William Brandon
Encyclopedia
Sir William Brandon was Henry Tudor
's standard-bearer
at the Battle of Bosworth Field
, where he was killed by King Richard III
. He was the father of Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk
.
of Wangford
, Suffolk
and of Soham Court, Suffolk
, Knight Marshal
of Marshalsea
(1425 - 4 March 1491) and wife (married 1462) Elizabeth Wingfield (died 28 April 1496/1497). He had numerous siblings, including Sir Thomas Brandon
, who fought with him at the Battle of Bosworth and later became a leading courtier and Master of the Horse
of Henry VII
.
connections behind the Buckingham Revolt of 1483, along with his brother Thomas and brother-in-law, Wingfield. Pardoned in March 1484, he boarded a ship at Mersea in November and sailed for France
, where he was supposedly joined by his wife, who gave birth to their eldest son in Paris
. He joined his brother Thomas in the relief of the Hammes fortress. According to popular myth both were knighted by Henry Tudor
when he landed at Milford in 1485, however Thomas was only knighted after the Battle of Blackheath in 1497 and William was presumably only called Sir out of courtesy after his death or out of confusion with his father, the elder Sir William. After Richard III unhorsed Sir John Cheney, a well-known jousting champion, Brandon was one of the few notable fatalities in Henry's army at Bosworth, having been killed by King Richard III while carrying Henry's royal standard. As such he appears in stanzas 155 and 156 in The Ballad of Bosworth Field:
, Essex
, himself the son of Sir Maurice Bruyn
. She was the widow of one Thomas Tyrell of Heron, Essex, who died after 3 July 1471 and whom she married before 17 February 1461/1462. She remarried William Mallery, after her second husband's death at Bosworth, but survived him only for some years. When she died on 7 March 1493/1494, their three underaged children were left orphans.
Children with Elizabeth Bruyn (the actual order of birth is not known):
In addition to these he had two illegitimate daughters named Elizabeth and Katherine.
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
's standard-bearer
Standard-bearer
A standard-bearer is a person who bears an emblem called an ensign or standard, i.e. either a type of flag or an inflexible but mobile image, which is used as a formal, visual symbol of a state, prince, military unit, etc.This can either be an occasional duty, often seen as an honour , or a...
at the Battle of Bosworth Field
Battle of Bosworth Field
The Battle of Bosworth Field was the penultimate battle of the Wars of the Roses, the civil war between the House of Lancaster and the House of York that raged across England in the latter half of the 15th century. Fought on 22 August 1485, the battle was won by the Lancastrians...
, where he was killed by King Richard III
Richard III of England
Richard III was King of England for two years, from 1483 until his death in 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty...
. He was the father of Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk
Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk
Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, 1st Viscount Lisle, KG was the son of Sir William Brandon and Elizabeth Bruyn. Through his third wife Mary Tudor he was brother-in-law to Henry VIII. His father was the standard-bearer of Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond and was slain by Richard III in person at...
.
Family
William was son of a senior Sir William BrandonWilliam Brandon (Marshal of Marshalsea)
Sir William Brandon of Wangford, Suffolk and of Soham Court, Suffolk was an English knight.-Life:While still an Esquire, in 1479, in the eighth year of reign of Edward IV, he became Knight Marshal of Marshalsea prison...
of Wangford
Wangford
Wangford is a village in Suffolk, England, just off the A12 trunk road on the edge of the Henham Park estate just outside Southwold. .Wangford is connected to the rest of Suffolk by two main roads...
, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
and of Soham Court, Suffolk
Suffolk
Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...
, Knight Marshal
Knight Marshal
The Knight Marshal is a former office in the British Royal Household established by King Henry III in 1236. The position later became a Deputy to the Earl Marshal from the reign of Henry VIII until the office was abolished in 1846 ....
of Marshalsea
Marshalsea
The Marshalsea was a prison on the south bank of the River Thames in Southwark, now part of London. From the 14th century until it closed in 1842, it housed men under court martial for crimes at sea, including those accused of "unnatural crimes", political figures and intellectuals accused of...
(1425 - 4 March 1491) and wife (married 1462) Elizabeth Wingfield (died 28 April 1496/1497). He had numerous siblings, including Sir Thomas Brandon
Thomas Brandon (diplomat)
Sir Thomas Brandon, KG was an English soldier, courtier and diplomat.-Life:He was from a Lancastrian family, the son of William Brandon and Elizabeth Wingfield, and uncle to Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk. His brother William was killed at the battle of Bosworth defending the standard of...
, who fought with him at the Battle of Bosworth and later became a leading courtier and Master of the Horse
Master of the Horse
The Master of the Horse was a position of varying importance in several European nations.-Magister Equitum :...
of Henry VII
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
.
Biography
In 1478 Sir John Paston wrote that "yonge William Brandon is in warde and arestyd ffor thatt he scholde have fforce ravysshyd and swyvyd an olde jentylwoman ..." By that time he was already married to Elizabeth Bruyn, a widow with two sons, and according to Paston there were rumours he would be hanged for his offence. Brandon apparently escaped prosecution however because a few years later he was one of the key LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
connections behind the Buckingham Revolt of 1483, along with his brother Thomas and brother-in-law, Wingfield. Pardoned in March 1484, he boarded a ship at Mersea in November and sailed for France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, where he was supposedly joined by his wife, who gave birth to their eldest son in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He joined his brother Thomas in the relief of the Hammes fortress. According to popular myth both were knighted by Henry Tudor
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
when he landed at Milford in 1485, however Thomas was only knighted after the Battle of Blackheath in 1497 and William was presumably only called Sir out of courtesy after his death or out of confusion with his father, the elder Sir William. After Richard III unhorsed Sir John Cheney, a well-known jousting champion, Brandon was one of the few notable fatalities in Henry's army at Bosworth, having been killed by King Richard III while carrying Henry's royal standard. As such he appears in stanzas 155 and 156 in The Ballad of Bosworth Field:
Marriage and children
Before 4 November 1475 he married Elizabeth Bruyn, daughter and co-heiress of Sir Henry Bruyn of South OckendonSouth Ockendon
South Ockendon is settlement and Church of England parish in the Thurrock borough and unitary district in Essex in the East of England, United Kingdom.-History:...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, himself the son of Sir Maurice Bruyn
Maurice Bruyn
Sir Maurice Bruyn of South Ockendon , Essex was an English knight.-Family:...
. She was the widow of one Thomas Tyrell of Heron, Essex, who died after 3 July 1471 and whom she married before 17 February 1461/1462. She remarried William Mallery, after her second husband's death at Bosworth, but survived him only for some years. When she died on 7 March 1493/1494, their three underaged children were left orphans.
Children with Elizabeth Bruyn (the actual order of birth is not known):
- William Brandon (d. bef. 1500)
- Charles BrandonCharles Brandon, 1st Duke of SuffolkCharles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, 1st Viscount Lisle, KG was the son of Sir William Brandon and Elizabeth Bruyn. Through his third wife Mary Tudor he was brother-in-law to Henry VIII. His father was the standard-bearer of Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond and was slain by Richard III in person at...
(ca. 1484 - 24 August 1545) - Anne Brandon, married (1) Sir John Shilston, then (2) Gawain Carew
In addition to these he had two illegitimate daughters named Elizabeth and Katherine.