DEAKE

The Deake family are Hungarian in origin and in Hungary the name was written as Deak. In very old English records the name Deake can be found. It is believed that the the first of the family to came to New England was from a branch of the family that had immigrated from Hungary to England. The first Deakes to come to New England are believed to be from a family that lived at Minehead in the County of Somerset, England. In an old Rhode Island history it says that George and Richard Deake were sailors who were pressed into service with the British Navy. When their ship docked at Portsmouth, Rhode Island the Deake brothers jumped ship and fled into the woods. In this country the name is often found as Dake and sometimes as VanDake.

Known Deake family ancestors.

1. GEORGE DEAKE was born in 1691 probably at Minehead, Somerset, England. George Deake and his brother Richard came to New England about 1712 and they settled at Westerly, Rhode Island.  He married his wife Susanna P______ on June 15, 1721. They lived at Westerly and George Deake was buried there about April 1, 1746. George and Susanna Deake had 10 children including a son:

2. Rev. EDWARD DEAKE was born on February 9, 1733 at Westerly, Rhode Island. He was admitted as a freeman in 1755 and married his wife Mary Adams that same year.  Edward purchased 100 acres of land near Paquiset Pond at Charleston, Rhode Island and he became a minister there. Just before the Revolutionary War Edward Deake moved to Saratoga County, New York and he was a  minister of the First Presbyterian Church at the town of Ballston. In 1790 Edward Deake was living at Westfield, Washington County, New York and he died there about 1794. Edward and Mary Deake had 8 children including a son:

3. Dr. AUGUSTUS DEAKE was born on March 7, 1769 at Charlestown, Rhode Island. He married Eunice Hamilton about 1790 and they first lived in Saratoga County. Augustus Deake became a doctor in 1804. By 1810 they had moved to Boyletown in Ontario County and about 1812 they moved to Penfield, in Monroe County where Augustus Deake had a medical practice. In 1832 they moved to Otto Township in Cateraugus County where Augustus Deake died on December 18, 1835. His wife Eunice died on April 10, 1845. Augustus and Eunice Deake had 12 children including a son:

4. LEVI DEAKE was born on February 12, 1812 at Penfield, New York and he married Eunice Wilson on June 26, 1834 in Cataraugus County. They first lived at Otto Township but moved to Salem in Washtenaw County, Michigan in 1841. Eunice (Wilson) Deake died on May 31, 1850 and Levi then married Joanna Martin on December 25, 1850 at Southfield in Oakland County. In 1851 they moved to a new home at Lyon Township in Oakland County. Levi Deake died on February 14, 1890 and Joanna (Martin) Deake died on December 2, 1910. Levi and Eunice Deake had 5 children and by his second wife Joanna he had 9 including a daughter:

5. ETTA VIOLA DEAKE was born on March 15, 1859 at Lyon Township. Etta attended the State Normal School and after she graduated she married Wilfred D Rice on September 22, 1889.  Wilfred and Etta were both teachers and they taught at schools at various places in Michigan. They settled at Big Rock in Montmorency County about 1898. Etta (Deake) Rice died on December 10, 1919 at the hospital at Grayling in Crawford County. (see Royce/Rice Family for descendants.)

Note: I would like to thank Judge Edward Deake who provided me with much of the above information. Judge Deake died on February 17, 2000 at Indian Springs, Florida.  Also some of the information and the early Deake family was taken from Maurice Dake's website, dakehome.com.  

A Dake in the old wild west.  

    My grandmothers second cousin, Crawley P Dake,  was quite an interesting person. He had a career in government service starting as an officer in the Union Army during the Civil War. He then became a tax collector for the IRS and later a federal marshal.

    Major Crawley P Dake was born on September 15, 1836 at Kempville, Ontario, Canada and he was the son of Gamaliel Dake and Sophia Garlick. In 1854 he came to Romeo, Michigan and he worked in a drug store owned by his older brother. When the Civil War began Crawley Dake recruited a company of soldiers in Macomb County and the unit was assigned to the 5th Michigan Cavalry Regiment. The 5th Cavalry in turn was assigned to the Michigan Cavalry Brigade commanded by General George A Custer.  Craw;ley Dake was mustered in as a Captain and during the war he was promoted to Major. He participated in more than 20 battles and after he was wounded in 1864 he resigned his commission and returned to Michigan.

    After the war Crawley Dake was appointed as the Internal Revenue Service tax collector for Southeastern Michigan. He resigned from this post in 1876 to run for State Representative from Macomb county but he lost the election. Crawley Dake was appointed as Deputy US Marshal for Eastern Michigan in 1877. In 1878 he was appointed the Chief Deputy US Marshal for the Arizona Territory with his headquarters at the town of Prescott. When lawlessness broke out at the town of Tombstone Crawley Dake appointed Virgil Earp as Deputy Marshal for the town. But when Virgil Earp was ambushed and seriously wounded his brother, Wyatt Earp, was then appointed as Marshal. In July 1882 Craw;ley Dake was replaced as Chief Deputy Marshal but he continued to live at Prescott where the had business and mining interests. He died on April 9, 1890 from complications of his old Civil War wound.