I HAVE just received from my sister in Tavistock a cutting from the Times dated November 15, headed 'Where should Drake's body lie?'
Having been born in West Bridge Cottages which is not too far from where Drake was born, I find myself in full agreement with Trevor James of South Zeal, who is disgusted that Drake's remains might be removed from his 'final' resting place and brought back to Devonshire.
The mind boggles at the amount of money to be spent on this exercise when it could perchance be spent on research into a cure for cancer.
Drake was a sailor and were it possible to ask him where he would want his body to lie, surely he would say 'on the ocean bed', and definitely not in a land-locked grave where he could not hear the sea all around him.
But one of the first things that came to my mind when reading this article was 'I cannot believe that a lead-lined coffin was transported everywhere that Drake sailed.' Was there indeed enough room on those small ships for storage of a coffin? Nelson wasn't so lucky was he? Did I not read that on his death the body was preserved in a barrel of rum.
To all those people who wish to have their name 'in lights' for having the master mariner returned to land, I say 'leave Drake be, let him rest in peace'.
And when I tell everyone that I was born 'just down the road from Drake, albeit a few years later', I shall know he still rests where he would want to rest.
Ron Hellier
1/1033 Lower North East Road
Highbury, S Australia 5089