William Henry Drake

{{Short description|Australian politician}}

{{for|the American painter and illustrator|William Henry Drake (painter)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}

Sir William Henry Drake, {{post-nominals|country=GBR|KCB}}, (29 September 1812 – 28 January 1882) was a British public servant and Colonial Treasurer of Western Australia.{{cite Australasia|Drake, Sir William Henry}}

File:Wh-drake-1871.jpg

Drake was born at Coimbra, Portugal during the Peninsular War.{{Cite web |date=2018 |title=The Drake Bible |url=https://downrabbitholes.com.au/drake/bible/ |access-date=5 September 2024 |website=downrabbitholes.com.au}} He was the son of John Drake of Exmouth, Devon, Deputy Commissary-General, by Maria, daughter of George Story, of Silksworth Hall, County Durham, and entered the War Office in 1831. Drake was Colonial Treasurer of Western Australia from 1838 to 1848, appointed Assistant Commissary-General in 1845, and four years later was advanced to the post of Commissary-General. In this capacity he served in various colonies, as well as in the Crimea{{Cite web |date=2018 |title=William Henry Drake:Crimea |url=https://downrabbitholes.com.au/drake/william-henry-drake/crimea/ |access-date=5 September 2024 |website=downrabbitholes.com.au}} and at Kerch,{{Cite web |date=2018 |title=William Henry Drake:Kertch |url=https://downrabbitholes.com.au/drake/william-henry-drake/crimea/kertch/ |access-date=5 September 2024 |website=downrabbitholes.com.au}} with his experiences of the Crimea recorded in many letters to his wife and parents.{{Cite web |date=2024 |title=The Drake Crimean Letters |url=https://downrabbitholes.com.au/drake/drake-crimean-letters/ |access-date=5 September 2024 |website=downrabbitholes.com.au}} He also had charge of the Turkish contingent.

In 1867, Drake was appointed Controller for Ireland, and two years afterwards Controller for Great Britain in the War Office. From 1871 to 1877 he held the office of Director of Supplies and Transports.

Drake was nominated a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1856, after the conclusion of the Russian war, and was advanced to a Knight Commander of that Order, in 1871.

Drake was twice married, first, in 1834, to Louisa, daughter of Mr. James Purkis, and secondly, in 1862, to Elizabeth Lucy, daughter of the Hon. George Wood, member of the Council at the Cape of Good Hope.

Drake died on 28 January 1882 at Clanricarde Gardens, Bayswater, London, England.{{cite news

|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article28379812

|title=Deaths.

|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald

|date=15 April 1882

|accessdate=25 August 2014

|page=1

|publisher=National Library of Australia

}}