Walter Bayley, M.D. – “The son of Henry Bayley, of Warnewell, in Dorsetshire, Esquire, was born at Portsham, in that county, educated at Wykeham’s school, Winchester, admitted perpetual fellow of New College, Oxford, after he had served two years’ probabtion, took the degrees in arts, entered upon the physick line, M.B. 21st February, 1557, M.D. 25th May, 1563, was admitted to practise his faculty whilst proctor of the University in the year 1558, and about that time was made prebendary of Dultingcote, alias Dulcote, in the church of Wells, which he resigned in 1579. In 1561 he was made the Queen’s professor of physick, and at length became physician to Queen Elizabeth, and much resorted to for his practice.” (1) Dr. Bayley was admitted a Fellow of the College of Physicians about the year 1581; was named an Elect 10th June, 1584; Consiliarius, 1588; and, dying 3rd March, 1592, aged 63, was buried in the inner chapel of New College, Oxford, where he is commemorated by the following inscription:
GUALTERUS tumulo dormit BAILAEUS in isto,
Cui Doricastrensis patria fundus erat.
Wicchamicis didicit juvenis quam sumptibus artem,
Grandior hanc lector regius edocuit.
Fama virum evexit, Regina accivit ad Aulam
Jungeret ut Medicis Elizabetha suis;
Hic tria lustra egit longè illustrissimus, amplo
Et celebri, quantum dat Medicina, loco.
Charus erat multis, dum vita manebat, et idem
Deflendus multis, vita ubi fugit, erat.
Obiit 3o Martii anno salutis
Humanæ MCCCCCLXXXXII ætatis suæ 63o.
Posuit Gulihelmus Bailey filius
Amoris et pietatis monumentum.
He was the author of
A Brief Discourse of certain Medicinal Waters in the county of Warwick, near Newman. 12mo. Lond. 1587.
A Discourse of Three Kinds of Pepper in Common Use. 8vo. 1588.
A Brief Treatise of the Preservation of the Eyesight. 12 mo.1616.
Directions for Health, Natural and Artificial, with Medicines for all Diseases of the Eyes. 4to. 1626.
Explicatio Galeni de potu convalescentium et senum, et præcipuè de nostræ Alæ et Biriæ paratione. MS. formerly in the library of Robert Earl of Aylesbury.
William Munk
[(1) Wood’s Athenæ Oxon., vol. i, p.224.]
[His will is in Somerset House 24 Harrington.]
[P. It was B who was sent for by Varney to Cumnor Place to prescribe a potion for Lady Dudley (Amy Robsant?) which he refused to do, suspecting that V. designed to add some ingredient which would have the effect “that he might after have been hanged.” He was then residing at Oxford (1580?).]
[P. 1590 -]
[P. See State Papers Richards, p.143.]