William Gonson

William Gonson (died 1544), was the English Vice-Admiral of Norfolk and Suffolk serving under King Henry VIII in 1536. He was the father of Benjamin Gonson, who would go on to hold a career in the English navy as well. William ran the navy almost single handedly for twenty years and was referred to as the keeper of the storehouses at Erith and Deptford. William eventually fell from grace and died in 1544 leaving the navy disorganized. This info about William in disgrace is questionable. His son, Sir David Gonson had denounced Henry VIII, and another Knight had reported this to Henry. Apparently this Knight had had an altercation with Sir David. It is believed he purposefully relayed this information so the King would take action against Sir David. David was held in the Tower without a trial. After about a year, in 1541, he was taken to St. Johns Waterings where he was hanged, drawn and quartered. His father committed suicide in 1544. His son, Benjamin was then the Navy Treasurer. Remember, when Henry became King, reports say he had only 5 ships. The Gonsons helped Henry increase the number of ships. By the time the Battle with the Spanish Armada occurred obviously the number of ships had greatly increased and England win the Battle. It took two years for Henry to reorganise control and develop what became known as 'The Navy Board'. What if anything Henry reirganized, it's not known. His main concerns were his family issues and keeping the executioners employed with the many Knights and other radicals who refused to denounce their religion.

Henry's Navy had started with 5 ships, by 1544 there were 80 ships. William had served the King for decades, one position was Equiry to The Body of the King. Yet he was cruelly "rewarded" by the King when his son, Sir David Gonson of St. John, returned from Malta. The Gonsons continued to serve future Queens Mary and Elizabeth 1, for decades. The many record books for the Navy all indicate how all the generations of the Gonson family served their Kings and Queens with devotion, in many roles. Dame Katherine Gonson Hawkins had christened a ship The Redemption in an attempt to please the Queen. The Queen had it renamed "The Dainty." One of them being the War with the Spanish Armada in 1588. Capt. Benjamin Gonson's likeness, bottom row-middle, is shown on the John Pine engraving done in the 1700s. Later, the diary of Sam Sewell, indicates a Capt. Benjamin Gonson sails to the Colonies on his ship The Talbot, arriving in 1629. Pope Pious X1 created St. David Gonson in 1929. The Good Knight.

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