AIRE, William | British History Online

Physicians and Irregular Medical Practitioners in London 1550-1640 Database. Originally published by Centre for Metropolitan History, London, 2004.

Citation:

William AIRE

Biography


Name	William AIRE (AEYER, AYRE, EIER, EIRE, EYRE)
Gender	Male
Primary occupation	medical physician (MD) (Physician 1605-1626 ?1639?)
Period of medical practice	1605-1639
Place of birth	London (b in the City)
Date of birth	c. 1567
Address	[??Winchester 1610s]
Other notes	?LRCP 1 Sep 1620. Many appearances before & some after (1615-29).

College membership


Medical education (university)	Leiden
Date of MD	1608
Degree incorporated into Oxford University	Yes
Date became Licentiate	/09/1620
In trouble before membership	Yes
In trouble after membership	Yes
Other notes	Leyden 1596. MD where, when?
Date of birth	c.1567

Censorial hearings


	7 Feb 1606
Entry	'Dr. Eyre of Leyden was accused of illicit practice, but because there was no reliable evidence, he was ordered to abstain until sufficient information had been more fully presented to us.'
Action taken	Ordered to abstain pending more evidence.
Verdict	not proven
	6 Feb 1618
Entry	To be indicted.
Attitude of the accused	absent
Action taken	To be indicted
Verdict	case not completed
	4 Dec 1618
Entry	Christiana, wife of Martin Pollard, wrote to complain that A had given her 6 emetics for 9s.
Initiator of the complaint	patient
Attitude of the accused	absent
Action taken	College replied, cd do nothing but fine A heavily.
Number of crimes	1
	m S Thomas 1618
Entry	The Pollards called to complain of the College's delay in the matter of A.
Initiator of the complaint	patient
Second initiator of the complaint	spouse of the patient
Attitude of the accused	absent
Action taken	Agreed to fix a day to summon A.
Number of crimes	1
	5 Feb 1619
Entry	Martin Pollard wrote again. A was present & denied blooding, giving emetics or accepting money. The Pollards & Mr Tonte, apothecary, swore against A, who produced letter on case from Capt John Myllerd.
Initiator of the complaint	spouse of the patient
Second initiator of the complaint	patient
Third initiator of the complaint	other medical practitioner
Attitude of the accused	denied
Pressure applied by College	yes
Action taken	Deferred as there was no clear evidence.
Number of crimes	1
	9 April 1619
Entry	A appeared and said he thought he could practise because he was born in the City. He was told that he would be indicted. Dr Pattison charged him with treating one Russell with emetic lozenges of Stibium. A denied it and said he did not remember the charge reported by Dr Herring from Darnell, apothecary, nor administering an emetic to Darling & Hodgson of the Custom House.
Initiator of the complaint	college member
Second initiator of the complaint	college member
Third initiator of the complaint	other medical practitioner
Action taken	Censors gave A indemnity on previous practice for £20.
Number of crimes	4
	7 May 1619
Entry	John SHEPHERD 666, apothecary, said that A had treated Mrs Newport in Bashing Lane. A said he had got the medicine from Hogheburt, apothecary, and had let her blood with assistance from Wilson, barber. Drs Winston & Ridley were summoned, & she died next morning. A denied that he had said that the College admitted none of worth.
Initiator of the complaint	other medical practitioner
Action taken	See below.
Number of crimes	1
	7 May 1619
Entry	Examined for the first time.
Action taken	Approved.
	4 June 1619
Entry	Dr Ridgeley, quoting Mr Newport, said that A examined Mrs N in childbed, brought purgative powder, ordered a vein opened. Ridgeley said she had almost no pulse and was sweating. Dr Winston said A had summoned him. Shepherd and all apothecaries having refused, Winston gave his own powder, had a vein cut and 8oz drawn.
Initiator of the complaint	college member
Second initiator of the complaint	spouse of the patient
Third initiator of the complaint	college member
Action taken	See below.
Number of crimes	1
	14 Jan 1620
Entry	A appeared. Statute on bad practice read; earlier evidence (Shepherd, Mr Newport, Ridgley, Winston) presented. A denied purging Mrs N, but admitted ordering vein cut, & said the syrups he gave were only coltsfoot, & he knew that Mrs Newport would die.
Attitude of the accused	submitted to the College
Action taken	Fined £10, prison remitted on public confession. Paid fine & agreed
Verdict	guilty
Sentence	Fined £10. Prison remitted if he made public confession
Number of crimes	1
	21 April 1620
Entry	Made public confession concerning Mrs Newport.
Action taken	Prison remitted.
Number of crimes	1
	6 Nov 1607
Entry	'Thomas Dowsing and his wife Elizabeth complained about Dr. Aire because he had given their daughter Anna Crakill, the wife of Miles Crakill, a medicament in the shape of a cake: its strength was such that she did not cease vomiting firstly fluid and finally blood until after making attempts to stop it, which were unsuccessful, she died.'
Initiator of the complaint	relative of the patient
Action taken	See below.
Number of crimes	1
	2 June 1620
Entry	Examined for the second time.
Action taken	Approved.
	7 July 1620
Entry	Examined for the third time.
Action taken	Not approved (result not to be entered in the records).
	1 Sep 1620
Entry	A was examined again (?for Candidate). He failed and was not admitted, but was told that he should summon Fellows in serious cases.
Action taken	Not approved ?but LRCP/connivance?
	10 Nov 1626
Entry	Dr. Aire who had fastened bills on doors appeared and was questioned about gout.
Action taken	?
Verdict	case not completed
	m S Thomas 1626
Entry	The President asked us to report quacks: he named Blanke, DuVal, Butler, Aire and Bugg and the charge against them.
Action taken	?
Verdict	case not completed
	6 Dec 1639
Entry	'Eyres his wife appered in beehalf of her husband who sete up bills'.
Action taken	None.
Verdict	case not completed
Number of crimes	1
	4 Dec 1607
Entry	'On this day they summoned Dr. Ayre who showed letters testimonial from the University of Leyden, Holland, which stated that he had been created a doctor there. He was charged with having given an extremely dangerous medicine to a woman in childbed: he did not deny that he had given the medicament but said that it had been safe and eased her labour and that it was rhubarb with beavers stones and a few drops of chemical oil of juniper, to bring forth the lochia. He was charged however because contrary to the injunction given him in the time of the President, Dr Langton, he had dared to practise without approval or a licence; this he could not deny.'
Attitude of the accused	made an excuse
Action taken	Ordered to abstain until examined & licensed.
Verdict	guilty
Sentence	To abstain until examined and licensed
Number of crimes	1
	14 July 1609
Entry	'They appeared: ... Dr. Eyre who replied to the questions as is shown in the Book of Examinations: with regard to him it was decided that he should be indicted.'
Action taken	To be indicted.
Verdict	case not completed
	16 Oct 1612
Entry	President (MOUNDEFORD) made a list of 10 illicitly practising MDs, and selected 4 for indictment, incl. A who was MD of a foreign university. See also ANTHONY 19, BARKER 52, DEE 212.
Initiator of the complaint	college member
Action taken	To be indicted. See below.
	13 Aug 1613
Entry	Finally appeared on President's charge.
Initiator of the complaint	college member
Second initiator of the complaint	college member
Action taken	Convicted & fined.
Verdict	guilty
Sentence	Fined, but to be ?let off if apologized to Dr. Atkins
	7 Oct 1614
Entry	Begged for grace because he was born "here". Confessed he no longer had letters from certain universities.
Action taken	President advised him to attend Censors for exam.
	4 Nov 1614
Entry	Examined, 'making use of a language very like Latin'.
Action taken	?
	15 Dec 1615
Entry	To be summoned.
Attitude of the accused	absent
Action taken	To be summoned
Verdict	case not completed