DRAKE'S DRUM

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22960, 11 February 1938, Page 8

DRAKE'S DRUM

SAVED FROM FIRE HISTORIC DEVON HOME ' WEST WING DESTROYED [prom our OWN correspondent] 4 , LONDON. .Tan. 21 - Sir Francis Drake's historic drum, Immortalised by Sir Henry Newbolt's poem, was saved from a fire which burned out the west wing of Buckland Abbey, the Elizabethan sea dog's own home at Yelverton, Devon. The drum formerly hung in the hall, which was the monks' church in the original abbey. It was one of the first objects to be removed to a place of safety when tho fire was discovered, and thus survives to fulfil the traditional duty of the legend—to sound a muffled roll of warning whenever England is in danger. Sailors tell the story that when the German .Grand Fleet surrendered after the war the great ship 3 steamed silently between tho rows of British warships. Suddenly a muffled drumming was heard running along the British line. It was. .they say. Drakes drum. Other relics of Sir Irancis Drake, including his portrait by Janssens, a ceremonial sword which he wore as Mayor of Plymouth, and chests of old documents recording the history of the mansion since Elizabethan times, were among the relics saved. Many other heirlooms were salvaged, but several valuable'paintings and a quantity of priceless china were destroyed when part of the roof fell in. Fire brigades and police from Yelverton, Tavistock and Plymouth were called. Alter the west wing had been destroyed and the tower extensively damaged, they succeeded in checking the flames. Formerly the country seat of the late Lord and Lady Seaton, the abbey is now owned by Captain R. C. Merrick. He was not present at the time of the fire, but his wife and two sons, who had taken up residence there only the previous night, helped in saving property from the burning wing. Mrs. Merrick narrowly escaped being struck by slates sliding from the roof. The Abbey of SS. Mary and Benedict was founded on the bank of the Tavy in 1278 by Amicia, widow of Baldwin de Red vers,, the seventh Earl of Devon, for the monks of tho Cistercian Order. It was colonised from the Isle of Wight. The abbey was surrendered by Johri Toker, or Tucker, the last abbot, 'the revenues at the dissolution being £241. There were then 12 monks besides the abbot. Sir Richard Grenville converted the Abbey Church into a mansion in 1575, and sold it to Sir Francis Drake in 1580.