Ellen, Elizabeth

The family left Halstead sometime between 1584 and 1592 and moved to Elmstead. The reason for this move was probably economic. William was a husbandman or farmer.

Will iam Drake and his wife were extreme Puritans who rejected the established Church of England. In the records of the Archdeacon of Colchester's Court we find them being fined for not attending the parish Church in 1611. Again in 1615 he was presented by the Churchwardens of Elmstead "for not coming orderly to Church on the Sabbath Daye" and was duly fined 12d. on 28 Jun 1615.

He was buried at Elmstead on 3 November 1616.
His wife, Joan, died at the beginning of the next year and was buried on 30 March 1617, at Elmstead. Her will, dated 16 March 1617, was proved later the same year in the Commissary Court of the Bishop of London.
found on ancestry.com