NINETEENTH GENERATION

492544. William DRAKE ^{(322) (312)} was born about 1342 in Great Waltham, England. He died in 1420.

At the Court held on July 3, 1392, the jurors presented that : "Robert Brake (sic) who held of the lord six acres of land, parcel of a tenement of Simondyslond, has died, after whose death comes William Brake (sic), son and heir of the said Robert and asks for the said six acres of land as his right and Heritage." they agreed that this was indeed the case and he was duly admitted paying his entry fine of 2s. William Drake was regularly named in the Court rolls between 1392 and 1420, usually for paying pannage on two pigs or piglets, or for minor offenses such as leaving a dung heap on the common. Between 1407 and 1408, he was fined for failing to do his office as ale taster and again in 1416 and 1418 for the same offense. As this involved sitting in a pool of the ale being tasted to find if there was too much sugar, in which case the leather breeches would stick to the bench, the reluctance of ale tasters to fulfill their office is perhaps understandable.

His wife's name is unknown, but when he died in 1420, he was succeeded by a son, Edmund, having apparently further enfranchised his land. Children were:

246272 i. Edmund DRAKE.