My Family Tree

On September 19, 1376 John (who is called, at times, John Drake of Hoo Street) was awarded by the Court the use of lands by his parents. Based on this, his lastest birth year is likley to have been before 1356.
Quoted from Drake in England, p. 73:
Later, on 3 July 1392, he acquired "one messuage with adjacent yards in the Hoostrete formerly John Fanner's" from John Rede paying 2s. for his entry fine. This property he surrendered, as John Drake of Hoo, to the use of John Dove at the Court on 4 June 1411. He was still called "of Hoo" as late as 1413. Earlier, on 29 April 1410, John Brode surrendered a cottage next the great mill to his use and this John Drake surrendered on 26 September 1419 to the use Of Richard Brode. The Court Roll states that the surrender was made out of Court by "John Drake of Branktre" (Braintree, some 7 miles northeast of Great Waltham). He did not, however, leave Great Waltham permanently and still retained property there.
Between 1385 and 1408 he is recorded as paying pannage for varying numbers of pigs or piglets, and was presented for leaving a dung heap on the common, a not uncommon offence, in 1392 and again in 1398.
Before 5 December 1393 John Spayne surrendered to his use: "one croft of enclosed land containing one acre of land called 'marchaliscroft' and a piece of land called Rechakre and one encroachment (purpresture) lying towards Balisgate" for which he paid an entry fine of 12d., being then called John Drake, smith. As we have seen he did homage for his lands in 1400 and was fined for default of Court in 1413 in company with his brother William and cousin John Drake who was also a blacksmit
In 1424, at a Court held on 8 June, he acquired more lands in Great Waltham. John Trendhen had surrendered a parcel of a half virgate called Symondysgyffrey to his use out of Court and John Lefchild 1 acre in Lytelhey called Moremed and a quarter of land once Henry atte Melle's. Later in the same year, on 30 September, John Drake, Smyth, was ordered to repair his house called Gybbelottes. John Drake served as Chief Pledge for Littlehey in 1415-16 and again between 1425 and 1432. The date of his death is not known.