William eventually fell from grace, and he committed suicide in 1544,[6] leaving the navy disorganized.

Along with William of Wrotham and Sir Robert de Crull, he is probably to be reckoned one of the three most important administrators of naval affairs of the English Navy prior to 1546.

He married Bennett Walters and together they had six sons Anthony, Arthur, Benjamin, Christopher, David and Richard.

He was imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1540 and was condemned to death by an Act of Parliament in 1541 for denying the authority of the King in spiritual matters and refusing to recant his Catholic faith.

[9] William Gonson was buried in the church of St Dunstan-in-the-East, under the terms of an agreement made by him with the parson and churchwardens four years previously.