William Brandon
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the American author and historian see William Brandon. For the former Governor of Alabama, see William W. Brandon
Sir William Brandon (1426 – August 22, 1485) was Henry Tudor's standard-bearer at the Battle of Bosworth, and the father of Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk.
William was son of a senior Sir William Brandon of Wangford, Suffolk (d. 1491) and Elizabeth Wingfield, daughter of Sir Robert Wingfield. He married Elizabeth Bruyn, daughter of Sir Henry Bruyn and Elizabeth Darcy, with whom he had five children:
- William Brandon, (b. 1476)
- Charles Brandon (b. 1484 – August 24, 1545)
- Sir Thomas Brandon
- Sir Robert Brandon
- Eleanor Brandon
According to Polydore Vergil, William was killed by Richard III's own hand at the Battle of Bosworth. He briefly appears in his role as Henry's standard-bearer at the battle in Shakespeare's play Richard III.
[edit] Trivia
Eleanor Brandon's daughter Anne married a Henry Pagrave. According to some genealogies, Pagrave descendants emigrated to the United States in the early 17th century and ultimately produced the Wellington, Fay and Bush family lines, of which Presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush are members.
