Pt. 3: Monuments of the Drurys of Hawstead in St. Mary's Church, Bury St. Edmunds

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The Drurys of Hawstead Manor became one of the most prominent families of Suffolk. The largest church in the county is St. Mary's at Bury St. Edmunds, also one of the largest parish churches in all of England. On either side of the center aisle of the church, just before the sanctuary and altar, are the magnificent white marble tombs of Sir Robert Drury and his cousin, Elizabeth Drury with her husband Sir William Carew. Each has life-size sculptures depicting them.

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The tomb of Sir Robert Drury of Hawstead (c.1470-1536) and his first wife, Anne Calthorpe, in the South Chapel of St. Mary's Church, Bury St. Edmunds. Sir Robert was the son of Sir Roger Drury of Hawstead (d. 1493/94) and the grandson of Nicholas Drury of Thurston. Sir Robert was Speaker of the House of Commons and Privy Councillor to King Henry VII. With the most elaborate tomb in the largest church of Suffolk, Sir Robert occupies perhaps the most honored resting place in the county. His tomb has a rare feature - a hole through his side, used to lift the effigy with a bar in order to slide in his coffin at his death. The monument had been created at the time of his wife's death, before he died.

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Coat of arms on the tomb of Sir Robert Drury of Hawstead

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The tomb of Sir William Carew (d. 1501) and Joan Drury. She was the daughter of Henry Drury of Ickworth and the granddaughter of Nicholas Drury of Thurston. She was the first cousin of Sir Robert and is buried across the aisle from him in St. Mary's Church. The Drury arms are impaled with the Carew arms in the fourth shield.

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Elsewhere in St. Mary's Church is the tomb of John Baret II (d. 1467), husband of Elizabeth Drury, daughter of Sir Roger Drury of Rougham (c. 1345-1420). John Baret was one of the wealthiest citizens of Bury St. Edmunds and arranged for an elaborate chantry to be built in the church to house his tomb.

An interesting item of note was found imbedded in the floor on an unmarked stone tomb, near the Drury monuments shown above. It is a shield displaying the Tau Cross, added to the Drury arms by Nicholas Drury. It is unclear whether this relates to directly to the Drurys or is perhaps the Tau of Talmages Manor, later owned by the Drurys, and a possible source of the Tau in the Drury arms.

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Left: Tau Cross shield in the floor of St. Mary's Church, Bury St. Edmunds

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	Left: A king and bishop greet you at the entrance to the church. Right: St. Mary's Church, through the doorway of an ancient wall leading to the cemetery.

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St. Mary's Church and cemetery, Bury St. Edmunds

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Click here to continue the Drury journey through Hawstead

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