William Burley was MP for Shropshire nineteen times and Speaker of the House of Commons of England.

He was the eldest son of John Burley of Broncroft in Corvedale, who was himself six times MP for Shropshire.

He married twice; firstly Ellen, daughter and coheiress of John Grendon, and widow of John Brown of Lichfield; they had 2 daughters and secondly Margaret, presumed daughter of Thomas Parys of Ludlow.

He served on several commissions and as a JP and escheator for Shropshire. He was appointed High Sheriff of Shropshire

High Sheriff of Shropshire

The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred elsewhere or are now defunct, so that its functions...

 for 1426. He served as knight of the shire (MP) for Shropshire

Shropshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Shropshire is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832. It was represented by two Knights...

 19 times between 1417 and 1455, acting as Speaker of the House for a few days in 1437 and again in 1445.

He died intestate, leaving as his heirs his daughter Joan, married to the jurist, Thomas Lyttleton of Teddesley and his grandson, William Trussell, son of his other daughter, Elizabeth.