Pt. 4: Hawstead, Suffolk County

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Left: The Hawstead village sign against a blue Suffolk sky, showing All Saint's Church and the Drury arms, along with arms of the other prominent Hawstead families of Cullum and Metcalfe. The Drurys sold Hawstead manor to the Cullums in 1656, after they held it since 1504. "Puns" were often used to depict family names on their arms, such as the calves in the Metcalfe arms.

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Nicholas Drury of Thurston (c. 1365-1464), brother of Roger Drury of Rougham, was the founder of the prominent Drury line of Hawstead, the second House of Drury. Nicholas was said to have traveled with John of Gaunt to Castile on a Crusade in 1386-7. His son Roger Drury of Hawstead was father of Sir Robert Drury (c. 1470-1536), Speaker of the House of Commons. Sir Robert is buried in St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, (previous page)but built the present St. mary's Church in Hawstead, below. St. Mary's Church of Hawstead houses an impressive number of monuments to Sir Robert Drury, and his cousin, Sir William Drury of Hawstead. They are shown on the following pages.

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Below: Variations of Sir Robert Drury's arms above the west door of Hawstead Church. The center shield displays the arms of de Vere, from whom the mullet or star may have been adopted. Note also the mullets at the corner of the door. The tower of the church dates to about 1510, but the body of the church was completed by the Drurys in 1552, when they were Lords of the Manor at Hawstead.

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Left: Drury arms aged by the elements, in the cornerstone of the Hawstead church tower, c. 1510.

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Below: "A Surveye of the Mannor of Hawstead with Buckenhams beeing of the possessions of Sir Robert Dreury, deceased now..." (he died in 1536). The original vellum map hangs in Hawstead church. The Drury arms, enlarged below, are in the upper right corner of the Survey and the inscription is along the middle left edge. Hawstead Manor has long lay in ruins in a field far from the road.

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During her "Queen's Progress" through Suffolk in 1587 to solidify loyalties to the crown and suppress remaining ties to Catholicism, Queen Elizabeth visited Hawstead Manor and was entertained with a magnificent feast by Sir William Drury (he died 1589/90 following a duel with Sir John Borough). After being served lunch by his uncle Henry Drury at nearby Lawshall Manor, she had Henry arrested for refusing to give up his Catholic faith. She then took her entourage to Hawstead Place, where Sir William pledged his loyalty to the Queen and the Anglican Church. He became one of Queen Elizabeth's most trusted knights and a member of Parliament. He was Sheriff of Suffolk in 1583, and was called the "most able commander in the Irish Wars."

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Above: Sir William Drury, Knight of the Garter, and his wife, Elizabeth Stafford. After his death in 1589/90 she married Sir John Scott of Nettlestead, co. Kent

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Sir William married Elizabeth Stafford. Among his properties was a town house which he built in London, from which Drury Lane took its name. His son, Sir Robert Drury, is buried in Hawstead Church with a magnificent monument. His daughter Elizabeth became Countess of Exeter when she married William Cecil, Earl of Exeter.

Left: Elizabeth Drury (1577/78-1653/54), daughter of Sir William, and wife of William Cecil, Earl of Exeter, Knight of the Garter

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Above: "A South View of Hawstead Place", from a painting in the archives at the Manor House Museum at Bury St. Edmunds. Note the Statue of Hercules in the courtyard with a club on his shoulder. The huge sculpture was commissioned by Sir William Drury, as part of the preparation for the visit to the manor by Queen Elizabeth in 1587.

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Click here to continue the Drury journey through Hawstead

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