William Blandy (b. c. 1555)
Born: circa 1555
Author
Died: after 1581

William Blandy was born in Newbury and was educated at Winchester College. He was elected a probationer fellow of New College, Oxford, on 8th June 1563, and was admitted as a Bachelor of Arts on 3rd July 1566. Soon afterwards, he was removed from his fellowship, by the Bishop of Winchester, on account of his strong popish leanings. He then went to London and joined the Middle Temple, where he became a 'fellow’. He appears to have later served in the Low Countries with the English army around 1580.

William became the author of a number of works: 'The Five Books of the Famous, Learned and Eloquent Man, Hieronimo Osorius [Osorio da Fonseca, bishop of Silves], containing a discussion of Civil and Christian Nobility' (1576), dedicated "at Newbury, 6th day of April" to the Earl of Leicester; and 'The Castle or Picture of Policy, showing .... the martial feats late done by our .... nation, under the conduct of .... J. Norreys, general of the army of the states in Friesland' (1581), dedicated to Sir Philip Sidney.

An undated volume on ancient chronology, by Adam (1682-1722) and William Blandy (1685-1739), fellows of Pembroke College, Oxford, has been erroneously ascribed to this William Blandy. The book was certainly published early in the eighteenth century. Adam Blandy proceeded BA at Oxford in 1704 and MA in 1707. His co-author, William, proceeded BA in 1708 and MA in 1711, and died in 1739. They were sons of John Blandy (1643-1719) of Letcombe Bassett, Berkshire and possibly descendants of the earlier William Blandy.

Edited from Leslie Stephen's 'Dictionary of National Biography' (1886).