Alfred Drake was born in 1867 in Kelvedon Hatch, Essex, the second son of Elijah Drake and Elizabeth (formerly Beadle) of Navestock, Essex (a member of an extensive Navestock Drake family). In the 1911 census he was an unmarried farm labourer and Army pensioner aged 44 living with his widowed father in Navestock (also a farm labourer and aged 80 in [Click to continue…]

John Thomas Drake, the elder son of George Drake and Emily (formerly Jarvis) was born in 1895 at Great Warley, Essex, and he was the first of their two sons to die in this war. His parents were married 10 Oct 1891 at Little Burstead, Essex. His grandparents were John Drake and Sarah Ann Poulter, who were married 17 Oct 1858 at Bethnal Green St Philip, [Click to continue…]

Killed in action 23 Jul1917, Flanders, France. Commerated at Ypres - Menin Gate Memorial and Therfield War Memorial in St Mary's Church.  Awarded Victory and British War medals. Joseph was born Edward Joseph in 1893 at Therfield, Hertfordshire to William and Ann (or Annie) Jane (nee Hale).  Both in the 1901 and 1911 census he was shown as just [Click to continue…]

Edward Thomas Hyde Drake was born 17 Feb 1892 in Finchley, London, the older son of Thomas Hyde Drake and Ada (formerly Jeffreys). His parents married 9 Oct 1886 at Tottenham Parish Church. His grandparents were Edward Drake and Anne Fanny (formerly Hyde) who married in 1843 at Westminster St James. Edward served as a Private with the Canadian Infantry [Click to continue…]