Second Generation  

2. James Charles DRAKE [3356] (James¹) was born on 1 Feb 1821 in New Street Birmingham Warwickshire England and died about 1865 in South Island New Zealand aged about 44.

General Notes: In an attachment to an email, dated February 19, 2003, Sylvia Robertson said:

"He was a Surveyor for the N.Z. Company; and also an artist." It is also believed that "He died by drowning sometime after 1865 between Collingwood and Takaka, South Island, N.Z. "

In an eMail, dated April 29, 2005, Brian McCloskey a retired Sureyor said:
For the past 4 years I have been researching all the Surveyors who have assisted in the development of NSW since it became a Colony in 1788 -- at which time New Zealand was part of it. During my research I have "found" your James Charles Drake and your family History Pages on the Internet.
You will find references to James in the following:-
* He is in "Pioneer Land Surveyors of N. Z." by C. A. Lawn FNZIS. at pages 65, 84, 101, 103, 178, 194, 253 and 256. This may be viewed at the New Zealand Institute of Surveyors in Wellington, N.Z.
* He is also mentioned in "The Work of Early Surveyors in Manly, Warringah & Pittwater" (in NSW) by G & S Champion, 1992
* He may also be found in "Where did we come from?" in the Parkinson Papers.
* He was Licensed as a Land Surveyor in New South Wales in February 1855.

In April 2011, Andrew Patterson sent a File on the Surveyors of New Zealand, attributed to Derek Brown, M. N. Z .I. S. Retired. The File contained the following:
DRAKE, James Charles
Drake came to New Zealand in the Fjfeshjre in 1841 as a survey cadet on the staff of the New Zealand Company and assisted in the surveys for the Nelson Settlement. He was active in the search for a practicable route for a road from Nelson to the Wairau Valley across the intervening mountain ranges and in November 1843 accompanied by J. Parkinson, he discovered the Maungatapu Saddle over which a road was subsequently built.
In 1844 he was a member of Frederick Tuckett's expedition down the east coast of the South Island to decide on the location of the Scottish Free Church Settlement, and it was Drake who then surveyed John Jones' land at Waikouaiti which was the subject of a claim before the Land Claims Commission in 1844.
In 1846-47 Drake and J. Tully, in partnership as contract surveyors, were engaged in surveying that part of the Otago Block lying between the Tokomairiro and Taieri Rivers and the Waihola and Waipori Rivers in preparation for the Otago Settlement.
In 1851 Drake was working in the Wellington Settlement, making a bridle track across the Rimutaka Ranges from Wellington to the Wairarapa. Shortly afterwards he was an unofficial member of Mr Donald McLean's party which went to Hawkes Bay to negotiate the purchase of large tracks of Maori Land for the Crown.
In January 1863 Drake was a member of the Canterbury Provincial Survey staff when it was decided to open up the West Coast. Drake was sent to survey and construct a bridle track down the Taramakau River to its mouth and thence to the Grey-Arnold River boundary of the Province. Drake's track was to be a continuation of that being constructed over Harper's Pass by a party under D.C. Howitt and when Howitt and two of his party were drowned in Lake Brunner on 27th June 1863 Drake was sent to complete the work commenced by Howitt.
Sir Arthur Dudley Dobson in his "Reminiscences" published in 1930, mentions that Drake was himself drowned in a stream between Collingwood and Takaka a few years later.
See "Contributions to the Early History of New Zealand" by T. M. Hocken, 1898 etc.

Noted events in his life were:

• Emigration: 15 Sep 1841, On board the Fifeshire.

• Immigration: 2 Feb 1842, On board the Fifeshire.

James married Margaret Clunie FYFE [330] [MRIN: 247], daughter of George FYFE [328] and Agnes CLUNIE [329], on 25 Sep 1847 in Wesleyan Methodist Church Wellington New Zealand. Margaret was born on 10 Feb 1820 in Chelsea Middlesex England, was baptised on 12 Nov 1820 in St Luke's Chelsea Middlesex England, died on 22 Sep 1863 in Christchurch Canterbury New Zealand at age 43, and was buried in Barbadoes Cemetery Lyttelton Christchurch Canterbury New Zealand.

General Notes: In an attachment to an email, dated February 19, 2003, Sylvia Robertson said:

"Her mother opened a school for girls, and Margaret assisted her. They soon moved to Lyttelton, a more settled community." and "When Margaret died, the children were probably brought up by their grandmother, Agnes because they were the sole beneficiary of her Will."

Noted events in her life were:

• Occupation: Margaret was a Semptress.

• Emigration: 1841, Nelson Nelson New Zealand.

Children from this marriage were:

+ 3 M    i. James Pottinger DRAKE [9191] was born on 22 Jul 1848 in Wellington Wellington New Zealand and died on 14 Nov 1918 in Christchurch Canterbury New Zealand at age 70.

+ 4 M    ii. Walter Clunie DRAKE [9192] was born on 27 May 1853 in Maneroo Cooma NSW Australia, died on 8 Jan 1931 in Wellington Wellington New Zealand at age 77, and was buried in Karori Cemetery Wellington New Zealand.

   5 F    iii. Alice DRAKE [3357] was born on 31 Dec 1856 in Christchurch Canterbury New Zealand, died on 20 Jul 1939 in Oamaru North Otago New Zealand at age 82, and was buried in Old Oamaru Cemetery North Otago New Zealand.

General Notes: 0 @NI3357@ NOTE photograph aged about 20 ( no 33)

photograph aged about 20 ( no 33)

Alice married John Arker FIELD [9193] [MRIN: 4387] in 1925 in New Zealand. John was born about 1853 in Lyttleton Christchurch Canterbury New Zealand and died on 29 Feb 1936 in Oamaru North Otago New Zealand aged about 83.