Robert Drury (died 1577)

[8] In addition to his activities in local government, Drury attended court on state occasions, served with the King's forces at the time of the Pilgrimage of Grace in 1536, participated as a commissioner when Henry Pole, 1st Baron Montagu, Sir Edward Neville and others were tried for treason in 1538, and in 1544 was in the forces mustered to serve in Henry VIII's war against France.

[8][9] Perhaps as a result of Catholic sympathies, Drury did not serve as a Justice of the Peace during the reign of King Edward VI.

In 1564, six years after Queen Elizabeth's accession, he was termed a 'hinderer of religion', but in 1569 accepted the Act of Uniformity in connection with his appointment to a commission of the peace.

As noted in the Guide to Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the Huntington Library, Drury's name appears on folio i verso of the Ellesmere manuscript of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales:On f. i verso, s. XVI2/4, "Robertus drury miles [space], William drury miles, Robertus drury miles, domina Jarmin, domina Jarningam, dommina Alington", referring to Sir Robert Drury (mentioned above as executor; speaker of the House of Commons in 1495 and a member of Henry VIII’s Council), to his sons William and Robert, and to his 3 daughters: Anna, married first to George Waldegrave, and after his death in 1528 to Sir Thomas Jermyn; Bridget, married to Sir John Jernyngham (Jernegan, of Somerleyton); Ursula (d. 1521), married to Sir Giles Alington.

[1][2]Drury made his last will on 12 and 28 April 1577, requesting burial by his wife in the church of Chalfont St Peter.