William Brabazon (Lord Justice of Ireland)

In a letter from the Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, Gerald Aylmer to Thomas Cromwell in August 1535 he was described as "the man that prevented the total ruin and desolation of the Kingdom".

In 1536, he and John Barnewall, 3rd Baron Trimlestown beat back an assault by the O'Connor clan on Carbury by burning several villages in Offaly and carrying away great spoil.

For his good services to the Crown he was, on 1 October 1543, constituted Lord Justice of Ireland, and he was again appointed to the same office on 1 April 1546.

In the spring of 1548 he assisted the Lord Deputy of Ireland in subduing a rebellion raised in Kildare by the sons of Thomas Eustace, 1st Viscount Baltinglass.

In August 1550, he subdued Cahir mac Art Kavanagh, head of the powerful MacMurrough-Kavanagh dynasty and the dominant Gaelic magnate in Leinster.

His younger son, Anthony, founded another branch of the family whose main seat was at Ballinasloe Castle, County Galway.