William Bowyer (Keeper of the Records)

For other people named William Bowyer, see William Bowyer (disambiguation).

Map of the British Isles from Heroica Eulogia by William Bowyer, 1567

William Bowyer (d. 1569/1570) was an antiquary and government official who was a Member of Parliament and Keeper of the Records in the Tower of London early in the reign of Elizabeth I of England. He was the first Keeper to systematically organise and catalogue the store of government records maintained in the Tower. An avid collector of old manuscripts, he also created Heroica Eulogia, a compilation of grants and verse eulogies relating to the earls of Leicester, along with satirical verses and illustrations, for presentation to Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester.