SIR FRANCIS DRAKE AND THE PLYMOUTH CORPORATION. 529 
1587-8, he, on the contrary, was described as " gentleman." It 
may not be unimportant to notice also that there was another 
Thomas Drake admitted freeman in the mayoralty of John Derry, 
1557-8. This may point to an earlier connection of the Drake 
family with Plymouth than has hitherto been suspected. Drake 
was married at St. Budeaux to his first wife in 1569, the year 
before his freedom, and she was buried there in 1582-3, the year 
after his mayoralty. I am indebted to Mr. Whitmarsh for copies 
of the entries. 
" 1569. Julye iiij th Francis Drake and Marye Newman. 
" 1582. Januarie xxv th Mary Drake wyfe of S r Francis D. knight." 
The gallant and unfortunate John Oxenham was likewise a free- 
man of Plymouth, admitted five years before Drake. 
As to Robert Dampen, the " engineer " of the leat, and his local 
connection. I am indebted to Mr. Whitmarsh, of St. Budeaux, 
who kindly examined the church registers of that parish at my 
request —following up a clue which I had discovered — for full 
proof as to who Robert Dampen and his brother were. These 
Registers show that in the first half of the sixteenth century the 
Dampen or Dampyn (as it is spelt in the Registers and the Re- 
ceivers' Accounts) family were represented in that parish somewhat 
largely, baptisms being registered prior to 1550 of children of John, 
Richard, and William Dampen. In 1560 occurs the name of Robert 
Lampen, as father of Johan Dampen; and in subsequent years there 
are entries of the baptism of other daughters and sons of Robert 
Dampen; while on the 8th of February, 1605, one Robert Dampen, 
evidently the same, was buried. This Robert Dampen had a son 
also called Robert, who was baptized July 25th, 1566, and was 
thus twenty-three when the survey of the leat was made. His 
brothers, with one exception, had died before that date, and the 
only one then living was James, who was born July 2nd, 1571, 
and was therefore five years younger. He was buried November, 
1604. There can be no reasonable doubt that one of these two 
Robert Dampens is the Robert Dampen of the Receivers' Accounts 
— which, is not very material. If the father, judging by the age 
at which other members of his family married, he was in 1589-90 
at least fifty-three years old. The existing Registers contain no 
record of his marriage. My impression is that we must look to 
VOL. VII. 2 M 
