BUGGS, John | British History Online

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

'BUGGS, John', in Physicians and Irregular Medical Practitioners in London 1550-1640 Database, (London, 2004) pp. . British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/london-physicians/1550-1640/buggs-john [accessed 25 April 2024]

John BUGGS

Biography


Name	John BUGGS (BOUGGS, BRIGG, BUGG, BUGGES)
Gender	Male
Primary occupation	medical apothecary (Apothecary. King's servant 1631. Physician (MPD) 1633. Tobacco-seller. Ch Ch Hospital 1636?)
Period of medical practice	1616-1640
Place of birth	London (St Andrews Holborn (?=address?))
Date of birth	1603
Date of death	1640
Address	Warwick Lane 1630. Billingsgate Ward 1640.
Other notes	Trouble 1626-39. Player/ranger of the Queen of Bohemia 1631 (Royal protection). Rich on death in 1640.

Known London address


	Warwick Lane
Parish	Christ Church Newgate Street [incl St Audoen 1547; St Nicholas in the Shambles, 1547; part of St Sepulchre's, 1567]
Ward	Faringdon Within
Date	1630
	Billingsgate ward
Ward	Billingsgate
Date	1640

Censorial hearings


	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.
Initiator of the complaint	college member
Attitude of the accused	absent
Action taken	?
Verdict	case not completed
	12 Oct 1632
Entry	B was questioned about Burton and confessed. Told to seal a Release of Errors to the College.
Action taken	Fined £10 now, £20 after 6 months, £20 after 1 year.
Number of crimes	1
	22 Dec 1632
Entry	B was charged by Dr HAWLYE with bad practice on Mr Cooke of the Old Bailey.
Initiator of the complaint	college member
Attitude of the accused	absent
Action taken	B to be summoned to meet the charge.
Number of crimes	1
	1 Feb 1633
Entry	B to be summoned.
Attitude of the accused	absent
Action taken	To be summoned.
	1 March 1633
Entry	B appeared, accused of suing one Smith in the Exchequer for the fee for curing him of the pox. B said he'd had Dr Cartmeale's directions. Accused of bad practice re Mr Cooke, B said that Dr LAWRENCE of Gratious Street (474) had called him in, and sent 2 of Lawrence's bills.
Action taken	See next.
Number of crimes	2
	5 April 1633
Entry	Dr LAWRENCE 474 appeared and was questioned about the Cooke affair. He said he was called in by B!
Action taken	[Presumably B was fined and gave sureties.] See next.
Verdict	guilty
Sentence	Fined and gave sureties
Number of crimes	1
	3 July 1633
Entry	College decided to take out an action against B's sureties for his non-payment of the fine.
Action taken	Sureties to be prosecuted.
	5 July 1633
Entry	B's sureties appeared and refused to pay. College began lawsuit against them.
Action taken	Prosecution begun.
	23 Dec 1633
Entry	Mr. Holland of Fanchurche Street, apothecary, was accused by Dr Winston of supporting Mr. B, 'whoe stands in opposition with the Colledge.' H denied it.
Initiator of the complaint	college member
Attitude of the accused	absent
Action taken	None to B.
	17 Jan 1634
Entry	B's bills were presented.
Attitude of the accused	absent
Action taken	?See next.
	m Palm Sun 1634
Entry	Dr Clarke complained of B's bad practice in the case of Mr Rowe of Fenchurch Street and cited COOKE, apothecary (?184, q.v.) as a witness.
Initiator of the complaint	college member
Second initiator of the complaint	other medical practitioner
Attitude of the accused	absent
Action taken	See next.
Number of crimes	1
	3 July 1630
Entry	B, of Warwick Lane, was charged in connection with the son of Mr Murray of Foster Lane, whom he had treated and who had died. B refused to answer the charges of Dr Grent's servant and was found by the College 'very insolent'.
Initiator of the complaint	college member
Attitude of the accused	defiant
Action taken	?
Verdict	case not completed
Number of crimes	1
	16 July 1634
Entry	'It is thought fitt to respitt the consideracion of Dr. Buggs his practize till next Michelmas.'
Attitude of the accused	absent
Action taken	Investigation deferred until Michaelmas.
	12 Sep 1634
Entry	Dr. Clement, Registrar, sent a letter from the College to Dr. Collins, Regius Professor at Cambridge, complaining that some graduates in arts of foreign universities were being awarded 'the highest honours in medicine from you'. He cited particularly B, an apothecary who had taken a doctor's degree at Leyden after only 'a month or two' and who had been incorporated at Cambridge on that degree.
Initiator of the complaint	college member
Attitude of the accused	absent
Action taken	Regius Prof at Cantab was asked to examine B's worth.
	15 Sep 1634
Entry	Dr B to be arrested 'with a quo minus out of the Exchequer forthwith'. Meanwhile, Prof. Collins had written from Cambridge to say that although B obtained a grace to be incorporated MD Cantab, he never appeared to answer Collins's questions, so the grace was invalid and B is NOT MD Cantab. But B may have got the University's licence to practice, although not from Collins.
Attitude of the accused	absent
Action taken	College decided to arrest him.
	5 Nov 1634
Entry	'Dr. Spicer informed that Mr. Holland in Fanchurche street Apothecarye preferred Dr. Buggs stranglye, the particulars therof hee will deliver.'
Initiator of the complaint	college member
Attitude of the accused	absent
Action taken	Particulars to follow.
Verdict	case not completed
	5 June 1635
Entry	Richard Chalenor said that the apothecary HAUGHTON 378 (qv) had brought B the urine of Nicholas Chalenor, apprentice to Timothy Younge of Cornhill. B had examined it and then prescribed a medicine for NC, who took it and died.
Initiator of the complaint	relative of the patient
Attitude of the accused	absent
Action taken	?
Number of crimes	1
	11 Dec 1635
Entry	'Dr. Winston ... presented the books of the examinacions of the Apothecaryes, and Dr. Buggs, which are to bee compared.'
Attitude of the accused	absent
Verdict	case not completed
	20 May 1636
Entry	The College was worried that B might obtain the vacant post in Christ's Hospital, and discussed how prevent this.
Attitude of the accused	absent
Action taken	Coll to write letter to Lord Mayor against B.
	21 May 1636
Entry	The President of Christchurch hospital intended to make B the hospital physician. College presented a petition to the Lord Mayor, arguing against the appointment.
Attitude of the accused	absent
Action taken	Petition sent to Lord Mayor against B.
Verdict	case not completed
	13 Feb 1637
Entry	'It was allso ordered that Mr. Buggs should be required to appeare before the President and Censors vpon Friday the 17 heerof.'
Attitude of the accused	absent
Action taken	To be summoned for Friday 17th February. See next.
	17 Feb 1637
Entry	B appeared and admitted to having practised for 2 years, viz. since he'd come back as MD of Leyden. He had been to no university, but had trained in an apothecary's shop. President read B the Statutes and prohibited him from practice, advising him to go back to being an apothecary for his livelihood, and offering him the favour of the College & half the practice of some of the Fellows. B refused.
Attitude of the accused	confessed
Action taken	Prohibited from practice. See next.
	12 Nov 1630
Entry	Nicholas Martin of Fetter Lane accused B of saying that he was a physician, of giving him (M) false hope about his son and of then charging a fee. M and Isabella Wertley also said that B had given a vomit to Pikhurne, which had made him unconscious for 3 hours. Mr HILL 395 (q.v.) followed B, it was alleged.
Initiator of the complaint	relative of the patient
Second initiator of the complaint	friend/neighbour/acquaintance of the patient
Action taken	Deferred until HILL could be summoned.
Verdict	case not completed
Number of crimes	2
	21 April 1637
Entry	B to be sued for 2 years' practice.
Action taken	College decided to sue B for unlicensed practice.
Verdict	guilty
Sentence	To be prosecuted at law
	19 Jan 1638
Entry	Suit against B [in process?].
Action taken	Suit against B.
	11 Jan 1639
Entry	Suit against B [?in progress].
Action taken	Suit against B.
	11 Feb 1631
Entry	B, one of the Queen of Bohemia's players, was included in a list of illegal practitioners who gained immunity as the King's servants. This list was sent with a petition to the Lord Chamberlain. (Others on it were BUTLER 135, TRIGG 746, HILL 395, BLAYDEN 93 and BLANKE 92.)
Initiator of the complaint	college member
Attitude of the accused	absent
Action taken	Petition sent. Reply said that Coll. could prosecute these people.
Verdict	guilty
Sentence	To be prosecuted at law (?)
	23 Sep 1631
Entry	Beadle said that one Walton had died under B's hands. Dr Grent reported that a pewterer of Ivy Lane had said that B's medicine put out his eyes. Also alleged to have given physic to Lincoln's Inn stewards, as was known to Dr Wright.
Initiator of the complaint	college member
Second initiator of the complaint	college member
Third initiator of the complaint	college member
Attitude of the accused	absent
Action taken	Censors, with Master & Wardens of SA, to search B's shop.
Number of crimes	3
	2 Nov 1631
Entry	'Consideration to be had about collecting good proofes against George Butler, John Buggs and William Trigge'.
Attitude of the accused	absent
Action taken	College to collect proofs against B.
	11 May 1632
Entry	Medicines had been seized from B's shop on visitation from the SA. Lawrence Relfe, servant to the late George Burton, haberdasher, complained of B. Burton being ill, R called B, who sent a clyster by a servant, and later sent syrup of violets & flowers of sulphur. Burton deteriorated & B came & blooded him, & later sent 3 pills. Burton died that night. William Wallye, Burton's man, confirmed story.
Initiator of the complaint	friend/neighbour/acquaintance of the patient
Second initiator of the complaint	friend/neighbour/acquaintance of the patient
Action taken	[B must have been imprisoned - see next.]
Verdict	guilty
Sentence	Imprisoned and fined £50
Number of crimes	1
	3 July 1632
Entry	Letter received from Lord Heathe, requesting B's release on habeas corpus (dated 30 June).
Attitude of the accused	defiant
Action taken	College replied refusing (13 July).
	1 Oct 1632
Entry	Clark of the SA asked if B could pay the fine in two stages.
Attitude of the accused	submitted to the College
Action taken	College agreed, if there was good surety.