Descendants of Geofffrey Clowes 1465 - 1525

4. William CLOWES [694] was born in 1540 and died in 1604 at age 64.

General Notes: THE CLOWES COAT OF ARMS Granted to the familyin Norman period.
ARMS - Az on a chevron enshrined between three Unicorns heads erased or as many crescents gu.
CREST - A demi lion vertical ducally crowned or holding a battle axe or head arg.
The Staff gold.
(This first paragraph has two dates which conflict with the second account - I don't at this stage know which is correct on each of those points)


"WILLIAM CLOWES 1544 - 1604 Surgeon to Queen Elizabeth received from the Garter King - at - Arms on 28th October 1576 a confirmation of his Coat - of - Arms and a statement of his public service and descent. He was the son of Thomas and grandson of Nicholas Clowes, both of Kingsbury Warwickshire and great grandson of Geoffrey Clowes of Tutbury Staffordshire. All these Gentlemen bearing tokens and arms of honour, helm, mantle and crest. From this William Clowes, the Clowes family of Norfolk descended, (Thomas Clowes - Norfolk & Woodside Tylden Australia.)


WILLIAM CLOWES, Born 1540 died at Plaistow Essex July 1604.
He married the daughter of Goodwin of Kent and after her death, married Katherine Smith, granddaughter of Sir Henry Wallop of Hampshire.
He learnt surgery from Geo Keeble a London surgeon. In 1563 he was appointed Surgeon in Earl of Warwicks Army of France. Alfter Le'Harv4 Expedition he served in navy and settled in London in 1569.
On November 8th 1569 he was admitted as a Member of Barbers Surgeons Company and was very successful in his practice generally. In 1573 a disappointed man complained in Court that Clowes had failed to cure his wife and was awarded 20 shillings damages.

In March 1575 was appointed to Surgical Staff of St Barthalomews Hpspital, became full surgeon 1581, also surgeon to Christs Hospital. He experimented and introduced a styptic powder which caused smaller sloyhs than Gales which it supplanted. In May 1585 he resigned from the hospitals having been sent for by letters from the Right Honourable, and also by Her Majesty's Commandment to " go into the Low Countries to attend to the Right Honorable the Earl of Leicester Low, Lieutenant and Captain General of Her Majesty's Forces in those Countries."

In his book "Proved Practices" he gives many details of this expedition, and through bad surgery, he said, slew more than the enemy. He and Mr Goodgrouse lost no cases from gunshot wound. He had sensible ideas on ambulance work, scabbards made good splints, and was always ready to learn from any fo the craft, and experimenting. Tried with great success a new balm no a pike wound seven inches long.
In 1588 returned to London and was appointed assistant on the Balieu Surgeons Company, immediately after he served with the fleet that defeated the Spanish Amada. He kept his military surgical chest by him, but was never called to war again.

He was then appointed to surgeon Queen Elizabeth, also practised successfully for several years in London, then retired to his country home in Plaistow in Essex where he dated his last preface, and died July 1604.

In 1595 he received from Garter King at Arms a confirmation of his Coat of Arms,and statement of Public Services and Descent. He handed on some Court influence and Heraldic honour to his son William 1582-1648 who was then Surgeon to Prince of Wales, and afterwards Charles 1st.
His best books of Elizabethan age, Proved Practices for young Chiriagian 1591, concerning Burnings from Gun Powder and wounds made by Gunshot, Sword, Lance ets 1602, Tretise of Struma (King's Evil), Surgical works, and Life in the reign of Elizabeth, were most interesting of his works.

Of critics favourable and unfavourable, he said "Scornful scanners their commendations I disdayne". He was generous to contemporaries/ He had a Barbers basin among his instruments of surgery, was a good embalmer of dead bodies, also rolling crecloths (clothes dipped in wax for rolling round dead bodies.

William married Katherine SMITH [695].

General Notes: William's second wife Katherine Smith was the grand daughter of Sir Henry Hallop of Hampshire.

The child from this marriage was:

+ 5    i. Henry CLOWES [691] .

William next married Daughter OF GODWIN OF KENT [699].

Children from this marriage were:

+ 6    i. William CLOWES [700] was born in 1582 and died in 1648 at age 66.

+ 7    ii. Richard CLOWES [715] .