Rev. Thomas Drake 
Thomas was born about 1723 in Hopewell Twp., Hunterdon Co., Nj, USA. Thomas' father was Benjamin Drake and his mother was Mary Runyon. His paternal grandparents were Rev. John Drake and Rebecca Trotter; his maternal grandparents were Vincent Rognion and Ann Martha Boutcher. He had eight brothers and two sisters, named John, Benjamin, Francis, Zechariah, Edmond, Nathanial, William, Daniel, Rebecca and Rachael. He was the fourth youngest of the eleven children. He died on March 10th, 1792 in Amwell Twp., Hunterdon Co., Nj, USA. He was buried in Hopewell Baptist Cemetery, Titus Mill Rd., Hopewell, Hunterdon Co., Nj.General Notes
Extract of Will of Thomas Drake: 1792, Jan. 13. Drake, Thomas, of Amwell Twp., Hunterdon Co.; will of. Son, Henry, home plantation of 100 acres; he paying £500 for same in 4 equal Payments. Son, Enoch, plantation of 70 acres on road from Pennington to Rocky Hill; he paying £400 in 4 payments. Eldest son, Ralph £60, made in 4 payments. The other 6 sons, £10 each, in 4 payments. Remainder to be sold and monies divided into 6 equal shares. Sons, John, Henry and Enoch, each 1 share, Daniel, 1/2 share, Benjamin, 1 share, Thomas, ½ share; and daughters, Mary and Easter, each 1/2 share. Youngest son, Thomas, to be clothed during his apprenticeship Executors-- sons, Henry and Enoch. Witnesses-- Aaron Stout, Thomas Drake and Daniel Drake. Proved Mar. 16, 1792. Lib. 34, p.200.
http://www.familytreemaker.com/users/b/r/a/Terry--kathy--Bradley/GENE1-001 4.html contains this same quote, but they list Mary Drake's husband as Charles Woverton.
All information below received from Mark Cox <mkcox@bright.net>
LDS Ancestral File number 9KFR-M8.
Source: S.R. Williams, "The Drake Family". Compiled in 1980 by Stanley Ross Williams. References: Wagner, "Drakes in England" Alice Smith Thompson, "The Drake Family of New Hampshire" Chambers, "Early Germans of New Jersey..." Fox-Davies, "Armorial Families...".
Thomas Drake was overseer and surveyor of highways, Hopewel, Hunterdon, NJ in 1777 and 1784. He joined Hopewell Church 20 Sept.1766,
Thomas and Dorothy Drake's tombstones were set up in Old School Baptist Cemetery by Wm. H. Drake in the 1920's. They were originally in a family cemetery on a farm near Centerville, about 1 mile East of Pennington, along Pennington-Rocky Road. In Monnette's "First Settlers of Ye Plantations" he states that the cemetery was on Titus Mill Road. On the tombstone, Thomas' Rev. War Service is noted: Lt. Rev. War. Co. G, 19th Infantry.
According to Hardin's "Drakes in New Jersey..." p.14, the tombstones had been used as stepping stones for years. They cite Thomas Drake 'service record from the Adjutant General's Office, Trenton, NJ thus : "Lt. Thomas Drake served in Captain Ralph Guild's Co., Col. Joseph Phillip's First Regiment, Hunterdon Co., NJ Militia for one month during the Revolutionary War--injured."
Will of Thomas Drake:
Thomas died leaving a will dated 13 Jan 1792, proved 16 March 1792 "of Amwell Twp., Hunterdon County" (must have been living with a child --probably son Henry who was willed the 100 acre plantation whereon Thomas lived when writing the will.) Enoch was devised plantation near Centerville," beginning at a black oak of Samuel Titus at the said road, running to..John Drake's corner.....70 acres.
Other children named in willl: Eldest son, Ralph, 60 pounds; Youngest son, Thomas, to get share when 21; John one share; Henry one share; Enoch one share; Daniel 1/2 share; Benjamin 1 share; Thomas 1/2 share; Mary 1/2 share, and Easter 1 /2 share. Youngest son, Thomas to be clothed during his apprenticeship.
Executors: sons, Henry and Enoch. Witnesses, Aaron Stout,Thomas Drake, Daniel Drake.
State of New Jersey Calendar of Wills--1791-1795. Book 34. Page 200.
He was married to Dorothy VAN KIRK (daughter of Hendrick (Henry) VAN KIRK and Dorothy MORGAN) about 1750 in NJ. Dorothy VAN KIRK was born on 20 Sep 1734 in Monmouth Co., NJ. She died on 13 Dec 1791 in Hopewell Twp, Hunterdon Co., NJ. She was buried in Hopewell Baptist Cemetery, Titus Mill Road, Hopewell, Hunterdon Co., NJ. She has Ancestral File number FSNR-R9. The LDS Ancestral file gives Dorothy's Birth date as 1730. Susan Morten (File#3831D) gives her birth date as 20 Sep 1734. This date causes great inconsistencies in the birth and marriage dates of her daughter Mary. In 1980. Stanley Ross Williams gave Dorothy a birth date of 2 March1731/died 13 Dec 1791 in 60th year. He cites Alice Thompson's "The Drake Family of New Hampshire" and Chambers'"The Early Germans of New Jersey--Their History, Churches, and Genealogies" as sources. These are the dates I will use in this report.
Dorothy joined Hopewell Church 17 Nov 1764.
According to Williams, Dorothy was a sister of Dr. Benjamin VanKirk whose medical records prove her to have been a daughter of Henry. Most of Thomas and Dorothy's children are noted under Thomas Drake's medical account record. (1776-1796)
Dr. VanKirk made charges to: Easter, Salley, Hette, Catey. Also: For cash paid Henry Drake, one of the ex., which is in full the legacy left the aforesaid Thomas Drake by his wife's father, Henry VanKirk. His account record lists Thomas Dec'd of Hunterdon Co., NJ. Thomas DRAKE Rev. and Dorothy VAN KIRK had the following children:
+2 i. Mary DRAKE.
+3 ii. Ralph DRAKE.
+4 iii. Henry DRAKE.
+5 iv. John DRAKE.
+6 v. Enoch DRAKE.
+7 vi. Thomas DRAKE Jr..
+8 vii. Esther DRAKE.
+9 viii. Benjamin DRAKE.
+10 ix. Daniel DRAKE.
Downloaded from Bill Stout's RootsWeb data.
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Ancestor Pedigree Chart
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*There are earlier generations for the ancestor(s) indicated. See their page(s) for details (click name)
- b.1555 in Colchester Or Halstead, Essex, England d.03 Nov 1616 in Halstead, Essex, England
- b.23 Jul 1581 in Halstead, Essex, England d.14 Jan 1687/1688 in Hampton, Rockingham Co., Nh
- b.1557 in Halstead, Essex, England d.16 Mar 1615/1616 in Elmstead Or Halstead, Essex, England
- b.1618 in Devonshire, Devon, England d.24 Sep 1687 in Piscataway, Middlesex Co., Nj, USA
- b.~ 1584
- b.~ 1655 in Portsmouth, Nh d.<07 Apr 1740 in Piscataway, Middlesex Co., Nj, USA
- b.~ 1625 in Hampton, Rockingham Co., Nh d.29 Jul 1688 in Piscataway, Middlesex Co., Nj, USA
- b.~ 1683 in Piscataway, Middlesex Co., Nj, USA d.<30 Aug 1763 in Hopewell, Hunterdon Co., Nj, USA
- b.~ 1571 in Byers Green Hall, Durham, England d.1629
- b.~ 1607 in Byers Green, Durham, England d.~ 1657 in Newburyport, Massachusetts
- b.Jun 1575 in Redworth Hall, , Durham, England d.1598
- b.04 Apr 1630 in Newbury, Essex, Massachusetts d.1676 in Piscataway, Middlesex, New Jersey
- b.26 Mar 1610 in Auckland, Durham, England d.~ 1660 in Newburyport, Massachusetts
- b.05 Jul 1655 in Newburry, Essex Co., Nj d.~ 1702
- b.27 Mar 1600 in Bath Abbey, Somersetshire, England
- b.08 Jul 1628 in Piscataway, Middlesex, Nj d.1667 in Newbury, Essex Co., Ma
- b.1605 in Long Sutton, Summerset, England d.1655 in Newburyport, Ma
- b.~ 1723 in Hopewell Twp., Hunterdon Co., Nj, USA d.10 Mar 1792 in Amwell Twp., Hunterdon Co., Nj, USA
- b.1619
- b.1643 in Poitiers, (Ancient Poitou), France d.05 Dec 1713 in Piscataway, Middlesex Co., Nj, USA
- b.02 Jul 1677 in Piscataway, Middlesex Co., Nj, USA d.~ 1747 in Hopewell, Hunterdon Co., Nj, USA
- b.1595 in France d.1665 in France
- b.1624 in Hartford, England
- b.1650 in Hertsfordshire, England d.2 Feb 1736/1737 in Piscataway, Middlesex Co., Nj, USA
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Thomas were married in a religious ceremony about 1750 in Hopewell, Mercer Co., Nj, USA.
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