The History of the Family of

DRURY

In the Counties of Suffolk and Norfolk

From the Conquest

By Arthur Campling, London, 1937
 

CHAPTER VIII

Drury Of Besthorpe, co. Norfolk
 


The junior line of Drury settled at Besthorpe, co. Norfolk, rose to some position in that county in the person of a High Sherriff in 1617. The founder of this branch was WILLIAM DRURY, second son of Roger Drury of Hawstead and Felice Denston, whose estate in BESTHORPE came to her son. He had issue, by his wife Margaret, daughter and heir of William Briggs of Quidenham, co. Norfolk:

    1. ROBERT DRURY of Besthorpe, son and heir, who by Elizabeth Clifford his wife has issue:

    2. WILLIAM DRURY of Besthorpe, married Ursula, daughter of Richard Coe and had issue with Francis who died unmarried, a son and heir, Charles Drury, who died without issue. His great-uncle William Drury being his heir.
    3. William Drury of Besthorpe of whom below.
    4. John Drury of Carlton Forehoe, co. Norfolk. Married Ann, daughter of Robert Brampton of Attleborough, co. Norfolk and died 1560. (Will dated 19 November proved 30 November 1560) having had issue:

    5. Henry Drury of Stanninghall, co. Norfolk.

      Elizabeth, married 1. Sir Roger Wodehouse of Kimbersley, co. Norfolk,

      knight, 2. John Arundell.

      Catherine married to … Whinburgh of Whinburgh, co. Norfolk.

      Joan married Fulk de Grey of co. Norfolk.

      Mary married … Thorogood of co. Essex.

    6. Thomas Drury, a priest.
  • Catherine (or Mary) married … Stonor.

    Joan, a nun at Bruisyard. Will dated 6 October 1540, proved 7 February

    following.

    Ann married 1. John Bladwell of Great Thurlow, co. Suffolk, gent. 2. William

    Walpole of Little Thurlow, esquire. Her will proved 25 February 1557/8.

    WILLIAM DRURY, who succeeded at BESTHORPE as heir to his great-nephew, married twice, 1st Mary, daughter of John Blenerhassett, of Frenze, co. Norfolk and widow of Henry Warner of Besthorpe, by whom no issue, secondly Dorothy, daughter of William Brampton of Letton, co. Norfolk by whom he had issue:

    •
      1. ANTHONY, son and heir, of whom below.
      2. Henry, of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge M.A. 1567. Rector of Tendring co. Essex. His will was dated 19 November 1612. By his wife Ann Tanner he had issue:

      3. Henry, of Corpus Christi College, M.A. 1609, after of High Roding, co.

        Essex.

        Dorothy, married Lewis Bradfield, vicar of Dunmow, co. Essex.

        Mary, married William Payne, rector of Duckworth, co. Herts.

      4. Edmund, Rector of Yelverton, co. Norfolk.

      5. Dorothy, married Robert Constable of Hingham, co. Norfolk.

        Ann, married Francis Watson of Pelham, co. Herts.

        Tabitha, married Andrew Clarke of Wroxham, co. Norfolk, gent.

        Catherine, married John Chamberlayne of Ellingham Parva, co. Norfolk.

      6. ROGER DRURY of ROLLESBY, co. Norfolk, esquire, Bailiff 1585 and Member of Parliament for Great Yarmouth 1588. He married Catherine, daughter of John Laville and widow of William Lister of Great Yarmouth. His will was dated 22 May, proved 30 October 1599. His widow’s will was dated 20 March 1608-9 and proved 19 May following. They had issue:
  • SIR DRU DRURY of ROLLESBY, knight, who married Ann, daughter and coheir of Thomas, lord Burgh of Gainsborough, who remarreid Henry Coppinger. Sir Dru Drury died in prison. His will dated 10 July 1618 was proved 7 February 1625-6 by his brother and heir.

    Roger Drury, of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge 1605, then aged 17, he was after of Rollesby and made his will 31 December 1631, then of Drury Lane, esquire, proved the following month. He died unmarried.

    •

    • ANTHONY DRURY succeeded at BESTHORPE as son and heir of William and Dorothy (Brampton). He was Captain of Light Horse in Norfolk 1599. By his first wife Ann, daughter of Robert Kemp of Gissing, co. Norfolk, esquire, married 1567, he had an only daughter Elizabeth who married William Harborne of Mundham, co. Norfolk, esquire, and made her will 8 November 1649, proved July 1653. Her husband died 7 November 1617. There is a slab in Mundham church to their memory with the arms Harborne, impaling Drury.

    Anthony Drury married secondly in 1572, Anne, daughter of John Garneys of Spexhall, co. Suffolk, who died 1634, by whom he had issue:

      1. Anthony his son and heir, of whom below.
      2. William, of Weston, co. Suffolk, esquire. Will dated 18 February 1643, proved 26 November 1645, died unmarried.
      3. Robert, died without issue.
  • Ann, married William Pleasance of Brandon Ferry, co. Suffolk, gent.

    Dorothy married 1. 1624 John Burman of Norwich L.L.D. 2. Charles Suckling of

    Woodton, co. Norfolk, and died 1642. She was buried in Tasburgh church.

    Susanna, married 1606 Henry Rokewood of Weston, co. Norfolk.

    •

    • SIR ANTHONY DRURY of BESTHORPE, son and heir of Anthony and Ann (Garneys), was knighted 1603, and was High Sheriff of Norfolk 1617, Member of Parliament 1625, and Deputy Lieutenant for the county of Norfolk 1637. His will was dated 13 October 1638.

    By his wife Bridget, daughter of John Spelman of Narborough, co. Norfolk, esquire, whom he married in 1596 and who survived him but a few months, he had issue:

      1. Sir William Drury, son and heir.
      2. Anthony.
      3. Robert.
  • Ann, born 1598, married 1624 Humphrey Rant of Yelverton, co. Norfolk.

    Susan born 1609 married 1636 Robert Wilton of Topcroft, co. Norfolk, esquire.

    Elizabeth, married 1632 William Revett of Bildeston, co. Suffolk, esquire.

    Bridget, married Arthur Brunthwayte of Hethel, esquire.

    Dorothy died 1627, unmarried.

    •

    • SIR WILLIAM DRURY, son and heir of Sir Anthony and Bridget (Spelman), was born 1599 and was knighted 1638. He died 8 November 1639 and was buried at BESTHORPE, where there is a monument to him and his wife Mary, daughter of William Cockayne, alderman of London, with their arms. His will proved 1639-40. They had issue:

      1. William, died young.
      2. Anthony, born 1638, died 1640, his coheirs being his sisters.
  • Bridget, born 1635, married 1. Robert Needham, lord Kilmoray, 2. Sir John Shaw

    of Eltham, co. Kent, knight, 3. Sir John Baber, knight, M.D. and died 1694.

    Ann, married Philip Harbord of Stanninghall, co. Norfolk, esquire, and died 1679.

    •

    • ANTHONY DRURY, second son of Sir Anthony and Bridget (Spelman), was of INTWOOD, co. Norfolk, married Elizabeth, daughter of William Smyth of Winston, co. Norfolk, esquire. By her, who died 1693, he had issue:

      1. NICHOLAS of INTWOOD and of Southolt, co. Suffolk, who by Katherine, daughter of Robert Jenney, Esq. Had issue:
  • ANTHONY of Shotford Hall in MENDHAM, co. Norfolk. Died 1743

    without issue

    Elizabeth, sister and coheir to her brother married …Roberts, living 1756.

    Catherine, sister and coheir living 1748.

    Elizabeth married John Leech of Wells, co. Norfolk, gent.

    •

    • ROBERT DRURY, third and youngest son of Anthony and Bridget, was of BESTHORPE, married Margaret, daughter of John Revett of Bildeston, esquire, and had issue three daughters:

    Mary, born 1643, married James Smyth of Gimmingham, co. Norfolk, and died

    1716, aged 73.

    Ann died 7 September 1722 aged 74, unmarried.

    Elizabeth born 1657 married Phillip Grime of Gimmingham.

    Francis Blomefield (writing in 1740) says of Besthorpe:

    "There are two halls or Manor houses in this parish, now distinquished by the names of the Old Hall (or Plassing Hall) and the New Hall, which is a good building, errected by the Drurys, as their arms on the outside show us, and is now the seat of the Shaws. In the windows etc. are the arms of the Drurys, with 1593 under them, the time, I suppose, the house was built, and Drury impaling the following arms:

    "Briggs, gul: three bars gemelle, or a canton sable.

    "Hethe, arg: three pellets.

    "Denston, az: two lions passant guardant, or.

    "Kemp, Spelman, Brampton, Garneys and sable three cinquefoils arg."

    "On the chimney piece:

    "Drury impales Cokain.

    "Drury and Redham.

    "Drury and Harbord.

    "Shaw and Harbord. (Sir John Shaw of Eltham in Kent married in 1675 to Brigit,

    Viscountess Kilmurney, daughter of Sir William Drury of Besthorp)."

    Concerning Sir William Drury’s marriage is an Indenture between (1) Sir Anthony Drury of Besthorpe, knt. (2) Sir William Drury, knt., son and heir apparent of Sir Anthony and Mary Cokaine, daughter of William Cokaine of London, merchant, and (3) William Cokaine and Charles Cokaine of Rushton, co. Northampton, esq. And (4) John Spelman of Narburgh, co. Norfolk, esq. and Humphrey Rant of Yelverton, co. Norfolk, esq.

    In consideration of a marriage shortly to be had between Sir William Drury and Mary Cokaine, eldest daughter of the said William Cokaine, and of a marriage portion paid by her father to Sir Anthony Drury, being l 3,000, it is agreed (1) that Sir William Drury and Mary shall have for their maintenance a capital messuage called Gills, now occupied by Sir Anthony, a tenement called Jubies, a close in Old Buckenham and other closes and tenements (detailed) in Besthorpe, Ould Buckenham, Attilburgh, Wymondham, Hyngham and Deepham; and (2) that to establish their freehold therein, Sir Anthony and Dame Bridget his wife will levy a fine of the manors of Besthorpe, alias Cursoms and Plassinghall, two enclosures parcel of Chauntecleeres manor in Attilburgh and other lands (detailed) to certain uses.

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