Mary Newman
One of the most famous traditions associated with Saltash is the marriage, on the 4th of July 1569, of Francis Drake (not yet Sir Francis) to Mary Newman, a Saltash girl who once lived in 'Mary Newman's Cottage'. Mary's marriage to Drake is indisputable – her connection with Saltash is more tenuous.
There is no record of Mary's birth or baptism, but stories passed from generation to generation by word of mouth say that Mary was born at Agaton Farm in St Budeaux. She is on record as having been married at St Budeaux parish church, as were several other Newmans of the same period. Also, Mary may have been the sister of Drake's shipmate Harry Newman, who is on record as coming from St Budeaux. All indications, therefore, are that the Newman family lived in St Budeaux parish, and that Mary was born there.
However, part of the ecclesiastical parish of St Budeaux was at that time in the civil parish of Saltash, a tract of land extending inland from Saltash Passage, known locally as 'the Cornish Patch', having been granted to the Borough during the reign of Edward III. Looking at depictions of this tract on old maps, Agaton Farm seems to have been within its boundaries.
Taken all-in-all, it is therefore entirely possible that Mary was both 'born in St Budeaux' on the other side of the Tamar and 'a Saltash girl' born in the Borough of Saltash.
'Mary Newman's Cottage' in Culver Road dates from the 1450s, so was certainly there before Mary was born, but it is extremely unlikely that she ever lived there. The first mention of her name in connection with the cottage was in a work of fiction not written until 1865! However, as a result of the pageants masterminded by Colonel W P Drury (the well-known author and playwright) and performed in Saltash during the 1930s, the link became well-established in the minds of local people, saving the cottage from the widespread demolition of old property at Waterside that occurred between 1957 and 1961.
Whether or not she herself ever lived there, 'Mary Newman’s Cottage', with its reconstructed Tudor herb garden and furnished as it would have been in medieval times, gives us an insight into what her early life could have been like before she married and started to move up in the world.
After their marriage the Drakes lived in Looe Street, near the harbour in Plymouth, where Mary must have spent much of her time waiting for her husband to return from his various privateering voyages.
Possibly the longest separation began in November 1577, when Drake departed on his perilous journey around the world. Almost three years later, on the 26th of September 1580, the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe returned, his ship laden with a rich cargo of spices and captured Spanish treasure. Mary was rowed out to greet him, and the treasure was unloaded, probably at Antony Passage, to be safely stored in Trematon Castle until arrangements could be made for its transport to London. Edmund Tremayne was charged with the initial safe keeping of the treasure, and given secret instructions that Drake was to extract at least £10,000 (over £4,000,000 in today's money!) for himself, along with £14,000 for his crew.
In October 1580 Mary travelled with Drake to London, in company with armed guards leading a train of pack horses bearing a sample of the treasure for Queen Elizabeth to inspect. The Queen spent six hours listening to Drake's account of his voyage, then gave him a further £10,000 for his services, plus personal gifts. Drake also received £47 for every £1 he had originally invested in the voyage.
Drake was now one of the richest men in England, and promptly began negotiations to purchase Buckland Abbey, a large manor house near Yelverton (on the western side of Dartmoor and not to be confused with Buckfast Abbey on the eastern side). He became the new owner on the 19th of December 1580 and, together with his wife, moved there in early 1581, leasing out their substantial house and garden in Looe Street.
Drake became a Member of Parliament in January 1581, but is not known to have taken any part in the proceedings, having been granted indefinite leave of absence in February for "necessary business in the service of Her Majesty". On the 4th of April 1581 Queen Elizabeth awarded Drake a knighthood in recognition of his journey around the world – aboard his ship Pelican, now renamed Golden Hind, Drake was dubbed Sir Francis, so Mary became Lady Mary. In September 1581 Sir Francis was elected Mayor of Plymouth for a one-year term, thereby further entitling his wife.
Mary, however, had little time in which to enjoy her new position in society – she fell ill and died, childless, in January 1582. The Drakes seem to have been living in their town house at the time because a record of Mary's death was made at St Andrew's Church, Plymouth ("1582, Jan 20 The Lady Mary, wife of Sir Francis Drake") as well as at St Budeaux parish church ("Mary Drake, wife of Sir Francis Drake, Knight, buried 25 Jan, 1582"), where her body was actually interred.
page updated 2025-03-21
