William Flower (1497/98–1588)[1] was an English Officer of Arms in the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I.
On 1 April 1543, while serving as Calais pursuivant extraordinary, he was sent to visit the merchants and marines who had been captured by the French and confined at Rouen.
In 1555, Thomas Hawley, Clarenceux King of Arms, issued a patent in London authorising Flower to act as his marshal and deputy.
[2][3][4][5] Flower delivered a message in Edinburgh from the Duke of Norfolk on 16 February 1560 to Mary of Guise and her Scottish and French councillors.
Flower recorded sharp answers from two Frenchmen, Henri Cleutin and Jacques de la Brosse.
Flower declared;"I give my straight commandment to all Painters, Glaziers, Goldsmiths, Gravers, or any other that doth or hereafter shall use the arte of painting, that they nor any of them shall not from this present date exercise nor use any painting in any wise, appertaining to the office of armes, especially for Escutchons of armes, or banners, standards, pennons, hatchments, helms, crests, or any thing or thinges appertayning to funeralls of any personages, within my sayd province ..., without my special licence, or at least being licensed and sett on worke at such funeralls by my sayd Deputie Peter Proby.