history unmarried with no children, liked and admired Francis so much that on his death he bequeathed the young sailor the sturdy coaster. The rest of Francis’ story is well known, he went on to gain enormous wealth and fame as a privateer, which basically was legalised piracy. He captured dozens of treasure ships and attacked and plundered ports all along the Spanish coast. He was the second captain, after Magellan, to sail around the world and the first to survive the journey. He terrorized Spanish shipping for decades and in 1588 helped defeat the Spanish Armada. Out of fear and respect the Spanish nicknamed him El Draque - ‘The Dragon’. Francis provided Queen Elizabeth I with so much in the way of riches that he became one of her favourites and she knighted him on April 4, 1581. On receiving the knighthood Sir Francis requested that he should be granted the right to bear the crest and arms of the Drakes of Ash. Sir Bernard considered Sir Francis to be of a lower class and took great offence at his laying claim to being landed gentry, so much so, that in presence of the Queen’s Court he “boxed the ears” of the otherwise formidable Sir Francis. The Queen was appalled at Sir Bernard’s brazen behaviour and severely reprimanded him. She also ordered that Sir Francis be given a new crest and set of arms highlighting his achievements in 40
navigation. Sir Francis got his own back on Sir Bernard by including a small replica of the Drakes of Ash arms on the crest. He purchased Buckland Abbey near Yelverton, Devon and thus his crest and arms represent the Drakes of Buckland Abbey. The tale of the confrontation of the two Sir Drakes has been passed down through the centuries, and nearly 400 years after the incident heraldry expert and writer Wilfred Scott-Giles (18921983) penned this verse: Sir Bernard said Sir Francis “You’re making a grave mistake If now you’re a knight You think you’ve a right To the wyvern gules of Drake,” Sir Francis said to Sir Bernard “Your wyvern gules you can keep At the Queen’s behest I will have such a crest As will make your arms look cheap.” Queen Elizabeth said to the heralds “Draw Frankie a crest of worth And thereon between Pole Stars be seen His wavy course round the earth And upon a globe on his helmet The good ship Golden Hind show, With a dragon to fame El Draco’s name” And the heralds made it so. Sir Francis said “Look, Sir Bernard!” And Sir Bernard proudly spake “Grand arms you’ve got I’ll allow but they’re not The ancient wyvern of Drake.” *Note: In heraldry a ‘wyvern’ is a creature like a dragon with two legs (a dragon has four) and two wings, while ‘gule’ is a bright shade of the colour red.
GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE JULY 2018