Person:Grace Drake (1)

Grace Drake was baptised on 8th February 1793 at Bere Ferrers in Devon, daughter of Celia Drake, formerly Foot, and her husband John Drake. Grace was baptised the same day as a brother, Christopher, but he was buried just twelve days after their baptism, leaving Grace the youngest of four children.

In 1797, when Grace was only four years old, her mother Celia died. Her father married again in 1805, when Grace was about twelve years old, with a Mary Dawe becoming Grace's stepmother.

On 8th June 1819 Grace married Richard Northmore at Walkhampton, about eight miles north east of Bere Ferrers. They appear to have had six children together, some at Walkhampton and some at nearby Meavy. They named their youngest daughter Cecilia Foote Northmore, presumably named after Grace's late mother.

Grace died on 21st October 1830, aged 37, and was buried at Meavy. Her gravestone records that she had lived at Goodameavy. Richard survived her by nearly nineteen years. She was also survived by her elderly father John Drake, who was still living in Bere Ferrers at the time of her death.

1. ↑ Church of England. Parish Registers of Bere Ferrers. (Exeter: Devon Heritage Services).

   Baptisms 1793
   Feb[rua]ry 8th Chr[istophe]r & Grace Son & Daughter of John & Scillia Drake

2. ↑ Burials register, in Church of England. Parish Registers of Meavy. (Plymouth: Plymouth & West Devon Record Office).

   BURIALS in the Parish of Meavy in the County of Devon, in the Year 1830
   No.	Name	Abode	When buried	Age	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   85	Grace Northmore	Meavy	October 24th	38 years [1791/2]	W.H. Veale, Curate

3. ↑ Monumental Inscription: St Peter, Meavy, Devon.

   Adjoining headstones:
   "Sacred to the memory of Grace Northmore wife of Richard Northmore of Goodameavy in this parish who departed this life the 21st of October 1830 aged 38 years"
   and
   "In memory of Richard Northmore of Goodameavy in this parish who departed this life April 21st 1849 aged 63 years"