Johnson Drake
Born: Sept. 26. 1828 in Virginia
Died: April 9, 1898 in Indiana
Married to: Susan A. Osbourn 1833-
Children:
Nancy E. 1851-
Pleasant M. 1854-
William L. 1857
Francis 1862
Millie Catherine 1868-1932
Married to: Rebecca Greer
Children:
Married to: Rebecca Mullinnix
Married to: Martha Jane Barger 1851-1935
Children:
Mae R. 1874-1904
Mary 1877
Charles 1879
Maude 1884
Marquis Y. 1887
As told by Aunt Mandy and Aunt Marge (grandaughters of Johnson and Martha Jane)
Johnson Drake was from the Carolina's. His father was a slave owner. Not long before the Civil War he bought about 500 new slaves. When the war came, the family was divided with Johnson and some of his sons fighting for the South and the others fighting for the North. This caused much bitterness in the family. Once an uncle came to visit. Something was said about the war and Johnson told him if he was going to talk about the war, he could end his visit then and there because the South had let one of his brothers die in Andersonville Prison.
Johnson was a decendent of Sir Francis Drake; one of the Queen of England's famous sea Admirals and Buccaneers. Many years ago the Drake family had a big lawsuit with England, trying to get their rightful share of the English Drake estate. England said if the American Drakes came to live in England, they would inherit.
The fable of Sir Francis Drake was passed down to my generation as well. Since it if fairly easy to look up and confirm, we now know that we are not descendants of Sir Francis Drake. That would be impossible since Sir Francis Drake never had any children. We are descendants of Bernard Drake, who is an uncle of Sir Francis Drake. Bernard Drake was a nobleman in Queen Elizabeth I of England's court.
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