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Hadleigh Nub News delves into the life of former Hadleigh resident, essayist and physician Nathan Drake.

Drake was born on January 15 1766 at the family home in Precentor's Court in York to father Nathan Drake, an artist and fellow of the Society of Artists.

At the age of 22, Drake was apprenticed to a doctor in York and, six years later, he studied at the University of Edinburgh where he took his degree as MD.

Alongside his career as a doctor, Drake is arguably best known for his work in accumulating all known knowledge of Shakespeare at the time.

His work includes the very long titles of "Shaksperiana: or, Sketches of Shakespeare's character and genius… Now first collected… by Nathan Drake, etc" and "Shakespeare and his Times, including the Biography of the Poet, Criticisms on his Genius, and Writings; a new Chronology of his Plays; a Disquisition on the Object of his Sonnets; and a History of the Manners, Customs and Amusements, Superstitions, Poetry and Elegant Literature of his Age."

First volume edition of Shakespeare and his time: including the biography of the poet... [Credit: Royal Collection Trust]

These long titles is indicative of the scope of his research and the amount of work he has accumulated; making him an important figure in Shakespeare research.

G.G. Gervinus, German literary and political historian, gave merit to Drake by praising his "having brought together for the first time into a whole the tedious and scattered material of the editions and the many other valuable labours of Tyrwhitt, Heath, Ritson, etc."

During his research and compilation of his Shakespeare study, he continued in his medical profession and, in 1790, he set up as a general practitioner at Sudbury.

It was at Sudbury that he became friends with John Mason Good, a fellow writer on medical, religious and classical subjects.

Two years later, he then relocated to Hadleigh where he stayed until his death in 1836.