Drury Curzon Drury-Lowe

Sir Drury Curzon Drury-Lowe

General Sir Drury Drury-Lowe
Born 3 January 1830
Aston-on-Trent, Derbyshire
Died 6 April 1908 (aged 78)
Denby, England
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch British Army
Years of service 1854–1895
Rank Lieutenant-General
Unit 17th Lancers (Duke of Cambridge's Own)
Commands held Commander, 17th Lancers 1866–1878
Inspector of Cavalry at Aldershot 1885–1890
Colonel of the 17th Lancers 1892–1895
Battles/wars Crimean War (1855–1856): Battle of Chernaya River, Siege of Sevastopol.
Indian Mutiny (1858–1859),
Anglo-Zulu War (1879): Battle of Ulundi.
Anglo-Egyptian War (1882).
Awards GCB

Lieutenant-General Sir Drury Curzon Drury-Lowe GCB (3 January 1830 – 6 April 1908) had a distinguished military career in the 19th century British Army.

He was born on 3 January 1830 at Aston Lodge in Aston-on-Trent when he was called Drury Curzon Holden. His father was William Drury Holden and he changed his name to Lowe when he inherited the Locko Park inheritance.[1]

He was educated privately at his home, Locko Park,[2] near Spondon in Derbyshire, before gaining a BA at Corpus Christi College, Oxford. He joined the 17th Lancers[3] in 1854 as a Cornet. He was commissioned a Lieutenant in November 1854 and Captain in November 1856.

He served in the Crimean War at the Battle of Chernaya River and was at the Siege of Sevastopol when it fell. He also saw service in the Indian Mutiny in 1858–1859. He purchased a commission as Major in 1862, and was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel of the 17th Lancers in 1866 [4] . Sometime between 1862 and 1867 he assumed the surname Drury-Lowe in place of Lowe.[5] He commanded the regiment for 12 years — most notably at the Battle of Ulundi,[6] the last pitched battle of the Anglo-Zulu War.[7] He was appointed CB in 1879. In the 1882 Anglo-Egyptian War, he received the surrender of Urabi Pasha.[8] He was publicly thanked in the House of Commons, and knighted on 18 November 1882.

Drury-Lowe was Inspector of Cavalry at Aldershot from 1885 to 1890.[9] He was promoted to Lieutenant-General in 1890. He became Colonel of the 17th Lancers in 1892.[5] He retired in 1895 and was awarded the G.C.B. and then resided at Keydell House, Horndean[10] occasionally writing to The Times.[11] He died on 6 April 1908.[12]

Notes

  1. ^ Biography of Sir Drury Curzon Drury-Lowe (1830-1908), University of Nottingham, accessed November 2009
  2. ^ Ancestral home
  3. ^ Regimental web-site
  4. ^ ffrench Blake,R.l.V: London, Hamish Hamilton, 1968 ISBN 0107599161
  5. ^ a b "Biography of Sir Drury Curzon Drury-Lowe (1830-1908)". University of Nottingham. http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/manuscriptsandspecialcollections/collectionsindepth/family/drury-lowe/biographies/biographyofsirdrurycurzondrury-lowe(1830-1908).aspx. Retrieved 2009-11-02. 
  6. ^ Rourke's Drift web-site
  7. ^ The Field Guide to the Anglo-Zulu War Laband,J./Thompson,P.(1999 Scottsville University of Natal Press) ISBN 0869809512
  8. ^ Feted by neighbours on return
  9. ^ The DNB (Supplement 1901-1911 Volume 1 Abbey-Eyre) notes he "made no major innovations": Drury Lowe was, first and last a field soldier.
  10. ^ Horndean 2000 Singleton,B. (1999, Horndean, Horndean Parish Council
  11. ^ "The First Cuckoo:letters to The Times, 1900-1980" (Gregory,K Ed) London, George Allen & Unwin, 1981 ISBN 0048080314 Letter written 8 May 1903 arguing for the retention of the lance.
  12. ^ His widow on 17 January 1931. Havant Museum, Local History Collection, Horndean Collection, Vol 4 (Keydell) Autobiographical notebook of Margaret Strange, Keydell resident (Farmhouse) 1928-53
Military offices
Preceded by
Henry Roxby Benson		 Colonel of the 17th (Duke of Cambridge's Own) Lancers
1892–1908		 Succeeded by
Thomas Arthur Cooke