Sir John Brandling, who was knighted at Blackheath in 1497 and married Elizabeth Helye of Northumberland, settled in Newcastle where he served as sheriff in 1505, and as mayor in 1509, 1512, 1516 and 1520.
In 1547, whilst mayor, he was knighted by Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, following the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh, in Scotland.
His brother Thomas Brandling (1512–1590) was educated at the newly established Royal Grammar School, and founded the land and coal owning dynasty.
A disaster at their Felling Colliery in 1812, when 91 people died, was largely responsible for the pressure to develop a miners' safety lamp.
In 1815 he chaired the committee set up to establish the remuneration to be paid to George Stephenson for the invention of the Geordie lamp.
He overindulged in coal speculations which led to financial difficulties and the sale of many of the family's estates: Shotton in 1850, and Gosforth and Felling in 1852.