Drury was born in
Harrow on the Hill, the son of Rev.
Henry Drury, of
Harrow School; at which place he, and his father, Dr. Drury, were masters for about 70 years. Byron Drury entered the Royal Naval College in 1828; and embarked, 13 August 1830, as a Volunteer, on board
HMS Aetna surveying vessel, under the command of Captain
Edward Belcher. He afterwards served for upwards of three years, latterly as a midshipman, in
HMS Rainbow, under Captain Sir
John Franklin, on the Mediterranean station; and, joining next
HMS Racehorse under Captain Sir
James Everard Home, took an active part, as mate, in the siege of
Pará in
Brazil in 1835, where he was for several days in action with the enemy’s batteries. Landing at night he conducted over 200 Brazilians to the beach for embarkation from the midst of the insurgents. He was also involved in surveying the
Pará River. Drury was with Sir Gordon Bremer, in
HMS Alligator, he subsequently assisted in surveying the harbour at
Port Essington, in
South Australia, during the formation of that place into a settlement. On 30 November 1839 he became an acting-lieutenant by which time HMS
Alligator was in Indian waters. He was engaged in most of the hostilities against the Chinese. He commanded a division of boats at the first capture of Canton in 1841, For his services he received the China medal, He was promoted to captain in 1857 and retired. He was promoted to captain in 1866, to rear-admiral in 1875 and vice-admiral in 1879. Drury died in Cheltenham in November 1888, and there is a memorial to his death in
St Mary's, Harrow on the Hill. ==Family==