Name William Gonson | Died 1544 | |
Vice-Admiral Sir William Gonson (1482-1544), was a Naval Judge and Naval Administrator of the English Royal Navy who served under King Henry VIII.
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Career
During the Tudor Period William Gonson's early career was as a private Merchant and Shipbuilder in the Royal Dockyards before he began his naval career. He was given command of the HMS Mary Grace in April 1513 as captain . 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 William was a naval administrator of the English navy for over twenty years, he also held the title of Keeper of the Storehouses at Erith and Deptford 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 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 , who would go on to hold a career in the English navy and also became Treasurer of the Navy