The History of Drake's Island

11/06/2026

EARLIEST USE OF THE NAME DRAKE'S ISLAND?
I've been researching the State Papers of Charles II for the latest Drake's Island Blog which covers his reign and use the of the Island as a State Prison. Originally I thought the earliest reference to Drake's Island as opposed to St Nicholas Island was in the late 1700's when civilian maritime charts started to use the name.
However the State Papers of 1666 in an entry marked 2 December Plymouth details information on a merchantman shipwrecked on St Francis's Island sent by Sir Thomas Waltham (Master Muster of Plymouth) to Samuel Pepys, the Navy Commissioner. Sir Francis's Island being an obvious reference to Sir Francis Drake and Drake's Island. It is clearly referring to St Nicholas Island as directly below on the same date the same information apart from referring to the Island as St Nicholas Island is sent by Sir John Skelton (Deputy Governor of Plymouth and St Nicholas Island) to Williamson who was Lord Arlington's Secretary, Lord Arlington being the Secretary of State to Charles II.
Drake's Island was in common usage by at least 1840, including by Queen Victoria who tagged her drawing of the Island as Drake's Island in 1846, although the military and formal documents didn't start using Drake's Island until the late 1800's and last used it in the 1890's but it seems locally at least the Island was known as Drake's Island 70 years after his death and in all probability was in use locally some years earlier.
The photos are of a screenshot of the State Papers and a painting of Plymouth and the Island by Danckert in 1673 as well as the painting by Queen Victoria in 1846.

12/05/2026

DRAKE'S ISLAND TOURS SUSPENDED
Piece in Plymouth Live if people aren't aware. Tours suspended pending safety inspections!! Be interested to see if he publishes the safety reports and risk assessments as the Jetty has at least one leg completely suspended (not connected to the sea bed) and there is concrete falling off the underside directly above the landing stage. Additionally a second breach of the sea wall started at the back of the Island at the end of last year just along from where the first collapse and landslip occurred along with a partial collapse of the Officers Annex roof again that appeared late last year. Link is here

Businessman Morgan Phillips bought the island of a guide price of £6m in 2019

07/05/2026

The next Drake's Island Blog is now live and covers the Island during the Commonwealth and Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell from 1646 to the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660. During virtually the whole period the Commonwealth was either putting down rebellions in England, fighting the Irish and Scots at home or the Dutch and Spanish abroad. If you fancy a read follow the link

THE PARLIAMENTARY YEARS 1646 TO 1660 The Civil War in England resulted in a Parliamentary victory over the Royalists in early 1646. However, it wasn’t really the end of the conflict as the various …

24/04/2026

"ANYBODY OUT THERE" TV SHOW FILMED ON THE ISLAND IN THE 1990'S
I gave a talk about the Island last Wednesday at the Plymouth Proprietary Library and a question came up about the TV Studio on the Island. It was a West Country TV Show and they used Casemates 1, 2 and 3 which are those nearest the steps leading up to what were the Soldiers Latrines at the South East end of the fortifications nearest the Breakwater. The TV Show was called "Anybody Out There" and was a weekly programme aired on Saturday morning based on a group of young presenters who had set up a pirate TV Station on the Island. It ran for 2 series in 1993 and 1994 although the second series saw the presenters using a bus to get around the wider South West region to the Island didn't feature that much in the second series. The photos are tagged of the TV studio location on the Island and a couple of newspaper clippings.
It's not the only TV that has featured the Island a number of one off programmes have been filmed there including History Hit with Dan Snow, Antiques Road Show, Secret Britain, Britain's Secret Islands with Stewart McPherson, local news with Spotlight South West and a number of You Tubers mainly trespassing on the Island. As well as You Tube some older clips can be found on British Pathe and BFI.
If anyone is a member of a group, school or university and would like a talk on the Island (they are free) then just message me on facebook. The talks which can be on the Past Present and Future of the Island or a Virtual Tour of the Island or the Adventure Centure or the Wildlife are about 45 minutes long and I need either a TV with HDMI connection or Screen and Projector with HDMI as I use a PowerPoint presentation.

29/03/2026

DRAKE’S ISLAND – THE CIVIL WAR AND SIEGE OF PLYMOUTH
Hi Everyone, a new blog covering Drake's Island during the English Civil War from 1642 to 1646 is now live and includes the potential betrayal of the Island by it's Captain to the Royalist cause in 1643 and the wider narrative of how Plymouth withstood the 4 year siege. If you fancy a read follow the link

At the start 1642 Plymouth was a strongly defended town with a defensive wall, main Castle and Lower Fort. St Nicholas (later Drake’s) Island defended it from a seaborne threat and a report of the …

09/03/2026

FERDINAND PALEOLOGUS, A PLYMOTHIAN AND DESCENDANT OF THE LAST BYZANTINE EMPEROR WHO MANNED THE DRAKE'S ISLAND DEFENCES AND WAS AN EARLY COLONISER OF BARBADOS
One of the most fascinating things about researching the Island is you often come across the amazing social histories of the people who had a connection with the Island. Recently whilst looking at the Island in the run up to the English Civil War the name of Ferdinando Paleogolus came up in the State Papers of Charles I as being owed wages as part of the Garrison of Plymouth Fort and St Nicholas Island. He was born in Plymouth in 1619, the son of an Italian Assassin and descended from the brother of the last 2 Byzantine Emperors. He served as a soldier in the Plymouth Garrison and manned the Guns on St Nicholas (later Drake's) Island. Served in the Royalist Army during the English Civil War before fleeing to Barbados and becoming a prominent plantation owner. His story is covered in the latest Drake's Island Blog, if you fancy a read follow the link

One of the most fascinating things about researching the Island is you often come across the amazing social histories of the people who had a connection with the Island. Recently whilst looking at …

16/02/2026

DRAKE'S ISLAND GUNS FIRE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 1637
Hi Everyone,
A new Drake's Island Blog is up covering the period from the start of the reign of James I in 1603 to the start of the English Civil War in 1642. It includes a report of the taking of Fishermen by the Barbary Pirates as well as the firing of the guns for the first time. There are also images of the old Lower Fort in Plymouth which was replaced by the Citadel.
Follow the link if you fancy a read.
https://thehistoryofdrakesisland.wordpress.com/2026/02/16/drakes-island-the-islands-guns-fire-in-anger-for-the-first-time-and-civil-war-approaches/

26/01/2026

Hi Everyone, I've posted a new blog about the Island's first Governor Sir Ferdinando Gorges appointed in 1596. He was a War Hero who fought the Spanish and French, was a prisoner of the Spanish, involved in the Essex conspiracy against Elizabeth I which briefly cost him the Governorship and commanded the defence of Plymouth for over 30 years. He is linked with the Pilgrim Fathers by negotiating a land patent with the London Company of Virginia which allowed them to settle Plymouth Company land of which he was a major shareholder, was heavily involved in the early settlement of the Colonies in America and can be considered a founder of the State of Maine in the USA. He backed the Royalist side in the English Civil War and died in 1647 a year after the defeats which led to King Charles I being captured. If you want to read about his exploits then the link is here

The Crown appointed Sir Ferdinando Gorges as the first Governor of the Fortress of Plymouth which included the defences and Garrison on St Nicholas, later Drake’s, Island in 1595 with the patents c…

24/12/2025

Happy Christmas and New Year to everyone and thanks for your support during the current lap around the Sun. There will be more blogs and posts to look forward to in the New Year. I am booked to give 4 talks starting in March at the Plymouth Proprietary Library, Plympton Rotary Club, Tavistock Stroke Club and Tamar Jaguar Club so maybe meet some you at one of them. If anyone wants to book a talk send me a message on this page.

17/12/2025

LATEST DRAKE'S ISLAND BLOG POSTED
This blog looks at the aftermath of the Spanish Armada and the effect on the Island of the failed English Armada and subsequent Spanish Armadas. It covers the appointment of Sir Ferdinando Gorges as Governor of Plymouth and St Nicholas Island as well as the additional works carried out in 1602 by Federigo Genebelli, the Engineer or Trenchmaster to Queen Elizabeth I. There are also images of the 1716 survey done of the Tudor Defences and the 1601 Survey done by Genebelli. If you fancy a read here's the link.
https://thehistoryofdrakesisland.wordpress.com/2025/12/17/the-aftermath-of-the-spanish-armada-and-completion-of-the-tudor-defences/