Life History

1154	Born
	Married Alexander De Wridewell
	Birth of son William de Wridewell
	Birth of son Alexander de Wridewell
before 1180	Death of Alexander De Wridewell
	Married Henry De Sapiston
	Birth of son Walter De Sapiston
	Birth of daughter Cecilia De Sapiston
before 1200	Death of Henry De Sapiston
	Married Robert De Thurston
about 1180	Birth of son John De Thurston
about 1180	Birth of son Richard De Thurston
about 1180	Birth of son Nicholas De Thurston
about 1180	Birth of son Jordan De Thurston
before 1203	Death of Robert De Thurston
1231	Died

Notes

"Matilda, wife of Robert De Thurston, was a personage of note, as it was she who brought to the Drurys the 1-1/2 carucates of land in Thurston, the history of which goes back to the time of the conquest and beyond. A saxon strain was thereby introduced, for one Alvric the priest, was granted by Abbot Leofstan of St. Edmund's the land and church of Thurston prior to the conquest, that is 1065 or earlier. This grant was confirmed by Abbot Baldwin before 1098 to Osward son of Alvric. ..
Alvric survived the Conquest and made his peace, for Osward de Thurston his son was a witness 1115 to a grant of Abbot Albold of St. Edmund's of land, in Thurston, and after 1121 to a grant of Abbot Hugh of land in Westley, Fornham, etc."

"In Abbot Sampson's Calendar he records under Thurston that Matilda held one knight's fee there in 1186.
She married three times, firstly Alexander de Wridewell, who held a fee in Whelnetham 1166. He died before 15 November 1180.
She married secondly Henry de Sapiston, and as Matilda de Sapiston held a fee in Great Whelnetham in 1186. A deed is cited in the Sacrist's register of St. Edmund's in which Walter fil. Henry de Sapiston grants to Cecilia daughter of Matilda de Sapiston.
Her third husband, Robert de Thurston, younger son of Richard fil. Drieu, was dead before July 1203 when her said father-in-law was concerned in her dower in Horningsheath as by the fines as follows:

In the Octave of Trinity 1203. Suffolk. Final agreement between Matilda de Sapiston by Alexander her son and Richard fil. Drieu (by Norman de St. Edmund) of reasonable dower of Matilda contingent on a free tenement which was Alexander de Wridewell formerly her husband in Horningsheath. Matilda quit claims to Richard who gives five marks silver.

There is a Harleian Charter of Matilda de Sapiston and her sons (by her first husband) William and Alexander, of her land in Stow Langtoft. She is styled de Thurston in pleadings in the King's Court as follows: Suffolk. Matilda de Turston comes into court and warrants to Alexander son of Alexander of All Saints (Wordwell) 28 acres of land with the appurtenances in Turston which he has by charter of the said Matilda.

A Suffolk (Michaelmas 1223) Fine records the final agreement between William fil. Walter de Hepworth and Alexander fil. Matilda de Sapiston of 80 acres of land in Whelnetham. William quit-claims to Alexander who gives ten marks argent.

Matilda, as has been said, had married firstly Alexander de Wridewell (or Wordwell) one of the knights of St. Edmund, who had held previous to 1204 a half fee in Horningsheath, and by him had a son Alexander fil. Matilda de Sapiston, who in 1203 was a party to his mother's claim for dower, and later party to a Fine in Whelnetham 1223. By her third husband Robert fil. Richard fil. Drieu she had four sons, Richard fil. Robert, who, as Richard fil. Matilda, had been concerned in a Fine in Hedenham co. Norfolk 1209, Nicholas fil. Robert de Thurston, witness to a grant in 1257, John fil. Robert de Thurston and Jordan.

At Easter 1230/1, an Assize roll for Suffolk records as follows: Matilda who was wife of Robert de Thurston impleads Richard fil. Robert for a third part of 12 acres of land with appurtenances in Sturston (sic) as her dower. And Richard comes and grants to her the aforesaid third part of the land saving to the said Richard his capital messuage and she is to have seisin.

Alexander of All Saints (1209-10) seems to have been the son of Matilda by her first husband Alexander de Wridwell. The suffolk assize Roll for 1249 states that the Jury enquired whether Richard de Thurston, uncle of William fil. Jordan, was seised of 156 acres in Thurston on the day he died, of which John de Gloucester held 120, Alexander of All Saints 30 and Turgis de Aula 6 acres.

William withdrew his plea and Alexander came and said that Richard de Thurston only had the land for life of the gift of Matilda de Thurston his mother, with reversion to the said Matilda if he had no heirs of his body.

From 'The History of the Family of Drury In the Counties of Suffolk and Norfolk From the Conquest' by Arthur Campling, London, 1937.