Walter Bayley facts for kids

Walter Bayley (1529–1593) was an English doctor who lived during the time of Queen Elizabeth I. He was well-known for his medical skills and for serving the Queen herself.

Walter Bayley's Life

Walter Bayley was born in a place called Portesham in Dorset, England. His father was a "squire," which meant he was a wealthy landowner. Walter went to a famous school called Winchester School. After that, he studied at New College at Oxford University.

In 1550, he became a "fellow" at New College. This meant he was a senior member of the college, often a teacher or researcher. He earned his first medical degree (M.B.) in 1557 and his advanced medical degree (M.D.) in 1563.

Walter Bayley was also a religious leader. He was a "canon" at Wells, which is a type of priest, until 1579. In 1561, he became a special professor at Oxford University. His title was "regius professor of physic," meaning he taught medicine.

In 1566, he married Anne Evans, who lived in Oxford. They had two sons and four daughters. One of his daughters later married the person who took over Walter's job as the regius professor of medicine.

Queen Elizabeth chose Walter Bayley to be one of her personal doctors. He also worked for Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, who was an important nobleman. In 1581, he was chosen to be a "fellow" of the Royal College of Physicians. This is a group of the best doctors in England. Later in his life, he lived in London. He had many patients and was a very busy doctor. He passed away in 1592 or 1593. He is buried in the Chapel of New College, and his son William put up a special stone to remember him.

Walter Bayley's Books

Walter Bayley wrote several books about medicine.

Looking After Your Eyes

His most famous book is called A Brief Treatise of the Preservation of the Eyesight. It was published in 1586 and printed again in 1616. In this book, Bayley shared ideas about eyesight from other famous doctors who lived long ago, like Rhases, Avicenna, and Arnaldus de Villa Nova.

The book also included one of Bayley's own observations. He wrote about a man named Hoorde who kept his good eyesight until he was over 84 years old. This man used a plant called "eye-bright" mixed with ale and eggs. Bayley's book also talked about a new way of brewing drinks that became popular during Queen Elizabeth's time. He mentioned that some people still preferred ale made with "grout," which was a plant used before hops became common in brewing.

Other Writings

In 1587, Bayley published another book called A Brief Discourse of Certain Bathes of Medicinal Waters in the County of Warwick. This book was about special waters in Warwick that were thought to have healing powers. He also wrote A Short Discourse of the Three Kinds of Pepper in Common Use, which was about different types of pepper.