Mary Newman

It is interesting that Mary Newman's Cottage is in Culver Road, Saltash because she almost certainly never lived there. Mary married Francis Drake on the 4th July, 1569 at the church at Higher St Budeaux and this is recorded in the parish records. The records also show the marriages of three other women with the name Newman between 1552 and 1571, within the St Budeaux Parish, and it is assumed that they are all related. Stories passed from generation to generation by word of mouth say that Mary was born at Agaton Farm and was the daughter of the important Newman family.However, John Drake, the cousin of Francis, in a deposition to Spanish inquisitors in 1587, stated that Mary was born in London. It has been suggested that Mary was actually the sister of Drake's shipmate, Harry Newman, who it is recorded, came from St Budeaux.

Little seems to have been written down about Mary and much of her life is a mystery. There are said to be no pictures of Mary but, with her being married to such an important figure of the day, a painting may well exist, perhaps mistakenly listed as someone else. It has also been suggested that Mary, who would have been brought up in the parish of St Budeaux, may have lived at the old barn that still stands off Normandy Hill (see picture). Although the barn is from the 1500s, there seems to be little to support the story though it would be a better bet than the house in Saltash.

Drake was knighted in 1581 and was elected Mayor of Plymouth in the same year. Mary became Lady Drake and Mayoress. Drake bought Buckland Abbey in 1581 and they both lived there. They had previously lived at Looe Street in Plymouth. Mary, however, died two years later in 1583.

Two funeral services were held for Mary. One was at St Andrew's Church and the other was at St Budeaux, where her body was said to have been buried. Today, there is no sign of her grave at St Budeaux and past attempts to find it have failed.

Sir Francis Drake and Mary Newman had no children and there are no direct descendants of Drake. He married Elizabeth Sydenham in 1585.

Sir Francis Drake died in 1596 of dysentery while anchored off Panama. He was just 56 years old. He was buried at sea in a lead coffin off the Portobelo coast.