Life History

16th Mar 1801	Born in St Pancras, Middlesex.
14th Apr 1801	Christened in Old Church, Saint Pancras, London.
10 Oct 1831	Married Virginia Sappho Buckingham in Saint James, Westminster, London.
15th July 1833	Birth of son Henry Stewart Drewry in Middlesex.
24th Aug 1834	Birth of daughter Louisa Drewry in Middlesex.
18th Feb 1836	Birth of daughter Ellen Buckingham Drewry in Middlesex.
24th June, 1878	Death of Virginia Sappho Buckingham in London Middlesex.
6th Feb 1886	Died in Hampstead.

Notes

IGI records for Henry Runciman show his parents as Samuel Drewry and Ann.

Henry's father, Samuel, is recorded as Paymaster of HM Forces.
The censuses show Henry was a clerk in the War Office.

The Will of William Tillotson Drewry confirms his relationship to Charles Stewart and Samuel.

Where does Henry's middle name 'Runciman' come from?

There are a number of circumstantial links to the Runciman family.
The primary link is via Henry's stepmother. Three years after Henry's birth, his father samuel remarries Mary Ann Stewart who appears to be related via her sister's marriage, to the Runciman family.
For further notes on Runciman see The Stewart/Runciman Connection.

A 'Buschman' Link?

There is a record of a Theodore Buschman marrying Jane Runciman in 1823. There are not too many Buschmans in London at that time.
Henry's brother, Charles Stewart, marries Laurentia Buschman.
For further notes on Buschman see Buschman Connections.

In 1831:

Henry and Virginia's marriage is witnessed by:
J. S. Buckingham - probably Virginia's brother, James Alexander Silk Buckingham;
and
Alice Alder - probably Henry's cousin.

In the 1841 Census - Camden Villas, Marylebone

Henry Drewry	40	b. abt 1801 [age rounded down]
Virginia Drewry	30	b. abt 1811 [age rounded down]
Henry Drewry	8	b. abt 1833
Louisa Drewry	7	b. abt 1834
Ellen Drewry	5	b. abt 1836

In the 1851 Census - 10, Woronzow Road, Marylebone

Henry R Drewry	50	Clerk in War Office	b. St Pancras
Virginia S Drewry	43		b. Falmouth
H Stewart Drewry	17	Student	b. Notting Hill
Louisa Drewry	16		b. Notting Hill
Ellen B Drewry	15		b. Notting Hill
Mary Ann Sandwell	29		b. Islington
Priscilla Cook	23		b. Wilts

In 1852, Henry is listed among the second-class clerks at the War Office

In 1855, a rather surprising promotion, in that , in 1852 he was not high in the list of second-class clerks. Since then he has apparently been promoted to first-class and is now chief clerk.

In 1856, another promotion:

Above, The London Standard, Jan 1856, reports the move of the War Office.

Above, a cutting from The London Daily News 23rd May, 1856, announcing Henry's promotion, in time to organise the 'Peace Rejoicings' were for the end of the Crimean War.

On the right, a cutting from the London Standard, May 1856.]

"children were supplied with breakfast, the men with dinner and the women with tea. Among the many sports that took place were horse racing, donkey racing, hunting the pig with greasy tail and climbing a greasy pole." [Source]

In the 1861 Census - 51, Finchley New Road, Hampstead

Henry R Drewry	60	Chief Clerk War Office	b. Middlesex
Virginia S Drewry	53		b. Cornwall Falmouth
H Stewart Drewry	27	Barrister not yet in Practice	b. Notting Hill
Louisa Drewry	26		b. Notting Hill
Ellen B Drewry	25		b. Notting Hill
Elizabeth Buckingham	76	Mother-in-law	b. Cornwall Eames?
Deborah Townsend	23	Ladies Maid	b. Norfolk Thornham
Margaret Lee	36	Cook Domestic	b. Scotland
Rachel Skipper	22	Parlour Maid	b. Norfolk Skipdam
Emma Saunders	19	House Maid	b. Hertfordshire Watford

Deed of Enfranchisement

Found in the Archives: a draft deed dated 1863.

Deed of Enfranchisement between The Earl of Ilchester and Henry Runciman Drewry which appears to transfer certain property and lands being part of the Manor of Wyke Rigis and Ewell, in Weymouth, Dorset, to HRD for the sum of £186.

Definition: "Enfranchisement transferred the land from the Lord of the Manor to the new owner. The new owner paid a consideration for the transaction."

1. HRD is a tenant of the Manor.

2. the Manor has long-standing historical rights in regard of the ownership and selling of land in the area.

3. The property in question is not the Manor or Manor farm, but is called 'Nothe Hill' and includes a building called 'Marine Cottage'.

Probably this deed was held on behalf of the War Office. There is a Nothe Fort near Wyke Regis. (See www.wykeregis.org).

"Nothe Fort is built on a promontory which separates Portland Harbour and Weymouth Harbour. In 1860, a Royal Commission appointed by the Secretary of War reported that new fortifications were needed at Nothe, the Inner Pier of the Portland breakwater, Disdale Point and Verne Hill. Advances in technology had produced iron warships and England's fortifications needed updating to face the new enemy. ...The final construction of Nothe Fort would later be declared as one of the greatest military fortifications built by the Victorians."
[Source]

Coincidentally, Wyke Regis churchyard is the burial place of many of the victims of Weymouth's most famous shipwreck, 'The Earl of Abergavenny' - the ship in which Cosmas Stewart was shipwrecked and Cosmas Stewart junior drowned in 1805. (Cosmas Stewart senior is possibly/probably the brother-in-law of HRD's father Samuel, as a result of Samuel's second marriage to Mary Ann Stewart.)

The Queen's Ministers, 1864

In the 1871 Census - 143 King Henry's Road (Henry S. - son - is at number 131), St John, Hampstead

Henry R Drewry	70	Retired Clerk in War Office	b. St Pancras
Virginia S Drewry	63		b. Cornwall Falmouth
Louisa Drewry	36	Professor of History English Law & Literature	b. Middlesex Kensington
Ellen B Drewry	35		b. Middlesex
Elizabeth H Miller	47	(visitor) Governess (unemployed)	b. Cornwall
Margaret Buchanan	47	Cook	b. Scotland
Emma Saunders	29	General servant	b. Watford
Annie Martha B.	24	Parlour maid	b. Norfolk

In 1874, Henry was involved with others in the winding up of the Tahiti Cotton and Coffee Plantation. (See right.)

In 1877, Thursday 29th December, The Morning Post records donations to the London Homeopathic Hospital from Mr H R Drewry (1 guinea) and Miss Ellen Drewry (½ guinea).
[One guinea in 1877 is worth about £100 in 2011.]

In 1878, in the Electoral Registers, living at 143 King Henry's Road.

In the 1881 census

Name: Henry R. Drewry
Age: 80 'Visitor' with his daughters at The Heath, "Jack Straw's Castle" (The only people at the inn?)

John Lane	Head	57	b. Odiham, Hampshire	Licensed Victualler
Amelia Lane	Wife	53	b. Broxbourne, Hertford
Joseph N. Lane	Son	20	b. Middlesex
John Ward	Bro In Law	55	b. Broxbourne, Hertford
Charlotte Duckell	Servant	53	b. Middlesex	Housekeeper Dom Serv
Jane Jones	Servant	42	b. Gloucester, England,	Cook Dom Serv
Elizabeth Churchill	Servant	27	b. Sussex	Chambermaid Dom Serv
Elizabeth Fox	Servant	27	b. Middlesex	Kitchenmaid Dom Serv
Robert Challoner	Serv	28	b. Tring, Cambridge	Ostler
Henry R. Drewry	Visitor W	80	b. London, Middlesex	Retired Chief Clerk War Office
Louisa Drewry	Visitor U	46	b. London, Middlesex	Professor Of English Language
Ellen Buckingham Drewry	Visitor U	45	b. London, Middlesex	Housekeeper

Jack Straw's Castle

"is one of three famous historical Hampstead pubs, the others being The Spaniards and the Bull and Bush.

Photograph, 1965, copyright George P. Landow."

Reputedly the highest inn in London, with a fabulous view.

A listed building, but now (since 2001) redeveloped as flats.

Jack Straw's Castle must have originally been a coaching inn. Possibly, like many others it became redundant in the age of steam. This might explain why in 1881 it was virtually empty.

In 1885, in the Electoral Registers, living at 75, King Henry's Road, Hampstead.
Has the family moved to another house in the same road? or given the information in the probate below, is this a mistake in the electoral register? or perhaps HRD owned more than one property in King Henry's Road.
(Henry Stewart Drewry, HRD's son, is living at 131 King Henry's Road.)

Death - announcement in The London Daily News, 12th February, 1886.

In The Times, 11th February, 1886:

Probate

Fron freeBMD

Death: Jun 1878, Drewry Virginia Sappho, 70, London Midsex 1a 487
Death: Mar 1886, Drewry Henry Runciman, 84 Hampstead 1a 560