Sir William Brandon (c.1425 – 4 March 1491) of Wangford, Suffolk was an English knight.
While still an Esquire, in 1479, in the eighth year of the reign of Edward IV, Brandon became Knight Marshal of the Marshalsea prison.
Brandon's family had had a residence on the west side of Borough High Street, London, for at least half a century prior to Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk's building of Suffolk Place at the site.
Wyngaerde's view of London, circa 1550 shows Suffolk Place on the west side of Borough High Street as "a large and most sumptuous building," surmounted by towers and cupolas. Its size and importance so much impressed the unknown draughtsman of the plan of Borough High Street of circa 1542 that he made it appear larger than St. Saviour's Church or any other building in the locality. Stow states that the house was built by Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, in the time of Henry VIII and later writers have followed his lead, but the Brandon family had had a residence on the site for at least half a century previously. Sir John Howard, afterwards Duke of Norfolk, stayed at "Brandennes Place in Sothwerke" in 1465, and it is probable that both the Sir William Brandon who was killed on Bosworth Field, and his father, also Sir William, who survived him, lived there. Sir Thomas Brandon, son of the elder Sir William, who inherited the house from his mother in 1497, added to the grounds both by purchasing land and by leasing part of the Bishop of Winchester's Park. He lived in Southwark in lavish style. His will mentions the plate, hangings, carpets and beds in the house, all of which he left to Lady Jane Guildford for life with reversion to his nephew Charles, and gowns of cloth of gold which were to be broken up and made into "coats for the rood" of St. Saviour's Abbey at Bermondsey, of Barking Abbey, and of "Our Lady Pew" at Westminster..
Marriage and progeny
At some time before January 1462 he married Elizabeth Wingfield (d. 28 April 1497), a daughter of Sir Robert Wingfield by his wife Elizabeth Goushill, by whom he had three sons and seven daughters as follows:
Sir William Brandon (1456-1485), who at some time before 4 November 1474 married Elizabeth Bruyn (d. March 1494), widow of Thomas Tyrrell (died c. 13 October 1473), of the City of London, Beckenham, Kent and South Ockendon, Essex. She was a grand-daughter of Sir Maurice Bruyn (d.1466), and daughter and co-heiress of Sir Henry Bruyn (d.1461) by Elizabeth Darcy (died c.1471), daughter of Sir Robert Darcy of Maldon, Essex. Elizabeth Bruyn's paternal aunt, Joan Bruyn, married John Digges, great-grandfather of the scientist, Leonard Digges. On her father's side Elizabeth Bruyn was descended from Sir William le Brune, Knight Chamberlain to King Edward I. By Elizabeth Bruyn, Sir William Brandon had two sons, William Brandon and Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, and two daughters, Anne Brandon, who married firstly Sir John Shilston, and secondly Sir Gawain Carew, and Elizabeth Brandon, By an unknown mistress Sir William Brandon had an illegitimate daughter, Katherine Brandon, who married Roger Wolrich. Sir William Brandon was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field on 22 August 1485. His widow, Elizabeth, married (3rd) William Mallory, Esquire.Richardson 2011b, p. 360Burke 1834, p. 205 She died 7 (or 26) March 1493/4.
Sir Thomas Brandon, of Southwark, Surrey, and Duddington, Northamptonshire, etc., Marshal of the King's Bench, Master of the Horse. He fought at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, and later became a leading courtier. He married firstly, before 16 May 1496, Anne Fiennes (d. 10 September 1497), widow of William Berkeley, 1st Marquess of Berkeley (d. 14 February 1492). She was the daughter of Sir John Fiennes by Alice Fitz Hugh, daughter of Henry Fitz Hugh, and granddaughter of Richard Fiennes, 7th Baron Dacre of the South (d.1483). There was no issue of the marriage. She died 10 September 1497 and was buried at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. He married secondly, Elizabeth Dynham (or Dinham), widow successively of Fulk Bourchier, 10th Baron FitzWarin (25 October 1445 – 18 September 1479) and Sir John Sapcotes (d.1501) of Elton, Huntingdonshire. She was the daughter of Sir John Dynham (or Dinham) (d. 25 January 1458) by Joan Arches (d.1497), and the sister and coheir of John Dynham, 1st Baron Dynham (d. 1501). There was no issue of the marriage. Sir Thomas Brandon died 27 Jan 1509/10, and was buried in the church of the Black Friars by Ludgate. He left a will dated 11 Jan 1509/10, proved 11 May 1510 (P.C.C. 29 Bennett). According to Gunn, after Brandon's death his widow, Elizabeth, took a vow of celibacy before Bishop Fisher on 21 April 1510. She died 19 October 1516, and was buried in the Greyfriars, London.
Sir Robert Brandon, who eventually inherited their father's estates in East Anglia. He married Katharine la Zouche, a daughter of John la Zouche, 7th Baron Zouche of Haryngworth and widow (married in 1498) of John Carew (d.1528) of Haccombe in Devon.
Mary Brandon, who married John Redying (or Reading). She became a gentlewomen in Prince Henry's (the later Henry VIII) household; her husband was treasurer to the Prince by 1498 Mary was a legatee in the 1510 will of her brother, Thomas Brandon, K.G. In the period, 1529–32, Mary Redyng, executrix and late the wife of John Redyng sued William Paston, Knt., John Carelton, and Francis Lovell, Esq., surviving executors of Thomas Lovell, Knt., executor of Thomas Brandon, Knt., regarding a debt due from the said Sir Thomas Brandon to her said late husband for boarding Lady Berkeley, then wife of the said Sir Thomas (sic) and sixteen of her servants and family for 32 weeks at 40s.
Anne Brandon, who married Nicholas Sydney, Esq. Their descendants, among others, are the Earls of Leicester and Lord Byron.
Elizabeth Brandon, who married firstly Augustine Caundishe (or Candishe, Cavendish), and secondly John Leventhorpe.
Margaret Brandon "The Elder", who married Gregory Lovell, Knt.
Margaret Brandon "The Younger" who Married Hugo / Hugh Manning de Cary
Katherine Brandon, who married John Gurney. Katherine was a legatee in the 1510 will of her brother, Thomas Brandon, K.G.
Eleanor Brandon (c.1462 – 30 June 1480), who married, after 5 March 1466, as his second wife, John Glemham, (c.1460–1499).
