Wives of John Drury (d. by 1724)
Mary Louise Donnelly in her book on Beaverdam Manor owners and families lists John’s first wife as Rachel Payne and assumes that Rachel was Charles Payne’s sister. Unfortunately there is confusion about this assertion. According to Norma Thompson, a knowledgeable researcher, there are two Payne families around this time in St. Mary’s County, Maryland. John Drury was associated with the family of Henry Payne through his residence on part of “Howard’s Mount”. It is possible that Donnelly misread the name of Henry’s son Ezchiel as Rachel, or possibly accepted someone else’s misinterpretation of the name. The other Payne family was that of Thomas Payne and his wife Jane. Rachel was the only surviving daughter of Thomas Payne and, so far as Norma can determine, the two families were not linked. I believe that any children of John’s would have been by his first wife whoever she may have been.