As a courtier, Drake required a residence near London, and in 1583 he leased Esher Place from Charles, Lord Howard of Effingham.

[2] Drake is said to have been 'high in the Queen's favour', and received valuable grants from her, including gold and silver from the Spanish Armada and a monopoly for manufacturing aqua vitae.

[2] Drake served as factor and prize agent to Sir Francis Drake (to whom he may have been distantly related), taking charge of the Spanish Armada prisoners taken off Plymouth in 1588, which included the Spanish vice-admiral, Don Pedro de Valdez,[3] whom he kept at his manor of Esher in Surrey,[4] pending arrangements for the ransom, a subject over which his heirs and those of Sir Francis quarrelled.

In his will, made 31 May 1603 and proved 31 January 1604, he asked to be buried in Esher church, and appointed his only child, Francis Drake, as his executor.

He left his widow, Ursula, his lease of the manor of Walton-on-Thames and the parsonage there, as well as a house in Fetter Lane, and his coach and horses.