William Hatteclyffe (sometimes called Atcliff in older tomb lists) was a diplomat and physician and was buried on the right side of the altar in the old Lady Chapel in Westminster Abbey in 1480. This chapel was rebuilt by Henry VII from 1503 so it is assumed William's body was taken away or reburied somewhere else in the Abbey.
Educated at Cambridge he studied medicine at Padua and later became physician to Henry VI and Edward IV. While fleeing to Ireland after the Lancastrians won a battle in the Wars of the Roses he was held for ransom by the French. After his release he became secretary to Edward IV and undertook various diplomatic missions abroad. He and his wife Elizabeth had a house in Westminster.
Further reading
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography 2004
His will is at The National Archives, Kew, Surrey
This image can be purchased from Westminster Abbey Library
Image © 2024 Dean and Chapter of Westminster
