Elizabeth (Sothill) Drury (bef. 1505 - 1575)

Born before 4 May 1505 in Stockerston, Leicestershire, England

Ancestors

Wife of William Drury MP — married after Aug 1518 in Suffolk

Descendants

Died 19 May 1575 after age 70 in Lawshall, Suffolk, England

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Biography

Origins

Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry Sothill of Stoke Faston (Stockerston), Leicestershire^[1] and Joan Empson.^[2][3] In her father's Inquisition Post Mortem, held on 4 May 21 Henry VII (22 August 1505 - 21 August 1506), she and her twin sister Joan were said to be 1 and more,^[4] indicating that they were born before 4 May 1505. She may have been born at Stockerston, Leicestershire where her father had his main home. She and her twin sister were her father's co-heiresses,^[4] and she inherited the manor of Stockerston.^[5]

• She was said to be aged 1 on the feast of the Ascension last (21 May 1506) in the Inquisition Post Mortem of her paternal grandmother Elizabeth Plumpton held on 16 January 22 Henry VII (1506/7):^[6] her father's IPM suggests that this is not an indication of her precise date of birth.

Her wardship was granted to her stepfather Sir William Pierrepoint, her mother's second husband,^[5] on 24 July 1510.^[7][8]

Marriage and Children

Before February 1521 Elizabeth became the second wife of William Drury of Hawstead, Suffolk, son of Robert Drury^[1] and Anne Calthorpe.^[2][3] They had the following children, all of whom are named in a memorial of her husband:^[9]

• Anne, born 19 August 1523, married about 1539 Sir Christopher Heydon MP^{[1][2][3][10]}
• Robert,^[1][2][3] born about 13 February 1525 in possibly Hawstead, Suffolk, England, married about 20 January 1541 Audrey Etheldreda Rich. daughter of Sir Richard Rich and Elizabeth Jenkes.^[10]
• Mary, born on 30 June 1526, who married Sir Richard Corbett^[10] and John Tyrrell^[1][2][3]
• Frances, born 29 June 1532, who married James Hobart^{[1][2][3][10]}
• Bridget, born on 11 September 1534, who married Henry Yelverton of Hawstead, Suffolk^{[1][2][3][10][11]} in probably 1557: a settlement for their marriage was dated 1 January 1557^[12]
• Dorothy, who probably died in childhood as her parents named another child Dorothy^[2][3] and who would have been born before 1537 (or 1537/8) when the second Dorothy was born
• another Dorothy, born 4 March 1537 (possibly 1537/8), who married Robert Rookwood of Oldham, Cambridgeshire^{[1][2][3][10]}
• Henry,^[2][3][5] born 6 April 1539, married Elizabeth Isaac.^[1][10]
• Roger,^[2][3] born 21 March 1540^[10]
• William, birthdate unknown,^[2][3]
• Elizabeth, birth date unknown, who probably died in childhood as her parents named another child Elizabeth^[2][3]
• another Elizabeth, birthdate unknown, who married Robert Drury^[2][3] of Rougham^[1][10] (Rougham, Suffolk rather than Rougham, Norfolk according to John Gage's History and Antiquities of Suffolk:^[13] this appears to be confirmed by the will of Elizabeth Sothill's husband^[14])
• Winifred^[2][3]
• Ursula^[2][3]
• Audrey^[2][3]
• Margaret^[2][3]
• Katherine^[2][3]

Husband's Death and Will

Elizabeth's husband died at Hawstead, Suffolk on 11 January 1557/8.^[2][3] She and her husband's first wife, Joan St Maur/Seymour, are portrayed on her husband's memorial, but not named: they are in similar apparel, Joan with her eyes closed, indicating she died before her husband, and Elizabeth with her eyes open, indicating she survived him.^[9] Her husband's will:^[14][15]

• appointed her executor
• named among others:
  • his father Sir Robert Drury
  • his daughter Mary Corbett
  • his daughter Elizabeth, saying that he had purchased the wardship of his deceased cousin Robert Drury (son of John Drury of Rougham, Suffolk) with a view to their marrying
  • his deceased son Robert Drury and Robert's sons Henry, Thomas and Robert

Elizabeth's Death and Will

Elizabeth died on 19 May 1575^[10] and was buried at Hawstead, Suffolk. The parish register of Lawshall, Suffolk records her death on that date (note, this is a record of her death, not her burial).^[16] The National Burial Index says she was buried at Hawstead, Suffolk on 20 May.^[17]

Her will, dated 5 March 1572/3, was proved on 7 November 1575.^{[2][3][18][19]} In it she:

• described herself as of Lawshall, Suffolk (indicating that she is likely to have died there)
• requested burial beside her husband at Halstead (Hawstead), Suffolk
• appointed as executors her cousin John Height and her son-in-law Robert Rookwood
• also named, among others:
  • her daughter Corbet (Mary), her daughter Hobart (Frances), her daughter Yelverton (Bridget) and her daughter Drury (the second Elizabeth, wife of her son-in-law Robert Drury)
  • her son Henry
  • her deceased son Robert and his sons William (his heir, described in the will as "my nephew, William Drury, esquire, son and heir of my son, Robert Drury, esquire, deceased"), Henry, Thomas and Robert
  • her "nieces" (meaning granddaughters: described as children of her son Robert) Mary, Susan, Winifred, Bridget, Dorothy and Audrey Drury
  • her godson Henry Corbet
  • her godson and grandson Henry Rookwood, son of Robert Rookwood and Dorothy
  • her godchildren and grandchildren Robert and Dorothy Drury, children of her son-in-law Robert Drury of Rougham

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9} Walter C Metcalfe (ed.). The Visitations of Suffolk, 1561, 1577 and 1612, William Pollard, 1882, p. 91, Internet Archive
2. ↑ ^{2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20} Douglas Richardson. Magna Carta Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 4 vols, ed. Kimball G. Everingham, 2nd edition (Salt Lake City: the author, 2011), Vol. II, pp. 93-94, DRURY 13, Google Books
3. ↑ ^{3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20} Douglas Richardson. Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families, 5 vols, ed. Kimball G. Everingham (Salt Lake City: the author, 2013), Vol. II, pp. 473-474, Drury 16
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Cyril Flower, M. C. B. Dawes and A. C. Wood, 'Inquisitions Post Mortem, Henry VII, Entries 151-200', in Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem: Series 2, Volume 3, Henry VII (London, 1955), pp. 82-124, British History Online, accessed 1 October 2023 (entry 179)
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2} J M Lee and R A McKinley, 'Stockerston', in A History of the County of Leicestershire: Volume 5, Gartree Hundred (London, 1964), pp. 303-308, British History Online, accessed 1 October 2023
6. ↑ Cyril Flower, M. C. B. Dawes and A. C. Wood, 'Inquisitions Post Mortem, Henry VII, Entries 201-250', in Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem: Series 2, Volume 3, Henry VII (London, 1955), pp. 124-158, [ttp://www.british-history.ac.uk/inquis-post-mortem/series2-vol3/pp124-158 British History Online], accessed 1 October 2023 (entry 250)
7. ↑ Letters and Papers: Foreign and Domestic. Calendar of Henry VIII. (Public Record Office), p 175: "Joan and Elizabeth...kinswomen and heirs of Elizabeth Sothill, widow" (probably Henry's mother, Elizabeth née Plumpton)
8. ↑ 'Henry VIII: July 1510', in Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII, Volume 1, 1509-1514, ed. J S Brewer (London, 1920), pp. 311-323, British History Online, accessed 1 October 2023 (entry 65)
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} Sir John Cullum. The History and Antiquities of Hawsted in the County of Suffolk, J Nichols, 1804, pp. 51-52, Internet Archive
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 10.8 10.9} William Harvey. The Visitation of Norfolk in the Year 1563: Taken by William Harvey, Clarenceux King of Arms, Norfolk and Norwich Archaeological Society, Miller and Leavins, 1895, vol. 2, p. 219, Google Books and Internet Archive
11. ↑ Walter Rye (ed.). The Visitation of Norfolk, made and taken by William Hervey, Clarencieux King of Arms, Anno 1563 Enlarged with another Visitation made by Clarenceux Cooke, with many other descents; and also the Visitation made by John Raven, Richmond, Anno 1613, Harleian Society, 1891, p. 329, Internet Archive
12. ↑ Norfolk Record Office, ref. NRS 7097, Marriage Settlement between Henry Yelverton, son and heir of (2), and Bridget Drury, daughter of (1). (1) Sir William Drury. (2) William Yelverton, esq., 1 January 1557, Norfolk Record Office catalogue entry
13. ↑ John Gage. The History and Antiquities of Suffolk: Thingoe Hundred, 1838, p. 429, Google Books (Drury family tree)
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1} Arthur Campling. "The History of the Family of Drury In the Counties of Suffolk and Norfolk From the Conquest", London: 1937, ch. 5, pt. a., PDF
15. ↑ The National Archives, ref. PROB 11/40/205, Will of Sir William Drurye or Drury of Hawstede, Suffolk, Discovery Centre catalogue entry
16. ↑ Suffolk: Lawshall: All Saints: Parish Register, FreeREG (https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5818cd35e93790ec75a51e18 : viewed 1 Oct 2023): "My Lady Dame Elizabeth Drury departed this world 19 May"
17. ↑ National Burial Index For England & Wales, FindMyPast
18. ↑ Transcript of her will, Oxford Shakespeare website
19. ↑ The National Archives, ref. PROB 11/57/498, Will of Dame Elizabeth Drury or Drurye, Widow of Lawshall, Suffolk, Discovery Centre catalogue entry

• Gage, John. The History and Antiquities of Suffolk: Thingoe Hundred, 1838, p. 429, Google Books (Drury family tree)
• History of Parliament Online, entry for DRURY, Sir William (by 1499-1558), of Hawstead, Suff.
• Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, entry by Joy Rowe for 'Drury family', print and online 2004, revised online 2008
• Stapleton, Thomas (ed.). Plumpton Correspondence, Camden Society, 1839, pp. 208-209, footnote b
• Wikipedia: William Drury (died 1558) (entry for her husband)
• Wikipedia: Richard Empson (entry for her maternal grandfather)

Acknowledgements

Magna Carta Project

This profile was re-reviewed for the Magna Carta Project by Michael Cayley on 1 October 2023.

Elizabeth (Sothill) Drury is in a trail badged by the Magna Carta Project in September 2015 from Gateway Ancestor Robert Peyton to Magna Carta Surety Barons Hugh le Bigod, Roger le Bigod and John FitzRobert. Later, this profile was identified in badged trails to Richard de Clare, Gilbert de Clare, John de Lacy, and Saher de Quincy. These trails are set out in the Magna Carta Trails section of the Gateway's profile.

See Base Camp for more information about identified Magna Carta trails and their status. See the project's glossary for project-specific terms, such as a "badged trail".