Flagon c.12 inches high, taken from the side, inscribed ‘Francis Drake, wine and spirit merchant, Witham’, belonging to Pam Robinson, 23 Ebenezer Close. Side view. Francis Drake came from Suffolk to Witham in about 1874 as a grocer and provision merchant. In about 1890 he started to add ‘wine and spirit merchant’ to his description. The shop was then at what later became 74-76 Newland Street. The name and business continued till the late 1930s or afterwards at 66 Newland Street, with a Mr Drake and his two sisters, presumably the first Francis’s children. See Francis Drake in the people files.

Ref	M1055
Photographer	Cyril Taylor
Date taken	1990
Source	Taylor, Cyril