PM minister, born at Newcastle-under-Lyme on 20 November 1868. The son of William and Emily (nee Warren) Drake, he was brought up by his maternal grandparents, Matthew and Martha Warren, who were active members of the Higherland Primitive Methodist Church. He served as a local preacher at Lincoln, Southampton and Horncastle before training at Joseph Odell's PM Evangelist Home, 1888-1892. He arrived in New Zealand on 5 September 1893, where he was received into the 'Approved List' in 1897.

He was Secretary of the Conference in 1891 and for a number of later years; was District Chairman for most years between 1915 and 1931; and wasPresident of the Primitive Methodist Conference in 1904 and of the Methodist Conference in 1920, being acknowledged as one of the leading PM representatives in the union negotiations in 1911 -1913.

He was the author of Some Account of Primitive Methodism in New Zealand (1944). He retired in 1936 to St. Albans, Christchurch and died there on 28 April 1953.

Entry written by: DCD and DJP
Category: Person
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