William Brandon

Sir William Brandon (died 1491), of Wangford in Suffolk, was an English landowner, administrator, soldier, courtier and politician. His grandson was Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, a courtier and close friend of King Henry VIII.

Origins Born before 1430, he was probably the son of Robert Brandon, collector of customs at King's Lynn and Great Yarmouth, in Norfolk, who served as a member of parliament for Bishop's Lynn in 1421.

Career He became a retainer of the local magnates, the Dukes of Norfolk, rising to be a senior member of the council of John de Mowbray, 4th Duke of Norfolk by 1476.

In July 1483 he was present at the coronation of King Richard III, his loyalty became suspect when two of his sons, William and Thomas, joined the rebellion of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham in October. ), a daughter of Sir Robert Wingfield by his wife Elizabeth Goushill, half-sister of John de Mowbray, 2nd Duke of Norfolk. Elizabeth, who survived William, had three sons and seven daughters by him: Sir William Brandon, eldest son and heir, who married Elizabeth Bruyn, a daughter and co-heiress of Sir Henry Bruyn and widow of Thomas Tyrrell of Heron, Essex. One of their sons was Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, a courtier and close friend of King Henry VIII. Sir Thomas Brandon, who married firstly Anne Fiennes, a daughter of Sir John Fiennes and widow of William Berkeley, 1st Marquess of Berkeley and secondly Elizabeth Dinham, a daughter of Sir John Dinham and widow successively of Fulk Bourchier, 10th Baron FitzWarin and Sir John Sapcotes. Sir Robert Brandon, who married Catharine la Zouche, a daughter of John Zouche, 7th Baron Zouche of Haryngworth. and widow of John Carew (d. 1528). Mary Brandon, who became a gentlewoman in the household of Prince Henry, later King Henry VIII, and married John Reading, Henry VII's treasurer. Anne Brandon, who married Nicholas Sidney and was the mother of Sir William Sidney. across the River Thames from the Tower of London, near Ely Palace and the main artery from London Bridge to Canterbury and Dover. His seat is memorialised by today's Suffolk Street, named after his grandson the Duke of Suffolk.

Death and burial He left a will dated 9 April 1491 which was proved on 17 November 1491, requesting burial at Wangford.