Brandling of Newcastle

The Brandlings of Newcastle were a wealthy family of merchants and land and coal owners in Newcastle upon Tyne and Northumberland.

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.

His son, Sir Robert Brandling (died 1568), served as sheriff of Newcastle in 1524 and also as mayor in 1536, 1543, 1547 and 1564. In 1547, whilst mayor, he was knighted by Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, following the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh, in Scotland. He was Custos Rotulorum of Northumberland.

Another son, Henry Brandling (1515–1578), was Sheriff of Newcastle in 1566 and mayor of the city in 1568, 1575 and 1576. His brother Thomas Brandling (1512–1590) was educated at the newly established Royal Grammar School, and founded the land and coal owning dynasty.

Robert Brandling (1575–1636) sat in the House of Commons from 1621 to 1622. He was the son of William Brandling of Felling and Anne Helye daughter of George Heyle. His son by his first wife, Jane Wortley, Sir Francis Brandling (1595–1641), sat in the House of Commons from 1624 to 1625.

The Brandlings had Catholic sympathies, and during the English Civil War Robert Brandling (1617–1690) served in the King's army in the rank of Colonel. With the King's fortunes waning, he escaped to Scotland where he remained until after the Restoration. He avoided sequestration of his estate and returned to England. His brother Roger, however, was killed in battle during the war.

The family acquired by marriage Alnwick Abbey and estates at Gosforth, but by 1605 their seat had been established at Felling Hall, Felling, County Durham.

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