Sir Edward Belknap was active in the service of the English crown, both on the battlefield and as a court official, during the 16th and 17th centuries.

He fought for Henry VII

Henry VII of England

Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....

 at the battles of Stoke Field

Battle of Stoke Field

The Battle of Stoke Field may be considered the last battle of the Wars of the Roses, since it was to be the last engagement in which a Lancastrian king faced an army of Yorkist supporters, under the pretender Lambert Simnel...

 and Blackheath and possibly at other battles as well. In 1508, he was appointed to the post of "surveyor of the King's prerogative". This office gave him the power to appropriate the lands and property of anyone who had violated the king's prerogative in some way, such as conviction for a felony. Belknap's appointment was part of an effort by Henry VII to improve the royal finances. Belknap was a privy councillor for both Henry VII and Henry VIII

Henry VIII of England

Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...

. In 1520, he was most probably at the Field of the Cloth of Gold

Field of the Cloth of Gold

The Field of Cloth of Gold is the name given to a place in Balinghem, between Guînes and Ardres, in France, near Calais. It was the site of a meeting that took place from 7 June to 24 June 1520, between King Henry VIII of England and King Francis I of France. The meeting was arranged to increase...

with Henry VIII.

External links

• Sir Edward Belknap