Background

Samuel Gardner Drake was born on October 11, 1798 in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. He was the son of Simeon and Love Muchmore (Tucke) Drake of Pittsfield, New Hampshire.

Education

Samuel submitted to a few years of schooling in New Hampshire villages.

Career

At seventeen Drake went to work for an uncle in Boston who removed to Baltimore soon after, taking Samuel and his older brother with him. The anticipated business success was not achieved and after six months Samuel went back to his father and studied for a short time under John Kelly, a lawyer.

In 1818 he took charge of the school at London, London, New Hampshire at eight dollars a month, and continued to teach, at various places for some years.

In 1819-1820 he was at Columbia, near Morristown, New Jersey. Ill health compelled his return home and in 1820-1821 he studied medicine under Dr. Thomas Shannon of Pittsfield.

He then went back to teaching until 1824, when he decided to become a bookseller.

From 1828 to 1830 he was a book-auctioneer and in 1830 opened a shop in Cornhill, Boston.

Two years later he published his Indian Biography (1832), which went through several editions under varying titles, being enlarged into the much more important Book of the Indians, first published under that title in 1841.

In 1836 he published his Old Indian Chronicle, and in 1839, Indian Captiinties.

He also edited its publication, The New-England Historical and Genealogical Register, from its beginning, 1847, until the close of the fifteenth volume.

He had long had in mind a history of New England, and, although he never wrote it, he spent the years 1858-1860 in Europe, and in England, searching for material.

He continued his bookselling business on his return and accumulated a fairly important private library of nearly 12, 000 volumes and 50, 000 pamphlets, mainly relating to Indians and early colonial history.

Achievements

• Drake was one of the founders of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, was its president in 1858, and for many years was the editor of its quarterly Register, contributing many articles to its pages.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Narrative Remarks, Expository Notes, and Historical Criticisms: On the New England Historical and Genealogical Society, and Incidentally on the Massachusetts Historical Society (Classic Reprint)

    (Excerpt from Narrative Remarks, Expository Notes, and His...)

  • Early history of New England; being a relation of hostile passages between the Indians and European voyagers and first settlers: and a full narrative of hostilities

    (Early history of New England; being a relation of hostile...)

  • Annals of Witchcraft in New England: And Elsewhere in the United States (Classic Reprint)

    (THIS is the firft Attempt, f| fo far as is known to the W...)

  • Indian wars of the United States : from the earliest period to the present time

    (Indian wars of the United States : from the earliest peri...)

  • An historical memoir of the colony of New Plymouth, from the flight of the Pilgrims into Holland in the year 1608, to the union of that colony with Massachusetts in 1692 (VOLUME 2)

    (An historical memoir of the colony of New Plymouth, from ...)

  • Biography and history of the Indians of North America, from its first discovery

    (Biography and history of the Indians of North America, fr...)

Connections

On April 12, 1825 Drake first married Louisa Elmes of Middleborough, Massachusetts, by whom he had five children, among them being Francis Samuel and Samuel Adams Drake. After Mrs. Drake’s death, when he was past middle life, he was married again, to a relative, Sarah Jane Drake.

Father:

Simeon Drake

Mother:

Love Muchmore (Tucke) Drake

Spouse:

Louisa Elmes

Spouse:

Sarah Jane Drake

Son:

Francis Samuel Drake

Son:

Samuel Adams Drake