Ash in the parish of Musbury in the county of Devon is an historic estate, long the residence of the ancient Drake family, the heir of which remarkably was always called John, only one excepted, for ten generations.Prince, p.328 It was formerly believed to have been the birthplace of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough (1650–1722), whose mother was Elizabeth Drake, but was in fact probably in ruins at the time of his birth. The future Duke was however baptised in 1650 in the Chapel at Ash, which had been licensed by the Bishop of Exeter in 1387.Listed building text, Chapel at Ashe House Ash was "burnt and demolished" during the Civil War and "lay long in ruins" during which time the family moved one mile away to Trill, Axminster.Prince, p.330 John Drake (1625–1669), the wartime occupant who had suffered so greatly for the Royalist cause received some recompense at the end of the troubles by being created a baronet by King Charles II on the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660.Vivian, p.297 Ash was rebuilt "to a greater perfection than it was of before" by Sir John Drake, 2nd Baronet (1647–1684).Prince, p.330 The last in the male line was Sir William Drake, 6th Baronet (ca. 1695–1733), who died without children and bequeathed all his estates to his widow Anne Williams (died 1793), who remarried to George Speke, MP, and had by him a daughter Anne Speke (before 1741–1797), who brought the Drake estates, including Ash and the advowson of Musbury, to her husband Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford (1732–1792), who sold them piece-meal to various persons.Prince, p.331, footnote 2 (1810) Ash House survives today as a grade II* listed private residence in much the same form as depicted by Swete in 1795.Listed building text, Ashe House, Musbury; Listed building text, Chapel at Ashe House

The Drake family of Ash rejected a claim by Admiral Sir Francis Drake (c. 1540 – 1596) of Buckland Abbey, whom they considered to be below the rank of gentry, that he was descended from their ancient Drake family of Ash, and a famous physical confrontation broke out in the court of Queen Elizabeth I between Admiral Sir Bernard Drake (c. 1537 – 1586) of Ash and Admiral Sir Francis Drake of Buckland Abbey when the latter made claim to the armorials of Drake of Ash.Prince, John, (1643–1723) The Worthies of Devon, 1810 edition, London, p.329

Descent The estate of Ash was a member of the manor of Musbury, itself a member of the feudal barony of Okehampton, the lords of which from about 1190 were the Courtenay family, later Earls of Devon.Pole, p.122 The descent of the estate of Ash was as follows:

de Ash Quardus de Ash is the earliest holder of Ash according to Pole (died 1635),Pole, p.122 from the Courtenay overlords. Henry de Esse (a common variant of "de Ash"See for example the history of the manors of Roseash and Ashreigney), whose relationship to the foregoing holder Quardus is unknown, was granted the estate by "John, Lord Courtenay", according to Pole.Pole, p.122

Orwey John de Orwey, of Orwey in the parish of Kentisbeare, Devon, whose wife was Juliana de Esse, heiress of Ash, having been given it by Henry de Esse.Pole, p.122 The arms of Orwey of Orwey and Ash were: Argent, on a chief indented sable three crosslets fitchee or.Pole, p.495 The arms Ermine, on a chief indented sable three crosslets fitchee or are shown in the 4th quarter of the escutcheon in the oil painting of Richard Drake (1535–1603) by George Gower (1540–1596) in the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.:File:Richard Drake George Gower 1577.jpg Thomas de Orwey (son)Pole, p.122 John de Orwey (son), who died without children.Pole, p.122

Strech John Strech, husband of Jone de Orwey, sister and co-heiress (with her sister Phillipa de Orwey, wife of Warren (alias Warin) Hampton) of John de OrweyPole, p.122 The arms of Strech of Ash were: Argent, a bend engrailed sable between three martlets gules.Pole, p.503 John Strech, son, who died without childrenPole, p.122

Hampton Warin Hampton, son of Phillipa de Orwey, wife of Warren (alias Warin) Hampton. He died without male issue and left two daughters as his co-heiresses, Jone and Alis.Pole, p.123 The arms of Hamton of Rockbere and Ash were: Gules, on a fess argent two mullets sable.Pole, p.486 These are shown in the 3rd quarter of the escutcheon in the oil painting of Richard Drake (1535–1603) by George Gower (1540–1596) in the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.:File:Richard Drake George Gower 1577.jpg

Billet John Billet, wife of Alis Hampton, who on the allocation of her father's estates received Ash. The arms of Billet of Ash were: Argent, on a chief gules three cinquefoils of the first.As seen quartered (2nd quarter of 7) in the 1577 portrait of Richard Drake in the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. Pole however gives these arms as Billet of Bozuns Hele and gives Billet of Ash as Argent, a chevron purple between three battle-axes erect sable (Pole, p.470) He died without sons leaving a daughter Christiana Billet as his sole heiress. Christiana Billet married twice, firstly to John Drake (by whom she had a son John Drake), secondly to Richard Francheney (by whom she had a son Christopher Francheney).Pole, p.123

Francheney Christopher Francheney, who held Ash after the death of his parents.Pole, p.123 The arms of Frankcheyney of Clist Gerard were: Ermine, on a chief gules three lions rampant argent.Pole, p.484 Symon Francheney, son, the legality of whose tenure of Ash was challenged in a suit of Formedon by John Drake of Exmouth, fourth in descent from John Drake and his wife Christiana Billet.Pole, p.123

Drake

The earliest record of the Drake family of Devon is in an undated "very old deed" in Latin quoted by Westcote to have been witnessed by "Walterus Draco" and "Wymondus de Dennex" and others.Quoted in Prince, p.328 Thus Draco (from Greek δράκων (drakon))Cassel's Latin Dictionary: "Draco -onis, a kind of snake, dragon" was the Latinized form of the name "Drake", meaning in Latin "dragon", referred to in the family's canting arms of a wyvern displayed gules. John Drake of Axmouth,Drake of Exmouth per Pole, p.123; of Axmouth per Vivian, p.292 2 1/2 miles south-west of Ash, son and heir of John Drake of Otterton (13 miles south-west of Ash) by his wife Agnes Kelloway. He was called by Risdon (died 1640) "A man of very great estate".Risdon, p.24 He recovered Ash from Symon Francheney by exercise of a writ of Formedon,Pole, p.123 a writ of right for claiming entailed property."Formedon, a writ of right for claiming entailed property" as stated in Byrne, Muriel St. Clare, (ed.) The Lisle Letters, 6 vols, University of Chicago Press, Chicago & London, 1981, vol.5, p.408, note 6 he married Margaret Cole, daughter of John Cole. John Drake (died 1558) (eldest son and heir), who married Amy Grenville (died 1578), a daughter of Roger Grenville (1477–1524),Vivian, 1895, p.293 "Daughter of Roger Greenfield of Stow". Byrne states however that Roger had a daughter named Amy (Byrne, Muriel St. Clare, (ed.) The Lisle Letters, 6 vols, University of Chicago Press, Chicago & London, 1981, vol.3, p.303) lord of the manors of Stowe, Kilkhampton in Cornwall and of Bideford in Devon.Or possibly she was a daughter of Roger I's grandson Roger Grenville (died 1545), Captain of the Mary Rose when it sank in Portsmouth Harbour in 1545, by his wife Thomasine Cole, daughter of Thomas Cole of Slade. She would thus have been a sister of Sir Richard Grenville (1542–1591), captain of the Revenge.(Vivian, Heralds' Visitations of Cornwall, pedigree of Grenville) The tablet under his effigy in Musbury Church is inscribed thus: Heer lieth the body of John Drake of Aish Esq.r and Amie his wife whoe was the daughter of Sr Roger Graynfeild Kt. by whom hee had issue six sones where of lived three at his death viz Barnard, Robart and Richard. He died the 4th of October 1558 and she died the 18th of Februarie 1577 His third son as mentioned above was Richard Drake (1535–1603) of Esher, MP, an Equerry of the Stable and Groom of the Privy Chamber to Queen Elizabeth I. Admiral Sir Bernard Drake (c. 1537 – 1586), eldest son and heir.Vivian, p.297 The only Drake heir of Ash in ten generations not to bear the name John. He is said by Prince "greatly to have exhausted his estate", but for a noble cause "for the honor and safety of his country" and "in the discovery of foreign regions, and such other vertuous achievements as purchase glory and renown".Prince, p.330 He was "a person of high spirit" who stood up to the great Admiral Sir Francis Drake, of no provable family relationship to himself, when he tried to usurp the armorials of Drake of Ash, and in the royal court of Queen Elizabeth I gave him "a box on the ear", "for which offence he incurred her Majesty's displeasure".Prince, p.329 Sir Francis thereupon was awarded by the Queen his own coat of arms to a new design, to which Sir Bernard replied "that though her Majesty could give him a nobler, yet she could not give an antienter coat than his".Prince, p.329 Sir Francis however had the last laugh. A small detail in his new crest was a tiny image of the Drake of Ash wyvern gules hung up by the heels (sic) from the rigging of a ship.Prince, p.329 He died at Ash having struggled to return home very sick from jail fever he had contracted whilst serving as a magistrate at the Black Assize of Exeter (1586), which claimed the lives of several other magistrates and occupants of the infected court house. The foreign prisoners who were the source of the infection had by co-incidence been captured at sea by Sir Bernard himself.Prince, pp. 329–30 He married Gertrude Fortescue (died 1601), daughter of Bartholomew Fortescue of Filleigh, North Devon, and sister of Richard Fortescue (died 1570) (ancestor of Earl Fortescue of Castle Hill, Filleigh) in memory of the latter of whom he erected a monumental brass showing his own portrait and arms in Filleigh Church. The tablet under his effigy in Musbury Church is inscribed thus: Heer is the monument of Sr Barnard Drake Kt. who had to wife Dame Garthrud the daughter of Bartholomew Fortescue of Filly Esqr. by whom hee had three sonnes and thre daughters where of whear five living at his death viz John, Hugh, Marie, Margaret and Helen. He died the Xth of April 1586 and Dame Garthrud his wief was here bured the XIIth of Februarie 1601 unto the memorie of whome John Drake Esqr. his sonne hath set this monument Anno 1611 John Drake (died 1628), son and heir, who married Dorothy Button, daughter of William Button of Aston, Wiltshire.Vivian, p.297 The tablet under his effigy in Musbury Church is inscribed thus: John Drake Esq buried here ye II of Aprill 1628. Dorothye Drake his wife buried here ye 13 of Dece.r. 1631. Sr John Drake Knighte buried here ye 26 of Aug 1636. Dame Mary Rosewell wife of Sr Henry Rosewell Knighte was buried here the 4oAbbreviation of Latin Quarto (fourth) of November 1643 (Mary Rosewell was the sister of John Drake (died 1636)) Sir John Drake (died 1636), who married Elinor Boteler (died 1666, buried in Holyrood Church, SouthamptonVivian, p.297), daughter and co-heiress of John Boteler, 1st Baron Boteler of Brantfield, (c. 1566 – 1637). Their 4th daughter Elizabeth Drake married Sir Winston Churchill (1620–1688) of Glanville Wotton in Dorset and was mother of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough (1650–1722),Vivian, p.297 born at Ash (see below).