Richard Masters
President of the Royal College of Physicians
In office
1561–1561
Personal details
Died1588
Alma materAll Souls' College University of Oxford

Richard Masters (also Master, Mastre or Maistres) was a leading 16th-century English physician and personal doctor of Queen Elizabeth.

Early life

Masters was the son of Robert Masters of Streetend in Willesborough, Kent. He became a fellow at All Souls' College in Oxford, eventually graduating with a B.A. in 1533 and an M.A. in 1537.[1]

He was a personal acquaintance of Rudolph Walther and in 1539 accepted a benefice from the Church of England, however, he forfeited it believing he was not a good clergyman.[2]

Medical career

Masters enrolled at the University of Oxford to study medicine, and by 1545 was an admitted M.B. and granted a licence to practise medicine.[2] In 1553 he became a fellow at the College of Physicians and served as a censor between 1556 and 1558 and in 1560. In 1561 he served as President of the college, and as consiliarius in 1564 and 1583.[1]

Queen Elizabeth

In 1559, Master was granted a patent of £100 annually to serve as the personal physician to Queen Elizabeth.[2]

In 1568, Elizabeth granted Master a coat of arms and properties formerly in the possession of the Abbey of Cirencester.[3]

Boleyn cup

Queen Elizabeth gave Master a silver cup topped with the falcon badge of her mother Anne Boleyn.[4] The cup is known as the "Boleyn cup" and was given to the parish church of Cirencester. It has London hallmarks for 1535.[5]

Prebendary of York

In 1562, Masters was made Prebendary of York, and in 1565 issued a royal patent for his family and heirs from the Queen receiving the Cirencester Abbey.[1][6]

Marriage and family

Masters married Elizabeth, daughter of John Fulnetby, Esq. and had seven sons, including:[2]

Masters died in 1588.

References

  1. 1 2 3 'Mascall-Meyrick', in Alumni Oxonienses 1500-1714, ed. Joseph Foster (Oxford, 1891), pp. 982-1007. British History Online (accessed 29 November 2017)
  2. 1 2 3 4 Lee, Sidney, ed. (1894). "Master, Richard" . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 37. London: Smith, Elder & Co. p. 22.
  3. ↑ T. Evans, 'Queen Elizabeth's Physician', The Lancet (9 November 1889), p. 987.
  4. ↑ Treasures of the English Church - Sacred gold and silver 800 to 2000
  5. ↑ A. J. Collins, Jewels and Plate of Queen Elizabeth I (London, 1955), p. 197 & plate III.
  6. ↑ "Chester-Master Family", National Archives of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
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