William Gonson

Vice-Admiral Sir William Gonson [1] (1482–1544), was a Naval Judge and Naval Administrator of the English Royal Navy who served under King Henry VIII.

Vice-Admiral Sir William Gonson
Born1482
Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, England
Died1544
London, England
Buried
St Dunstan-in-the-East
Allegiance England
Service/branch Royal Navy
Years of service1513–1544
RankVice-Admiral
Commands heldVice-Admiral of Norfolk
Vice-Admiral of Suffolk
Clerk of Marine Causes
Treasurer of the Navy
Keeper of the Storehouses
Captain Mary Grace

Biography

Career

During the Tudor Period William Gonson's early career was as a private Merchant and Shipbuilder in the Royal Dockyards [2] before he began his naval career. He was given command of Mary Grace in April 1513 as captain.[3] In 1523 he was appointed Clerk of Marine Causes until 1533. In 1524 he was also appointed Paymaster or Treasurer of the Navy until 1544 [4] William was a naval administrator of the English navy for over twenty years, he also held the title of Keeper of the Storehouses[5] at Erith Dockyard and Deptford Dockyard from 1524 to 1537 in effect he held the posts of three of the later principle officers of the Council of the Marine. He was appointed by Henry VIII as Vice-Admiral of Norfolk and Suffolk in 1536. William eventually fell from grace and committed suicide in 1544 [6] leaving the navy disorganized. It took two years for Henry to reorganize control and develop what became later known as 'The Navy Board'. He was probably along with William of Wrotham, and Sir Robert de Crull one of the three most important administrators of naval affairs of the English Navy prior to 1546.

Personal

William Gonson was born in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire in England he was the son of Christopher Gonson and Elizabeth Gonson (nee: Trussell), and brother of Bartholomew Gonson. He married Bennett Walters and together they had six sons Anthony, Arthur, Benjamin, Christopher, David and Richard. They also had four daughters Avis, Elizabeth, Margaret and Thomasine.

His son Benjamin Gonson,[7] who would go on to hold a career in the English navy and also became Treasurer of the Navy [8]

His son Sir David Gonson was a Knight of Malta. He was imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1540 and was condemned to death by an Act of Parliament in 1541 for denying the authority of the King in spiritual matters and refusing to recant his Catholic faith. He was hanged, drawn and quartered at St. Thomas' Waterings, Southwark on 12 July 1541. Pope Pius XI declared him Blessed on 15 December 1929. [9]

References

Citations

  1. Childs, David (2009). Tudor Sea Power: The Foundation of Greatness. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. p. 263. ISBN 9781848320314.
  2. Williamson, James A. (1965). The Age of Drake. London: A & C Black Publishers Ltd. p. 260. ISBN 9780713601817.
  3. Brewer, J. S. (2015). Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, of the Reign of Henry VIII. Cambridge University Press. p. 552. ISBN 9781108062596.
  4. Miller, Helen Hill (1985). Captains from Devon : the great Elizabethan seafarers who won the oceans for England. Chapel Hill, N.C.: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. p. 33. ISBN 9780912697277.
  5. Childs, David (2009). Tudor Sea Power: The Foundation of Greatness. Seaforth Publishing. p. 262. ISBN 9781473819924.
  6. Childs, David (2009). Tudor Sea Power: The Foundation of Greatness. Seaforth Publishing. p. 263. ISBN 9781473819924.
  7. Loades, David (2011). Henry VIII. Amberley Publishing Limited. p. 1551. ISBN 9781445606651.
  8. Childs, David (2009). Tudor Sea Power: The Foundation of Greatness. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. p. 263. ISBN 9781848320314.
  9. http://smom-za.org/saints/david.htm

Sources

  • Bennell, John (2004). "Gonson, William (d. 1544)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/47400. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  • Brewer, J. S. (2015). Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, of the Reign of Henry VIII. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781108062596.
  • Childs, David (2009). Tudor Sea Power: The Foundation of Greatness. Barnsley, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 9781848320314.
  • Loades, David (2011). Henry VIII. Amberley Publishing Limited. ISBN 9781445606651.
  • Williamson, James A. (1965). The Age of Drake. London: A & C Black Publishers Ltd. ISBN 9780713601817.
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