Protestant Exiles from France/Volume 2 - Book Third - Chapter 24 - Du Ry
Du Ry. — The Huguenot family of du Ry had extensive property in Picardy, and also the Chateau of Beauregard near Paris, all which estates were confiscated in 1685 when they became refugees in England. In their adopted country they have usually been soldiers. The first whom we meet is Lieutenant Du Ry, an officer in an English regiment quartered in Scotland in 1698; in that year, when the five Huguenot regiments were disbanded, French refugee officers quartered in Scotland were put upon half-pay. In the next generation there was Colonel Alexander Dury, commanding the Grenadier Guards; he rose to be a Major-General on 2nd February 1757, but did not enjoy his honour long. At this period Great Britain was waging a singular warfare with France; the fleet commanded by Lord Howe landed troops on the French coast to do what damage they could, then sailed along and re-embarked the army at a more distant point. The army, commanded by Lieutenant-General Bligh, was landed in the Bay of St. Lunaire in the beginning of September 1758, while the ships departed and waited for them at the Bay of St. Cas. Towards that rendezvous General Bligh marched on September 8th; he had some skirmishing with French troops on the 9th, but under-rated their numbers. The next morning the French watched our army, which amounted to 6000 men, in the process of re-embarkation, until the rear-guard, numbering 1500, under the command of Major-General Dury, was alone on the shore. These the French attacked, and easily overpowered them, although they made a brave resistance. Dury was shot, and thus died in action on 10th September 1758.
The lamented General was survived by a younger brother, Colonel Theodore Dury, who became a Major-General on 23rd February 1761, and was promoted to be Lieutenant-General on 30th April 1770 along with John Henry Bastide and other Major-Generals. His name is affectionately remembered in the family, but he seems to have left no heirs. Alexander left a son Alexander, an officer in the Grenadier Guards from boyhood; he served in Holland and became Lieutenant-Colonel. He also had a son Alexander, a captain in the Royal Artillery, and another son Francis of the 19th Foot, who was killed in charge of the regimental colours in the American War. Captain Dury, R.A., is the direct ancestor of the present family. His eldest son was Alexander Dury of the 67th Foot, born in April 1820, died in 1843. The younger son (now deceased) was Theodore Henry Dury, Esq., of Bonsai Leys, Derbyshire, formerly of the Madras Army, afterwards of the ioth Hussars, born 3rd October 1822; he had several sons. The eldest, Major Alexander William Dury, born in 1846, late of the 4th King’s Own and 54th Regiments, is temporarily invalided. The youngest, Lieutenant Robert Ashton Theodore Dury, born in 1863, of the Bombay Staff Corps, was killed at the capture of Minhla in Burmah on 17th November 1885; he was the only officer killed, and was at the head of his soldiers.