William Brandon (died 1491)

[1] In 1469 he was present at the Siege of Caister Castle,[1] and in 1471 as a member of the victorious Yorkist forces he was knighted by King Edward IV on the field at the Battle of Tewkesbury.

[1] In 1471 he was one of ten knights who swore allegiance to the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward V.[1] In 1475 he returned to military service in the invasion of France, which ended with the Treaty of Picquigny.

[1] As a member of the Royal Household,[1] in 1479 he was appointed Knight Marshal of the Marshalsea Court,[1] an office for life which passed to his son Thomas in 1491.

[4] In July 1483 he was present at the coronation of King Richard III,[1] but despite marks of royal favour[5] his loyalty became suspect when two of his sons, William and Thomas, joined the rebellion of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham in October.

[1] By the end of that year, he was out of favour again and sought sanctuary in the City of Gloucester, where he remained until after Richard's defeat and death at the Battle of Bosworth in August 1485.