[2] They were once considered one of the principal families in the King's County (modern-day Offaly) in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland.

[1][5] In the middle of the 17th century, during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, the family was awarded substantial chunks of land in Kinnitty, near Birr, in King's County.

In King's County, the Droughts first resided in Cappagowlan, near Ballyboy, with later branches of the family settling in nearby Droughtville, Lettybrook, and Whigsborough.

Historian Edward Keane stated that a family of Droett, which was later spelt Drought, came to Ireland from the Netherlands in the 13th century.

[8] MacLysaght has also suggested that the somewhat similar rare Irish surname Ó'Droichid (anglicized as O'Drehhitt), which was found at Kenry, County Limerick, in 1587, could be linked to the Drought family.

[17] In 1656, Captain Thomas Armstrong Drought of Cromwell's army was awarded a substantial chunk of confiscated land in Kinnitty, near Birr.

In the 20th century, the Drought family of Lettybrook were said to have often entertained visitors from England, especially retired army officers, who would spend a week grouse shooting on the mountains.

In 1920, during the Irish War of Independence, the Drought's Lettybrook home was successfully raided by the Cadamstown IRA unit for weapons.

[23] Around 1860, respected Gothic-style architect Benjamin Woodward sketched potential alterations for gothicising a Georgian country house which closely resembles Lettybrook, however the work was not undertaken.

[24] The name Captain Droght [sic] occurs in one of Woodward's notebooks held by the National Gallery of Ireland.

In around 1800, the Drought family built an estate called Oldglass (now Granston Manor) in Ballacolla, County Laois.