Early Life
Bryan Sanford is given in
Hunter1 (as the father of
Hercy), but no further line is provided.
Visitations2 has a Sandford line, ending in a John Sandford. The father of this John - Bryan - has a note stating 'He was knighted 1497, after the battle of Blackheath'. Perhaps this latter is the father of the Bryan of this page and grandfather of Hercy?
However, the article in the
Sheffield Daily Telegraph3 says that Hercy was the
grandson of Sir Bryan Sandford who fought at Bosworth (the article states 1465, but the battle was in 1485). I think it likely that the Sir Bryan who fought at Bosworth is the same as the Sir Bryan who fought at Blackheath and what was actually meant here was
great-grandson.
So the succession could be:
Sir Bryan (Bosworth 1485, knighted 1497) -> John -> Bryan -> Hercy (c. 1535-1582)
The rough generational timings:
Sir Bryan (b. c. 1470), John (b. c. 1490), Bryan (b. c. 1510), Hercy (b. c. 1535)
Family Life
Bryan had at least two children:
- Hercy, last male in line, b. c. 1535 and who married Margaret Copley and left three daughters
- Elizabeth, who married Francis Rodes, one of the justices of the court of common pleas
Footnotes
[1] South Yorkshire, rev. Joseph Hunter, London, 1828; Vol. 1, p310
[2] Visitations of the North (Vol. 4, page 22)
[3] 3rd June 1927
(Age ~ 47 years)