Notes

Spreadsheet: Drewrys of Lincs, Notts, Derby and London
 

Sheriffs of Nottingham

1593/94 Thomas Drury Richard Reckless
1635/36 William Richards William Drury
1659/60 Isaac Malin William Drury
1705/06 William Drury Robert Brentnall

Mayor of Nottingham

1640/41 William Drury
1647/48 William Drury
1652/53 William Drury
1659/60 William Drury
1707/08 William Drury

From Google Books - Records of the Borough of Nottingham: 1625-1702:

William Drewry Alderman of Nottingham in about 1645

(From the Nottinghamshire Guardian, 4 April, 1879) Regarding Drewry Lane in Nottingham:

From 'Old Nottingham: its streets, people, &c.' (cleaned up a little):

".. Vault Hall, ..., being sold to William Drury, the elder, Alderman of Nottingham, by Richard and John Martin, for the sum of £103.

Vault Hall, in this Indenture, is said to stand South of the Low-pavement, and between Parkyn's-lane (Drury-hill) on the east, and a Tenement, then William Jiurrow's, on the west, affid an Orchard in possession of William Bayley on the south, and a Tenter Ground in the tenure of Anthony Wild, sheerman, belonged to it.

'This, in the year 1733, was by William Drury, gentleman grandson of the above-mentioned Alderman Drewry, sold to Mr. Gawthom for £500.' Of course, that sum is nearly five times what it cost 88 years previously, though we cannot decide whether any improvements had been carried out during those years in connection with the property. For a town house it must have had, according to Deering, a considerable quantity of land at the back, and no doubt has still, for the large old official map of Nottingham, dated 1827-1&9, shows it as not having been lessened in size.

Respecting the narrow roadway being entitled Parkyn's lane,' Deering, in a note, says :- "This lane was anciently called Vault lane. then Parkyn's lane, probably from some of that family living in that house for some time, as it is now called Drury hill, from the subsequent purchaser".

The first mention I have observed of the name of Drury is in 1596, when two of the family were summoned before the magistrates, of which the record is as follows: - 'Thomae Drewry, of Nottingham, cordwainer, and Fabian Drury of the same, cordwainer, to be bound to our Lady the Queen in £20, that the said Fabian shall not shoot with any piece at anything living.'

Continuing my remarks respecting the Drurys, .. an extract from the Council Minutes, .. of The Borough Records of March 9, 1606-7:-

"It ys agreed . . . . that William Drury shall be Burgease, payinge fyve marks att midsomer next, and in respect tnat he hath lyved longe in the towne in very honest sort, and hath maryed a Burges Widow of the same trade, and ys a frehoulder in her right, therefore the fyne of £10 vs reduced to V. marks". .. this total was .. one-third of the amount ordinarily paid for that purpose.

In 1633-34 William Drury was elected one of the Chamberlains. In 1605-36 he was one of the Sheriffs. In 1639-40 he was elected one of the Aldermen, and the succeeding year 1640-41 he was chosen for Mayor. He appears to have been in disposition similar to many others of the leading men in the town, whom I have mentioned ; he was careful to take at least all that belonged to him, for even whilst he was Mayor (May 13, 1641), one of the presentments by the Middeton Jury is respecting "Maister William Drury, maior, for anoyine the stret in the Low Paument with timbare, and carts."

The 'Maior' was fined two shillings, ...

The first notice of the Drurys occurs in the last thirty years of the Records, in vol. 4, to 1625, and they are mentioned on numerous occasions, but always spelt as just above-written ; whilst in vol 5 it is found in several different ways, namely, Drewjie, Druery, Drewry, Drewery, Drewrey, Drurye, and Drury, which latter is, I believe, the name as now used to the old thoroughfare. On July 19, 1686, Master William Drury, who was probably a son of the previous William Drury, is 'presented' "for laying wood on ye Loe Pauement, and setting waggons, and carts there; and also for anoying ye highway by ye Leeoe side with a dung hill".

On October 5, 1688, he is again presented "for leading aoid sporeading manure in the Meadows, before Saint Luke's Day". In October, 1688, he is again reported "for anoying Low Pavement, with wood and stone".

Alderman William Drury was not only Mayor in 1640-41, but also on three other occasions, namely, 1647-48, 1652-53, and 1659-60. In 1603 William Drury the younger is mentioned as a school warden.

In 1694 William Drury was elected an Alderman and Justice of the Peace, and was, I believe, the father of the one just mentioned and son of the Mayor. He died September, 1697. William Drury the younger was elected on the Junior Council in October, 1701; made Sheriff in 1705, and Mayor in 1707. After that date it is probable that no one of his name has occupied that position in Nottingham.

The Nottingham Riot, 1678

In 1678, Alderman William Drewry was convicted of riotting!
[Source]

DRURY-LOWE

"The last male heir, Richard Lowe, Esq. of Locko, d. 1785, having bequeathed his estates to his kinsman, William Drury, Esq., who assumed in consequence, 1791, the additional name and arms of Lowe."
(Burke's 'History of the Landed Gentry ..')

Biography of William Drury Lowe (1753-1827)

"William Drury was the eldest son of William Drury esquire, of Nottingham. His grandmother Anne was a daughter of John Lowe of Denby (1642-1722). "

"William inherited the Denby and Locko estates after the death of his cousin Richard Lowe in 1785. In his will, Richard left his estates to his younger daughter Anne, on condition that she married one of her cousins William, Thomas or John Drury, or one of the sons of Edward Miller Mundy."

" Anne refused, and after some years of litigation, it was agreed that William would inherit the estate, on payment of £50,000 to Anne. William Drury assumed the name of Lowe by Royal Sign Manual dated 10 July 1790."

" One of William Drury Lowe's first acts as owner of the estates was to become involved in the scheme to dig the Derby Canal. This connected the Denby collieries to the canal system. The profits from the collieries enabled William to enlarge the estate and consolidate his landholdings around Locko."

Notts marriage licences:

14 Apr 1642. William Drury, alderman, of Nottm., & Mary Barrett, p. St. Mary's, Nottm., wid.

Records of the Borough of Nottingham.

1703. Monday August 9.
Field Reeves. - Memorandum: this day Mr Kitchen, Mr Noon and Mr Drury were chosen Fieldreeves for the yeare next ensuing.

1704. Friday October 27.
Memorandum this day Mr Chamberlain Drury did by order of this Corporation demand the Charter of Mr Smith which he would not deliver and also he then demanded the Mayor's Booke which the said Mr Smith has and he also refused to deliver the same. And he further demanded the Translation of the said Charter which he said was not ready or to that effect. And the said Mr Drury then offered him monev for the Translation aforementioned which he would not accept.
Ordered by the Unanimous Consent of this house That a W'ritt be sent for the next Post against Mr Alderman Smith att the suite of the Mayor and Burgesses of Nottingham for his detaining this Corporation's Charter and other Books and Records etc.

1704. Monday October 30.
It is this day ordered by the Mayor and Burgesses of this Town in Councell assembled That the Charter or Letters Patents of this Corporation now or late in the custody of Samuel Smith Gentleman one of the Aldermen of the said Town be by him the saz'd Samuel Smith delivered to William Drury and Robert Brentnall Gentlemen the present Chamberlaines of this Town ..

1704. October ? 2
Mr Chamberlain Drury pray pay unto Lionel Lamb ye Sume of two Shillings Sixpence for Greens &c In ye Vestree on Michaelmas day Last and it shall be Allowed In your accounts per me.
William Barke Mayor.

1707-8
William Drury, Mayor.

1708. Thursday December 16.
Irregular election of an Alderman. - Whereas Mr William Drury was lately elected one of the Aldermen of this Town Irregularly and contrary to the Antient Custome thereof It is therefore ordered That for the future no person shall be Elected an Alderman of the said Town of Nottingham off from the Cloathing but that the Aldermen shall be Elected out of the Senior Councell only and that the said Irregular Election of Alderman Drury shall be no precedent for the future. And 'tis Declared That this Order is made by reason the said Election of Alderman Drury cost this Corporation above two hundred and fifty pounds because it was contrary to the Antient Constitution of this Corporation.

1710. Friday May 5.
The Bowling Green. - Ordered That Mr Alderman Barke, Mr Alderman Drury, Mr Partridge, Mr John Greaves, and Mr Chamberlain Trigge doe goe along with Alderman Watkinson to the Coppice and sett him out some old Trees there to make stoops Railes Pales for the Bowling Green att the Engine House. [and more entries on this]

1710-11
... , William Drury, and John Peake, Aldermen.
...Benjamin Green elected Alderman in place of Mr. Drury, deceased, April 17, 1711.

1717, November 25
Jonathan Truman elected Chamberlain, ... in place of Mr. Drury, resigned.

1744. first Day of July
...
William Drury Church Warden

1745
The "Cloathing" apart from the members of the Council included the following in 1745 : Thomas Hawksley, William Thorp, William Drury, [etc.]

Nottingham St Peter Monuments and Memorials - Drury family

"This is a small copper memorial commemorating William Drury (d.1677), his son William (d.1697), his grandson William (d.1711), and his great-grandson Charles (1704-53) and his wife Ann (née Palmer; d. 1763).
The Drurys were an influential family in 17th and 18th Century Nottingham. The eldest William being active in the Civil War (on the side of Parliament), the second being accused at one stage of organising a riot, the third being Mayor of Nottingham in 1707. Several of the family served as churchwardens of St Peter's."