TOWSE, William (c.1551-1634), of the Inner Temple, London and Takeley, Essex.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1558-1603, ed. P.W. Hasler, 1981
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

Family and Education

b. c.1551. educ. I. Temple 1571, called. m. Jean French, 1s. 3da.

Offices Held

J.p.q. Essex from c.1592; bencher, I. Temple 1595, Summer reader 1597, (?Lent) reader 1610, treasurer 1607; serjeant-at-law 1614; town clerk, Colchester by 1620.

Biography

In the printed admission register of the Inner Temple Towse is described as of Hingham, Norfolk.1 Until 1614 he lived in the Inner Temple. Between 1583 and 1600 he five times audited the steward’s accounts, and five times those of the treasurer, and was employed on a number of committees to investigate various matters concerning the inn. His return for Bramber was probably brought about by Edward Caryll, the steward of the borough. Towse and Caryll had a mutual friend in Ralph Hare, whose brother Hugh had sat in 1572. No record has been found of any activity by Towse in the Commons and his subsequent parliamentary career lies outside the purview of this biography. He died 22 Oct. 1634.2

Ref Volumes: 1558-1603

Author: A. M. Mimardière

Notes

  • 1. An earlier transcript says ‘of Henham, Essex, gen., and late of Clifford’s Inn’: ex inf. William Prest.
  • 2. Vis. Essex (Harl. Soc. xiii), 505; E163/114/8; Hatfield ms 278; APC, xxx. 666; xxxi. 244; C/142/525/121(2).