William Bowyer (Keeper of the Records) facts for kids
William Bowyer was an important government official and a person who loved old things and history (called an antiquary). He lived during the time of Queen Elizabeth I. William Bowyer worked as a Member of Parliament and was in charge of all the important government papers kept in the Tower of London. He was the first person to properly organize and list these many old records. He also loved collecting old handwritten books. He even made a special book called Heroica Eulogia for a powerful person named Robert Dudley. This book was filled with old documents, poems, and drawings.
Contents
William Bowyer's Early Life
William Bowyer was the son of Robert Bowyer, a successful merchant and mayor of Chichester, in Sussex. His mother was Margaret. We don't know much about William's early life before 1553. In that year, he followed his older brother Robert to study law at the Middle Temple in London.
William married a woman named Agnes. She was the daughter of Sir John Harcourt. William and Agnes had three children:
- William (who died when he was young)
- Robert (who later became a record keeper like his father)
- Judith (who married Richard Highgate)
William Bowyer's Career
In 1560, William Bowyer became the Bailiff of Westminster. This was probably with help from a powerful person named Sir Thomas Parry. As Bailiff, Bowyer gave advice to Sir William Cecil. Cecil was becoming the new High Steward of Westminster Abbey.
In 1563, William Bowyer became the Keeper of the Records in the Tower of London. This was likely thanks to Sir William Cecil. He officially received this job on June 18, 1567. As Keeper, Bowyer was responsible for a huge collection of government papers. These records had been stored in the Tower since the time of William the Conqueror.
Organizing Ancient Records
During his time as Keeper, Bowyer did something very important. He created the first organized system for all these old records. It cost a lot of money, about £1000, to do this work. Bowyer made a six-volume guide to all the documents he managed. This guide included summaries of important government papers. These papers were from the time of King John all the way to Edward IV.
William Bowyer also served as a Member of Parliament for Westminster in 1563. In 1564, he was named a Justice of the Peace for Surrey. This meant he helped keep law and order in the area.
William Bowyer: A Collector of History
William Bowyer loved to collect old handwritten books, known as manuscripts. He gathered many important historical documents. Some of these included old chronicles and histories. For example, he owned a copy of Roger of Howden's Chronica. He also had a very old version of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. These books helped people learn about the past.
The Heroica Eulogia Book
In 1567, Bowyer put together a special handwritten book called Heroica Eulogia. This book was a collection of old grants and deeds. These documents were all about the earls of Leicester. Bowyer dedicated this book to Robert Dudley, who had just become the new Earl of Leicester.
The book included historical papers. It also had illustrated poems about past earls and the kings who gave them their titles. There were also some funny verses that supported the Dissolution of the Monasteries. This was when King Henry VIII closed down many monasteries. The Heroica Eulogia also had special family symbols (heraldic devices). It contained a map of the British Isles and beautiful handwriting by John de Beauchesne.
Some historians believe that Bowyer created Heroica Eulogia for a special reason. He might have wanted to show that Robert Dudley was worthy to marry Queen Elizabeth I. The book was never fully finished. We don't know if it was ever given to Robert Dudley. Today, this important manuscript is kept at the Huntington Library.
William Bowyer's Death
William Bowyer died in late 1569 or early 1570. He wrote his will on April 15, 1569. His will was officially approved on June 23, 1570. His wife, Agnes, was in charge of carrying out his wishes after he died. He was survived by his wife and his three children.
He left his own writings to his oldest son, William, who died young. His historical and heraldic manuscripts went to his second son, Robert. Robert later followed in his father's footsteps. He became the Keeper of the Records in 1604.
