William Stafford (conspirator)

William Stafford (conspirator)

William Stafford (1554–1612) was an English courtier and conspirator.

He was the son of William Stafford of Chebsey, who had been the brother-in-law of Henry VIII of England and the uncle of Elizabeth I. The elder William Stafford's first marriage had been to Mary Boleyn, sister of Anne Boleyn, and Stafford was the child of his second marriage to Dorothy Stafford.

The Staffords had been a powerful family from the thirteenth to the early sixteenth-century, and still retained some of their former influence. After the execution of Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham in 1521, the Staffords, who were descended from several branches of the royal family tree, lost much of their power and lands. Some, such as William's mother Dorothy, retained their influence by proving their loyalty.