James Drake (physician)

James Drake (1667–1707) was an English physician and political writer, a Jacobite and Fellow of the Royal Society.

He was born in 1667 at Cambridge, where his father was a solicitor. He was educated at Wivelingham and Eton College, was admitted at Caius College, Cambridge, 20 March 1684, and graduated B.A. and M.A. In 1693 he went to London, and was encouraged in the study of medicine by Sir Thomas Millington. He became M.B. in 1690 and M.D. in 1694. In 1701 he was elected F.R.S., and was admitted fellow of the College of Physicians 30 June 1706.

Drake became disillusioned with his treatment at the hands of some of the Tories. He died of a fever, at Westminster, 2 March 1707.

In 1697 Drake had a share in a well-known pamphlet called Commendatory Verses upon the Author of Prince Arthur and King Arthur (Richard Blackmore).

Drake became known as a vigorous Tory pamphleteer. A New Test of Church of England's Loyalty (1702) by Daniel Defoe was answered by Drake as "A True Englishman" in Some Necessary Considerations, Relating to All Future Elections of Members to Serve in Parliament (1702).

In 1702 also Drake published The History of the Last Parliament, written in the Tory interest with the help of Anthony Hammond. It accused the Whigs of contemplating a new model of government and of traducing Queen Anne while she was a princess. The House of Lords had been investigating the report that William had plotted to secure the succession to the crown for the Elector of Hanover. Drake's pamphlet was noticed in the course of the debate. He confessed the authorship and was summoned before the House of Lords, which ordered him to be prosecuted. He was tried and acquitted.

In 1703 he published Historia Anglo-Scotica, allegedly from a manuscript by an unknown author. It was offensive to presbyterians and was burnt at the Mercat Cross in Edinburgh, 30 June 1703.

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