Druery

Recorded in several forms as shown below, this is a an English surname of great antiquity. It has its origins in the Norman French word "druerie", meaning love or friendship. This was introduced by the successful invaders of England in 1066, and the implementation for three centuries, of French as the official language. However spelt it is an early example of the medieval practice of creating a surname from a nickname. It is claimed that by the 12th century the term was used in the sense of an affair of the heart, so presumably it described a person who had a lot of affairs or who may have been a habitual user of the term in the sameway as "sweetheart" became a popular form of address between lovers. The following quotation from "The vision of Piers Plowman", illustrates the use of the word. The precise meaning is unclear, but clearly complimentary. "It is an dereworthe a drury as deere God hymselven". The development of the surname includes: Robert Druerie of Lancashire in the year 1204, Nigel Drury of Yorkshire, in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, and Thomas Drory in the Poll Tax rolls also of Yorkshire, in 1379. The modern surname can be found as Drury, Druery, Drewery and Drewry. Among the many recordings of the name in the surviving church registers of the diocese of Greater London is that of the marriage of Richard Drury and Ursula Andros, at St. Mary Magdalene, Old Fish Street, on November 28th 1562. The first recorded spelling of the family name is believed to be that of Alexander Druri. This was dated 1200, in the Curia Regis rolls of the county of Suffolk. during the reign of King John, 1199 - 1216. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.