Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Mount, William
MOUNT, WILLIAM (1545–1602), master of the Savoy, born at Mortlake, Surrey, in 1545, was educated at Eton, whence he proceeded to King's College, Cambridge, of which he was admitted scholar on 3 Oct. 1563 and fellow on 4 Oct. 1566. He graduated B.A. in 1567, and resigned his fellowship between Christmas 1569 and Lady-day, 1570. Mount, who owed much to the patronage of Secretary Sir Thomas Smith and Lord Burghley (Cal. State Papers, Dom. 1547-80, pp. 294, 301), at first studied medicine, but subsequently took orders, and was appointed master of the Savoy in January 1593-4. He was also domestic chaplain to Lord Burghley. He proceeded D.D., but no record of the degree exists at Cambridge. He died in December 1602 (Chamberlain, Letters, Camd. Soc., p. 170).
Mount was author of:
- 'Directions for making distilled Waters, Compound and Simple,' 1590, in Lansdowne MS. 65, art. 75
- 'Description of the Ingredients of a certain Composition called Sage Water,' 1591, in Lansdowne MS. 68, art. 88.
- 'Latin Verses prefixed to Matthias de L'Obel's "Balsami, Opobalsami, Carpobalsami, & Xylobalsami, cum suo Cortice, explanatio," ' 1598. L'Obel, who visited Mount in 1597, expresses his admiration of Mount's skill in making distilled waters (p. 20).
[Cooper's Athenæ Cantabr. ii. 271.]