Born in 1721 or 1722, Drake was the nephew of financier Roger Drake, of the firm Drake and Long based in
Leadenhall Street and prominent director of the
East India Company. Drake joined the service of the East India Company and arrived in Bengal on 26 May 1737. He rose through the ranks and became President of Fort William on 8 August 1752 following the death of
William Fytche. In April 1756,
Siraj ud-Daulah became
Nawab of Bengal and sought to reprimand the company for abusing their privileged trading rights. He wrote a letter to both the
French and British Company's requesting that they remove all fortifications at
Chandannagore and
Calcutta. The French replied tactfully claiming they were merely repairing existing structures whilst Drake replied that he was improving the defences in case of war with
France. During the siege Drake controversially abandoned his post and with a handful of fellow officers sought refuge with the women and children on ships moored nearby In his absence
John Zephaniah Holwell was placed in charge and led the defence until their capitulation in the evening of 20 June. Calcutta was subsequently sacked and the remaining Europeans were held captive in the
Black Hole of Calcutta. ==Personal life==