THE FOUNDER: THOMAS DRUMMOND (1764 - 1852)

Thomas Drummond (1764 - 1852) was the son of Lawrence Drummond, a wig-maker, originally from Perth, who lived and worked in Lower Goat Lane. Thomas lived in various addresses in Norwich, including King Street, and at the time that he purchased the site of the future cemetery in 1819, he had a house in Tombland. 

Admitted as a Freeman of the City in 1785, he was recorded in a trade directory of 1836 as living in a house in the grounds of the The Rosary, but by 1850 was back in King Street - perhaps living near his youngest daughter, Margaret, who ran a boarding school there.

From 1805 - 13 he was the Minister at the Unitarian Meeting House, Friars Street, Ipswich. He married Ann Pilkington, the daughter of his predecessor, at the Meeting House in 1813 and they had four children*; Susan, Mary and Margaret (*historical records do not specifically state the name of Rev Drummond's son).

The non-denominational basis on which the Rosary was established is fully inline with the liberal theological attitude of the Unitarians and the early involvement of the Mottram family seems to support this view, as they were prominent members of the Unitarian Octagon Chapel in Colegate.

The Drummond Family Plot. 
Photo © Copyright Sarah Deacon. 

Drummond seems to have retired when he was only 50 and then decided to open a new burial ground using an inheritance of some £3,200 that his wife had received. This decision evidently caused some friction within the family, as his grandson later recounted that £80,000 had been spent on the Rosary Cemetery by Drummond, despite the many reservations and advice of his family. 

Sadly, the first burial at the Rosary was that of his wife, Ann, who died giving birth to their daughter, Margaret, in 1819 at the age of 41 and was re-interred at the Rosary in November 1821 from her original resting place at the Octagon Chapel. 

Ironically, Margaret (married name Colsey), also died in childbirth in September 1851 and is buried with her parents in the family plot. Also there is her daughter, also named Margaret , who died aged 22 months, soon after her mother. 

Thomas Drummond died in February 1852 and was buried with his family. The Drummond family graves can be found in plot A.

Nick Williams