Sir Francis Drake

In the pamphlet

In the records

The explorer, privateer, naval officer and Mayor of Plymouth, famous for his role in the defeat in the Spanish Armada of 1588. The 1591 pamphlet names him as the official who examines Eulalia, George and their accomplices, so it’s possible he may have been a character in Page of Plymouth.

We did not find evidence of Drake being involved in the Eulalia Page case. Documents recording the trial do not survive (see archivist Victoria Northwood’s blog to find out more about this). The Lost Chronicle of Barnstaple (published by The Devon Association) names Judge Anderson as presiding over the assizes at Barnstaple. If Drake did feature in the lost play, he possibly wasn’t a major character. Read descendant Harry Clarke’s blog about the Page family history for another perspective on Drake’s connection to the story.