Fierce and precise, Drake cannons originally saw action in the English Civil War as an anti-personnel weapon and were known as Minion Drake’s, derived either from the Latin word for dragon or from the famous seafarer Sir Francis Drake. The Minion Drake constituted the main armament of the faster and more maneuverable Elizabethan galleons, such as Drake's Golden Hind.

During the Age of Sail, Drake Cannons were used to repel boarding parties. Cast in iron or in some cases bronze, Drakes were fierce light weight beasts that fired a shot weighing 4 pounds allowing ships to defend close encounters. The HMS Sovereign of the Seas known as the feared ‘Golden Devil’ had 92 Drakes cast in bronze and served her crews well. Minions and Drake’s remained in service as man-of-war quarterdeck guns until 1716.