21. James⁴ Drake (Thomas³, John², Samuel¹), son of Thomas Drake and Mary Dunn Drake was born in Abbeville County, South Carolina on 1 January 1784. He married Agnes "Nancy" Breckenridge (born October 30, 1786)⁵⁹ at the Greenville Presbyterian Church in Abbeville County, South Carolina in 1805.⁶⁰ He was evidently within the household of Thomas Drake of Abbeville County on the 1790 census. In 1800 he seems to have been within the household of his mother Mary Drake.⁶¹

James Drake, along with John Sea(w)right and Robert Dunn took the inventory of John McCullough on 27 March 1833.⁶² He appears in the records in association with a plat of land to James Bell for 25 acres on Long Cane Creek on 24 October 1805.⁶³ James and his family appear in the census records of Abbeville County in 1810, 1820, 1830, and 1840. His wife Nancy is mentioned in the will of her sister Jenny Donaldson in 1809.⁶⁴

After 1840 Nancy inherited property from her father in Anderson County, and she and James moved there. They appear on the 1850 census of Anderson County. James died 7 December 1854, and Nancy followed him a few years later on 12 December 1857.⁶⁵

Issue of James⁴ Drake and Nancy Breckenridge Drake:

         26.       i.    Nancy⁵ Drake, born 1807.
         27.       ii.    Mary Drake, born 1809.
         28.       iii.   Thomas Drake, born 1811; died young.
         29.       iv.   Jane Drake, born 1813.
+       30.       v.    John William Drake, born 1816; married Amanda Seawright.
         31.       vi.   James Drake Jr., born 1818.
         32.       vii.   Robert Drake, born 1820; died 1847.
         33.       viii.  Enoch Harvey Drake, b. 1823;
         34.       ix.    Elizabeth Ann, born 1825.

23. Benjamin⁴ Drake (Edmund³, John², Samuel¹), probable son of Edmund Drake of Laurens County, South Carolina was born about 1775, and died in 1817. In 1800 Benjamin appraised the estate of Thomas McDonald.⁶⁶

He is listed on the 1800 Census of Laurens County, South Carolina as follows:

Benjamin Drake 0-1-2-0-0 // 2-0-1-0-1--1
One male 10-16, 2 males 16-26, 2 females less than 10, one female 16-26, one female over 45

Benjamin married Sarah [------], last name unknown. He moved to adjacent Abbeville County after 1800 and died there in 1817. Estate records have survived.⁶⁷ Buyers in his estate included his widow Sarah, and a John Drake who was his presumed brother. His widow Sarah Drake married John Smith in Abbeville District by 1820. An equity suit brought by Charles Pitts, administrator of the estate of Benjamin Drake states that Benjamin Drake left seven children, but their names are not indicated. ⁶⁸

His widow Sarah Drake remarried John Smith in Abbeville in 1820.⁶⁹

There is no record of any surviving descendants.

24. John⁴ Drake (Edmund³, John², Samuel¹), probable son of Edmund Drake was born about 1775 and died in 1826. He was presumably within the household of his brother Benjamin on the 1800 Census of Laurens County. He appears in surviving records demonstrating that he gave testimony in two coroner’s inquisitions, one in 1817 and the other in 1824.⁷⁰ He was deceased by 8 December 1826 when administration of his estate was granted to William Black.⁷¹

His widow might have been Rachel Drake, for she is shown as the head of the apparent successor household on the 1830 Census of Laurens County, South Carolina. Nothing is known of descendants.


59   These dates come from the family documents discussed in Appendix A.
60   Memory Aldridge Lester, Old Southern Bible Records, Transcriptions of Births, Deaths and Marriages from Family Bibles, Chiefly of the 18th and 19th Century, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore 1974.
61   See census data in Appendix B. According to the 1850 census, James was born in South Carolina. There are no other likely Drake households in which he could have been in those years.
62   James E. Wooley, Collection of Upper South Carolina Genealogy and Family Records, Vol. 3, p. 151.
63   Further details of this reference are needed.
64   Willie Pauline Young, Abstracts of Old Ninety-six and Abbeville District Wills and Bonds (1950), p. 393; Will of Jenny Donaldson Box 106 Pack 2773 Dated 19 Sept 1809 Abbeville District, Recorded 18 Nov 1809. The will mentions sister Jane Fee in Ireland, niece Nancy, wife of Jas Drake, and various nieces and nephews named Breckenridge.
65   From their tombstones. See Appendix D.
66   On 19 July 1800, South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research, Vol. 11, p. 148.
67   Estate of Benjamin Drake deceased 1817. Box 26, Pack 594. Inventory 18 April; Account of sale 18 April 1817; Purchasers include Mrs. Sarah Drake, John Drake, and Charles Pitts. John and Sarah Smith Administrators. Account current mentions Jno Drake. Signed Charles Pitts Admin. 20 July 1818. Estate administered 28 March 1818 by Sarah Drake, Charles Pitts, Joseph Hill, William Young, Edmund Ware. Bond to Taliaferro Livingston, Ordinary. Abbeville District. Sum $10,000 . Willie Pauline Young, Abstracts of Old Ninety-Six and Abbeville District Wills and Bonds, p. 86.
68   Abbeville County Equity Bills, Box 60, Package 3285. This reference was located by use of Abbeville County Marriages 1780-1879 Implied in Abbeville County South Carolina Equity Records by Barbara R. Langdon
69   Abbeville County Marriages.
70   Laurens District Coroner’s Inquisitions 1802-1865; regarding the death of Chas. Hobbs 3 Nov 1817, John Drake gave testimony (p. 19), regarding the death of Aaman Miller 6 Nov 1824, John Drake swore testimony (p. 112). South Carolina Magazine of Ancestral Research.
71   8 December 1826, Administration of estate of John Drake decd. To William Black. Jno Black and James Young, Sur., Laurens County South Carolina Wills, p. 185.