Benjamin Gonson (c. 1525–1577) was an English Naval Administrator, and the first Surveyor of the Royal Navy .[ 1] He was a founding member of England's Navy Board during the Tudor period .
Career
Benjamin Gonson began his career as a private shipwright . He began his government work when he was appointed to the new Council of the Marine established by Henry VIII on 24 April 1546 as Surveyor and Rigger of the Navy .[ 2] He held this post until 1549 when he was succeeded by Admiral William Wynter . On 8 April 1549 he was appointed Treasurer of Marine Causes [ 3] which he first held alone (until 18 November 1577), and then jointly with Admiral John Hawkins (until 26 November 1577).
Personal
The son of Vice-Admiral William Gonson , he followed his father into government service. He married Ursula, daughter of Anthony Hussey (an Admiralty Court judge under Henry VIII ) on 8 April 1546.[ 4] He had fourteen children with Ursula all born between the years 1547–67;[ 2] he died in December 1577.[ 5]
See also
References
^ Ranft, Bryan (2002). The Oxford Illustrated History of the Royal Navy . Oxford University Press. p. 32. ISBN 9780198605270 .
^ a b 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.)
^ Knighton, C. S.; Loades, David (2016). Elizabethan Naval Administration . Routledge. p. 516. ISBN 9781317145035 .
^ R.J.W. Swales (1982). " 'Hussey, Anthony (1496/97-1560), of London', in S.T. Bindoff (ed.), The History of Parliament: The House of Commons 1509-1558 " . United Kingdom: Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 4 November 2016 .
^ Childs, David (2009). Tudor Sea Power: The Foundation of Greatness . Seaforth Publishing. p. 264. ISBN 9781473819924 .