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Megan Stevens' Commissariat Pages
including
The Drake Crimean Letters (1854-1856)
by William Henry Drake
and Louisa Drake (née Purkis)

 
 
Transcribed by Megan Stevens MA
 
 
 William Henry Drake
Main Table of Contents & appendices:
Introduction by Megan Stevens
Acknowledgements
William Henry Drake Timeline
William Henry Drake Stations listed in the Army Lists
Strathnairn Committee examination of W.H. Drake
Conclusions by Megan Stevens
Abbreviations & acronyms used in the Drake Letters
 
The Drake families page, including sections:
Birth family
First marriage
Purkis family
Second marriage
Wood family
 Illustration
Deputy Commissary General William Henry Drake, C.B. (1812–1882).
(Photo: Danie Ackermann, from the original owned by George and Nova Coetzee.)
 
 
 
 
 
Published at the CWRS website 2018
 
© Copyright Megan Stevens MA
 
No part of these web pages can be copied or used for commercial purposes or gain without permission.
 
The contents of these pages can be copied and quoted for personal and academic purposes provided that Megan Stevens and the Crimean War Research Society website are acknowledged as the source of the information and that no resultant document or publication is made available for commercial purposes.
 
 
© COPYRIGHT MEGAN STEVENS 2015 —
The Drake Letters are transcriptions by Megan Stevens of the letters written by Assistant Commissary General William Henry Drake whilst en route to Crimea and from his posting at Balaklava as well as letters from his wife once she joined him. The letters are complemented by extracts from William Henry Drake's Journal, newspaper articles and official documents.
 
Above left is the main table of contents, followed by the Drake 'family history' page and sub sections. The main table has links to Megan Stevens' introduction and conclusions, plus Drake's career and background pages.
 
Below are the transcriptions of the letters themselves and a number of pertinent newspaper articles.
 
An associated page from Megan Stevens about the Commissariat Officers (which we have had on this website for a number of years) is here:
Commissariat Officers Spreadsheet ►
 
Megan and Alun Stevens have a blog about family history and the section about William Henry Drake is here: https://downrabbitholes.com.au/category/drake/
The blog is well worth following for fascinating extra and background information about Drake and his family.
 
The main blog entry page https://downrabbitholes.com.au/drake/ provides an ordered list of links to all the detailed articles that are referenced in the blogs as well as a link to allow visitors to download Megan’s thesis.
 
The Drake Letters & associated transcriptions:
Letter No., date written and link Description
1.   7 April 1854 William Henry Drake (off Ireland) to Louisa Drake (Canada)
2.   29 – 31 May 1854 Charlotte Augusta Drake (London) to Louisa Drake (en route to London)
3.   29 May – 1 June 1854 William Henry Drake (aboard Orinoco) to Louisa Drake (en route to London)
4.   4 June – 7 June 1854 William Henry Drake (aboard Orinoco) to Louisa Drake (London)
5.   30 June – 1 July 1854 William Henry Drake (Piræus) to Louisa Drake (London)
6.   4 – 7 July 1854 William Henry Drake (Piræus) to Louisa Drake (London)
7.   11 – 12 July 1854 William Henry Drake (Piræus) to Louisa Drake (London)
8.   13 – 14 July 1854 William Henry Drake (Piræus) to Louisa Drake (London)
9.   17 – 22 July 1854 William Henry Drake (Piræus) to Louisa Drake (London)
10.   28 – 29 July 1854 William Henry Drake (Constantinople) to Louisa Drake (London)
11.   4 August 1854 William Henry Drake (Varna) № 1 to Louisa Drake (London)
12.   10 – 14 August 1854 William Henry Drake (Varna) № 2 to Louisa Drake (London)
13.   19 August 1854 William Henry Drake (Varna) № 3 to Louisa Drake (London)
14.   24 August 1854 William Henry Drake (Varna) № 4 to Louisa Drake (London)
15.   2 September 1854 William Henry Drake (Varna) № 6 to Louisa Drake (London)
16.   3 September 1854 Commissariat Order D.O. 93, Varna
17.   6 – 13 September 1854 William Henry Drake (aboard Hope) № 7 to Louisa Drake (London)
18.   15 – 16 September 1854 William Henry Drake (Crimea) № 8 to Louisa Drake (London)
19.   20 – 21 September 1854 William Henry Drake (aboard Hope) № 9 to Louisa Drake (London)
20.   22 – 23 September 1854 William Henry Drake (aboard Hope) № 10 to Louisa Drake (London)
21.   27 – 28 September 1854 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 12 to Louisa Drake (London)
22.   3 October 1854 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 13 to Louisa Drake (London)
23.   8 October 1854 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 14 to Louisa Drake (London)
24.   12 – 13 October 1854 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 15 to Louisa Drake (London)
25.   17 – 18 October 1854 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 16 to Louisa Drake (London)
26.   22 – 23 October 1854 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 17 to Louisa Drake (London)
27.   27 – 28 October 1854 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 18 to Louisa Drake (London)
28.   2 – 3 November 1854 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 19 to Louisa Drake (London)
29.   2 – 26 December 1854 The Standard (London)
30.   7 November 1854 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 20 to Louisa Drake (London)
31.   13 November 1854 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 21 to Louisa Drake (London)
32.   17 – 18 November 1854 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 22 to Louisa Drake (London)
33.   22 – 23 November 1854 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 24 to Louisa Drake (London)
34.   25 – 28 November 1854 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 25 to Louisa Drake (London)
35.   2 – 3 December 1854 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 26 to Louisa Drake (London)
36.   7 – 8 December 1854 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 27 to Louisa Drake (London)
37.   13 December 1854 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 28 to Louisa Drake (London)
38.   18 December 1854 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 29 to Louisa Drake (London)
39.   22 – 23 December 1854 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 30 to Louisa Drake (London)
40.   25 – 26 December 1854 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 31 to Louisa Drake (London)
41.   29 – 30 December 1854 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 32 to Louisa Drake (London)
42.   1 January 1855 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 33 to Louisa Drake (London)
43.   2 January 1855 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 34 to Louisa Drake (London)
44.   4 – 5 January 1855 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 35 to Louisa Drake (London)
45.   8 January 1855 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 36 to Louisa Drake (London)
46.   12 January 1855 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 37 to Louisa Drake (London)
47.   14 January 1855 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 38 to Louisa Drake (London)
48.   January 1855 Dr. Richard Francis Valpy de Lisle (4th Regiment) to William Henry Drake (Balaklava)
49.   18 January 1855 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 39 to Louisa Drake (London)
50.   19 January 1855 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 40 to Louisa Drake (London)
51.   22 January 1855 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 41 to Louisa Drake (London)
52.   24 – 25 January 1855 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 42 to Louisa Drake (London)
53.   29 January 1855 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 43 to Louisa Drake (London)
54.   1 – 2 February 1855 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 44 to Louisa Drake (London)
55.   5 February 1855 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 45 to Louisa Drake (London)
56.   8 February 1855 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 46 to Louisa Drake (London)
57.   12 February 1855 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 47 to Louisa Drake (London)
58.   13 February 1855 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 47/2 to Louisa Drake (London)
59.   16 February 1855 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 48 to Louisa Drake (London)
60.   19 – 20 February 1855 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 49 to Louisa Drake (London)
61.   23 February 1855 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 50 to Louisa Drake (London)
62.   26 February 1855 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 51 to Louisa Drake (London)
63.   2 – 3 March 1855 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 52 to Louisa Drake (London)
64.   5 – 6 March 1855 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 53 to Louisa Drake (London)
65.   9 – 10 March 1855 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 54 to Louisa Drake (London)
66.   12 March 1855 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 55 to Louisa Drake (London)
67.   16 March 1855 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 56 to Louisa Drake (London)
68.   16 March 1855 Department Order № 124, Balaklava
69.   3 April 1855 Daily News (London)
70.   10 April 1855 The Times (London): Lord Palmerston and the Commissariat Service.   (The following extra link goes to cwrs-crimtexts-times-t550220a.html in David Kelsey's Crimean Texts where Palmerston's original speech is transcribed. See the main Resources menu for all of David Kelsey's pages.) 
71.   30 March 1855 McNeill/Tulloch Commission of Inquiry into the Supplies of the British Army in the Crimea: Examination of William Henry Drake.   (This link cwrs-crimtexts-mcneill-tulloch-mntev012.html#drake-mnt-ev goes to the relevant page in David Kelsey's Crimean Texts where Drake's evidence is already transcribed, albeit with slighty less detail. See the main Resources menu for all of David Kelsey's pages.) 
72.   7 June 1855 The Times (London): The Kertch Expedition
73.   9 June 1855 Hampshire,Telegraph,and,Sussex,Chronicle (Portsmouth): The Capture of Kertch
74.   16 June 1855 The Times (London), 16 June 1855: The Kertch Expedition
75.   20 June 1855 Department Memo (Balaklava)
76.   26 July 1855 Department Order (Balaklava) № 143
77.   27 July 1855 General Orders (Sebastopol) № 6
78.   4 August 1855 General Orders (Sebastopol) № 4
79.   23 September 1855 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) to Sir George Maclean (Balaklava)
80.   25 September 1855 Sir George Maclean (Balaklava) to Major General Henry William Barnard Chief of Staff (Head Quarters)
81.   2 October 1855 General James Simpson (Crimea) to Lord Panmure Secretary of State for War
82.   10 November 1855 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 116 to John and Maria Drake (London)
83.   13 November 1855 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 117 to John and Maria Drake (London)
84.   24 November 1855 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) to John Drake (London)
85.   7 December 1855 Louisa Drake (Balaklava) to Maria Drake (London)
86.   7 December 1855 Royal Cornwall Gazette, Falmouth Packet, and General Advertiser (Truro)
87.   17 December 1855 Louisa Drake (Balaklava) to Maria Drake (London)
88.   4 January 1856 Louisa Drake (Balaklava) to Maria Drake (London)
89.   18 January 1856 Louisa Drake (Balaklava) to Maria Drake (London)
90.   1 February 1856 Louisa Drake (Balaklava) to Maria Drake (London)
91.   5 February 1856 The London Gazette
92.   11 February 1856 Louisa Drake (Balaklava) to Maria Drake (London)
93.   18 February 1856 Louisa Drake (Balaklava) to Maria Drake (London)
94.   21 February 1856 Trewman’s Exeter Flying Post or Plymouth and Cornish Advertiser (Exeter)
95.   23 February 1856 William Henry Drake (Balaklava) № 142 to John and Maria Drake (London)
96.   29 February 1856 Louisa Drake (Balaklava) to Maria Drake (London)
97.   17 March 1856 Louisa Drake (Balaklava) to Maria Drake (London)
98.   19 March 1856 General Orders (Sebastopol) № 2
99.   24 March 1856 Louisa Drake (Balaklava) to Maria Drake (London)
100.   7 April 1856 Louisa Drake (Balaklava) to Maria Drake (London)
101.   26 April 1856 Louisa Drake (Balaklava) to Maria Drake (London)
102.   27 April 1856 General Orders (Sebastopol) № 4
103.   9 May 1856 Louisa Drake (Balaklava) to Maria Drake (London)
104.   24 May 1856 Louisa Drake (Balaklava) to Maria Drake (London)
105.   23 June 1856 William Henry Drake (Pera) № 168 to John and Maria Drake (London)
106.   26 June 1856 Louisa Drake (Pera) to Maria Drake (London)
107.   7 July 1856 William Henry Drake (Pera) № 172 to John and Maria Drake (London)
108.   26 February 1857 William Henry Drake (London) to The Times (London)